california · film festivals · Fr. Rene Robert · stella mar films · where there is darkness · Sep 03, 2019

True-crime film on missing priest comes to California

Award-winning true crime documentary Where There is Darkness can be seen in select venues across California in September.

Where There is Darkness, a feature-length documentary by Stella Mar Films, is coming to California from September 23 to early October, and the filmmakers will be on-hand at screenings to present the film and answer questions from the audience.

Since completion last year, the film has been selected by over 50 film festivals and has won more than 30 awards.

The true-crime docudrama combines case footage, re-enactments and eyewitness accounts to tell the story of Fr. Rene Robert, a beloved priest who went missing from St. Augustine, Florida in 2016.

The film tells the story of Fr. Rene’s ministry and work with the poor in St. Augustine, whilst also delving into the dark childhood of Steven Murray, the man who kidnapped him.

Documenting the nationwide search for Fr. Rene and a series of shocking revelations, the film culminates in the discovery of a 20-year-old letter in which Fr. Rene seems to predict his fate and forgive Steven.

The Stella Mar Films team is delighted to have the documentary screened in several hosted screenings and film festivals in California, and filmmakers Sean Bloomfield, Cimela Kidonakis, and Jessi Hannapel will be there to present the film and answer questions from the audience.

The California tour kicks off with a screening in Sacramento on September 23, followed by two showings in Carlsbad on September 25.

The film was chosen an Official Selection for the Catalina Island Film Festival and will be shown there on September 28.

It was also chosen as an Official Selection in the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles and will show there in early October.

For tickets and more information, visit WhereThereIsDarkness.com.

Audiences describe the film as both "riveting" and "challenging." One recent viewer commented that seeing the Where There Is Darkness "was the most emotionally powerful experience I've ever had in a movie theater."

The filmmakers hope that the film will captivate viewers in California as well.

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