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Rainbow Baby

Rainbow Baby is a short film about healing after a miscarriage...while running an ice cream shop.

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Rainbow Baby

Rainbow Baby

Rainbow Baby

Rainbow Baby

Rainbow Baby

Rainbow Baby is a short film about healing after a miscarriage...while running an ice cream shop.

Rainbow Baby is a short film about healing after a miscarriage...while running an ice cream shop.

Rainbow Baby is a short film about healing after a miscarriage...while running an ice cream shop.

Rainbow Baby is a short film about healing after a miscarriage...while running an ice cream shop.

Kate Fenton
Kate Fenton
Kate Fenton
Kate Fenton
1 Campaign |
toronto, Canada
$5,770 USD $5,770 USD 78 backers
83% of $6,884 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

Overview

What if women were suffering in great numbers as they entered motherhood but because they were taught to keep their pain silent, no one ever spoke about it?

Rainbow Baby is the heartbreaking story of a couple trying to heal after a devastating miscarriage while running an ice cream shop, no less. 

20% of all pregnant women have miscarriages, but the loss and the grief is so uncomfortable that even in this day and age, women are still encouraged not to share the news of their pregnancy until they’ve reached the 12-week mark. Rainbow Baby is a short film that inspires us to laugh through our tears and in the most ‘Chekovian’ way, find humour in our deep dark pain.

Welcome…

Rainbow Baby is a short film written by Kate Fenton, directed by Monica Mustelier and produced by Lisa Michelle Cornelius. It was chosen by Toronto ACTRA Women’s Committee (TAWC) to be the 2020 Short Film Creation Lab, an initiative to develop emerging female filmmakers.  TAWC is chaired by Joanna Swan, who also serves as executive producer of Rainbow Baby. The team was paired with incredible mentors that have been instrumental in the creation of this film!

We have postponed our March shoot date in light of what's happening in the world today... but we will still be going to camera in September 2020 and we need YOUR support, now more than ever

About the Film

Susan and Ria live above their Ice Cream Shop. It’s been six weeks since they lost the baby. Ria decides to return their baby shower gifts as Susan rallies and finally gets out of bed to serve ice cream to kids from the neighborhood. When Ria returns with a special token the women are forced to face each other and find a way to say good bye.

“A rainbow baby is what you call a baby born after a miscarriage. I was lucky enough to give birth to a rainbow baby but finding my way to conceiving another child was incredibly difficult and in this film,  I wanted to explore that process in a marriage.

When my husband and I attempted to start a family it was a process fraught with anguish, expectation and guilt. It took several years to get pregnant and when we finally did we were elated. But as soon as the second trimester began we lost the baby and descended into deep despair. Our only tool to get out of what felt like an abyss was to create theatre and make really dark jokes. And talk to everyone we knew. Very quickly we realized that so many people were having miscarriages and yet no one ever talked about it. Being pregnant was supposed to be this delightful experience that brought you only joy. We were not prepared for the tragedy that many were experiencing and doing so in silence. So I wrote. A lot.

I think motherhood is metamorphosis. It is truly a transformative process. And in Rainbow Baby I wanted to pose the question, 'what is the cost of having a baby?' And I want to explore what kind of conflict would emerge when navigating a loss like this if both spouses could conceive.  How do we unpack the responsibility of carrying a child to term? Because it’s a big ask. For millennia it has just been assumed that a woman would choose to be pregnant. Because, as we all know, women have always been the stronger species!"

-Kate Fenton, Writer

Meet the Team…

Kate Fenton – "Susan"/Writer/Producer

Kate is an award winning actress, writer, director, producer and teacher. During the inaugural year of the Humber College Comedy Program, Kate was nominated for a Phil Hartman Comedy Award. Kate studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London England. She received her MFA in Acting from York University and was the recipient of the George Cedric Metcalfe Foundation Performing Arts Internship under the mentorship of Allen MacInnis at Young People’s Theatre. In 2007, Kate co-founded The Quickening Theatre.  The company won a Dora Mavor Moore Award along with several nominations, and ‘best of fringe’ awards and two residencies; at the Cultch in Vancouver and at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. The company produced 7 original productions and was supported by the Ontario and Toronto Arts Councils. In 2013, Kate joined The Journey, a large scale musical production, about the living history of the revitalization of Regent Park as co-writer and director. The show has raised over $4M to date. The funds subsidize the arts programming at Daniels Spectrum, an artistic hub in the heart of Regent Park. Kate's original web series Band Ladies is airing on Highball.TV. 

Lisa Michelle Cornelius – "Mother"/Producer

Lisa Michelle Cornelius is a Toronto-based actor, singer & producer with an international career in theatre, television, music & film.

This year, Lisa Michelle co-stars in the comedy series Band Ladies (Highball TV) and recently appeared in Star Trek: Short Treks (CBS) as Lt. Sarah alongside H. Jon Benjamin & Rosa Salazar. Fun fact for the Trekkie’s out there: Lisa Michelle’s character was the first Black “Trill” (a particular humanoid species) in Star Trek franchise history!

This fall, Lisa Michelle is co-producing a short film about motherhood after miscarriage called Rainbow Baby. The script for Rainbow Baby won a Short Film Script Lab Competition through ACTRA Toronto and goes to camera this September.

She is also co-producing a paranormal drama series called The Fifth Dimension, and is one of the Executive Producers of a feature film in the works called Pattern, which is set to star Al St. Louis, Arlene Duncan and Nicole Power. 

Some of her other acting credits include Black Mirror (Netlfix), Handmaid's Tale (CTV/Hulu) and How to Buy A Baby (CBC Comedy). As a musical theatre performer, Lisa Michelle starred in the first U.S. national tour of Godspell (Moonglow Prod./ Drayton Ent.) and performed as a shapeshifter in the award-winning production Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks (Nightwood Theatre/Culchah Works).  

Amanda Cordner - "Ria"

Amanda (she/her) is an award-winning actor and creator based in Toronto, Ontario. Amanda graduated from the Theatre Program at York University and has gone on to pursue a career in theatre, film and TV. Amanda is most known for her work on CBC’s The Baroness Von Sketch Show, Tallboys, Amazon Prime’sThe Expanse and her award-winning solo show, BODY SO FLUORESCENT, which she co-created with David DiGiovanni. Amanda is the recipient of the John Kaplan Award for Outstanding Performance at the 2018 SummerWorks Performance Festival and was named a Top 10 Theatre Artist of 2018 by NOW Magazine. Amanda will be seen in the upcoming series Slo-Pitch on KindaTV, and will continue touring BODY SO FLUORESCENT in 2020. 

Monica Mustelier – Director

Monica is an award-winning writer and director. During her time as an actress, she was killed off in top-ranking films/TV: True Justice - starring "Master of Aikido" Steven Seagal, Hardwired - straight to DVD star Val Kilmer and Smallville - credited as screaming nurse.  Tired being killed, Monica arose from the dead to create dynamic and unique characters through a female lens. Most recently she was nominated for a By Black’s People’s Choice Award for Best Black Canadian Film Director (yeah!). She received a grant from Trinity Square Video and CaribbeanTales Film Festival to produce and direct her short dramatic film Weeping Willow. It went on to screen internationally, won Best Micro Cinema Short - CineFam Film Festival, Official Selection - Lift-Off Sessions Pinewood Studios UK and is selected by ACTRA Toronto Diversity Committee as the sponsored film for Toronto Black Film Festival. So, that’s almost 100 awards for one film shot entirely on an iPhone 10x. 

Monica wrote and starred in her comedic short God Squad which won Best Actress - Vancouver Short Film Festival. As well she wrote and directed the comedy short The Standoff which won the Audience Choice Award - Vino’s Commercial Festival. Monica is also a recipient of a Writers For Writers Diversity Initiative Award -Toronto Screenwriting Conference.

AWARDS: Best Canadian Film Director, ByBlacks People's Choice Award - Nominated, Best Micro Cinema Film, CineFam Women Film Festival - Weeping Willow - Winner, Audience Award, Vino’s Wine Commercial Film Festival - The StandOff  - Winner,  Best Actress, Vancouver Short Film Festival - God Squad - Winner, Recipient of Writers For Writers Diversity Initiative Award - Toronto Screenwriting Conference

AFFILIATIONS: Women In The Director's Chair, ACTRA and UBCP, CineFam       

Joanna Swan – Executive Producer

 

Joanna Swan is an actor, singer, producer and fierce advocate for gender equity and diverse representation. As chair of the Toronto ACTRA Women’s Committee (TAWC), Joanna actively works to support and advocate for artists and creators, predominantly from communities who have yet to attain fair and equal opportunities within our industry. Among other initiatives, she produces the TAWC Toolkit Series which includes educational content development sessions, and the Short Film Creation Lab - a mentorship program for self-identified female ACTRA members.

Joanna began producing short films in 2018, collaborating predominantly with self-identified female, LGBTQ2+ and BIPOC filmmakers. She has since produced and performed in Little Bird (dir. Tee Schneider), executive produced three films through the Short Film Creation Lab: Shoegazer (dir. Isa Benn, CFF 2020 ‘Best New Voice’ Award); Rainbow Baby (dir. Monica Mustelier, pre-prod); Moon Dog (dir. Chala Hunter) and is currently co-producing: Disclosure (by Kiley May, part of the IMAGINENATIVE/CSV Residency Program, pre-production); Get Outta Here (dir. Rachel Cairns, post-production); Honeymoon Suite (dir. Ron Leach, pre-production). Some of her acting credits include Bomb Girls, Mary Goes Round and Flashpoint. 

Joanna has extensive experience working on large scale live and broadcasted music events including The JUNO Awards, The Tragically Hip’s Fully Completely Canadian Tour, The Canadian Country Music Association Awards, Canada’s Walk of Fame and most recently launched a 10 part digital live songwriter series, Musical Bowling League, which she hosts and co-produces with internationally recognized singer/songwriter Elana Harte. 

Mentors:

Sherry White – Writing Mentor

Sherry is a screenwriter and filmmaker based in Canada. She is currently Co-Executive Producer on the ABC/Global series ROOKIE BLUE, a show she has been writing on for five seasons. She also writes and produces for CTV’s hit series SAVING HOPE. Previously, she has written for series such as MVP: THE SECRET LIVES OF HOCKEY WIVES, 18 TO LIFE, and HATCHING MATCHING AND DISPATCHING. Sherry is also currently developing series for both ABC studios and Warner Horizon. Besides writing and producing for television, Sherry has written the feature films DOWN TO THE DIRT (2008), THE BREADMAKER (2003) and also wrote and directed the genie nominated feature film CRACKIE(2009), which screened at over thirty festivals worldwide, including Toronto International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary, and Torino Film Festival, where it took home the jury prize. It was also named one of the top ten films in Canada for 2009, and screened at the MOMA in New York City March 2010. Her award winning shorts DIAMONDS IN A BUCKET and SPOILED have also screened nationally and internationally. Another feature film MAUDIE, starring Sally Hawkins, and directed by Aisling Walsh, is due to be shot this summer. Sherry is represented by Harrison Artist Management in Canada, and by United Talent Agency in the US. 

Annie Bradley – Directing Mentor

A multiple award-winning director, Annie has built an impressive resume of international directing credits spanning film, TV, music videos and commercials. An alumna of the Sundance Film Festival, The TIFF Talent Lab, Film Fatales, the CFC Director and Short Dramatic Film Labs, and Women In the Director’s Chair, she was also the recipient of a CTV Fellowship, a WIDC Award, a Kodak New Vision Award and her films have screened on five continents. She has lent her distinct filmic style to multiple seasons of dramatic shows such as Close Encounters, Dual Suspects, and Cold Blood and was the Executive Story Editor, and Consulting Showrunner on Royaye Shirin, the first ever dramatic Iranian TV series to be produced outside of Iran Annie’s work has been featured in American Cinematographer and she is well known for her diversity casting and comedic sensibilities. Next up, Annie will direct her short thriller Blowback, with Joanne Boland (X-Men, Copper, Strange Empire) and Peter Mooney (Camelot, Rookie Blue) to be shot by Jeremy Benning (The Expanse). Through her production company, The Heat Mansion, Annie is developing a slate of projects which includes: the limited crime series, Submerged, based on author Liam Dwyer’s best selling mystery novels, “The Dissonance”, a sci-fi series co-created with writer Svet Roskov (The Colony) and the TV movie, The Cowboy Singer, based on the novel by Paula Tiberius. 

Her features include Animus, a gritty thriller about a female cop and Barracuda, a gothic western set in Iceland. When Annie’s not directing she can be found lighting herself on fire on comedy stages around town. 

Producing Mentor - Breann Smordin

Breann Smordin has been working in a variety of different production roles for the better part of ten years transitioning into the role of producer over the past two years. Breann has developed her skill set on several short films after joining Dei Gratia Pictures in 2017. Oracle (2018), directed by Aaron Poole has become her most successful project to date, premiering the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), bringing home the Best National Short Film Award at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal, showing at Slamdance 2020 and Palm Springs International Film Festival 2020. With this success leading their team into prepping the feature film Dada.

In 2019 she produced Band Ladies, a digital short-form series alongside Moon Astronaut Studios, it is now on Highball.TV and Amazon Prime. Breann is a graduate of York University’s Bachelor of Arts Media, Film and Theatre Studies program. She has completed her Entertainment Law Certificate through the  Osgoode Professional Development program in 2018.

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Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for showing love to our Rainbow Baby film. Every dollar counts, so we are happy & grateful that you've chosen to support us in this way. Way to sweeten our day :-).
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We can not begin to express our thanks to you for believing in this project and supporting us as we embark on this journey. In an expression of our thanks we will heartily praise your name throughout our various social media platforms!
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In addition to our abundant thanks and praise shouted out across all social media platforms, we would also like to invite you to be apart of a private cast and crew screening of the film. You will be able to have access to the creators of the project, as well as have the chance to see something before it is released to the world!
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In addition to our undying gratitude, social media praise of your name, and an invitation to a private cast and crew screening where you would have access to the films creators, we would also like to offer you a private link to screen the film in the comfort of your own home!
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  • • Social Media Shout Out
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One of 5 signed hard copies of the original screenplay of Rainbow Baby by Kate Fenton
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We will shout your name out across all social media, you are invited to a private cast & crew screening, you also get a private link to the film so you can screen it in the comfort of your own home AND we would love to offer you the chance to get an ice cream cone with one of the creators! Let us show you our thanks in person!
Included Items
  • • Social Media Shout Out
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  • • Cast & Crew Screening
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You get it all! Undying gratitude, a big shout out, private screening, personal link, ice cream with a creator AND we will put your name in the credits of the film to permanently etch in our thanks to you for all time. You played a huge part in making this film and we thank you, with a cherry on top!
Included Items
  • • Social Media Shout Out
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  • • Cast & Crew Screening
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We give you it all! Undying gratitude, social media shout out, private screening, personal link, ice cream with a creator, your name in the credits expressing our thanks AND an Executive Producer Credit on IMDB for your incredibly generous contribution that has made this film possible! From the deepest parts of our hearts, thank you.
Included Items
  • • Social Media Shout Out
  • • Undying Gratitude
  • • Cast & Crew Screening
  • • Private Link to the Film
  • • Ice Cream with a Creator
  • • Your Name in the Credits
  • Exec. Producer Credit on IMDB
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