Your Childhood Was Witchcraft
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy
A grounded magical drama short exploring the magic that surrounds us in nature that connects us to our lineage, to others, and ourselves.
Your Childhood Was Witchcraft
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy
1 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $1,778 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
25 supporters | followers
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A grounded magical drama short exploring the magic that surrounds us in nature that connects us to our lineage, to others, and ourselves.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Who Am I?
My name is Camille Jackson (she/her), and I'm an indie student screenwriter and filmmaker based in Chicago. I'm currently getting my MFA in Screenwriting at DePaul University, and will be graduating in June. After filming my first student short film, The Whisper Room, the itch to film even more of my work grew stronger. I love telling stories with Black women leads that are unconventional, magical, and always full of heart + hope. My next short, Your Childhood Was Witchcraft, is one full of magic, a nod to nature and childhood whimsy through a Black girl's eyes, and standing firm in the magic around you. I fell in love with this story, and I hope you will too.
Pics From The Whisper Room project
My Why
During my Adaptation Class, I read the flash fiction piece, Your Childhood Was Witchcraft (published in Cleaver Magazine) by the lovely Eden Royce. I was inspired to adapt it into a short film that connects with the heart of the story. I loved the role of memory, nature, and the plea begging us to remember the magic around us in a world that so often (forcibly) takes that away, especially from Black women and girls. Excited to bring this story to life in April, pulling on the threads of joy, lineage, and connection.
Story
Logline: A grieving mother visits the home of her recently deceased grandmother, who raised her in the summers as a girl, and is reminded of the enchanted nature that lies within her that she was forced to forget.
Marissa Morrison travels to her Grandmother Lottie’s home in Chicago after learning of her passing. Beside her is Promise, her seven-year-old daughter, whose world is full of wonder, play, giggles- magic. Marissa’s whimsical view of the world is gone; she is a realist. Hardened by the world having to escape her abusive husband, gaining sole custody of Promise, and now losing her grandmother, those days of magic are far gone.
After her grandmother’s memorial, she sees Promise playing with Lottie’s jewelry and talking to someone, but no one is there. Promise says that Lottie gave her the necklace as a gift and that she and Lottie were playing. Not believing her, she sends Promise to her room. That night, Marissa spots a lightning bug from her bed flying at her window. When she approaches, she sees a little girl whom she assumes is Promise.
From the corner of her eye, she sees a lightning bug trailing behind a little Black girl, and she follows it. As she steps outside, the mystery girl turns around, and it’s the child version of her begging her to remember. Marissa decides to follow her true nature, going on an epic emotional journey, unlocking the ancestral and natural magic that has been forcibly concealed for so long.
- Pre-Production
- Here's where we are in the process. February, we booked our location for the home and our amazing production design team will decorate the space to make it feel even more like Grandma Lottie's space and honor her southern roots. This is where the repast in the film will take place as well. (yay)
- Goal is to casting finalized by March 28th.
- Need to book outside location/park to film nature scenes.
- Production
- We plan to film Your Childhood Was Witcraft on late April and Early May (specifically April 23, April 24, and May 2. Expect some BTS moments from the shoot 😊)
- Post-Production
- Second half of May- July is assembly editing, working with composer,
- August-October: Goal is to have color locked, VFX complete, and final edit 2026
- 2027 Festival Run, and giving my campaign collaborators (aka you all) an advanced screening via a private link.
- My dream is to have this film shown in the Black Harvest Film Festival and DePaul Premiere, as well as Chicago/Midwest based festivals.
All donations will go towards caring for my crew/performers, props, permits, location use, costumes, set design, and film-festival fees.
The biggest part of the funding is the location and crafty.
- Our film is so location-dependent, we are being quite picky about finding a location that doesn't feel too modern and matches the grandmothers southern roots. Using Peerspace, the home we've acquired costs $1366 (largest part of or budget) for two days of filming inside of the space.
- Crafty will be the second largest item. We have a pretty hefty crew and cast over a three day shoot, and I want to provide my team nourishing food, snacks, and coffee (always have coffee) to keep my team happy and energized.
Follow our journey of Your Childhood Was Witchcraft, and future productions on Instagram: @camomileculturefilms
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Peerspace Location
Costs $1,366
Grandma Lottie is from the south and moved to Chicago when she was a little girl. Her home is an ode to her southern roots (can't be modern)
Meals+ Crafty+ Coffee For Crew
Costs $600
Wanna make sure that everyone is fed and energized for set
Production Design+Costume
Costs $100
Using thrifted items, we want to make the home feel lived in, adding personal touches to better represent the characters
Film Festival Run
Costs $150
Want to showcase this film to others to further network with other indie artists
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Hi there! I'm Camille (she/her), and I'm the screenwriter, director, and co-producer for Your Childhood Was Witchcraft. I'm a Screenwriting MFA student at DePaul, and a Loyola University Chicago alum with a passion for combining art and advocacy through inclusive storytelling, filmmaking, and community. As a Chicago-born and based independent artist and as a Black queer woman, I aim to make thought-provoking, colorful, and humorous stories, essays, and films highlighting the beauty and multitudes of Blackness, friendship, healing from generational and relationship trauma, and finding joy through it all.
Manda (she/they) is a queer, Kenyan-American writer/director. As an MFA Directing graduate student from DePaul University, her work pushes the boundaries of the coming-of-age genre and showcases radical and expansive stories from a queer African perspective. Manda focuses on filmmaking and storytelling as a means of reflection and introspection, and social impact, creating works that explore the many facets of her identity while simultaneously connecting across differences to viewers searching for a shared humanity.
In addition to narrative filmmaking, Manda explores the intersection of art, identity, and social justice through her documentary filmmaking work. Manda believes in the power of documentary filmmaking to challenge narratives, spark dialogue, and inspire meaningful change. Amanda’s professional experience is marked by her extensive work in film production and her six years of experience in nonprofit programming and community work.
asity Merrell (she/her) is film and television major at DePaul! She has worked on various projects as Director of Photography and 1st Assistant Camera. She can't wait to further grow as a cinematography through this project and future ones. She is excited to bring this story to life and hope to do the same for many more!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Who Am I?
My name is Camille Jackson (she/her), and I'm an indie student screenwriter and filmmaker based in Chicago. I'm currently getting my MFA in Screenwriting at DePaul University, and will be graduating in June. After filming my first student short film, The Whisper Room, the itch to film even more of my work grew stronger. I love telling stories with Black women leads that are unconventional, magical, and always full of heart + hope. My next short, Your Childhood Was Witchcraft, is one full of magic, a nod to nature and childhood whimsy through a Black girl's eyes, and standing firm in the magic around you. I fell in love with this story, and I hope you will too.
Pics From The Whisper Room project
My Why
During my Adaptation Class, I read the flash fiction piece, Your Childhood Was Witchcraft (published in Cleaver Magazine) by the lovely Eden Royce. I was inspired to adapt it into a short film that connects with the heart of the story. I loved the role of memory, nature, and the plea begging us to remember the magic around us in a world that so often (forcibly) takes that away, especially from Black women and girls. Excited to bring this story to life in April, pulling on the threads of joy, lineage, and connection.
Story
Logline: A grieving mother visits the home of her recently deceased grandmother, who raised her in the summers as a girl, and is reminded of the enchanted nature that lies within her that she was forced to forget.
Marissa Morrison travels to her Grandmother Lottie’s home in Chicago after learning of her passing. Beside her is Promise, her seven-year-old daughter, whose world is full of wonder, play, giggles- magic. Marissa’s whimsical view of the world is gone; she is a realist. Hardened by the world having to escape her abusive husband, gaining sole custody of Promise, and now losing her grandmother, those days of magic are far gone.
After her grandmother’s memorial, she sees Promise playing with Lottie’s jewelry and talking to someone, but no one is there. Promise says that Lottie gave her the necklace as a gift and that she and Lottie were playing. Not believing her, she sends Promise to her room. That night, Marissa spots a lightning bug from her bed flying at her window. When she approaches, she sees a little girl whom she assumes is Promise.
From the corner of her eye, she sees a lightning bug trailing behind a little Black girl, and she follows it. As she steps outside, the mystery girl turns around, and it’s the child version of her begging her to remember. Marissa decides to follow her true nature, going on an epic emotional journey, unlocking the ancestral and natural magic that has been forcibly concealed for so long.
- Pre-Production
- Here's where we are in the process. February, we booked our location for the home and our amazing production design team will decorate the space to make it feel even more like Grandma Lottie's space and honor her southern roots. This is where the repast in the film will take place as well. (yay)
- Goal is to casting finalized by March 28th.
- Need to book outside location/park to film nature scenes.
- Production
- We plan to film Your Childhood Was Witcraft on late April and Early May (specifically April 23, April 24, and May 2. Expect some BTS moments from the shoot 😊)
- Post-Production
- Second half of May- July is assembly editing, working with composer,
- August-October: Goal is to have color locked, VFX complete, and final edit 2026
- 2027 Festival Run, and giving my campaign collaborators (aka you all) an advanced screening via a private link.
- My dream is to have this film shown in the Black Harvest Film Festival and DePaul Premiere, as well as Chicago/Midwest based festivals.
All donations will go towards caring for my crew/performers, props, permits, location use, costumes, set design, and film-festival fees.
The biggest part of the funding is the location and crafty.
- Our film is so location-dependent, we are being quite picky about finding a location that doesn't feel too modern and matches the grandmothers southern roots. Using Peerspace, the home we've acquired costs $1366 (largest part of or budget) for two days of filming inside of the space.
- Crafty will be the second largest item. We have a pretty hefty crew and cast over a three day shoot, and I want to provide my team nourishing food, snacks, and coffee (always have coffee) to keep my team happy and energized.
Follow our journey of Your Childhood Was Witchcraft, and future productions on Instagram: @camomileculturefilms
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Peerspace Location
Costs $1,366
Grandma Lottie is from the south and moved to Chicago when she was a little girl. Her home is an ode to her southern roots (can't be modern)
Meals+ Crafty+ Coffee For Crew
Costs $600
Wanna make sure that everyone is fed and energized for set
Production Design+Costume
Costs $100
Using thrifted items, we want to make the home feel lived in, adding personal touches to better represent the characters
Film Festival Run
Costs $150
Want to showcase this film to others to further network with other indie artists
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Hi there! I'm Camille (she/her), and I'm the screenwriter, director, and co-producer for Your Childhood Was Witchcraft. I'm a Screenwriting MFA student at DePaul, and a Loyola University Chicago alum with a passion for combining art and advocacy through inclusive storytelling, filmmaking, and community. As a Chicago-born and based independent artist and as a Black queer woman, I aim to make thought-provoking, colorful, and humorous stories, essays, and films highlighting the beauty and multitudes of Blackness, friendship, healing from generational and relationship trauma, and finding joy through it all.
Manda (she/they) is a queer, Kenyan-American writer/director. As an MFA Directing graduate student from DePaul University, her work pushes the boundaries of the coming-of-age genre and showcases radical and expansive stories from a queer African perspective. Manda focuses on filmmaking and storytelling as a means of reflection and introspection, and social impact, creating works that explore the many facets of her identity while simultaneously connecting across differences to viewers searching for a shared humanity.
In addition to narrative filmmaking, Manda explores the intersection of art, identity, and social justice through her documentary filmmaking work. Manda believes in the power of documentary filmmaking to challenge narratives, spark dialogue, and inspire meaningful change. Amanda’s professional experience is marked by her extensive work in film production and her six years of experience in nonprofit programming and community work.
asity Merrell (she/her) is film and television major at DePaul! She has worked on various projects as Director of Photography and 1st Assistant Camera. She can't wait to further grow as a cinematography through this project and future ones. She is excited to bring this story to life and hope to do the same for many more!