INTRO

Hey y'all, Ellis Dawson here. You may know me as the actor or the photographer, or one half of the creative team behind the wildly successful web-series For The Boys , but I'm also a filmmaker in my own right.

I'm seeking funding for a short film I'm writing/directing: Ballad Of Life. This is a love story... a love story with Black people at the center. Rarely are we afforded the opportunity to witness Black stories, let alone Black love stories that aren't steeped in trauma surrounding racial identity. This ideal is something I try to depict in all of my art.

Regardless of the medium, my intention is to create work that speaks to universal truths depicted by way of underrepresented groups; the goal being to highlight the connective tissue of humanity. Ballad of Life came to me while witnessing my grandfather care for the love of his life, my Nana, who suffered from Alzheimer's. Unfortunately, she lost her battle at the end of last year. However, I admired the patience and pride he took in being his wife’s caretaker; the love. These actions, though beautiful, were underscored with an undeniable palpable sense of grief—the woman he made a life with, there in the flesh, yet seemingly not there at all, or was she? My mind burned with thoughts, If he knew where this journey would take him, would he accept the challenge? If she knew, would she allow him to carry the burden of the inevitable? All in all, that is the maddening, beautiful, complex, mystification of life. So what do you do? How do you manage the overwhelming uncertainty while forging your path? This all led me to run to the page to sort out a lifetime of memories over the course of a single day. I used my grandparents as a reference point to explore the most unwavering equalizer of all: TIME.

THE STORY

Ballad of Life unfolds amongst the blur of two storylines happening simultaneously. In the NOW, Rodney takes care of his ailing wife, Julia, who suffers from an advanced case of Alzheimer's that has robbed her of her memory and declined her cognitive and verbal skills greatly. In the MEMORY, Rodney and Julia, feverishly in love and naive newlyweds, discover the true commitments and sacrifices that make a marriage. Trials and triumphs of their first year of marriage seep out over the course of a day as Rodney and Julia traverse the unknown reality of her sickness.

How You Can Help?

Filmmaking is expensive, and we need your help to:

TEAM

Writer/Director: Ellis Dawson, who hails from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace University with a Bachelor's of Music in Music Theatre. An accomplished multi-hyphenate, Ellis is a published photographer, an award-winning spoken word artist, and screenwriter. By way of multiple visual mediums, Ellis’ mantra as an artist stems from Baldwin’s words, “A society must assume that it is stable, but an artist must know and he let us know there is nothing stable under heaven.” As a director, his shooting style is heavily influenced by Gordon Parks' portraiture and creating beauty from the mundane ordinary Black experience. He draws a range of inspiration from the absurdity of life; finding comedy in the darker moments and heartbreak in a smile. He is a curious, sensitive creator that takes pride in showing the humanity in those who are often overlooked, which led him to co-creating/directing the hit web series “For the Boys” which has acquired many accolades since its release. This piece is just a glimpse into the creative mind that dares to challenge audiences to look beyond themselves to truly see themselves. In short, Ellis’ hopes as a writer/director are to shine a light on how universal his stories can be while remaining true and specific to his Black, queer, southern lived experience.

Director of Photography: Daniel Murphy is Jamaican born Director of Photography based in Miami, FL. With over a decade of dedicated experience in the production industry, he has cultivated a diverse skill set and a strong work ethic. Throughout his journey in the production field, he has climbed the ranks, starting as a Production Assistant, Camera Production Assistant, Utility Specialist, Media Manager, 2nd AC, 1st AC, and Camera Operator. Over the years, he’s honed his expertise, eventually becoming a proficient Cinematographer/DoP (Director of Photography). As a Director of Photography, he brings technical proficiency and a unique creative perspective to every project. His passion for filmmaking drives him to collaborate effectively with professionals to attain individual and collective objectives. His core goals as a cinematographer are threefold: to evoke emotions through artful framing, to captivate audiences with innovative angles, and to create moments meticulously, frame by frame.

Creative Producer: Amber L. Jones is a Los Angeles-based, Washington, D.C.–born and bred entertainer, performer, producer, and storyteller. She obtained her BFA in Acting with a Musical Theatre minor from Point Park University. Her professional production credits include Black-ish (ABC), Black Monday (Showtime), Insecure Season 5 (HBO), Bel-Air Seasons 2 and 3 (Peacock), Me Time (Netflix), Growing Fangs (Disney), Um, Actually (Dropout), and the upcoming Michael Jacksonbiopic.

Her journey in the arts began in fifth grade and has been guided ever since by a deep belief in the power of storytelling to heal, connect, and set us free. With a heart rooted in the beauty of Black stories, Amber creates from a place of purpose, faith, and radical collaboration. She believes every project is a divine assignment and gives all glory to God for the healing that fuels her calling. A Ballad of Life marks her first major film as a producer in partnership with director Ellis Dawson—a soulful offering born from legacy, love, and vision.

CAST

Young Rodney : Lawrence Henry is an artist who recently received his MFA in acting from Yale School of Drama. Before going back to school, he was seen in Girl From the North Country (u/s Joe Scott) and Waitress as (u/s Cal) on Broadway. Most recently, Lawrence originated the role of Gary Cooper in award winning playwright Esperanza Rosales Balcarcel’s Lupe Finds me in the Garden of Dreams at New York Theatre Workshop. Some of his regional credits include Sex with Strangers, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Seminar. His film and television credits are Little Voice on Apple TV and Don Cheadle’s Miles Ahead. He’s a Tom Hanks Scholar who received his BFA in acting from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He’s grateful to God above and within and his beautiful daughter, Farrah. A special thanks to his Mentors Chris Bayes, Budi Miller, and Berg.

Young Julia: Chinna Palmer is a third-year M.F.A. candidate at the David Geffen School of Drama. Her credits include Measure for Measure, Our Town (Shakespeare Theatre Company) Behind the Sheet (St. Louis Black Rep), and Fairview (Woolly Mammoth Theatre). Her hope as an artist is that everything she does is rooted in Love, driven with Purpose, in search of [email redacted]mer