SUMMARY
Hi everyone, I’m Layla, the producer and writer of Young Mantis. We’re raising £2,880 to bring our graduation film to life. Young Mantis is a compelling coming-of-age story and psychological horror set in a Chinese immigrant family in South London. It delves into the complex mother-daughter power dynamics within an East Asian background.
WHY YOUNG MANTIS
This story takes place in an immigrant single-mother Chinese family. Our film follows Ming, a 15-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a hunter, inspired by the praying mantis. When Hui, her mother, introduces a young boyfriend into their lives, jealousy over her daughter’s youthfulness leads Hui to spy on and suppress Ming. In response, Ming begins to plot her revenge against her mother.
This psychological horror aims to unveil the hidden emotions within Chinese mother-daughter relationships, a theme rarely explored in the current movie market. The film will embody the cruelty of Stoker (2013) and the beauty of The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful (2017).
Our dedicated team members have rich experience in filming low or no-budget films, gained through both academic projects and professional industry work. We are aiming for honours at film festivals with this unique project.
Also, both the director and the producer have the BAFTA Albert Certificates, we are running the production process in an environmental way to save Mother Earth. The well-being of the mantises we will use in the shooting has secured.
MY STORY
Growing up in a typical Chinese family without a father figure present, I often felt like I was mistaken for someone else in my mother’s eyes. Specifically, I felt like I became my mother’s enemy whenever we were dealing with my father. Many years later, I realized I was not alone in this experience. As the producer and writer of this film, I crafted stories that capture the countless moments when Chinese girls had to distance themselves from their mothers, seeking freedom from the tightest blood bond in the world as they grew up.
Even though this kind of story is rarely addressed in the global movie market, many girls from East Asian families endure the same ‘mistaken identity’ scenario, resulting in lifelong, unrepairable emotional wounds. Both the director and I hope this movie reaches a wide audience. These unseen problems are significant, and we want society to bravely and directly confront them, offering the necessary support to mothers and daughters.
Please help us fund this project and bring this cruel yet beautiful story to life!
Where will the money go?
Budget List
- Venue hire (5 days): £750
- Equipment hire: £460
- Travel: £300
- Catering:£300
- Art Department: £400
- Costume: £100
- Printing costs: £20
- On-set essentials: £50
- Mantis well fare: £150
- Post-production: £50
- Distribution: £200
- Production department emergency backup: £100
Rewards
All donors' names will appear in the end credits under the 'Special Thanks' section.
Donors who contribute over £300 will be credited as Associate Producers in the end credits.
Donors who contribute over £500 will be credited as Executive Producers in the end credits.
Help us succeed
Please support us by donating to this crowdfunding campaign. In addition to donations, any help related to the production process is greatly appreciated. We would love it if you could share this campaign with everyone you know—even those from outer space!
Let's make our voices heard and bring Young Mantis to life together.
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