GRACE
Narrative Short

Project Type: Narrative Short
Project Status: Post Production
Writer/Director/Producer: Lesley Fera
Director of Photography: Ben Grant

LOGLINE

A determined woman with Down syndrome sets out on a quest across California to attend her mother’s funeral, hitching a ride with a disillusioned metalhead, and forges an unexpected friendship that reshapes how they both view grief and each other.

SYNOPSIS

GRACE follows the journey of intrepid, dreamy, big-hearted Grace, a thirty-five-year-old woman with Down syndrome. Grace wakes to another day surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of William’s House, a board and care facility in Arcata, California. Grace’s sister, BONNIE, unexpectedly visits her, revealing their estranged mother has died, and the funeral will be in Los Angeles. Grace desperately wants to go, but Bonnie can’t take time off from her much-needed new job to drive her. Undeterred, Grace decides to sneak out of Williams House later that night to embark on a journey to attend her mother’s funeral. Along the way, she meets an unlikely companion, MATT, world-weary and rough, and they eventually form a powerful bond, teaching each other valuable lessons — however broken, we are worthy of love; we never have to say goodbye to those we love.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

GRACE is a humor-laced drama that follows a woman’s journey toward emotional liberation despite perceived limitations. I wanted to write a lead character with Down syndrome who has agency, complexity, and humanity; Grace has all three.

GRACE is dedicated to my dear sister, Shelley, who died from COVID in 2021, and is an homage to a dear friend’s daughter with Down syndrome. My friend’s daughter, Grace, is a bright light in an often bleak world; I wanted to repay her for the unconditional love she gives so freely to so many.

Between 2017 and 2020, I lost my mother, father, and only sibling. The stages of grief are intensely real. It’s taken me years to accept the lesson that Grace embraces by film’s end —our loved ones “are closer than breathing, nearer than hand or feet.” (Lord Tennyson). It’s my wish that this film will be a salve for those who have lost someone dear to them.

In a world that’s increasingly numb and disconnected, where demonizing the “evil other” is unfortunately commonplace, now more than ever, I believe we must create stories that restore our empathy and remind us of our shared humanity. GRACE is one of those stories. I hope that this film inspires people to look beyond red or blue to the wounded soul, as we’re all wounded souls in some way, yearning to connect and be loved.

DOWNLOAD PITCH DECK

DONATE TO THIS PROJECT

Meet The Filmmakers and Actors

Lesley Fera

Writer/Director/Producer
A proud multi-hyphenate, Lesley Fera’s creative work spans several media—theatre, television, and film. Her passion for screenwriting blossomed during her illustrious acting career, where she appeared in some of television’s biggest hits—including Pretty Little Liars, 24, and Southland. “Black List Recommended,” Fera’s writing has advanced in two network fellowships—NBC/Universal and Warner Brothers—and has been recognized by Script Pipeline, Final Draft’s Big Break, Roadmap Writers, among others. She relishes creating stories centered around flawed souls with huge, wounded hearts on the brink of transformation. Fera has sparked interest from Thunder Road Pictures, Eat the Cat, Weed Road Pictures, Echo Lake Entertainment, MarVista, and FOX Entertainment. In 2026, she looks forward to directing her first film, Grace, which was recently a Top 5 Finalist in both the Film Pipeline Short Film Script Contest and the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund. She is repped by Jeff Portnoy at Bellevue Productions.

IMDB - Lesley Fera
Ben Grant

Director of Photography

Ben Grant is a Los Angeles-based Director of Photography. He has experience shooting feature films, commercials, music videos, and documentaries. A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Ben always tries to bring a fresh and unique perspective to every project he’s on. He is committed to creating bold and creative images that elevate every project. Ben has worked for brands such as Netflix, Instagram, Jack Daniels, Goya, Fortnight, and has collaborated with high caliber artists like Michael Bublé and Jason Derulo. Ben loves collaborating with his peers and exploring the filmmaking process. He was a part of the 2022-23 ASC Vision Mentee program and was mentored by Larry Fong, ASC

IMDB - Ben Grant
Jamie Brewer

Actor (Grace)
An actress, model, and intrepid disability advocate, Jamie Brewer is perhaps best known for her work on the anthology series American Horror Story. Brewer made her television debut as Adelaide “Addie” Langdon in American Horror Story: Murder House, and went on to portray multiple characters in later seasons of the series. Brewer became the first model with Down syndrome to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week, and she made history again as the first woman with Down syndrome to star in an Off-Broadway production — Amy and the Orphans — for which she received the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. Beyond her artistic achievements, Brewer is a vocal advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has held leadership roles in organizations such as the ARC and one of her proudest moments was when she helped lobby for legislative change regarding the use of derogatory language in Texas law.

IMDB - Jamie Brewer
Samantha Sloyan

Actor (Bonnie)
Having had the privilege of collaborating with Lesley Fera several times before, Sloyan is thrilled to be doing so again on GRACE. Samantha is known for her compelling performances across theatre, television, and film, including The Geffen Playhouse / The Thanksgiving Play; Kirk Douglas Theatre /Jon Robin Baitz’s Vicuña; Segerstrom Center for the Arts / PBS Great Performances / Ellis Island: The Dream of America; and Buzzworks Theater/ Munched, for which she received the LADCC and LA Weekly awards. Sloyan’s breakout roles in television include that of Dr. Penelope Blake on Grey’s Anatomy. She has become a frequent collaborator with filmmaker Mike Flanagan, starring in his acclaimed series Midnight Mass, The Haunting of Hillhouse, and The Fall of the House of Usher as well as in his feature film, The Life of Chuck, which won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF 2024. Most recently, she had an arc on the Emmy-award winning drama THE PITT (HBO MAX) and will play Margaret White in Mike Flanagan’s upcoming adaptation of CARRIE.

IMDB - Samantha Sloyan
Dave Coleman

Actor (Matt)
A New York based actor and filmmaker, Dave Coleman has appeared in Law and Order (NBC), Blue Bloods (CBS) and WarGames (MGM). His film The Wake, written by John Patrick Shanley, was the recipient of the Best Picture and Best Actor prizes at the SoHo International Film Festival, and went on to become Oscar-qualifying. The short narrative film is Coleman and Shanley’s joint effort to bring the heartbeat of New York theater to the big screen. He’s currently on tour with a theater production about the stories and life of Edgar Allan Poe.

IMDB - Dave Coleman