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<div><strong>Viewer Discretion: </strong>This trailer contains sensitive material related to traumatic loss, death, and grief. While presented with deep care and respect, some imagery and stories may be emotionally challenging for viewers.
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<div>Greetings. I’m Jon Bregel; a filmmaker, coach for filmmakers, and founder of The Nourish Community; a community of filmmakers pursuing wellness, meaningful relationships, and purpose. Over the past 16 years, I’ve worked on numerous award-winning films, including this year’s SXSW Audience Award-winning feature, led global brand campaigns as a director, and committed myself to helping filmmakers thrive without sacrificing their well-being. You can learn more about me and my work by clicking <a href="https://jonathanbregel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>HERE</strong></a><strong> </strong>
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<div>Over the past year, I’ve been immersed in one of the most meaningful journeys of my life: directing <em>A Sacred Pause</em>.
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<div>A Sacred Pause is a step out of the rush of the world and into something quieter, truer, and deeply human. The film centers on Erik, a father and farmhand at Selah Carefarm in Northern Arizona, who is learning how to live again after the murder of his three young children, Joanna, Terry, and Sierra. Holding his newly born daughter, Josie, and standing beside his partner, Shiloe, Erik moves tenderly between grief and love, memory and presence, devastation and hope. This story is not about “moving on,” but about learning how to stay with unfathomable loss.
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<div>Interwoven throughout is the work of Selah Carefarm itself, where six bereaved individuals are accompanied through their losses with honesty, gentleness, and community. At the heart of it all is Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, a professor who founded Selah Carefarm after the death of her own daughter, Cheyenne. Also at the heart are 60 animals rescued from abuse and trauma who, without any words at all, provide the tenderness that grieving humans so desperately need. This approach offers no platitudes and no timelines; only the radical act of bearing witness.
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<div>A Sacred Pause is not a film about fixing grief. It is a life-altering contemplation on everything that truly matters, a reminder to slow down, to listen, and to remember what it means to care for one another in the presence of profound loss.
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<div>Through the process of filming, I’ve witnessed moments few have the opportunity to see: a mother laying bare her guilt after losing her son to suicide; a bereaved twin grappling with her identity after her brother’s murder; a father confessing his fear of loving again. Through raw interviews, gentle silences, and the rhythms of life among animals and land, Selah captures the unspoken truth: grief and love are two sides of the same coin, and neither ever ends.
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<div><strong>Why I’m Asking For Your Help</strong>
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<div>It’s essential for us to complete this film the right way, with the right people, so we can bring Selah into the world without compromising the integrity of its story, the care behind its making, or the trust of those who shared their grief with us.
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<div>Our funding goal is $120,000. I know that’s a significant number, and I want to be transparent about why it’s necessary. <strong>This is not just the cost of filming and editing; it’s the budget for the entire lifespan of the film.</strong> Finishing a film is only part of the journey. Promoting it, distributing it thoughtfully, and building lasting partnerships to ensure it reaches schools, hospitals, and nonprofits is a full-time effort. In many cases, post-production is just a fraction of what it truly takes to shepherd a documentary into the world with integrity.
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<div>This funding supports both the technical completion of the film and the critical work of aligning with experienced marketing and distribution partners who can champion its message far and wide.
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<div>Every dollar helps protect the heart of this project and honors the deep trust of those who allowed us into their grief.
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<div>We’ve already poured 18 months of work, resources, and heart into getting this far. Now, we need your partnership to bring it across the finish line, and beyond.
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<div>Your donation will help cover:
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<div>• Recouping production, travel, gear, and insurance costs
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<div>• Fair pay for our small, dedicated crew (many worked for little or no pay)
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<div>• Post Prodiction: Editing, sound design, color correction, subtitles, etc.
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<div>• Legal and administrative costs
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<div>• Marketing, Promotion, and distribution efforts
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<div>• Music and licensing fees
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<div>• Festival deliverables
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<div>• Outreach to bring the film into schools, hospitals, and nonprofits
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<div>• And much more…
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<div>If you are interested in becoming an executive producer or strategic partner, please message me through gofundme. I am happy to share a detailed financial breakdown or have a one-on-one conversation.
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<div><strong>**We can accept tax exempt donations through our fiscal sponsor, </strong><a href="https://thegotham.org/fiscal-sponsorship/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>The Gotham</strong></a><strong>** Please message through gofundme if this applies to you. </strong>
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<div><strong>Why This Film Matters</strong>
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<div>Every year, millions of people around the world experience traumatic loss. Yet in our culture, grief remains taboo, rushed, and misunderstood.
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<div>At Selah Carefarm, people learn that grief isn’t something to “get over.” It’s something to carry, to honor, and to build a life alongside, with compassion and without shame.
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<div>This film isn’t just a documentary. It’s an invitation:
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<div>- To stay with your pain
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<div>- To bear witness to others’ pain
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<div>- To see that deep love and deep sorrow belong together
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<div>- To know you’re not alone
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<div><strong>Why Ownership Matters</strong>
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<div>Making an independent documentary is hard. Owning and protecting that film, while making sure it reaches those who need it most, is even harder. With Selah, I’m committed to retaining ownership and creative control so the film stays true to its heart: honoring the stories, the message, and the people who entrusted us with their grief.
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<div>This film isn’t meant to be packaged as easy inspiration or feel-good grief. Selah is a love letter to the brokenhearted; a film that invites feeling, not fixing; witnessing, not rushing; honoring, not exploiting. My priority is to protect the integrity of this film while finding thoughtful, meaningful ways to help it reach as many people as possible.
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<div><strong>How You Can Help</strong>
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<div>- Donate generously. Whether it’s $25 or $2,500, every contribution helps complete the film and get it into the world
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<div>- Share this campaign with your loved ones, community, or anyone who carries grief in their bones
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<div>- Watch and share the trailer to help spread the word
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<div>If you’re interested in becoming an executive producer or strategic partner, please reach out directly.
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<div><strong>A Special Thank You for Supporters</strong>
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<div>If the film reaches its goal, anyone who donates $250 or more will receive an invitation to a private screening of Selah once the film completes its festival run.
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<div>This will be an intimate, in-person event (location to be announced) celebrating the journey of the film and its community. Please note: due to festival timing, the screening may be several months after the film’s completion.
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<div>If you’re unable to attend in person, we will also host virtual screenings and filmmaker conversations that you’ll be invited to join.
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<div><strong>From My Heart to Yours</strong>
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<div>This film has changed me. It’s opened my eyes to what it means to be human. To love. To lose. To keep going.
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<div>I’ve made many films: global brand campaigns, celebrity work, you name it. But no project has mattered to me like Selah.
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<div>It’s not a product. It’s a mission.
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<div>I want to honor every story entrusted to me. I want this film to be a mirror, a balm, a quiet companion for anyone who’s ever wondered:
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<div><strong>“How do I live with this?”</strong>
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<div>Please help me bring Selah into the world.
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<div>With gratitude,
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<div>Jon Bregel
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<div>Director, Selah
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Mari Chernow

Catherine Lucey

Anonymous

Abdul Isik

Shaun Anderson

Gloria Kolbe-Saltzman

Karen Motan

Lizbeth Binks

Kristin Laulainen

Keith Syler

Pam Home

Phil Bartolini

Katherine Bassiri

Lotta Peltola-Nelms

Kathryn Wakelin

Molly Quinn

Erin Scheffels

“A Sacred Pause”: A Film That Carries Grief and Love

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“A Sacred Pause”: A Film That Carries Grief and Love

Still $19,900 to go. Help us build momentum.