Two of my dear friends released huge film projects last week. Each of them were in  the news, each watching the numbers with their respective studios and each heaving a sigh of relief—then joy!—that something they’ve worked on for years has solidly hit its mark. I lived with each of them through those projects and…

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Now that you’ve been given access to the movie Praying the Hours, one of these days—when you’re in the right mood—you’re going to watch it. And when you finally come to the end, several things will happen, among them, you’ll want to hear the music again. Lauren Meares’ achingly beautiful score was inspired by the…

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lauralee in karla eye

For those who have asked, “How can I watch Praying the Hours?” Or for those who have commented, “I can’t wait until this comes out!” Praying the Hours is done. That means, for a film not made for conventional distribution, it’s also “out.”  Praying the Hours won’t have a red carpet premiere at the Egyptian,…

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shadow of None

Artists are used to this: A friendly stranger at a dinner party asks, “So, what do you do?” It’s a polite, well-intentioned question, but it will end badly. When I answer, “I’m a filmmaker,” fervent but misguided questions follow, usually some version of, “have I heard of anything you’ve done?” or as one stranger asked…

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Marcia Whitehead as Compline in the bathroom mirror

I have a favorite reality-check quote: “You can get a lot done if you don’t care who gets credit.” I had that reminder hanging on my office wall for many years: ironically, I don’t know who said it. It’s a challenging idea, but it kept my eyes on the prize of completing a project rather…

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