GRACE
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Adventure
GRACE is a folktale. And a thriller! When a magical young girl has given her neighbors every bit of her strength, a sudden emergency explodes into a deadly fight for the last drop of her power. With a final sacrifice, she binds her community together and awakens them to their own miraculous magic.
GRACE
New York City, New York | Film Short
Drama, Adventure
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $32,310 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
214 supporters | followers
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GRACE is a folktale. And a thriller! When a magical young girl has given her neighbors every bit of her strength, a sudden emergency explodes into a deadly fight for the last drop of her power. With a final sacrifice, she binds her community together and awakens them to their own miraculous magic.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Townsfolk come from far and wide to a small farmhouse to be healed by a mysterious young girl. With her magical touch, Grace has healed the people in her farm community for years. But the act of healing drains her own life force.
Now she has given too much and will die if she persists. So Grace's mother, Beth, is taking her far away to a place where nobody knows about Grace’s power.
And GRACE is a thriller...
As the town gathers in gratitude to say goodbye, a panicked young couple crashes through the front door to beg Grace to save their unborn daughter.
Beth holds her ground between her willing but fragile child and two desperate parents who must save their own.
With their children’s’ lives in the balance, three parents face off. Tension boils until a burst of violence destroys them all. Grieving and with nowhere to go, they come together and are transformed by an astonishing act of love.
And GRACE is enchanted...
And GRACE is expensive...
To convey the action and magic of GRACE on screen will take great care. We have decided not to use a lot of digital effects, partly for budget, but mostly because we want to invent GRACE’s magic, and the beautiful timeless mood of this piece, with creativity and careful attention to every detail.
The story of GRACE happens in the characters' internal lives, and in their transformations. So the work of the actors is also absolutely critical.
Adding this innovation for magic and mood to the great care and attention we must give every detail and actor -- we arrive at the budget for GRACE.
________________________________________
It's the right time for this inspiring story...
Our director, Charles, has studied for years the themes in GRACE.
Our screenwriter, Sarah, has crafted an urgent and timely folktale to remind
audiences that to gather with forgiveness and love
is how we become truly powerful.
We want to make GRACE now!
We want to bring GRACE to life to lift up audiences,
to move them to act with a phone call to a loved one,
or to join together with others, for a cause or just because...
to be engaged with renewed faith that
we have the power to make the world we wish for.
________________________________________
Pre-production is nearly done. We shoot at the end of the year!
The Characters of GRACE
She absorbs and carries the suffering of anyone who needs her. When she enters a room, it takes on her deep stillness. She has the power to heal! Grace always jumps without a second thought to give herself to whoever is wounded or ill, though it means giving away a small part of her own life force. She has cured blindness and cancer, mended broken bones and eardrums, and failed hearts. Now she has healed so many that she has become an ancient little girl, a wraith of thirteen on the edge of death, but beaming beneath with the last vestiges of a great power.
Grace's mother. Beth labors to protect Grace from a stream of wounded souls, which is a losing battle because Grace will never say no, even now when healing one more person could cost Grace her life. A mother lion, Beth is patient and understanding, but dangerous where Grace is concerned. She has been a loving friend to the neighbors Grace has healed, and she has a deep compassion for those who've needed her daughter. But now it all must stop. Grace is in trouble and Beth will do whatever it takes to protect her. Everything she does is out of love, which includes having recently armed herself.
Suzie and her husband Tommy are young, strong and optimistic. They're about to have a baby! Or so they hoped until an hour ago when they got to the hospital and were told their unborn baby had no heartbeat. Tommy seizes on the only possible solution: that Grace will save their baby. When they burst unexpectedly into Beth and Grace's home, they spark a tragic chain of events that destroys them all. Until Suzie manages a shocking act of compassion.
The World of GRACE
We are inspired by the lush, fantastical artwork of Andrea Kowch, Erin Aasland, Olia Panina, and Andrew Wyeth, Käthe Kollwitz, Francisco Fonseca and others whose work is on this page. GRACE's design is also borrowed from the earth and sky, the source of Grace's power.
GRACE takes place in a timeless world where anything is possible if people see what they can do together. The setting is like a tumbleweed dustbowl in American mid-west in the 1930s. But also a fantastical enclave where, in true fairytale fashion, there are magical forces that break the laws of physics and show us how to thrive.
GRACE celebrates feminine creativity with a screenplay by Sarah Wharton, in which three of the four leads are women.
GRACE is a folktale about humans from everywhere and of all ages. To tell that story, we need to create a world where we are all represented.
We look forward to celebrating this film with you.
Thank you for being with us!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Makeup
Costs $1,500
This is a folktale. Fantastical things must happen to our characters which will require very specific and wonderful makeup and effects.
Location Fees and Permits
Costs $2,500
We DO need to set a barn on fire. Proper paperwork needs to be done or we're definitely getting kicked out!
Cast
Costs $5,000
We will be properly compensating and providing safe accommodations for our female led cast.
Food
Costs $2,000
While we don't have set menu, Charles did mention to Callie in their first production meeting that there would be spaghetti on set!
Filmmakers & Crew
Costs $6,000
Our brilliant, talented crew will be rightly compensated. They are fulfilling a demanding and specific vision we promise to deliver!
Production Equipment
Costs $5,000
We want to arm our visual storytellers with abundant resources
Stunt Co-ordinator
Costs $1,300
Why, yes, there are several stunts and choreographed scenes in this Western meets Folklore meets Fantasy film we can't wait to share!
Production Insurance
Costs $3,000
Not thrilling. But a necessary protection to give our community strength.
Wardrobe
Costs $1,600
We have style here. Think Badlands meets American Gothic meets Yellowstone meets Dustbowl.
Production Design, Set Dressings and Props
Costs $2,200
We want everything to look perfect. And we mean perfect.
Score
Costs $1,700
We have an incredibly talented composer on our team who will make the most beautiful, eerie, folkie score you've ever heard.
The Inevitable Unforseen
Costs $500
Things come up and we want to be able to handle them. Making a movie takes a lot of gumption and paper cash!
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the inner circle we would be honored to have you join.
Sarah Wharton: Screenwriter
Sarah is our writer! Her work on this script has created a new folktale, one that takes us further from our fears and deeper into our community. She is a writer, actor and producer. Working in both the narrative and unscripted spaces, she is currently the Director of Development at BFD Productions in NYC, and a board member of The Lower East Side Film Festival. She believes in magic.
Charles Goforth: Director
Charles is our Director and Producer! He lives in Brooklyn. He's a director, actor, producer and teacher. Off-Broadway directing includes The Flame Keeper by Amos Kamil at the 47th St. Theater; Dutch Heart of Man by Robert Glaudini which was Labyrinth Theater Company's inaugural production as the resident company at The Public Theater; Race Religion Politics by Stephen Adley Guirgis starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, at the HERE Arts Center, and nearly three decades of work with Labyrinth Theater Company as a director and actor, helping to develop new plays. Favorite acting opportunities include Atmosphere of Memory with Ellen Burstyn, at the Bank Street Theater, Underneath My Bed by Florencia Lozano directed by Pedro Pascal, at Rattlestick Theater, LoveSick by Kristina Poe at Theater for a New Audience, the role of Cassius in Aquila's Theater’s Julius Caesar and the roles of Chris in All My Sons and of Hornbeck in Inherit the Wind, as a Resident Professional Artist at Cornell. Teaching includes NYU-Tisch, Cornell, Shenandoah Conservatory, Davidson College with the RSC, acting studios in NYC and seven, full-time years teaching his own private classes and coaching in both NYC and LA. He is the recipient of The Drama League Directing Fellowship, and a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
Joanna Whicker: Lead Actress
Joanna Whicker is a New York based actor and writer. She loves surreal stories with a lot of heart. Her Television work includes: Hawkeye (Disney+),
FBI: Most Wanted (CBS), Chicago P.D. (NBC). Her Film work includes: Pillar, Wes Doesn't Live Here Anymore, A Savage Nature,The Resemblance,
It's All Happening. Her Theatre work includes: Interior by Nick Payne (59E59), Kill Hamlet by Nako Adodoadji (CU at Signature Theatre), Lost Paradise with Ekilibre Dance Company, and Ariel in The Tempest (Viriginia Stage Company).
Andre Fratto: Composer
Andre Fratto is a composer, musician, and record producer. He composes music for film, TV, and theater, and has produced and played on albums of numerous genres including rock, folk, and hip hop. Andre recently completed his second symphony, and his Concerto for World Instruments and Orchestra.
Callie Jean Lewis: Associate Producer
Callie Jean Lewis is an actress and producer. This is her third time using Seed&Spark to bring indie movie dreams to life.
Her first foray was for "The Question" a short film which she starred in about dating as a bi-racial woman. She is repped by Arcos Management.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Townsfolk come from far and wide to a small farmhouse to be healed by a mysterious young girl. With her magical touch, Grace has healed the people in her farm community for years. But the act of healing drains her own life force.
Now she has given too much and will die if she persists. So Grace's mother, Beth, is taking her far away to a place where nobody knows about Grace’s power.
And GRACE is a thriller...
As the town gathers in gratitude to say goodbye, a panicked young couple crashes through the front door to beg Grace to save their unborn daughter.
Beth holds her ground between her willing but fragile child and two desperate parents who must save their own.
With their children’s’ lives in the balance, three parents face off. Tension boils until a burst of violence destroys them all. Grieving and with nowhere to go, they come together and are transformed by an astonishing act of love.
And GRACE is enchanted...
And GRACE is expensive...
To convey the action and magic of GRACE on screen will take great care. We have decided not to use a lot of digital effects, partly for budget, but mostly because we want to invent GRACE’s magic, and the beautiful timeless mood of this piece, with creativity and careful attention to every detail.
The story of GRACE happens in the characters' internal lives, and in their transformations. So the work of the actors is also absolutely critical.
Adding this innovation for magic and mood to the great care and attention we must give every detail and actor -- we arrive at the budget for GRACE.
________________________________________
It's the right time for this inspiring story...
Our director, Charles, has studied for years the themes in GRACE.
Our screenwriter, Sarah, has crafted an urgent and timely folktale to remind
audiences that to gather with forgiveness and love
is how we become truly powerful.
We want to make GRACE now!
We want to bring GRACE to life to lift up audiences,
to move them to act with a phone call to a loved one,
or to join together with others, for a cause or just because...
to be engaged with renewed faith that
we have the power to make the world we wish for.
________________________________________
Pre-production is nearly done. We shoot at the end of the year!
The Characters of GRACE
She absorbs and carries the suffering of anyone who needs her. When she enters a room, it takes on her deep stillness. She has the power to heal! Grace always jumps without a second thought to give herself to whoever is wounded or ill, though it means giving away a small part of her own life force. She has cured blindness and cancer, mended broken bones and eardrums, and failed hearts. Now she has healed so many that she has become an ancient little girl, a wraith of thirteen on the edge of death, but beaming beneath with the last vestiges of a great power.
Grace's mother. Beth labors to protect Grace from a stream of wounded souls, which is a losing battle because Grace will never say no, even now when healing one more person could cost Grace her life. A mother lion, Beth is patient and understanding, but dangerous where Grace is concerned. She has been a loving friend to the neighbors Grace has healed, and she has a deep compassion for those who've needed her daughter. But now it all must stop. Grace is in trouble and Beth will do whatever it takes to protect her. Everything she does is out of love, which includes having recently armed herself.
Suzie and her husband Tommy are young, strong and optimistic. They're about to have a baby! Or so they hoped until an hour ago when they got to the hospital and were told their unborn baby had no heartbeat. Tommy seizes on the only possible solution: that Grace will save their baby. When they burst unexpectedly into Beth and Grace's home, they spark a tragic chain of events that destroys them all. Until Suzie manages a shocking act of compassion.
The World of GRACE
We are inspired by the lush, fantastical artwork of Andrea Kowch, Erin Aasland, Olia Panina, and Andrew Wyeth, Käthe Kollwitz, Francisco Fonseca and others whose work is on this page. GRACE's design is also borrowed from the earth and sky, the source of Grace's power.
GRACE takes place in a timeless world where anything is possible if people see what they can do together. The setting is like a tumbleweed dustbowl in American mid-west in the 1930s. But also a fantastical enclave where, in true fairytale fashion, there are magical forces that break the laws of physics and show us how to thrive.
GRACE celebrates feminine creativity with a screenplay by Sarah Wharton, in which three of the four leads are women.
GRACE is a folktale about humans from everywhere and of all ages. To tell that story, we need to create a world where we are all represented.
We look forward to celebrating this film with you.
Thank you for being with us!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Makeup
Costs $1,500
This is a folktale. Fantastical things must happen to our characters which will require very specific and wonderful makeup and effects.
Location Fees and Permits
Costs $2,500
We DO need to set a barn on fire. Proper paperwork needs to be done or we're definitely getting kicked out!
Cast
Costs $5,000
We will be properly compensating and providing safe accommodations for our female led cast.
Food
Costs $2,000
While we don't have set menu, Charles did mention to Callie in their first production meeting that there would be spaghetti on set!
Filmmakers & Crew
Costs $6,000
Our brilliant, talented crew will be rightly compensated. They are fulfilling a demanding and specific vision we promise to deliver!
Production Equipment
Costs $5,000
We want to arm our visual storytellers with abundant resources
Stunt Co-ordinator
Costs $1,300
Why, yes, there are several stunts and choreographed scenes in this Western meets Folklore meets Fantasy film we can't wait to share!
Production Insurance
Costs $3,000
Not thrilling. But a necessary protection to give our community strength.
Wardrobe
Costs $1,600
We have style here. Think Badlands meets American Gothic meets Yellowstone meets Dustbowl.
Production Design, Set Dressings and Props
Costs $2,200
We want everything to look perfect. And we mean perfect.
Score
Costs $1,700
We have an incredibly talented composer on our team who will make the most beautiful, eerie, folkie score you've ever heard.
The Inevitable Unforseen
Costs $500
Things come up and we want to be able to handle them. Making a movie takes a lot of gumption and paper cash!
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the inner circle we would be honored to have you join.
Sarah Wharton: Screenwriter
Sarah is our writer! Her work on this script has created a new folktale, one that takes us further from our fears and deeper into our community. She is a writer, actor and producer. Working in both the narrative and unscripted spaces, she is currently the Director of Development at BFD Productions in NYC, and a board member of The Lower East Side Film Festival. She believes in magic.
Charles Goforth: Director
Charles is our Director and Producer! He lives in Brooklyn. He's a director, actor, producer and teacher. Off-Broadway directing includes The Flame Keeper by Amos Kamil at the 47th St. Theater; Dutch Heart of Man by Robert Glaudini which was Labyrinth Theater Company's inaugural production as the resident company at The Public Theater; Race Religion Politics by Stephen Adley Guirgis starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, at the HERE Arts Center, and nearly three decades of work with Labyrinth Theater Company as a director and actor, helping to develop new plays. Favorite acting opportunities include Atmosphere of Memory with Ellen Burstyn, at the Bank Street Theater, Underneath My Bed by Florencia Lozano directed by Pedro Pascal, at Rattlestick Theater, LoveSick by Kristina Poe at Theater for a New Audience, the role of Cassius in Aquila's Theater’s Julius Caesar and the roles of Chris in All My Sons and of Hornbeck in Inherit the Wind, as a Resident Professional Artist at Cornell. Teaching includes NYU-Tisch, Cornell, Shenandoah Conservatory, Davidson College with the RSC, acting studios in NYC and seven, full-time years teaching his own private classes and coaching in both NYC and LA. He is the recipient of The Drama League Directing Fellowship, and a member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
Joanna Whicker: Lead Actress
Joanna Whicker is a New York based actor and writer. She loves surreal stories with a lot of heart. Her Television work includes: Hawkeye (Disney+),
FBI: Most Wanted (CBS), Chicago P.D. (NBC). Her Film work includes: Pillar, Wes Doesn't Live Here Anymore, A Savage Nature,The Resemblance,
It's All Happening. Her Theatre work includes: Interior by Nick Payne (59E59), Kill Hamlet by Nako Adodoadji (CU at Signature Theatre), Lost Paradise with Ekilibre Dance Company, and Ariel in The Tempest (Viriginia Stage Company).
Andre Fratto: Composer
Andre Fratto is a composer, musician, and record producer. He composes music for film, TV, and theater, and has produced and played on albums of numerous genres including rock, folk, and hip hop. Andre recently completed his second symphony, and his Concerto for World Instruments and Orchestra.
Callie Jean Lewis: Associate Producer
Callie Jean Lewis is an actress and producer. This is her third time using Seed&Spark to bring indie movie dreams to life.
Her first foray was for "The Question" a short film which she starred in about dating as a bi-racial woman. She is repped by Arcos Management.