Help fund Jessie Keogh's senior thesis film "Sunday Girls"

My name is Jessie Keogh, I am an actor & filmmaker based in New York City. Coming to the last semester of my time at The New School my role as a student is to complete my final project as a film student.

My thesis, Sunday Girls, is a magical-realism/folk thriller short film shot on 16mm. The story follows as: Late October 1984, the afternoon for three girls takes a thrilling turn after following a peculiar boy into the surrounding forest. Through the references of Irish folklore, introspection/healing of constructs and turmoil women experience is explored.

THE LORE & WHAT THE MISSION IS OF THIS PROJECT:

In 2023, I came across Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ book The Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. I was inspired by her exploration of the female psyche through folk stories as an Irish & Celtic descendant with a particular fascination with the mystical creatures and fantastic short fiction. I spent the next few months researching Irish myths and folklore. This particular story of the “Sunday Girls” (a title inspired by the Blondie song “Sunday Girl”) is an amalgamation of Irish & Celtic folk characters and themes. Some of those references include Queen Mebh (Maeve), Mis, the Celtic Sisters Knot, the Púca, the Banshee, the Tuatha Dé Danann (the Fae), Lady Fanshawe, and the tradition of Samhain (Halloween).

By combining my passion for storytelling and production design, my deeply rooted connection to womanhood, and Irish & Celtic ancestry, Sunday Girls has made its way into production as my senior capstone thesis. This film will be a reflection of the mother, maiden, and wise/wild archetypes in women, and how there is introspection/healing that comes with facing the constructs and turmoil that women and girls endure.

An excerpt from The Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pincola Estes that perfectly captures what Sunday Girls is about:

"“Well,” says the Devil, “if I peel away your civilized layer maybe I can steal your life forever.” The predator wishes to degrade her, weaken her by his proscriptions. The Devil thinks that if the maiden became unbathed and dirty, then he would be able to rob her of herself. But just the opposite occurs, for the sooty woman, the mud woman, is beloved by the Wild Woman and protected by her unequivocally. It would appear that the predator does not understand that his proscriptions only put her closer to her powerful wild nature."

This film is about female autonomy and woman/girlhood. I chose to set it in the year 1984, not only because of my career goals in film production design, but also because this story's “realistic” events are heavily inspired by my mother and the women in my life. The things that happen in the plot are mystical and like a folktale, but speak to very real treatment and experiences of women.

By combining references to centuries-old Irish folk stories, modern history (late 20th century), and my experience as a woman, I hope to not only tell a story that captures the deeply rooted histories and trauma in women but also how we can overcome that. My Irish ancestry is incredibly important to me and there is a sad erasure of a lot of Irish history that happened in the 19th-20th century that I hope to understand/explore through this film. This will be something that any audience member can watch and experience fantastically or be provoked by thought.

This being a period piece with great attention and respect to detail and the era significantly influenced my decision to shoot on Kodak 16mm. I am utilizing a small cast and crew (five actors and seven crew members), on-site shooting locations (set in Connecticut), and talent from New York, the UK, and Ireland. In the spring of 2024, I successfully directed a short film with a similar cast and crew size and was humbly inspired by my capability and the lessons I learned from the success of that production. My approach in directing comes from a place of love and I hope to produce not just a film that captures every ounce of my passion in the frames, but a community amongst my cast/crew that is ever-inspiring. The crew is all New School students and Alumni as I am also keen on facilitating community amongst my peers. The talent are people who are near and dear to me as well as people who are passionate about the stories I am telling.

WHO IS INVOLVED?

All of the actors and crew members are pursuing a career in their respective art and I want this project to be treated as a professional project that they can be proud of - something that when I enter into festivals, they are awarded for. To produce this professional space, I am paying my actors & crew and plan to fundraise to do so.

While I am not acting in this piece, I hope to learn more about myself as a director and be the director that I look for as an actor. I want my work to embody love on top of it all, healthy creative environments are important to me. While the direct goal for me is to be the head production designer/art director/director on a film, I want to bring security and positive creative environments to my productions as it's something that is not always the case in the industry. Collaborating with unique minds and learning from one another is something that will develop from this project. The experience of going through all stages of production, treating it professionally and personally, will bring me closer to being the figure I want to be in the film industry.

Everyone working on Sunday Girls are seeking out careers in their respective area of the project. Many of my cast and crew are New School peers. We are all constantly learning and expanding our creative minds and this project is an exciting challenge. Together we hope to heighten our skills and discover new ideas and inspiration from each other. Through a festival run and opening the door to recognition that can help my cast and crew gain opportunities and professional jobs. I want the actors to reach new heights and explore their characters to exhibit their range, I want to direct a performance that can earn the actors recognition and award. I have hopes of their performances gaining them more offers as actors. I want my crew members to explore new techniques and learn from the challenge of shooting analog. It’s not common to get a chance to work on a short shot on 16mm, using 1960s Tungsten lights, and practical effects. It is a rare opportunity that is not only a great experience to have but equips them with skills that will provide them with more range in their area of work. The music artist I am working with for the score will have a chance for their music and scoring to be showcased and brought to larger audiences and I have hopes that this will open doors for them in the music and film industry. This project is a team effort and I plan that the quality of this production will give the team pride, joy, love, recognition, and opportunity.

Taking care of and honoring my actors & crew as well as affording to enter into festivals is at the core of the budget. While experience is immeasurable, honoring the team also involves paying the workers. I value giving my company compensation for their hours and hard work. Funding would allow me to do so for the actors & crew. Getting this film out in the world also takes funds, any amount is greatly appreciated to aid in this effort.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Location & Production Design are a key part in producing a film that honors the story I am telling. Set in New England during the Autumn (New England is known for its urban legends/mysticism and rich Irish population and Autumn as the season of Samhain - the Irish celebration of Halloween).

Shooting on-site is vital for the energy of this thesis. We will be in Redding, Connecticut where the woods are dense and the homes are old. The home we shoot in will be filled with candles and warmth - a hearth for the girls. These spaces are manifestations of the psyche and how we function in different environments. The production design, as aforementioned, will be as period-accurate as possible. Having clothing from the 80s, vintage/antique household items, and a score that also compliments the time. I want to produce something nostalgic and new. For me to produce my best work, and have an environment for my actors to give their best performance, shooting on location is essential.

The cost of period accurate costume and set that honors my mission as a production designer is something that funding would support greatly.

In gaining funding to support the locations, I can support my cast, my crew, and the locals in Redding.

Shooting with the ARRI SR 1 on Kodak is an important and weighted budget variable. To expand on what has been said, analogue filmmaking is a part of my thesis exploration. On my mother's side home-video has been in the family since my great grandfather in the 1940s who shot 16mm during WW11. I grew up around digital cameras, but in recent years the act of archiving my family's home-films has had a great impact on me as a filmmaker. There is unpredictability, magic, rawness to shooting on film that I seek when making art. Sunday Girls is shot on 3 Rolls of KODAK VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 7219 / SP457 / 16 mm x 400 ft roll / On Core / Winding B/ 1R-2994

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5 rolls of KODAK VISION3 250D Color Negative Film 7207 / SP457 / 16 mm x 400 ft roll / On Core / Winding B / 1R-2994

This gives us 1-4 takes per shot for the 18 page script.

Gaining funding would aid in covering the film roll and developing costs.

HOSPITALITY

A part of my mission in creating a positive production environment is nourishing my cast and crew. I hold it to myself to feed full meals that are homemade and made with nutritious ingredients. Part of this budget is the meals that are provided across the 4 days of shooting. The cost of transportation must be considered, using the Metro North train line and gas for car transportation is a part of the budget as well.

THANK YOU

My goal being a filmmaker is to bring timeless magic to the movie-watching experience while also exploring histories and the human condition fantastically, authentically, and intellectually. By doing so, I hope that those involved in Sunday Girls are positively fulfilled and those watching are inspired, challenged, and excited.

Any donation will be cherished deeply and used towards the aforementioned budget descriptions. I thank you so much for your support, it means the world. I send my love to you all.

-Jessie Keogh