Making my short film Big Lew with a Storyhive grant last year has been one of the greatest highlights of my life. I got to work on a project with my husband (who I happen to love working with), involve my entire crazy family, tell a fascinating story and give my dad the greatest gift (he always says, “who else do you know that has a documentary on them? How cool is that?”).
And on top of all that, one of the most surprising benefits was that it allowed me to have my own “stella’s got her groove back” moment with motherhood and creativity. For the first 8 months my babe was born I had no desire to work or sit at a computer. But once I had the idea for Big Lew, I literally couldn’t sleep all night, and not because a baby was crying, but because I had a billion ideas running around my head. It’s like I flipped a switch that had been temporarily turned off. It became a defining moment for me as a mother, and as a creative woman.
Partaking in last year’s Storyhive was such a meaningful filmmaking experience, on so many levels, that I have decided to apply for a Storyhive grant again! And this time, I have teamed up with the creative powerhouse Alex Duncan to turn her illustrated children’s book, An Army of Hearts, into a live-action short film. Alex inspires me, her story inspires me, and I know if given the opportunity, we will create something beautiful. So please, watch our pitch video and vote for us! You don’t need to sign-up or do anything, just click on this link and press vote! (and you can do it every day for the next 5 days!)
And thank you to all those who have supported my filmmaking efforts and Alex’s Army from the get-go!
PS. This Storyhive also has a special place in my heart as it is Female Directors version, and I couldn’t be more impressed that the Storyhive team is supporting female directors. Big ups to all the women out there behind and in front of the camera.
