Black Film Space is proud to serve as the fiscal sponsor for the short film MY GRANNY'S HANDS.

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.

MY GRANNY'S HANDS 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: Proof-of-Concept Short Film
GENRE: Magical Realism, Coming-of-Age
PROJECT STATUS: Pre-Production
DIRECTOR/WRITER: K.D. Chalk
PLAYING JUNIOR/ EP: Chris Chalk
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jasmine Rivas
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Garland Mclaurin

LOGLINE: After tragedy causes a little girl to go mute, a forced visit with her grandmother awakens a supernatural gift.

SYNOPSIS:

Eight-year-old Punkin, grieving her mother’s disappearance, has stopped speaking. Her father, overwhelmed, sends her to live with Granny Pearl, a community healer, who welcomes Punkin into her supernatural home. There, Granny Pearl teaches her the healing power of plants and provides the love and safety Punkin needs to heal. One day, an alert on the police scanner warns of a neighbor badly burned by contaminated water. Granny Pearl rushes to help, performing the folk ritual of “Talking the Fire Out.” As she weakens, she urges Punkin to assist. With a powerful breath, Punkin calms the storm and finds her voice again.

TEAM

K.D. CHALK, (Director/ Writer)

K.D. Chalk is a 2023 Film Independent Project Involve Filmmaker and actor from Rural Hall, North Carolina that resides in Brooklyn, New York. The NBC/Universal Diversity Showcase actor and The ABFF Star Project winner can be seen starring opposite Jake Johnson in the Apple+ television pilot Habata directed by Josh Greenbaum. Chalk's first feature as producer and actor, Our Deadly Vows, the STARZ original made its theatrical debut in July 2023. Chalks' writer and producer credits: Fabulousnessness with Clean and Jordan, Sealed, and The Openers. K.D. can also be seen recurring on Days of our Lives and improving beside the late great Fred Willard in Second City:Last Man on Earth. The WIF Mentoring Program alum is he 2023 winner for Best Female Screenplay at HollyShorts Film Festival for her directorial debut film Survived By. The Survived By team recently won the Audience Award at Dances With Films. www.KDChalk.com

CHRIS CHALK, (Playing Junior / EP)

Born in Asheville, NC, Chris Chalk is an actor, writer, and director currently living in Brooklyn, NY. Some of Chalk’s acting credits include Season 2 of Feud Capote vs The Swans as James Baldwin, HBO’s Perry Mason, the 2023 Sundance darling All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Apple+ Shining Girls opposite Elisabeth Moss, and Fox’s Gotham. Ava Duvernay’s Emmy nominated Netflix mini-series When They See Us, Homeland, Aaron Sorkin’s Newsroom, USA’s Complications, Underground created by Misha Green, Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit, Oscar winning Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, Red Sea Diving Resort with Chris Evans, and starring alongside Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez in Charles Stone’s film Lila and Eve. Chalk is currently in production for HBO’s Welcome To Derry.

GARLAND MCLAURIN, (Cinematographer)

Garland McLaurin, is a Peabody Award-winning cinematographer whose work delves into the social and psychological complexities of people and culture. His storytelling illuminates personal and cultural narratives, often intersecting the two. McLaurin served as cinematographer for August & Ebony and Muro: The Wall as part of Film Independent’s Project Involve program (2022–2023). His credits include I’m Fine, Black Butterfly, Ungubani (Who Are You?), and Missed Connections, which have screened at top festivals. McLaurin co-directed and was the cinematographer for the Peabody-winning series 180 Days: A Year Inside an American High School and PBS’s Hartsville. He co-produced and directed BBC’s The Black American Fight for Freedom and collaborated on Family Pictures USA with Thomas Allen Harris. McLaurin is a Film Independent Project Involve Cinematography Fellow and Firelight Spark Fund Fellow, celebrated for his commitment to exploring nuanced stories with depth and authenticity.

JASMINE RIVAS, (Producer)

Jasmine Rivas is an experienced Executive Producer with a proven track record in film and television production. In Film Independent’s Project Involve community, she has executive produced the short films Single Residence Occupancy and Saving All My Love, showcasing a passion for storytelling that highlights diverse perspectives and human experiences. Additionally, Jasmine served as an Associate Producer on When Offered Wind, further solidifying a reputation for delivering impactful content. Rivas has been integral to high-profile projects in documentary and feature film distribution. Her professional career includes working on the Netflix documentary series team. Additionally, Jasmine has been part of the Lionsgate film distribution team, collaborating with exhibitors that bring major theatrical releases to audiences worldwide.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

My Granny’s Hands - A Story About Grief, Ancestral Magic, and Finding Your Voice

When a grieving girl is sent to live with her grandmother, she discovers ancestral magic, community healing, and the courage to find her voice.

ABOUT THE FILM

My Granny’s Hands is a short film rooted in my family’s true history, the sacred traditions of Black Southern life, and the real environmental threats facing rural communities like mine.

After witnessing the supernatural disappearance of her mother, Punkin is sent to live with her grandmother in a small North Carolina town shadowed by a toxic coal plant. Grieving and lost, she finds unexpected healing through her Granny’s love, the power of ancestral magic, and the unspoken strength of her community.

Through the simple act of caring for her ailing neighbor, Punkin begins to piece herself and her voice back together.

Why This Story Matters

This isn’t just a story about grief or pollution.

It’s about how Black Southern families have always found ways to survive through faith, tradition, and fierce community care.

My Granny’s Hands honors the whispered wisdom passed down through generations of farmers, herbalists, and fire talkers of Walnut Cove, NC. My ancestors could heal burns, soothe spirits, and speak life into broken places. At its heart, this is a film about healing as an act of resistance.

WHY WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

We have the story. We have the heart. We have an incredible team.

And in independent filmmaking, especially for stories like ours, it takes community. Your tax deductible support will help us fund:

Production (crew and equipment)
Post-production (editing, sound design, color grading)
Festival submissions and outreach to amplify this story beyond our hometown

Every dollar you give helps us tell a story the world needs to hear about grief, love, survival, and finding your own magic.

JOIN US

If you believe in the power of storytelling to heal…

If you believe Black Southern stories deserve the spotlight…

If you believe in the strength of our grannies’ hands…

Then we invite you to stand with us.

Donate. Share. Believe with us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

K.D. Chalk

Writer | Director | Producer

My Granny's Hands

Team Leaderboard

Team Members