Fr. Rene Robert · movies · stella mar films · where there is darkness · Mar 16, 2019

Movie about Catholic priest wins over 30 awards

Our true crime documentary Where There is Darkness is being called one of the best documentaries of 2019 after winning over 30 awards and being chosen as an Official Selection in over 40 film festivals.

Produced by Sean Bloomfield, Cimela Kidonakis, and Jessi Hannapel, the film documents the nationwide search for Fr. Rene Robert, a beloved priest who went missing in 2016 in St. Augustine, Florida.

The story culminates in a series of shocking revelations and the discovery of a 20-year-old letter in which Fr. Rene seemed to foretell his own fate.

Why are film festivals important for us? Because our mission is to bring stories of hope and inspiration to as many people as possible, and film festivals offer an in-road to the general public.

In short, it's not about the recognition or red carpets; it's about bring Fr. Rene's story of love to as many people as possible.

And our plan seems to be working. As one recent viewer commented, seeing the Where There Is Darkness "was the most emotionally powerful experience I've ever had in a movie theater."

Sean Bloomfield

During one recent weekend, the film was shown as an Official Selection in four different film festivals! Co-director Sean Bloomfield was able to attend two of the festivals and he shared this reflection:

Giving multiple acceptance speeches wasn't easy after being rendered speechless by the amazing response to our movie at the Magnolia Independent Film Festival!

Where There Is Darkness took home awards for Best Feature Film, Best Director, and the biggest award of the festival: the Ron Tibbets Award for Excellence in Film, named after the Magnolia's late founder.

But although I'm the one holding these beautiful awards tonight, they belong to ALL the talented individuals who helped make Where There Is Darkness (especially my co-filmmakers Cimela Kidonakis and Jessi Hannapel), and to all the people in the film who gave us their trust.

Amazingly, just a few hours earlier, we also won the Best Feature Documentary award at the lovely George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival in Alabama, which I had the honor of accepting in person before driving back to Mississippi!

Our movie is proof that films can change people, and I don't just mean audiences. Bringing a story to life changes the filmmaker, too, and often in ways we never expected.

Yes, every project takes us on a new journey. But, more importantly, it gives us a chance to test our own convictions; often, we end up seeing the world differently than we did when we began, which, I believe, was true for all of us who worked on Where There Is Darkness.