Hello! My name is Maria Fernanda Tellian, and I am a photographer and filmmaker from São Paulo, Brazil, currently pursuing my BFA in Film at the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University.

I am raising funds to support the production of my senior thesis film, an experimental project that represents the culmination of my studies and artistic journey.

The film is guided by the dream of a “land without evil.” It follows a character who traverses landscapes of migration, loss, and renewal. Through her solitude, we see cycles of transformation—sometimes the seed of growth, other times the silence of exile. What remains is a prayer: to return to where she belongs.

This project is deeply personal to me. It reflects themes of migration, displacement, and resilience—stories I connect to both in my own life and in the broader world we share. As an artist, I want to create a work that is both intimate and universal, inviting viewers to reflect on memory, longing, and belonging.

The funds raised will go directly toward:

-Film production costs (Super 8 film stock, processing, and transfers)

-Equipment rentals for shooting and sound

-Set design and costumes to bring the visual world to life

-Post-production expenses, including editing and sound design

-Festival submissions, so the work can reach a wider audience

Every contribution—big or small—helps me bring this vision to reality. Thank you for supporting my senior thesis and being part of this final step in my undergraduate journey.