About this campaign
The Elegant Dead is a scripted supernatural film set in New Orleans, where two ghostly narrators guide you through vampire enclaves, crumbling cemeteries, Voodoo protection rituals, and unfinished love stories. It’s atmospheric terror with architectural beauty, and a story about what happens when the boundary between the living and the dead dissolves.
Inspired by The Haunted Guide to New Orleans by Rory O’Neill Schmitt, PhD and Rosary O’Neill, PhD (Arcadia Publishing, 2025), this project uses cinematic storytelling to make American history more accessible, by grounding a scripted supernatural narrative in real locations and historical themes.
Why this story, why now
New Orleans is more than a backdrop—it’s a living archive. Its streets hold layered histories of migration, architecture, faith, folklore, and survival. The Elegant Dead invites audiences into that complexity through a narrative that’s thrilling, emotionally resonant, and rooted in place.
This is a film that entertains—and also opens a door to history for people who might never pick up a textbook.
You’re helping preserve place-based stories, expand access to history, and train the next generation of filmmakers—while bringing a hauntingly beautiful world to life.
The dead have stories to tell—and this one deserves to be made with care, craft, and community.
If you believe in film as art, education, and opportunity, we invite you to be part of The Elegant Dead.