Black Film Space is proud to serve as the fiscal sponsor for the short film Cora, Eat Your Spaghetti.

Black Film Space's fiscal sponsorship program allows for members to use its 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt status to receive tax-deductible donations on the film's behalf and solicit charitable contributions throughout the production process.

Cora, Eat Your Spaghetti has been chosen after careful evaluation from our board, and we believe it supports our mission to provide career advancing opportunities for Black filmmakers.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

PROJECT TYPE: Short Film
GENRE: Drama, Coming of Age
PROJECT STATUS: Pre-Production
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Shannon M. Sutherland
PRODUCER: Michael Bloom
PRODUCER: Naa Adei Mante
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Bevis
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Theo Webb

LOGLINE:

Struggling with an eating disorder and a mother mentally trapped in the past, a Black teen is confronted by her younger self on her 18th birthday.

SYNOPSIS:

On her 18th birthday, Cora finds Julie watching an old home video of a younger, more carefree version of her. Later that night, an argument over birthday cake brings deeper tensions to the surface, and Cora’s private rituals begin to unravel.

As Julie senses that something is wrong, they’re pushed into an honest conversation—one that forces them to face what’s been left unsaid. The film ends on a quiet attempt at reconnection, offering a small but real step toward healing.

For Cora, Eat Your Spaghetti, these films and TV shows have been major influences:

The world of Cora, Eat Your Spaghetti is subjective, intimate, and internal. We center small gestures and Cora’s gaze, letting her perspective guide how we move through the story. Moments of magical realism slip in, reflecting what she’s feeling in ways words can’t.

MOODBOARD:

The film deals with the sensitive topic of eating disorders, so it’s important that the camera, lighting, and environment hold Cora’s perspective with care. We want to embed her emotional state into the visuals, letting her living spaces shift around her and mirror what’s going on inside. It’s about letting the audience sit with the quiet weight she carries while also making space for her moments of softness and hope.

We are currently in pre-production and plan to shoot over 4.5 days in late September/early October 2025. Post-production will run from October 2025 through February 2026, with distribution planned for March 2026.

Here’s a breakdown of how the budget will be allocated:

Our goal is to raise $30,000 to cover production and post-production costs—and most importantly, to fairly compensate our talented cast and crew for their time and hard work. As young filmmakers, self-funding a project like this is incredibly challenging, so we’ll need all the support we can get to bring this story to life.

CORA, EAT YOUR SPAGHETTI isn’t just a short film. It’s the kind of story I wish I had when I was younger. As a Black woman who has struggled with an eating disorder, I rarely saw stories that looked like mine. Most films about eating disorders center white, skinny teen girls, and it made it easy to feel invisible.

This film is about more than an eating disorder. It’s about the quiet, messy moments between a mother and daughter, and how those unspoken dynamics shape how we see ourselves and our bodies. It’s about trying to reach each other, even when it’s hard.

By supporting this project, you’re not just helping bring an important story to the screen—you’re also supporting a Black female director and a team committed to telling stories with honesty, care, and intention.

DONATION TIERS

TEAM

SHANNON M. SUTHERLAND (Writer/Director/Producer)

Shannon M. Sutherland (she/her) is a writer and director based in New York City and a graduate of the MFA program at Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts. Her work often centers Black female protagonists in horror and fantasy spaces, exploring themes of Black girlhood through a metaphysical lens. Her latest short film, They Flew Like Blackbirds, was one of five winners of the 4th Annual Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase.

MICHAEL BLOOM, (Producer)

Michael Bloom is a producer and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. He is currently producing the feature documentary Living History and co-founded Modern Silent Shorts with Lily Weisberg. His first feature screenplay received the Akiva Goldsman Prize in Screenwriting and was a semi-finalist at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Michael is also an alumnus of the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove.

NAA ADEI MANTE, (Producer)

Naa Adei (nah • a-day) is a producer, writer, and director based in New York City. She gravitates toward stories that explore the internal, unspoken, and sometimes uncomfortable emotions that Black people—especially Black women—navigate in a post-colonial world. Naa is currently pursuing her MFA in Producing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. During her time at Tisch, she has been awarded the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Scholarship (2023), the HEAR US Mentorship Research Grant (2024), and the prestigious Spike Lee Production Fund (2025).

ROBERT BEVIS, (Cinematographer)

Robert Bevis grew up in rural South Georgia, surrounded by decaying tobacco barns, freshwater bass ponds, and his mother’s watercolor paintings. He began making films on mini DV before attending film school and eventually moving to New York. His photographic approach is expressionistic, emotional, and deeply rooted in atmosphere. Rob’s narrative work has screened at festivals including Sundance, Palm Springs, Outfest, and others across the country.

THEO WEBB, (Production Designer)

Theo Webb is a production designer and filmmaker based in New York. His work focuses on crafting hyper-detailed, dynamic environments where the set itself becomes an extension of character and story. He draws inspiration from inventive, handmade worlds—particularly the whimsical contraptions and visual humor found in Wallace & Gromit, Mr. Bean, and the films of Jacques Tati.

Please visit @coraeatyourspaghetti to follow along with our journey!

Cora, Eat Your Spaghetti

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