GRACE

Sara Hills is an educator and filmmaker. Creativity, storytelling, and heart are in her DNA and she applies them to all that she does. Currently, Sara is the director for Claremont High's Cinematic Arts and Broadcast Journalism Program. She encourages her students to use their voice, tell the stories they feel compelled to, and to write from the heart. Following her own advice, in late 2021 Sara wrote the first draft of GRACE which explores how one can heal from trauma, then set it aside for a bit. Not sure what to do with GRACE because it is such a personal story, and yet one so many women experience. However, as the days went by it became clear to Sara that she had to make GRACE. As a result, preproduction began in November of 2022, they filmed in April of 2023, and GRACE was completed January of 2024. In addition to having the most incredibly talented cast and crew, it was a real treat for Sara to have family, friends, colleagues, and former students participate in the production of GRACE. For Sara, the purpose of GRACE is to help break the stigma of mental health, inform individuals about EMDR therapy, spark interesting conversations, and help educate.

In addition to producing GRACE, Sara is also an Avid Certified Instructor in Media Composer, an adjunct film instructor at Citrus College, and moderator of a filmmaking webinar series for the Nobel4ISS Equal Space Challenge. Additionally, Sara has experience working in scripted production, development, marketing, and sales. Lastly, Sara holds an MFA in Producing from the American Film Institute, an MA in Education from Claremont Graduate University, and a BA in Film Studies from UC Santa Barbara.