Becoming Slender
Short Film
Project Type: Short Film
Project Status: Development
Writer, Director, Editor: Carrie Jean Henley
Producer: Eliana Oliver and Caitlyn Kaufman Executive Producer: Bill Tunnicliffe
Actors (Slendermother): Suzanne Richard
LOGLINE
Slenderman’s conflicting desires to pursue a comedy career and please his mother clash when he is tasked with a high-stakes cat-napping.
SYNOPSIS
Becoming Slender is a satirical horror-comedy short film that follows Slenderman, an over-the-top shadow entity caught between his passion for becoming a comedian and his desire to please his cold, spite-fueled mother, Slendermother. When Slendermother orders Slenderman to kidnap Petunia, the mayor’s sassy cat, as leverage to blackmail the mayor, Slenderman’s loyalty and dreams collide.
The narrative is absurdist, dark, and comedic, with Slenderman’s failures, such as the death of his partner Ratsputin during a previous kidnapping attempt, setting a chaotic tone. His conflicted desire to escape crime and embrace comedy leads to a chaotic open mic night where the mayor’s cat, Petunia, unexpectedly steals the spotlight with her meows, while Slenderman’s own jokes fall flat.
Through this surreal story, Becoming Slender explores themes of identity, belonging, and loyalty with humor and heart, culminating in a wild chase and an unexpected partnership between Slenderman and Petunia. The film combines sharp satire with emotional undercurrents, creating a story that speaks to our universal need for acceptance and the courage it takes to pursue one’s true path.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Becoming Slender is a satirical horror-comedy short film that follows Slenderman, an over-the-top shadow entity caught between his passion for becoming a comedian and his desire to please his cold, spite-fueled mother, Slendermother. When Slendermother orders Slenderman to kidnap Petunia, the mayor’s sassy cat, as leverage to blackmail the mayor, Slenderman’s loyalty and dreams collide.
The narrative is absurdist, dark, and comedic, with Slenderman’s failures, such as the death of his partner Ratsputin during a previous kidnapping attempt, setting a chaotic tone. His conflicted desire to escape crime and embrace comedy leads to a chaotic open mic night where the mayor’s cat, Petunia, unexpectedly steals the spotlight with her meows, while Slenderman’s own jokes fall flat.
hrough this surreal story, Becoming Slender explores themes of identity, belonging, and loyalty with humor and heart, culminating in a wild chase and an unexpected partnership between Slenderman and Petunia. The film combines sharp satire with emotional undercurrents, creating a story that speaks to our universal need for acceptance and the courage it takes to pursue one’s true path.a
Meet The Filmmakers
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Carrie Jean Henley
Director/Writer/Producer
Carrie Jean Henley is a disabled multidisciplinary artist and disability rights activist focused on stories of truth and liberation. Known for blending dark realism and absurdist comedy, Carrie has worked on a number of productions, including the proof of concept for her 2024 BAFF Honorable Mention TV pilot Scraps, and her original musical Morn Greycastle The Uneducated, which she performed at NYU this past spring.
She has performed original music at The Kennedy Center and has recently acted in Open Circle Theater’s proof of concept VitaNova/.
Credits: Lemon Sorbet (Director/Writer/Producer/Co-DP/Gaffer/Editor), AWOL (Director/Writer/Producer/Gaffer/Editor), Segway Slenderman - Filmed Reading (Director/Writer) -
Eliana Oliver
Producer
Eliana Oliver is a New York-based producer and dramatic writer focused on independent film and socially impactful storytelling. She is the founder of Weird Girl Media, a production company dedicated to amplifying bold, underrepresented voices.
She is currently in pre-production for Pa-Sapphic Islanders and Doom Scroll, in production for her first feature documentary The Leftovers, and in post-production for the short film Pennies. Eliana’s work blends genre innovation with meaningful narratives, making her a dynamic force behind Becoming Slender
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Credits: Pa-Sapphic Islanders (Producer), The Leftovers (Producer), Doom Scroll (Writer/Director/Producer) -
Caitlyn Kaufman
Producer
Caitlyn Kaufman is a filmmaker, performer, and interdisciplinary artist. She is completing a BFA degree in Collaborative Arts with a dual-minor in Film Production and Producing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, from which she holds a Founder’s Day Award and a Josh Goldfaden Writing Award.
Her previous credits include work with the Golden Globe Awards, Critics Choice Awards, and MTV Music Awards, as well as having her shorts screened at the Calabasas Film Festival and NYU’s Collaborative Arts Showcases. Most recently, she completed a film development internship with Gunpowder & Sky and her multi-media short film, My Mind’s Refrain. In her original work, she strives to create stories that generate positive social change.
Credits: My Mind’s Refrain (Director/DP), Catharsis (Director/DP), Morn Greycastle The Uneducated: An Experimental Musical (Photographer/Videographer)
Your Help
BECOMING SLENDER is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!