SYMPTOMANIA is a southern-gothic western with elements of magical realism and psychological drama.

The film follows Destin, a 28 year old nomadic cowboy who, instead of running away with the circus, ran away with the rodeo. After spending a decade estranged from their family, they return home to Mississippi for the passing of their triplet sister, where they reckon with familial grief and chronic illness.

SYMPTOMANIA stems from my personal experiences with chronic illness. I began to explore the themes of this project in the aftermath of diagnosis and treatment, becoming deeply acquainted with the specific grief that comes with mourning a potential life one could have lived and that mourning’s ripple effect through a family.

In early 2025, I had the opportunity to revisit Tylertown, Mississippi where my grandmother was born and raised.

For the first time since I was an infant, I was able to reconnect with my ancestral community and visit the farm my grandmother grew up on. During my visit I gained clarity around pieces of SYMPTOMANIA that were brewing in the creative corners of my mind, understanding that this was the exact place I was meant to return to and my project demanded to be set. The trip further deepened the close relationship I’ve always had with my grandmother and is one of the many reasons why I have chosen to create a fictionalized family portrait and homage to the Black South. Filming in rural Mississippi has become essential to the making of this film.

Through the transmutation of these elements I forged a relationship with my protagonist, Destin, who embodies my personal and broader community’s tribulations and represents the persistence of deep familial connection.

In practice I am a visual poet and Afro-speculative artist. As a filmmaker, I find that genre bending is essential to the subversive nature of my creative process. I'm always seeking new methods to explore the psychological experience of identity.

SYMPTOMANIA will be an extended short film with an estimated run time of 25 min.

Our goal is to raise $40k in creative funds to support crew, cast, collaboration with local community, and the film’s festival run. After completing filming and editing, Bella Bay will take the film to domestic and international festivals for exhibition.

All contributions help this film get made and offer the artists involved an opportunity to create in a medium they love.