Short Summary
I Need A Better Knife is a story about Elliot, a teenage boy who reunites with the rest of his family after spending a few days in a mental health facility. His only issue is that everyone refuses to talk about it. He has to decide if he should suppress his feelings in order to remain a part of his family.
Who am I?
My name is Jordan Faniel, I am a 23 year old filmmaker from Houston, Texas, with a keen interest in telling complicated stories. My second film Buzzkill, a tense drama about the romantic attraction of two straight male friends, won the Audience Choice Award at the San Antonio Black International Film Festival. My third film IMPOSTER, a satire about a Black actress navigating the very racialized independent film world, won the award for best screenplay at the ATX Short Film Showcase.
Where is the money going?
- Production Design: Location, Wardrobe, Set dressing, Props.
- Equipment: Camera packages, Lenses, Lighting Kit, etc.
- Post Production: Color, Sound Mixing, Foley, Distribution
- Paying Cast/Crew for their labor.
- Food: Breakfast, Craft services, and Meals.
The Impact
I Need A Better Knife is a very personal project for me that is based on my own experiences as a teenager. I’ve always been interested in telling a nuanced story about mental illness especially in regards to the Black community. Mental illness is rarely covered in media as is, and is almost non existent in stories about Black people. However this story isn’t solely about the topic of mental illness, it’s really about family. Essentially the central question I am asking is : “What happens when the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally, have conditions?”
Perks
-
Tier 1: $10- Social Media shoutout
-
Tier 2: $20- Social Media shoutout & Access to a private story
-
Tier 3: $50- Social Media shoutout, Access to a private story, & Digital Poster
-
Tier 4: $75- Social Media shoutout, Access to a private story, Digital Poster, & Special thanks in the credits
-
Tier 5: $100- Social Media shoutout, Access to a private story, Digital Poster, Special thanks in the credits, & Personalized thank you video
-
Tier 6: $200-Social Media shoutout, Access to a private story, Digital Poster, & Special thanks in the credits, Personalized thank you video, & Signed Poster
-
Tier 7: $500- Social Media shoutout, Access to a private story, Digital Poster, & Special thanks in the credits, Personalized thank you video, Signed Poster, & Early viewing link
-
Tier 8: $1000- Social Media shoutout, Access to a private story, Digital Poster, & Special thanks in the credits, Personalized thank you video, Signed Poster, Early viewing link, BTS Link, & Executive Producer Credit
Previous Work
Imposter:
https://youtu.be/lG_nBOs31JQ?si=cuXuD3itdLayaRmK
Jordan Faniel - Writer/Director/Producer
![]()
Fred T. Eichholtz IV-Director of Photography/Editor/Producer
![]()
Cast
Dion Jay-Elliot
![]()
Leila Anastasia Scott- Mom
![]()
Natalie Joy- Aunt Tonya
![]()
Rashad Thompson- Uncle Carl
![]()
Regina Temple Grimes- Nana
![]()
