An award-winning short film about bullying, courage and finding your voice is growing into a full-length feature, and its next chapter is being built here in the Lowcountry.
For a young person facing bullying, it can feel like there are only two choices: fight back or stay quiet.
Creator, writer and producer Kem Frasier wanted to tell a story about another path.
That idea became Chandler the Handler…You Can’t Bully Me!, a short film centered on a young person who refuses to let bullying define him. Instead, Chandler learns to use his voice, ask for help, set healthy boundaries and encourage others to stand against mistreatment.
Now that story is growing.
Chandler: A South Carolina Story is currently in development through Denise Talent Productions LLC, bringing Chandler’s message from the Bronx to a new chapter rooted in South Carolina and the Lowcountry.
A Story Inspired by Years of Working With Students
Chandler did not begin simply as an idea for a film.
Frasier spent 18 years working in education and counseling, where she saw firsthand how deeply bullying can affect young people.
“I saw how deeply bullying could affect young people, including their confidence, academic performance, emotional health, and sense of safety,” Frasier said.
She wanted children watching Chandler to understand that violence and silence are not their only options.
“There is another path: speaking up, getting help, standing firm, and turning a painful experience into positive change,” she said.
That idea became the foundation of Chandler’s story.
“At its heart, Chandler is about courage, student empowerment, accountability, and the difference a supportive community can make in a young person’s life,” Frasier said.
From a Short Film to Something Bigger
The original Chandler the Handler…You Can’t Bully Me! began with a story set in the Bronx.
The short runs only about eight or nine minutes, but Frasier said the response showed there was room for Chandler’s story to become something much larger.
According to Frasier, the film received Best Screenplay and an Honorable Mention for Best Family Film at Night of Shorts 2025. It was also named a semifinalist by the Lonely Wolf International Film Festival and selected for the 2026 Atlanta Children’s Film Festival.
Winning Best Screenplay was an important moment for the project because it reinforced that audiences were connecting with the story itself.
But Frasier said some of the most meaningful reactions came from people who connected personally with its subject.
“When people began telling me that Chandler’s message was needed in more schools and communities, I realized the story should continue beyond the original short film,” she said.
That realization helped lead to the development of Chandler: A South Carolina Story.
Watch the Chandler Trailer
The trailer offers a look at the original short film and the story that introduced Chandler’s anti-bullying message.
Bringing Chandler to South Carolina
Frasier now lives in Summerville, and the next chapter of Chandler’s story will shift from the Bronx to the Lowcountry.
For her, South Carolina is meant to be much more than a filming location.
“South Carolina is not simply a backdrop,” Frasier said. “Its schools, families, neighborhoods, culture, and community relationships are part of the story.”
The feature film will expand beyond Chandler’s individual experience and explore how bullying can affect families, friendships, educators and the larger school community.
It will also look at accountability, intervention, healing and what can happen when one student’s decision to speak up begins influencing the people around them.
“The move from the Bronx to South Carolina demonstrates how Chandler’s mission can reach different communities,” Frasier said.
Kindness With Boundaries
One of the central ideas behind Chandler is what Frasier describes as kindness with boundaries.
She hopes young viewers recognize that asking for help is a sign of strength and that standing up for yourself does not require responding with violence or cruelty.
“Kindness does not mean accepting mistreatment,” she said. “Young people can be compassionate while still standing up for themselves and others.”
That message also extends to the adults surrounding them.
Frasier hopes parents, educators and community leaders think about whether the children in their lives believe they will be heard when they come forward.
Young people, she said, need adults who will listen, believe them and take action.
Building the Feature in the Lowcountry
Development on Chandler: A South Carolina Story is already underway.
Frasier said the screenplay has been completed, principal roles are being assembled and work has begun on building the South Carolina production team.
The project is also working through locations, scheduling, community partnerships and financing.
According to Frasier, Denise Talent Productions has received approval of its SAG-AFTRA signatory application, another step in preparing the project for production.
Creating an independent feature film, however, comes with challenges.
“Financing an independent film is always one of the greatest challenges,” Frasier said. “It takes persistence to secure funding, locations, cast, crew, distribution opportunities, and community support.”
She said resilience has been essential throughout the process, something that also mirrors the message at the center of Chandler’s story.
The Lowcountry Can Be Part of the Story
The production is actively looking to build connections throughout the area.
That includes interest from Lowcountry actors, teenage-looking extras, filmmakers, crew members, businesses, schools, community organizations, potential sponsors and property owners who may be able to assist with filming locations.
“We especially need people who connect with the film’s purpose and want to help make a meaningful, community-centered production possible,” Frasier said.
Eligible participants may also receive appropriate film and IMDb credit.
Frasier hopes those connections can reach beyond the production itself.
She would like to build relationships with schools, educators, parents, youth organizations, anti-bullying advocates, businesses and civic leaders who share an interest in creating safer environments for young people.
Chandler: A South Carolina Story
Promotional concept artwork for Chandler: A South Carolina Story. Courtesy of Denise Talent Productions LLC.
More Than a Film
For Frasier, Chandler has always been about more than producing a movie.
“This project is grounded in real concerns facing young people,” she said.
Her goal is for the story to start conversations about how communities respond to bullying, how adults support young people who speak up and what students can do when they see bullying happening around them.
“I have been surprised by how widely the message resonates,” Frasier said. “Bullying crosses geographic, cultural, and economic boundaries.”
People from different backgrounds have shared their own experiences with her or told her about children they believe could benefit from seeing a character like Chandler.
“The project began with one story, but it is becoming a much larger movement centered on student voice and safer schools,” she said.
A Message for Young Viewers
When the credits roll, Frasier hopes viewers think about more than what happened to a character on screen.
She wants people to consider what they would do if they witnessed bullying.
She wants adults to consider whether the young people around them feel safe enough to speak honestly when something is wrong.
Most importantly, she wants young viewers to remember one thing:
“I have a voice. I have value. I can ask for help, and I am not alone.”
What’s Next for Chandler
The original award-winning Chandler short film is now streaming on Kinema and Atlalux, while development continues on Chandler: A South Carolina Story.
As the feature moves forward, Denise Talent Productions plans to share casting announcements, production updates, sponsorship opportunities, community partnerships and additional ways for people in the Lowcountry to become involved.
Support can take many forms, including sharing the original film, connecting the production with community partners, providing potential locations or resources, sponsoring the project or helping spread its anti-bullying message.
For Frasier, bringing Chandler to South Carolina is an opportunity to carry that message into a new community and invite the community itself to become part of what comes next.
“Chandler is more than a film,” she said. “It is a mission to encourage courage, empathy, healthy boundaries, and community responsibility.”
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