An Industry Case Study
Narrative | Dramatic Features
Film Name: GraceLand
Genre: Narrative Short Comedy
Length of film: NA
Date: August 2020
Director: Bonnie Discepolo
Producer: Brad Jayne, Stephen Moffatt
Writer: Trevor Munson and Bonnie Discepolo
Cinematographer: Zelmira Gainza
Production Company: Indie Grants
Budget: NA
Financing: NA
Shooting Format: NA
Screening Format: NA
World Premiere: Bentonville Film Festival
Awards: Outstanding Rising Star, Katie Beth West, Tall Grass Film Festival
Website: https://www.facebook.com/GraceLandTheFilm
The Official Trailer for GraceLand
Watch The Trailer for GraceLand directed by Bonnie Discepolo
A Short Biography of Bonnie Discepolo
Bonnie Discepolo (Ryan) is a director and co-screenwriter of comedy short GraceLand starring Anna Camp. GraceLand is an official selection of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival narrative shorts competition in the Southern Voices block.
Her El Mariachi-style film Grandma’s House, screened during the 2018 SXSW Film Festival. El Rey also acquired their award-winning horror short Three Legged Dog (Indie Grits – 2018, Best Dark Comedy Short Atlanta Underground Horror Fest – 2017).
Discepolo is featured in The Wrap’s Oscar Contenders Showcase 2019 for father-daughter connection drama Real.Live.Girl. An award-winning actor herself, she now spends most of her time behind the lens, audiences may recognize Bonnie as a participant on Robert Rodriguez’s docu-series Rebel Without a Crew. She is an alum of Boston University’s College of Fine Arts and the Moscow Art Theater School.
Bonnie credits creative success to growing up and performing theatre in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Bonnie Discepolo Interview
indieactivity: What is your film about?
Bonnie Discepolo (BD): GraceLand is about a southern mom whose life is all shook up by her ten year old daughter’s belief that she is the reincarnation of Elvis Presley. Graceland intends to show the experience of a child’s experience of gender identity and within a conservative southern family. The film aims to explore the conflict between a a traditional mother and her transgender son Elvis.
GraceLand follows that narrative of the mother’s emotional labor and journey toward acceptance. Rather than centering the emotional struggle of Elvis, GraceLand presents a child who proudly exclaims exactly who he is and claims his full and beautiful identity in the school talent show. In GraceLand we flip the narrative and explore in a winsome, bright and fun way, the roller coaster that I ride in order to ultimately reach love, acceptance and joy.
Tell us about the festival run, marketing and sales?
Bonnie Discepolo (BD): GraceLand premiered at Bentonville Film Festival in 2020, it has gone on to play The Tall Grass Film Festival, The Virginia Film Festival, The SCAD Savannah Film Festival and HollyShorts.
Production?
Bonnie Discepolo (BD): We shot GraceLand on location in Charleston, SC over the course of four days. We shot two days in the house, and two days on location at Elvis’s elementary school. The team met with and hired all key department heads through interviews and location scouted for the film six weeks in advance of shooting. We had one prep rehearsal day on a Friday, where we did costume tests, camera tests, a table read and a production meeting, and cut Katie Beth West’s hair, did a make up test…it was a scramble! Then we shot for four days and went into the long process of editing and recording all the music.
Festival Preparation & Strategy?
Bonnie Discepolo (BD): I didn’t really have a specific festival strategy, I submitted to fests that I thought would like the film or places that I would like to visit. (oops pandemic.) Once we premiered at Bentonville a lot of programmers started reaching out, that has been amazing. All the PR has come directly through the festivals..
Advice from the Filmmaker?
BD: Get out there and make what’s in your heart.
Tell us what you think of the Case Study for GraceLand. What do you think of it? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook. Or join me on Twitter.
Follow Bonnie Discepolo on Social Media
Website
IMDb
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Vimeo
MORE STORIES FOR YOU
