🐾 BEAST — A Short Film About Seduction, Power, and the Cost of Devotion

Two women.
One bar.

BEAST is a sleek, unsettling short film set in an upscale hotel bar on New Year's Eve, where an elegant wife and a mysterious stranger share more than just champagne. What begins as a flirtatious, loaded conversation becomes a slow reveal of shared betrayal, complicated power, and the masks we wear in long-term love.

This story is tense, intimate, and layered with dark humor. Think: Promising Young Woman meets In the Company of Men...in La Perla.

🖋️ Written by Raven Petretti-Stamper

Creator of Spinach in My Teeth, Bridget & the Boy-Bot, and The Compound, Raven’s work blends emotional realism with stylized worlds, fierce female voices, and dialogue that cuts.

BEAST is her most contained and seductive project to date:

A two-hander between a wife and a mysterious stranger
A one-location, one-night shoot with luxe visuals and emotional volatility
Designed for festivals, awards season shorts blocks, and proof-of-concept expansion

🎥 Why This Film, Why Now?

Because too many stories about women betrayals are loud, messy, or melodramatic. BEAST simmers. This is a chamber piece with a whipcrack finale—one that redefines who’s in control.

It’s a story about the rituals we cling to, the lies we accept, and the price we pay to keep the illusion alive. It’s also about female power—quiet, weaponized, and sharply dressed.

💵 Why We Need Your Help

This is an elevated short—set in a high-end NYC location, with wardrobe, lighting, and production value to match the tone. We’ve created a lean, responsible budget (~$15,000, though we're only asking for $5K here) that covers:

Professional crew and cast
Location fees for our luxury hotel bar set
Hair, makeup, and wardrobe for two women who own the screen
Sound, lighting, editing, and post
Meals, insurance, hard drives, festival submission fees
And yes, petite fours from Boucherie (wait till you see why)

Every dollar goes directly toward making this film—and paying people fairly.

🎁 What You Get

Beyond our undying gratitude, we’re offering:

$25 – Your name in the credits and a shout out on social
$100 – Private link to the finished film
$250 – Producer updates + behind-the-scenes sneak peeks
$500 – “Associate Producer” credit
$2,500+ – “Executive Producer” credit + set visit or personal thank-you call

🖤 Help Us Make Something Beautifully Dangerous

If you’ve ever loved the wrong person, dressed up for the right reasons, or quietly unraveled in a public space...this one’s for you.

BEAST is a short film about what simmers under the surface—and what happens when it finally spills over.

Join us. Let’s make something unforgettable.

Beast by Raven Petretti-Stamper

By Strange Bird Productions

Beast by Raven Petretti-Stamper

She knows more than she should

Team Members