CLARA BOONE:
WESTERN
GHOST
STORY
Montana, 1890. When a murder surfaces in her strict, morally righteous town, only Clara Boone can bring the perpetrator to justice by exposing her deepest secret: she can see the dead. Based on a true story.
Make a tax-deductible donation to the feature film, “Clara Boone.”
MINT Film MT, dba MINT Film Festival, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and the fiscal sponsor of the CLARA BOONE film project. 119 N 29th ST, Billings, MT, 59101.
SYNOPSIS
This is a story about the life and death stakes of being different.
CLARA BOONE has seen ghosts all her life. Magic pills (barbiturates) from the doctor have helped cure her “hysteria,” but she has become numb to her gift and a shell of herself. At 35, a veritable old maid, Clara marries larger-than-life dreamer DAMON BOONE, a Wild West Show performer, who pulls her from Philadelphia to the Wild West, where she thinks she can leave her past behind.
They land in Damon’s Montana home, a boomtown that is trying to leave its wild, sinful past behind. As the town leaders transform the town from a haven for outcasts to a morally cleansed American township, Clara’s deepest secret is more dangerous than ever. Any citizen against this code is unwelcome: “welcomed” to leave or driven out on a rail. The effort is led by SARAH BICKFORD, formerly enslaved and a respected Virginia City business owner with a secret of her own, and FATHER MARTIN, a town missionary.
But when Clara runs out of medication to keep her visions away, the hauntings intensify. She is haunted by a fiercely protective Métis Indigenous woman, MABEL, birth Mother to EMILY, Clara’s precocious stepdaughter. Furthermore, Emily already knows the lay of the land and does not need guidance. Clara spirals into a self-medicating hole that threatens to destroy her new family and expose her secret. Her herbalist neighbor, ZONA SHUE, a private citizen who lives by her own integrity and not the town rules, agrees to help her overcome her addiction as long as she faces her demons.
Through Zona’s herbs and friendship, Clara begins her journey towards self-acceptance for the first time in her life, taking steps to become the Wife and Mother she has always longed to be.
That all comes crashing to a halt when Zona is found dead – her husband claiming “female troubles.” Devastated, Clara must decide between backsliding into her old comfort of medicated fog or embracing her gift in order to bring justice to her friend.
“Seamlessly blending horror and Western genres, CLARA BOONE features a novel and compelling premise, painting a haunting picture of life as a woman in the last days of the Wild West.”
— THE BLACK LIST
Stephen Nemeth (Executive Producer)
Formed and leads “Rhino Films” independent film company. Producer and EP: The Sessions (Sundance 2012 Audience Award, 2013 Academy Award nomination for Helen Hunt), C.O.G. (Sundance 2013), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Radio Free Albemuth and Spaceman. He is developing the New York Times bestselling book Confessions of an Economic Hitman as a television series with George Clooney and Smokehouse and is in post-production on Freak Power (prequel to Fear and Loathing) and in pre-production on Hunter S. Thompson’s The Curse of Lono. Nemeth is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Cat Dale (co-Writer, Producer)
Montana State University Professor of Filmmaking, UT Austin MFA in Screenwriting, Writer/Director of award-winning short film “Wildcat” (Winner of Best Short Film Harlem Film Festival) and “Rubber and Glue, Director of the award-winning short “Touch.” Cat’s writing has been a Quarter-Finalist on The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, had a featured script on The Black List, and made it to the 2nd round of the Sundance Episodic Lab. https://www.bycatdale.com/
Jenna Ciralli (co-writer, Producer, Actor, CLARA BOONE)
Graduated from Willamette University with honors (Theatre Arts – Acting) and The William Esper Studio in NYC with Terry Knickerbocker. Creator of the award-winning short films “Willow Creek Road” (now on Omeleto, Best Actress – South Dakota Film Festival and Actors Awards, LA) and “Homestead,” co-Creator Viral Video “Casting Call | The Project” (2017 Webby Award Honoree), Recent acting credits include: 12 Westerns in 12 Months “The New Frontier” on Tubi / Amazon Prime, “Amadi Comes Home,” “Mending the Line,” “Tokyo Cowboy,” “Rust.” www.jennaciralli.com
Amber Rose Mason (Producer, Actor, ZONA SHUE)
BFA, University of Montana, Theatre Arts – Acting and Costume Design emphases. Credits include title role in short film “Wildcat” (London Independent Film Festival, Best Actress), features “Two Eyes” (OutFest Premiere), Ted K (Berlinale premiere), “Useless” (streaming), “Subterranea,” “Heart of the Gun,” 12 Westerns in 12 Months project, “Butcher’s Crossing,” “Blood for Dust” starring Kit Harrington and Scoot McNairy (Tribeca Premiere). Horse Wrangler / Horse Trainer / Ranch hand: https://www.amberrosemason.com/
Kristin Krall (KAL Media, Producer)
Kristin has been transforming ideas into successful productions for well over a decade as both a creative and line producer. She has produced national commercial campaigns and created award-winning independent television and film content alongside industry heavyweights with companies like WME, Irony Point, Jax Media, Netflix, and Amazon. A few credits include HBO’s “ The Gilded Age”, Showtime’s, “The Loudest Voice”, “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, and Marvel’s, “The Punisher”. She recently wrapped the 5th Season of Dick Wolf’s hit series, FBI: Most Wanted and feature “As They Made Us” (Dustin Hoffman) with Yale Productions. As an event producer, she’s the founder of “The Garden Krall”, a monthly music/arts gathering with a focus on social impact and community and is a Telly and Webby winning voiceover artist.
Anna Lauren (AL) Tufekci (KAL Media, Producer)
AL has creatively driven and executed the production of feature film, television, and branded and commercial content for 13+ years. At Netflix, she served as a lead producer, collaborating directly with C-suite leadership, Reed Hastings (CEO), and Ted Sarandos (CEO). She’s also served companies like Disney+, Lionsgate, A+E, Google, and Amazon, and been recognized by the NYTimes, Tribeca Shortlist, SXSW, Annie Awards (ASIFA-Hollywood), IndyWIRE, Samuel French, Time Out Magazine, and more. Works distributed by The Orchard, Amazon Prime, Vudu, DirectTV (global) and more. Yale School of Management Women’s Leadership Certificate Program (’21).
Katina Medina Mora (Director)
Katina is from Mexico City, presently in NYC. Education: London Film School, Masters, Direction. Films: “LuTo” (Netflix), “Sabrás que hacer conmigo” (Netflix) – IMCINE fund, distributed by Cinepolis, México (Las Diosas de Plata awards for Best Director, Actress and Movie), “Latido” with Marina de Tavira (Oscar Nominee, Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma”) – Morelia Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, Amazon Latam. Theatre: Efiteatro Fund, ¨Blackbird¨ -(Best Play – Metro Awards, Best Director and Actress Nominations – Press Theatre Prizes). International TV career: Emily in Paris, XO Kitty, Firefly Lane, Selena the series (all, Netflix), Swagger (Apple TV).
Jeri Rafter (Producer)
Jeri is a Montana-based producer. Producing credits: BUTCHER’S CROSSING starring Nicholas Cage (TIFF), WE BURN LIKE THIS starring Devery Jacobs (DEAUVILLE), MICKEY AND THE BEAR starring Cami Morrone (SXSW, L’ACID CANNES), SOOYII (Blackfoot and Shoshone languages), DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD (PBS), BELLA VISTA (Rotterdam). Helmed MT units: THE PLOUGHMEN, directed by Ed Harris, starring Robert Duvall, TED K (BERLINALE), and THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN, starring Bill Pullman (SXSW). Sundance Producers Lab alum, Sundance + Women in Film Female Filmmakers Initiative. MFA, Media Arts, University of Montana.
April Matthis (Actor, SARAH BICKFORD)
April is an NYC-based actress. Broadway credits include “The Piano Lesson” by August Wilson, starring Samuel L Jackson and John David Washington, and World Premiere of “Primary Trust,” Roundabout Theatre, NYC: “Toni Stone” (Obie Award Winner, Outer Critics Circle Award, 2020) and Obie Award for “Sustained Excellence” (2015), TV: The Blacklist, New Amsterdam, Film: Fugitive Dreams (Austin Film Festival), award-winning short film “Amadi Comes Home” as an Actor/Writer.
Georgeanne Growingthunder (Actor, EMILY )
Enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes on the Nakoda (Assiniboine) roll, Kiowa, Mvskoke, and Seminole descent. Film work: Reservation Dogs Season 3, episode 3 as Young Deer Lady, written by Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi, and Chad Charlie and directed by Danis Goulet, Dogwood, written and directed by Maya Rose Dittloff. Horsemanship rider in Killers of the Flower Moon. Theatre: Earthquake, Moving the Earth with Our Voices in San Francisco, London, and New Delhi.
Irene Bedard (Actor, ROSALIE)
Originally from Alaska, and enrolled in the Native Village of Koyuk and is of Inupiaq, Yup’ik, and Cree ancestry. Film credits: Disney’s “Pocahontas” (voice role), cult-classic “Smoke Signals,” Golden Globe Award nomination “Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee,” Terrence Malick’s “The New World,” and “The Tree of Life,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” TV credits: Stephen Spielberg’s “Into the West,” “The Spectacular Spider-Man,” “Longmire,” “Westworld,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” Stephen King series “The Mist” and “The Stand.” Music Video: Jay-Z “Family Feud,” directed by Ava Duverney.
Alexa Alberda (co-Producer)
Alexa is an MSU graduate and MSU Professor in Filmmaking. Producer of award-winning short films: “Touch,” Producer of “Wildcat” (Charlotte Film Festival triple Honorable Mention), Associate Producer of “Rubber and Glue,” Writer/Director of “A Helping Hand” (Best Mockumentary at the Oregon Short Film Festival).
Blaine Dunkley (Director of Photography)
Blaine is a New York & Montana-based Cinematographer, Camera Operator & Drone Pilot. Co-wrote, co-produced, and photographed ‘Week One’ ( 2019 Montana Film Festival). Additional credits include: pop-surrealist noir thriller ‘The Blue Rose’, and the acclaimed wildlife crime documentary ‘Tigre Gente’ (Salem Film Festival 2022 American Cinematographer Award). Commercial clients include collaborations with VEVO, Columbia Records, Island, Verve, Nylon, and Warner. https://www.blainedunkley.com/
Why Now?
We are very interested in revisiting the classic Western genre to amplify underrepresented voices in Film and TV. “Clara Boone” is the present Zeitgeist, and it also comes from our team’s personal fight to feature stories of women and women of color in an entertaining, complex, and compelling way.
Westerns are where we go to examine our big feelings, values, and morals in spaces large enough to hold them. Here, we can progress the narrative in order to explore Western Medicine vs. the Earth’s Natural remedies, Feminine Intuition vs. Masculine Construct, Private Knowing vs. Public Showing, and deepen the study of alienation, healing, addiction, sisterhood, self-actualization, community, loss and survival through our own lens.
In 1890, we were on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution: slavery had ended, interracial marriage was legal, abortion was considered a public health issue and featured in pamphlets, and herbalists and midwifery still reigned supreme. But a frightening lack of Women’s Rights, as well as Racism and Indigenous Genocide, must be faced in the late 19th Century as well. Things we are still trying to face and reconcile today. We must know our history in order to know our progress. Back and forth, back and forth. Progress is not linear and hard-won.
Make a tax-deductible donation to the feature film, “Clara Boone.”
MINT Film MT, dba MINT Film Festival, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and the fiscal sponsor of the CLARA BOONE film project. 119 N 29th ST, Billings, MT, 59101.