Bad Bella Productions Raising Funds for Short Film set in Soperton

California production company Bad Bella Productions began fundraising to produce “Family Traditions,” a short film set in Soperton, according to screenwriter Kris Shuman.

According to Shuman, the film will serve as a proof of concept film for the company’s other project “What’s Buried Beneath the Pines,” a television series following the same cast of characters. The short film is also intended to stand on its own as well.

“Family Traditions” follows Gray Harris, who has recently returned to Soperton in the wake of his father’s passing, revealing the secrets of his past to his two siblings and his aunt in a diner. The short is intended to take place between episodes one and two of “What’s Buried Beneath the Pines,” which follows Harris as he returns to Soperton to sort out the legal matters of his father’s timber company and reckon with the murders he helped to cover up in his youth.

“A lot of this stuff is based on actual events, meaning that I grew up in a family where a lot of things were dark and hidden and you don’t talk about it, and there [were] a lot of generational things that had been passed down,” Shuman said.

According to Shuman, he tries to include his experiences in the South in his stories, and in the case of the short film, Shuman wanted to connect with individuals in Georgia who may have had similar experiences.

“I felt like there was probably more than just me that had that story, and specifically with the state of Georgia and my love for the state of Georgia and the South in general, I just wanted to bring this story into the world so that somebody didn’t have to feel alone,” he said.

“Family Traditions” will be written by Shuman and directed by Bailey Donovan, who has directed several short films and music videos in the 2010s. The production also cast comedians Britany Smith and Justin Stagner in key roles.

The film is currently raising funds on the website Seed and Spark, a platform specifically for short films and music videos. The goal for full production is $19,350, though the film could be produced with a budget of $16,000, according to Shuman.

Shuman also plans to film the project in Georgia in order to provide jobs and income to the state.

“Let’s be honest, I could find a diner out here, but like I said, I’m from Georgia, and I want to bring something back to my home state and give people an opportunity to make a living and earn some extra income,” said Shuman. 

The television series is currently being shopped to various studios, and Shuman claims it is very likely to be completed. The scripts have placed highly in several prestige screenwriting competitions, including placing as a quarter finalist in the 2025 Page International Screenwriting Awards and semifinalist in the 2025 Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Contest.

Shuman chose to set the film and series in Soperton as his grandparents were born in the town, where they met before moving to Savannah during World War II.

Shuman himself grew up in Savannah, but fell into a painkiller addiction, which eventually led to a heroin addiction and homelessness. He moved to California in an attempt to turn his life around, but relapsed and suffered an overdose in December 2021 while staying with a friend.

He recommitted himself to sobriety, and has been sober since Monday, January 3, 2022.

While in California, Shuman pursued screenwriting, and eventually founded his own production company, Bad Bella Productions, with his wife, Timea Shuman. The couple named the company after their own dog, Bella.

The scripts for both “Family Traditions” and the pilot of “What’s Buried Beneath the Pines” are available on Shuman’s personal website, krisshuman.com, to view for free.