Ghost Light (noun) - A single lamp placed on stage to prevent the theater from ever being in total darkness. Believed to ward off evil spirits & keep the show running smoothly.

STORY

After being sent on an errand by her actress mother, a six-year-old girl, Winona, breaks the theater's ghost light and must navigate a maze of eccentric performers and dark corridors to fix her mistake.

SYNOPSIS

Set in a bustling New York theater, Ghostlight follows six-year-old Winona on a small but important mission to retrieve a hairpin for her mother, Beatrice, an actress preparing for a performance. As Winona navigates the dimly lit backstage, she accidentally knocks over the ghost light—a symbol meant to protect the theater from darkness and bad luck. Her mistake is caught by a terrifying Crew Guy, who Winona must evade as she journeys back through the theater, hiding in the dressing rooms of the eccentric cast of characters who make up the show. Once caught, she discovers that help can come from the least likely of places.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Growing up backstage shaped who I am as a filmmaker. For the first half of my life I spent most of my time in the dressing rooms of theaters across America, listening and learning from hundreds of performers and crew members. So many of the stories and visuals that interest me are grounded in the culture and history of theater, and for my NYU thesis I want to make something that showcases that. There is such a strong mystique that surrounds the backstage of a show, and I think audiences will connect with Winona’s enhanced magically realistic point-of-view as she navigates the dangerous, exciting, and beautiful landscape that is foreign to so many.

LOOK

In order to fully capture the atmosphere of the theater, my cinematographer and I have created two specific visual tones that represent the different areas of Winona’s world. When she is in the dressing rooms she is in a safety zone, supported and comforted by a cast that knows her. Warm, golden tones emphasize this feeling of security. The hallways and wings of the stage are dangerous and scary for her. Colder, harsher colors will eliminate any sense of protection that is developed in the dressing rooms.

YOUR SUPPORT

To bring this film to life, we need your help! Things like locations, transportation, equipment, food, and post-production are expensive but vital in bringing stories off the page and onto the screen.

TEAM

I am working with an insanely talented group of producers including Kelli Converso, Amina Hamawy, and Alyssa Cross. Each of them will be heading a department including fundraising, locations, & transportation. They are the best of the best!!

Rounding out the key crew is Kaylee Smith, my incredible cinematographer. Kaylee has extensive experience behind the camera and a meticulously creative eye for beauty.

JOIN IN!

Our team is not complete without donors who make films like this possible! My team and I will be working tirelessly to make sure your generosity does not go to waste. We cannot wait to get to work, and show you what we can do.