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STATE OF GRACE
Official Selection:
2008 Big Bear Lake International Film Festival
2008 Nor Cal Film Festival (Finalist Best Short Film, Winner Raising Star Award for acting Maria Sesto)
2008 Vallalha Arts, Music & Theatre Festival
2008 Indie USA Festival
2008 Sonoma Valley Film Festival
2008 Bare Bones International Independent Film & Music Festival
REVIEWS:
"..an amazing film"
April Mai, Program Director
Valhalla Arts, Music and Theater Festival
"..a poignant film"
George Baker, Founder
Nor Cal Film Festival
"I just wanted to say I thought your film was awesome. Great balance between artsy cinematography and a gripping story. I thought it deserved more recognition than it got!"
Tim Lee
MC Nor Cal Film Festival
Comedian/Filmmaker
"I had to use a child actor in my film, and was told repeatedly, the rule of thumb in indy films...... no kids! But the kid was
great and his parents were supportive, so I know what
it is like to work w/ kids. But to get a performance
like you did, and a great one, just goes to show, no
one knows anything. Also, the storytelling sequence
was riveting for me, just fun, and the sound design,
and close-up w/ low lighting pulled you in and made it
all the more enjoyable to watch.
Just the vision you had w/ the little girl (She is superb, as is the mother), especially when she is storytelling to her class about the police incident.
Great work."
Kim Nooan, Director
Running Dragon
"A great vision and storytelling w/ wonderful performances."
Nine
Indie Fest USA
"Five Stars"
S. Stevens
Indie Fest USA
A HUGE thank you goes out to the volunteer cast and crew and the contributors who made this film happen.
Synopsis
State of Grace is the story of a 12 year old blind girl. Graces life is in turmoil. She is nearly torn apart by her old life and a new life of seeing.
The story presents the unusual challenge of creating a sense of blindness while being more than a radio play. Tim and I hope to provide an entertaining story that is well told. Additionally, if we can provide some insight into the life of someone who is blind and how the world, both physically and emotionally, occurs to them, that would be a nice bonus.
About the Production
State of Grace was written and directed by Tim Bellen and Executive Produced by Mark Hager. The film was shot in super 16mm film format over a seven day period in and around Sonoma County, California. The mostly volunteer crew consisted of industry professionals, family members, friends and high school students. They came from various Northern California locations and as far away as Connecticut to make State of Grace a reality.
The film was processed at Monaco Labs in San Francisco. The transfer was done at Modern Film in southern California. State of Grace was edited on an Avid system provided by Bill Meese and Paul Swensen Productions in Santa Rosa, California.
During the development of this film, we realized we wanted to give back to the community we live and work in. So, starting with State of Grace we are donating five percent of our total budget to the non-profit organiztion, Earle Baum Center of the Blind. A community center serving the blind and visually impaired.
From the moment we shared the possibility of this project with the Earle Baum Center we have been honored with their support. The center, which is located in Santa Rosa, Ca. (http://www.earlebaum.org)
was a source of guidance and was used as a location for the film. It is also where we met Sean Neal and Amanda Mulanix, two blind actors appearing in State of Grace. They were vital resources in presenting how life occurs being blind. Throughout the production we relied on both Sean and Amanda to keep the authenticity of the film intact.
Little Hawk and Wiley Boy Films are located in Santa Rosa, California.
Chris Smith - Press Democrat 2/17/2008
SOMETHING TO SEE: It was a first for Sonoma County's growing film industry recently when a locally produced short had its premiere before an audience of people who are blind.
Local filmmakers Mark Hager and Tim Bellen gave their first public showing of "State of Grace" at the Earle Baum Center of the Blind on Occidental Road. Much of the film, exploring the unexpected struggles of a 12-year-old blind girl who suddenly can see, was shot there.
Blind people in the audience were helped by an added feature: a narrative that described the action on the screen.
Next up for "State of Grace" is a showing in August at the INDIE USA Festival and Northern California Film Festival.
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