Last week Celluloid Bainbridge and Arts & Humanities Bainbridge announced the selections of their 18th season, and the film created for The Grief Dialogues, 8:AM., won the Opening Night Party screening. Celluloid spreads its wings this year with films from around region (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and British Columbia. Their goal is to bring the best of the Pacific Northwest to Bainbridge Island by upgrading the film submission & selection process designed to curate the highest quality collection of films available.
The story of our film began on a cold, rainy January night, only 10 short months ago, when two young filmmakers, Emily Pando and Jesse Amorratanasuchad, serendipitously introduced to me by my son’s girlfriend, came to my office to discuss an idea.
At that time, the Grief Dialogues project had just started to materialize into more than a single 10-minute play about dying. We knew that the project, to be successful, needed several different artistic mediums, especially film, to more of the general public.
It was clear to me that we were creating a movement, not just a moment. And that movement needed a theme. Of course, the project theme is death and grief but, more importantly, we needed to explore the theme is life.
We discussed writing our own script and quickly realized that there was little time if we planned to submit to the first film contest, the Houston Death Salon Film Festival, where we also won a screening.
Playwright Mark Harvey Levine had already submitted a script titled LA 8 a.m. to the Grief Dialogues for an upcoming production of short plays. And it became very clear very fast that this play held the secret to an award-winning script.
What is the play/film about?
‘8:AM’ is about the moment before everything changes, the lost moments we have all experienced: the shared human experience of missed opportunity. This story is a reminder to cherish every breath before all counters hit zero.
And it fell completely into The Grief Dialogues stated mission: Build an artistic movement to advance, sustain, and support essential and healthy conversations, around death and aging. One way we remove the stigma around death is to enjoy life, to talk openly about the shortness of our time on earth, and to be aware of that death is a natural part of life.
If you are in the Seattle/Bainbridge Island area and are interested in seeing the film, purchase tickets here for the November 5, 2016 Celluloid Bainbridge Opening Night Party.
8:AM Credits
Director: Emily Pando
Cinematographer: Jesse Amorratanasuchad
Complete credits for film located here.
