Three women.
One womb.
No Good choices.
Gothic Horror
on the
High Plains
Told through the hungry eyes of a disincarnate soul fighting to be born.
DELIVER THE VISION WITH US
100% Tax-Deductible via our fiscal sponsorship in partnership with Sundara Catalyst Group.
Debts Written
in Blood
LOGLINE
In a dying town, a pregnant outsider becomes prey to two women — one starving for rebirth, the other for belonging.
A disincarnate soul, determined to be born, fixes its gaze on Luisa Eskibel, an opera singer unmoored by the recent loss of her voice and unsure of her next chapter. She follows her husband, Pau, to his ancestral ranch on the Montana Hi-Line, convinced it will be a new beginning. But a lifetime of irresponsible financial decisions threatens to destroy them both, and Pau needs the birth of a child to unlock the remainder of his inheritance before Luisa finds out. What she hasn’t told him is that she may not be able to conceive. Undeterred, the soul seduces Luisa's body into becoming its gateway. As the isolation erodes an already fractured marriage, Pau turns violent and Luisa must flee — straight into the hands of his cousin Zara, a childless recluse who offers sanctuary but with no way out. Meanwhile, Isabel — a soul-eater posing as a local healer — senses a feast after decades of starvation. Trapped between a jailer desperate to hold a baby in her arms and a ravenous predator, will the soul emerge into the world before its vessel is destroyed?
The Audience
Is the Soul
POMEGRANATE
ori gersht | tone + style reference
We do not watch this film.
WE HAUNT IT.
The camera is not a witness; it is the Disincarnate Soul. Drawing on the astral dissociation of Enter the Void and inspired by cinéma vérité’s intrusive and unrelenting search for truth, the lens floats through walls, stalks the living, hungering for the womb. The visual and aural language are defined by the suffocating intimacy of embodiment, the terrifying expansiveness of the open plain, and the predatory patience of the immortal.
We trade jump scares for the crushing dread of life taking place on the edge of existence.
ENTER THE VOID
death scene (epilepsy warning) | camera + editorial reference
THE Evolution
OF A MONSTER
Echoes from the Past Shaping the Now
MOVING THE STORY FROM THE PYRENEES TO THE MONTANA HI-LINE
La Partera began as an exploration of the collision between the crushing weight of familial expectation and the fight to live a life on one's own terms.
It started as a voyage to the Basque Country to trace my bloodline through centuries of colonization. Instead it found me here, on the ground I was standing on in Montana.
The Ghost in the Archives. The 1907 enlistment record that revealed the hidden link between my Filipino-Basque bloodline and the Montana Territory.
While tracing the Basque ancestors in my mother's family tree, I uncovered a ghost: one of the original Luisa Eskibel's sons had been stationed in Lewis and Clark County, right here in Montana, in 1907.
That discovery pulled the story to the territory of the Basque High Plains Barons and the Montana Hi-Line.
The unmistakable echo from the past shouted out: Montana soil holds the nutrients La Partera needs to grow into a visceral nightmare lived in the light of day.
Here, nature is a womb. A savage, contested space where imported ambition and indigenous stewardship grapple for the right to exist and incarnate into reality.
Sunset Beyond the Missouri. Kevin Palmer ©️ 2021. Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
Midwives
to an
Incarnation
-
Writer / Director
Anak is a Filipino-American writer-director whose path from Broadway to private equity fuels her exploration of the question What does it mean to be human in the 21st Century? An alumna of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama, her films, including Down the Rabbit Hole (cinematography by Halyna Hutchins) and Dwell Time (exec. producer Liz Glotzer, The Shawshank Redemption), have screened at Cannes and Clermont-Ferrand. A “Filipino mutt” with Basque, Spanish, Chinese, and Sephardic Jewish roots, Anak’s personal tapestry deeply informs La Partera’s inquiry into inherited legacy and cross-cultural identity.
REEL • SELECTED WORK • IMDB
-
Production Designer
Paul is a production designer and puppeteer whose work spans cinema, fine art, and large-scale performance. He has collaborated with celebrated filmmakers including Darren Aronofsky and Steven Soderbergh, and brought creatures to life for Shudder, Netflix, and Paramount Pictures. His artistry extends to live performance, building fantastical worlds for artists such as Lady Gaga and Kanye West, and continuing the traditions of visionaries like Julie Taymor and Jim Henson. Paul’s designs transform raw materials into living myth, grounding La Partera’s folk horror in an uncanny, tactile realism.
THE
DEVELOPMENT
PLAN
THE ASK
$145,000 to Package the Film.
Our development plan now prioritizes the script, talent attachments, and local Montana logistics. We are raising $145,000 to build a "Production-Ready" package by Q4 2026.
WHERE THE FUNDS GO
CREATIVE LEADERSHIP & RUNWAY ($50k)
Underwrites the "Deep Work" phase for the Director/Writer and secures Local Production Leadership to navigate regional incentives and logistics.
SCRIPT & IP ($35k)
Engages a Genre Screenwriter for the First Draft, Senior Story Editor for the Polish, and an Indigenous Cultural Consultant to ensure narrative integrity. The script is the primary asset.
TALENT PACKAGING ($10k)
Retains a Casting Director to secure Letters of Intent (LOIs) from key talent, increasing the project's valuation for equity investors.
PRODUCTION FOUNDATION ($30k)
Establishes the legal entity, covers contracts, and funds the essential research expeditions to the Hi-Line to scout locations.
MARKET & VISUALS ($20k)
Funds the visual pitch deck design and application fees for premier development labs (POC Accelerator, Tribeca, Sundance Labs).
Timeline - 2026 (WIP)
PHASE 1
THE FOUNDATION
Finalize Treatment
Secure MT Producer
Complete Initial Hi-Line Research Trip
(NOW – FEB)
PHASE 2
THE Draft
Write First Draft
Complete Visual Scouting
Submit to Key Development Labs
(MAR – AUG)
PHASE 3
THE Package
Script Polish
Casting Offers to Talent
Preparation for Equity Finance
(SEP – DEC)
WHY THIS FILM?
WHY NOW?
La Partera sits at the intersection of the two most bankable trends in independent cinema: Elevated Horror (The Witch, Talk To Me) and Western Gothic (The Power of the Dog, Yellowstone). We are capturing a specific market moment where genre audiences are hungry for sophisticated, location-based terror.
THE WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
THE YEAR-END TAX ADVANTAGE
We have secured 501(c)(3) Fiscal Sponsorship through Sundara Catalyst Group. All contributions made before December 31st, 2025 are 100% tax-deductible to the extent of the law. This is a strategic opportunity to lower your tax burden while launching a major cultural project.
THE ACCELERATOR DEADLINE
We are targeting the Proof of Concept Accelerator (backed by Netflix/Annenberg) for their January 2026 deadline. Securing our development funding now allows us to submit a package that stands out from the competition.
THE MARKET HEAT
Horror remains the only genre consistently delivering outsized ROI in the theatrical market. By backing the development phase, you are helping us build a package designed to attract equity financing and premium distribution.
Make
an impact today
We are building this film on the ground, dollar by dollar. Your contribution directly funds the artists, the travel, and the legal framework needed to bring La Partera to life.
Because we are fiscally sponsored by Sundara Catalyst Group, 100% of your donation is tax-deductible. And unlike other platforms that take a cut, our platform (Zeffy) covers all transaction fees, meaning every cent you give goes directly to the production.
Development Tiers
$25,000 | EXECUTIVE
Funds the Script. This level covers the WGA Co-Writer fees for the First Draft and Polish. The screenplay is the primary asset of the film. (Includes Associate Producer credit).
$10,000 | PACKAGING
Secures the Talent. This covers the Casting Director’s retainer, allowing us to send formal offers to our "Archetype" leads and secure Letters of Intent (LOIs).
$5,000 | SCOUTING
Captures the Landscape. Funds the Director and Writer’s research expeditions to the Hi-Line to lock locations and build the visual lookbook.
$1,000 | FOUNDATION
Builds the Business. Covers the essential legal formation (LLC), accounting setup, and WGA filings to ensure the project is investment-ready.
$250 | COMMUNITY
Fuels the Room. Supports the day-to-day operations of the development office.
$100 | SUPPORTER
Joins the Team. Every dollar builds momentum.
If you’d prefer to contribute via wire transfer, please contact anak @ firebrandinthedark.com for instructions.
with our deepest thanks:
To thank you for helping us birth this story, all contributors will receive:
ON-SCREEN CREDIT: Your name will appear in the "Special Thanks" of the final film.
THE INNER CIRCLE You will receive exclusive, behind-the-scenes development updates via our private Substack.
Request our NDA to receive the full investor pitch deck to explore partnership opportunities.
Follow our journey.
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS & ENQUIRIES
We are actively assembling our production team and resources on the ground in Montana. If you are looking to participate beyond a donation—whether through equity investment in the feature, creative collaboration, or in-kind support (locations and logistics)—we invite you to start a conversation.
Reach us at
or use this form. We’ll get back to you within 1–2 business days.
Thank you
© 2025 Firebrand in the Dark LLC. All Rights Reserved.