After the tragic death of her baby sister, 7-year old Cecily must go on a mystical quest and face her own mortality in order to save her crumbling family from their grief.

金継ぎ 

Kintsugi reminds us that there is great beauty in broken things because scars tell a story. 

Plot Synopsis

After 7-year old CECILY BLINKSTOP’s baby sister AMELIA dies in a tragic accident, her family falls apart around her. HELEN, Cecily’s mother, is hospitalized after trying to hurt herself. BARNEY, Cecily’s 5-year old brother, stops talking and KIM, Cecily’s older sister, shuts everyone out, especially Cecily. Cecily’s father, KEVIN, is a time bomb waiting to explode after he pushes aside his own grief to hold everything together. 

Cecily finds herself living in a world without music, without color, without laughter, without love. When Cecily is just about to lose hope, she accepts an invitation from a most persistent book, Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, to go on a mystical quest with an imaginary friend, where she places her hope in a Japanese legend; if she folds 1,000 origami cranes, she can make a wish that will save her family from their grief. But no path is ever that simple and, when her friend vanishes, and all hope seems to disappear, Cecily must take a huge step of courage and confront not only her own mortality, but her loss of faith. It is in that darkness that Cecily’s family are faced with the reality that they must come together if they want to save Cecily and ultimately save themselves.

Director's Statement

MY INSPIRATION: When I was four years old, I had an imaginary friend named Jeanie Janie who went everywhere with me. For a year, she was my closest friend. When I returned home from my first day of preschool, my mother asked me where Jeanie Janie was and I had no idea who she was talking about. It was as if she just vanished after I made real friends. I have absolutely no memory of my imaginary friend. I often wonder if it was a choice I made or if my memory just erased her without my knowing. What I do know, however, is that I created this imaginary friend at a time when I felt lonely. I created her at a time when my own parents’ marriage was failing and my life felt out of control. Children have access to their imaginations in such a personal and real way—allowing them to fill a void when they have a need. To me, this imagination is the real magic of our world, the magic that I believe gets us through difficult experiences. 

Later in life, after my husband and I were first married, I had three miscarriages and, during that time, I found myself in a place of real darkness. My friends were in a completely different stage in life and I really had no one to talk to except my husband. Looking back on that journey during another lonely period in my life, I discovered that the friend my heart needed more than anyone else was my husband. Thirty-four years later, I still look at that time in our marriage and see how the magic of real friendship blossomed, a friendship so strong that, to this day, nothing can tear us apart. That is the real magic of my own life and the magic I hope to capture in my screenplay, The Extraordinary World of Cecily Blinkstop.

CECILY’S JOURNEY: In The Extraordinary World of Cecily Blinkstop, we see how the death of a child impacts a family through the eyes of seven-year-old Cecily. Cecily must find a way to save her broken family. Cecily is an extraordinary child with both a creative spirit and an old soul. Despite the darkness around her, Cecily’s faith in her family will not be broken. When everything around her seems to be fading away, Cecily accepts a call from a magical book and sets out on a mystical journey with an imaginary friend; a journey where the past and present, the east and west, and, in the end, life and death all exist in parallel. Cecily must trust in the journey and face her own mortality in order to save her family. 

VISUAL: The visual changing world of the film will be created through color, sound, and light. The audience will feel Cecily’s world as it goes from a world of darkness, silence, and loneliness to a world with light, music, and friendship. Every aspect of the film - costumes, sets, lighting, and music - will function as character’s in Cecily’s story. Even the weather outside the Blinkstop home will reflect the emotional journey inside the Blinkstop home. By creating a physical world that is directly impacted by emotional and psychological experiences, Cecily will take us on a journey that is directly tied to people from the past and to people thousands of miles away. A journey that is woven into a much larger tapestry of human existence - both physically and spiritually. 

IMPACT: I want audiences to walk away from The Extraordinary World of Cecily Blinkstop feeling as if they have the power within themselves to face and overcome life’s greatest challenges. Nothing, not even death, can completely break the human spirit. When we dig deep and accept our place in the larger tapestry of existence, humans have the capacity to learn from the past, participate in the present, and trust in the future. Miracles and magic are gifts we can all experience once we fully trust in the journey.

千羽鶴 

(SENBAZURU)

THE ANCIENT LEGEND OF THE THOUSAND CRANES

In Japan, the crane is considered a mythical creature who is believed to live for a thousand years. Folding origami cranes was once considered a ceremonial art with each crane representing one year of a crane's life. It is believed that when a person completes 1,000 origami cranes, the sacred crane will grant them one wish. This legend took on new meaning after WWII, when a young girl named Sadako Sadaki, who was diagnosed with leukemia from radiation after the bombing of Hiroshima, attempted to fold 1,000 cranes so she would be well again. A monument of Sadako stands in the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima and every year on August 6, children from around the world send cranes to the statue to keep Sadako’s hope alive. Today people all over the world are sent origami cranes for good luck and best wishes. Sadako's legacy lives on through her story bringing hope, encouragement and love to the crane's recipients. LEARN MORE

Meet The Team

Jennifer Potts - Writer, Director, & Producer

Jennifer Potts is an independent film director, producer, and screenwriter. Jennifer graduated from Drew University with a BA in Theatre Arts. She co-founded and ran Cornerstone Performing Arts Center in Fitchburg, MA, where she oversaw a small non-equity theatre company and directed/produced multiple productions every year. Jennifer continued her education studying film/video production at Fitchburg State University for two years and then completed an MFA in Writing for the Stage and Screen from New Hampshire Institute of Art (NHIA).

Jennifer has written and directed five short narrative films and one short documentary, which have screened at film festivals around the world and taken home multiple awards. Jennifer has also produced multiple short films, as well The Compatriots, an independent feature film that is currently in post production. The Extraordinary World of Cecily Blinkstop is Jennifer’s first feature film as writer and director. Jennifer lives in Worcester, MA, with her husband of 34 years. They have five grown children and a dog named Stewart. [IMDb] [Website]

Marco Pigossi - Role of Kevin Blinkstop and Executive Producer

Marco Pigossi is one of Brazil's brightest stars. Most recently, he appeared in the Amazon hit 'Gen V', the spin-off of the smash hit series 'The Boys'. For Netflix, he starred in three international shows: 'Tidelands', 'High Seas', and 'Invisible City' created by Carlos Saldhana, which just returned for a second season. Marco played the leading role in Marco Calvani's feature film debut 'High Tide' playing opposite Marisa Tomei and Bill Irwin, which he also executive produced. High Tide premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival. Next up, Marco will star in the horror film 'Bone Lake' by festival darling Mercedes Bryce-Morgan. In Brazil, he starred on twelve series for Rede Globo and two feature films, including '492: A Man called Death', for which he received a Best Actor nomination at Rio Film Festival. His most recent TV work was in the series 'Onde Nascem Os Fortes'. Other series include A Força do Querer, by author Glória Perez, one of the greatest successes in the Brazilian TV of the last decade. Throughout the years he worked for Globo, he starred on 'Caras e Bocas', 'Ti Ti Ti', 'Fina Estampa', 'Gabriela, 'Sangue Bom', followed by 'Boogie Oogie', and 'A Regra do Jogo', which was nominated for an International Emmy Award. He produced two short films by Mariana Jaspe (Best Director Gramado Film Fest 2023) and the documentary 'CorPolitica' by Pedro França, that became an international sensation (Best Film Montreal Film Fest, Premio Felix Rio Film Festival, Best Doc MixBrasil, Best Script Brasilia Film Fest, Audience Award QueerLisboa, Best Film OutFest Peru.) [IMDb] [Instagram]

Erica Joseph Hunter - Supervising Producer

Erica is the founder and CEO of TagMeek Productions. Erica has worked in the film industry for well over a decade with film credits ranging from Hope Springs starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones to Being Flynn with Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore, and We Need to Talk About Kevin with Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly to Clutter starring Carol Kane and Natasha Lyonne. She commenced her film career in 2009 after 20 years in the advertising industry working with Manhattan agencies Y&R, Bates USA and Mediavest, to name a few, on clients like Miller Brewing, Coca-Cola, Kraft General Foods, A&E Networks and MCI. Erica’s work in film began in the Production Accounting office, where she leveraged the business expertise garnered in advertising, and honed her skill in financial management. After several films she moved into production management with Production Coordinator, Production Supervisor and ultimately Line Producer roles. As a Line Producer, Erica effectively managed the day-to-day business of the production.

Since 2015 Erica has amassed over a dozen Producer credits on Crown Media/Hallmark and Lifetime movies within Christmas and Thriller genres as well as on independent theatrical productions. She’s excited to put 15 years and 30+ films worth of experience to work on this exceptional and meaningful film. [IMDb] [TagMeek Website]

Bert Hesse - Executive Producer

Bert Hesse is the CEO of Studio South Holdings; a 10-year-old entertainment management company. The company is managed by a Board of Advisors made up of industry and business leaders. Hesse’s past productions have been distributed by Lionsgate and received awards at the Berlin Film Festival. His projects have ranged from horrors like Cold Storage to documentaries In the footsteps of Elie Wiesel, which had a one-year run at the Jewish Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. Hesse also is an adjunct professor at Winthrop University in RockHill, SC, where he teaches, film 301 class.

Hesse’s ability to keep projects on time and budget while dealing with creatives has proven a win-win for the investors and the creative professionals generating the content.  [IMDb]

Jake Miskin - Producer

Jake Miskin is an American screenwriter, born and raised in Needham, Massachusetts. Attended Needham High School. Went onto and played collegiate soccer at Springfield College. Jake graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. Shattered Ice, Jake’s first feature film as writer and producer, was recently filmed in Massachusetts and is currently in post-production. [IMDb] 

Anthony Fenton - Producer

Anthony Fenton is an accomplished, strategically driven executive with over 30 years of experience, including Senior-Level officer positions with a variety of the largest US financial and insurance institutions. He is an equity owner in Studio South Holdings, Management Team Member, and Chief Relationship Officer (CRO). Anthony is the President and Founding Partner of Wonderlore Studios and has been involved with Studio South Holdings since its inception. He was instrumental in negotiations with a Federally-recognized Native American Tribe (Catawba Nation), when Studio South was exploring the opportunity for a full-service film studio. Anthony has an Executive Producer credit in the Studio South feature film "Invisible". 

Anthony is also involved with Studio South's newest studio located in Greenville, SC: Global Studios. [Wonderlore Studios Website]

Marco Calvani - Creative Producer

Italian born Marco Calvani is an award-winning writer and a director based in Los Angeles. Over the course of his twenty-year career as a playwright, he received commissions from the Phoenix Theatre of London, Kunsthaus Tacheles of Berlin, Théâtre de la Ville of Paris, Grec Fundaciò of Barcelone and La MaMa Theatre of New York among others. His cinema debut The View from Up Here stars Oscar winner Melissa Leo and César winner Leïla Bekhti. It was originally a play commissioned to him by The Actors Studio and directed by Oscar winner Estelle Parsons. His first feature film High Tide, produced by LD Entertainment and starring Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, Tony winner Bill Irwin, Spirit Award winner Mya Taylor and Marco Pigossi, premiered at 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival. [IMDb]

Learn more about The Extraordinary World of Cecily Blinkstop:

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CecilyBlinkstop

Website: https://www.cecilyblinkstop.com/