Riley has a one-night stand. A couple of days later she begins to have pregnancy symptoms.

Several at-home tests suggest she?s pregnant, but official blood tests at the doctor?s office say otherwise. Even though that should come as a comfort, Riley continues to show signs of being pregnant. As her symptoms worsen, she continues to seek advice from her father and her doctor, both of whom brush off her fears and pain as being all in her head.

As Riley begins to accept her undiagnosed condition, a life-changing experience occurs.

In today?s world, a short film exploring women?s healthcare, gaslighting, and neglect is necessary. 72% of millennial women report being dismissed or ignored by healthcare professionals.* This statistic is a striking example of how medical gaslighting continues to silence, and harm women today.

Women continue to face barriers when seeking medical assistance, while conversations around autonomy and equitable care grow louder worldwide. Far too often, women are not just ignored but forced to accept and normalize their pain because the system invalidates their experiences. This constant dismissal can lead to profound psychological consequences: anxiety, self-doubt, and trauma from feeling unheard and disbelieved by those meant to care for them.

"Tokophobia" validates the experiences of countless women. Medical gaslighting is not new; it stems from hysteria diagnoses, exclusion from clinical trials, and racialized health disparities. Bringing this history into a 2026 narrative emphasizes the ongoing struggle for care as progress is still lacking.

*Mira Care. ?Medical Gaslighting: Why Women?s Pain Is Often Dismissed.? 2021. https://shop.miracare.com/blogs/resources/medical-gaslighting

BETHANY BARICH | DIRECTOR

Bethany Barich is an award-winning filmmaker with a love for writing and directing stories within the horror genre. With nearly 10 years of experience on commercials, shorts, and features, Bethany has stepped into many different roles on a set.

In 2023, Bethany wrote and directed a short film called "Strawberry Sweet Killers," which at its hometown premiere in Pittsburgh at the Three Rivers Film Festival, Chiller Theater.

Her next venture in the horror genre is "Tokophobia," a story that was crafted after her own personal experiences with medical providers. She chose to center the story on pregnancy, a reality she fears, to explore how medical gaslighting forces women to endure pain and fear in silence.

"Tokophobia" is her way of turning personal frustration into a visceral conversation about the cost of being unheard.

LAUREN KELLER | PRODUCER

Lauren Keller is an independent filmmaker based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Keller?s creativity extends into photography, where she specializes in special effects makeup portraiture. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinema Production from Point Park University, with a concentration in Cinematography and a minor in Photography. Her professional experience also includes work within feature and commercial production, contributing to projects for major platforms such as Netflix and Apple TV.

Keller's passion for filmmaking emerged from the horror genre and she is thrilled to deliver strong, female roles in the horror genre to the silver screen.