FRIENDS AND FOES!!
i feel frightfully vulnerable right now, but i’m DOING THIS because it’s okay to ask for help.

a couple months ago, i took a risk and applied for Workman Arts' IF YOU ASK ME youth filmmaking program... and to my surprise, my little theatre kid ass got accepted!!

IF YOU ASK ME (IYAM) is a free program that supports young emerging filmmakers with lived experience of mental health and/or addiction, helping them develop a short film in the company of like-minded peers and mentors. This film will be played at this years Rendezvous with Madness Festival later this year.

i’ve been working hard to bring my short film to life. this project is deeply personal as it explores PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) and the toll it takes not only on the person experiencing it, but also on the people who love them.

PMDD is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or dismissed entirely. many people suffer for years, sometimes decades, without having the language to explain what’s happening to them. this film is my way of breaking that silence and shining a light on something that so often lives in the shadows.

Workman Arts has generously provided:
– $50 every workshop session i attend (7 total)
– $500 in equipment rentals at LIFT
– personalised mentorship
– a screening opportunity at Rendezvous with Madness Festival 2025
– a screening fee

buuuuut, as many of you know, filmmaking can be expensive.
film stock, craft services, ubers, gas, costuming, makeup, and being able to (hopefully) fairly compensate the artists who are gifting their time, it all adds up.

this crowdfunding page is for those extras, the finishing touches that will help make this film the best it can be. i know times are tough, so if this page ends up raising $0, that’s okay too. this is simply for anyone who is willing, able, and moved to contribute- whether that’s financially, or just by sharing this campaign. every little bit brings us closer to making this story come to life. 

thank you for supporting a young, queer, mentally ill filmmaker with big feelings and even bigger dreams. 

with love and guts,
jessi