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 April at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival.

World Premiere of the *Narrative Description version of the short film State of Grace.

Thursday December 20, 2007- The Earle Baum Center of the Blind will premiere the Narrative Description version of the locally produced short film State of Grace  during the center’s annual Christmas party Thursday, December 20, 2007 starting at 1:15pm.  The Earle Baum Center is located at 4539 Occidental Road Santa Rosa, CA 95401.

(*Narrative Description - Allows the visually impaired and blind to hear descriptions, including key visual elements, such as actions, settings and scene changes.)

Variety Magazine 
June 21, 2007

ICG honors short film directors

Pics to premiere Sept. 23 at DGA Theater

By DAVE MCNARY

The Int. Cinematographers Guild has tapped eight short-film directors of photography as honorees for the ICG Emerging Cinematographers Awards.

The ICG feted the honorees Thursday as the opening event at CineGear at the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles. The winners were selected from more than 70 short films submitted and judged by members of ICG through a process of peer review.

The films and cinematographers are: Cherry Bloom," Brian O'Carroll; "Common Practice," Christopher Johnson; "Death Strip," Darren Genet, UCLA Graduate Thesis Film; "Ed Meets His Maker," Tim Bellen; "History For Kids," Michael Alba, NYU Undergraduate Tisch School of the Arts; "La Primavera," Hilda Mercado, UCLA Graduate Thesis Film; "The Morning Fog," Jozo Zovko, USC Graduate Thesis Award; "Year of the Dog," Cameron Duncan.

The shorts will be premiered on Sept. 23 at the DGA Theater. The ICG also plans to showcase these films through screenings at film schools and before industry groups in the United States and Europe.