Private Project

A Family Matter

On her late father's birthday, Elizabeth returns home to face her manipulative mother and younger sister April. When she reveals she is secretly April's mother, tensions explode into a food fight, forcing the fractured family toward an unexpected reconciliation.

  • Rylee Norman
    Director
    The Waiting Room (2024)
  • Erica Fish
    Writer
    Cornucopia (2024)
  • Nicole DenBleyker
    Producer
    The Waiting Room (2024), Arroyo Perdido (2026)
  • Jack Justice
    Producer
    Goatheads (2025), Stranger Things (2022), Daybreak (2019)
  • Marissa McCarmenty
    Producer
  • Jax Maloney
    Producer
    Green Between the Lines (2024)
  • Kelsi Beer
    Key Cast
    "Elizabeth"
    Letter to the Blind (2026), The Waiting Room (2024)
  • Mary-Ellin Brookes
    Key Cast
    "Diane"
    The Waiting Room (2024)
  • Willow Glenn
    Key Cast
    "April"
    The Late Hour with Benson Bridges (2025), OffSet Web Series (2025)
  • Jack Justice
    Key Cast
    "Harrison"
    Goatheads (2025), Stranger Things (2022), Daybreak (2019)
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 19, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    3,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Rylee Norman

Rylee Norman is a writer, director, and producer from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She holds an MA in Film Studies from Queen Mary University of London. Her work explores themes of generational trauma, family dynamics, and the emotional legacies passed between generations.

Her directing credits include A Family Matter (2026), The Waiting Room (2024), and Here and Back (2023). In addition to directing, she has worked as a director of photography on Be Good, Stay Safe (2023) and The Handy (2025).

In 2025, she founded Negative Dirt Productions, a production company dedicated to creating independent films, hosting community screenings, and providing free educational classes that expand access to filmmaking resources.

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Director Statement

"A Family Matter" is a deeply personal exploration of intergenerational trauma and the often unspoken wounds that shape our families.

At its heart, the film is about grief for the illusions we grow up with, and the versions of ourselves that shatter when we discover
long-buried truths. It's also about the quiet ways love can hurt us, especially when it comes from those we trust most.

This story is especially close to me because it belongs to my mother. As a young woman, she discovered that her sister was actually her biological mother. That revelation unraveled the fabric of her world. It broke her in ways I can't fully comprehend, and yet she carried on, finding resilience amid the wreckage. Through "A Family Matter", I wanted to honor that story. Not just the shock of it, but the complicated ending of choosing to leave with someone who hurt you to escape a suffocating and manipulative household.

This film ultimately is a meditation on how we break generational cycles of abuse through reconciliation. The film is not about painting characters as picture perfect people. It is about the messy and complicated world o f broken families and how one choice can change the entire fabric of a family lineage.