Houston Black Film Festival - Grace
A woman struggles to accept the responsibility for taking care of her aging father suffering from dementia.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Eboni Adams
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
My 95-year-old grandmother lived on her own until 2016 when she started showing early signs of dementia. I witnessed my mom and uncles trying to figure out what would be the best care for their mother. They talked about moving my grandmother into their house. There was also the possibility of enrolling her in an assisted living facility.
After hearing accounts of who would be responsible for taking care of my grandmother I began to wonder how my siblings and I would handle caring for our parents as they age. Who would bear the most responsibility and why? Would it be me since I don't have kids? Would I be ready to accept this responsibility? When I've discussed this topic with people most agree that because I'm not married with kids I'd be the one to bear the responsibility of caring for my parents.
I wrote Grace to explore the subject of aging parents and how families (especially siblings) handle the responsibility of being a caretaker.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because you may be caring for a loved one or know someone caring for a loved one that is suffering from dementia. Some people aren’t ready for such as huge responsibility. As an audience member, you will go on a journey with Grace as she does her best to navigate her life while caring for her father. I believe she's relatable.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
From a personal standpoint, I wanted to touch on the curiosity that our society has with women of a certain age not being married with kids. Also what that means for me in terms of my family’s expectation of me. Beyond that, the film offers a snapshot of the family dynamics between siblings as well as between parent and child. Most people can relate to one if not both of those very complicated relationships. It explores what it might look like to care for a parent suffering from dementia while still attempting to pursue your own hopes and dreams. All in all, the universal theme is that sometimes we encounter obstacles and disgraceful moments that eventually lead us to grace.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Due to budget and time the script needed to be trimmed down a bit. So after several rewrites, I was able to tighten up the story. This film was made on a shoestring budget (the story of every independent filmmaker). One of the scenes, in particular, was scheduled to happen during sunset which meant that we were on mother natures time. We were losing light fast and in a hurry. I couldn't afford to add another day to reshoot this particular scene which happens to be a major turning point in the film. So I did what any good producer would do (I…think?), I started cutting dialogue in between takes. It all worked out for the best. In actuality, I'm glad that I was racing against the sun. It forced me to work more efficiently and I really don't miss any of the dialogue that was cut.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback that I've received so far has been overwhelmingly positive. Grace had its world premiere at the Pan African Film Festival this past February. It was my first time screening the film with an audience. Needless to say, I was sweating bullets moments before the film started. As a filmmaker, you end up watching your film so many times that you forget all of the nuances of the film. It was an incredible experience to hear the audience's reaction to moments that I had forgotten were touching or even funny for that fact. It felt like I was watching the film for the first time.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
What has surprised me the most about the feedback I've received is the number of people that have reached out to me expressing how much they relate to the story. I always knew that storytelling could be used as a powerful tool to inspire, facilitate change and/or a different perspective. However, it’s humbling to have complete strangers open up to me about their personal experiences and struggles with caring for a parent suffering from dementia. It just reassures me that this story needed to be told.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Ideally, I'd like to be accepted into every film festival I’ve submitted to. I'm also looking to expand my audience and gain enough visibility to attract producers that could help me turn Grace into a feature film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Having film festivals and journalists amplify the films’ message definitely doesn't hurt. So if I had to choose I'd say all of the above. Teamwork makes the dream work!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I'd love for people to leave my film feeling inspired, more importantly, inspired to ask the question,"Who will take care of my parents as they age?". Hopefully, that question will spark an honest conversation that will allow one to prepare for the future if and when the time comes that a parent can no longer care for themselves.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Who will take care of your parents as they age?
Would you like to add anything else?
As an actor and a 1st-time filmmaker, I've realized that there's still so much more for me to learn. I'm constantly searching for support and guidance as I travel down this road of storytelling through motion picture. It's encouraging to read stories about other independent filmmakers and how they are getting their films made. Thank you, for creating a platform that showcases independent filmmakers.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
After completing Grace last year I was asked to direct my first feature called, Foreign Love. From Nollywood to Hollywood, Foreign Love is a romantic comedy that reveals how love can conquer all, even cultural differences. We're currently in post-production with a scheduled summer 2018 release date. I'm also a co-producer and actor on a web-series called, CON$equences. We're currently gearing up for season 2. In the meantime, you can stream the entire season 1 on Youtube. I'm also developing a web-series and exploring the possibilities of turning Grace into a feature. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0010938/
As for our DP, Anthony Perrella Jr, he has two feature films in the works with director Mark Newton as well as a web-series with motivational speaker Alex Weber in pre-production. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3647155/
Mark Anthony who plays Officer Williams, is currently on the film festival circuit with his short film, A Day with Dad. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4051489/
Interview: March 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Grace
A woman struggles to accept the responsibility for taking care of her aging father suffering from dementia.
Length: 16m37s
Director: Eboni Adams
Producer: Eboni Adams
Writer: Eboni Adams
About the writer, director, and producer:
Originally from Austin, Texas Eboni is passionate about all things creative. After receiving her BFA in Dance from Sam Houston State University she hit the stage dancing. Eboni has had a pretty successful career as a professional dancer in both the concert and commercial world. From Cirque du Soleil to the L.A. Opera she has worked with many greats in the industry. The highlight of her career was dancing in Celine Dion's, "A New Day...," at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She has now turned her focus to storytelling in front as well as behind the camera. As Eboni continues to explore her voice as an actor and filmmaker she hopes to tell stories that inspire.
Key cast: Eboni Adams as Grace Johnson, Allen Guidry as Virgil Johnson, and Mark Anthony as Officer Willams
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): film festival, journalist, producers, sales agents, buyers and distribution
Social media handles: www.gracetheshortfilm.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gracetheshortfilm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/grace_thefilm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracetheshortfilm/
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Grace is a semi-finalist at the Houston Black Film Festival.
-Screening date and time: March 29th at 3 pm
-Ticket info: https://houstonblackfilmfestival.ticketleap.com/grace/
Grace is an official selection of the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival.
-Screening date/time: April 7th at 10 am
-Ticket info: http://pjiff.org/schedule/film-screenings/
Grace is an official selection of the National Black Film Festival.
-Screening date/time: May 4th at 6:30 pm
-Ticket info: https://www.prekindle.com/festivalfeature/id/24898849330302027