The Social Kews' story started a year ago in a screenwriting class. I wrote an argument between a couple about the mother/mother-in-law character's death. That three-page exercise morphed into a seventeen-page screenplay tentatively called Not Your Mom for my final project. I wrote and completed another project for my summer class, but Not Your Mom stayed on my mind. Last semester, I competed against twenty-two other students for eight slots in the Maine Mayhem Film Festival. We each had to pitch to a panel of producers, and I presented The Social Kews. I was granted one of those coveted eight slots. The Social Kews is a revamped version of Not Your Mom with the focus pulled from the grandmother's death to the cycle of generational trauma in women. I drew inspiration from the women in my life and myself. Even the grandmother's death in this film was inspired by my own grandmother's death.

Why Me:

Creating stories has always been my purpose. As a kid, I was always lost in my own imagination. I started writing recreationally in third grade, and I began exploring film in high school. I spent two years in the new media program at my local vocational high school and wrote, directed, and produced my first short film, United Slides of America Presents: The Founding Fathers Cup, over the summer. I have spent the last six months in preproduction and believe now is the time for The Social Kews. This film could open doors for my cast, crew, and me in the future. I sincerely appreciate any help!

Why This Story:

Women often get put on the back burner in film, but not in this story. The Social Kews puts women at the center of its story. The only male character is a voice on the other end of a phone. The importance of the female perspective is reflected in the almost all-female crew. The women in my life, and I, have experienced generational trauma different than the men in my life. We carry the grief differently. The Social Kews aims to open a conversation where we can expand on these patterns.

Why Now:

While I believe anytime is a good time to begin a conversation about generational trauma, I firmly believe now it is vital to talk about this. Every day, there is terrible news on every TV channel and every app. We are in a constant flow of potentially traumatizing information and experiences, while having often not processed prior trauma. This conversation needs to start somewhere,d what better than a short film to relate to.

Longer synopsis:

Following her elderly mother-in-law’s shocking death from autoerotic asphyxiation, Kristen Kew balances raising her daughter, Lauren, with hosting her sister-in-law Amy, whom she cannot stand. While Lauren and Amy bond, Kristen decides to hide the cause of death from others to maintain the Kew family image. Forced to confront her expectations of motherhood, will Kristen face her past to salvage her relationship with her daughter?