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Hope of Escape

A true story that follows the incredible journey of an enslaved mother and daughter who must escape before they are sold and separated forever. Their only hope is to connect with their free relatives in the North and convince the most powerful abolitionists of their time to help them.

Hope of Escape takes the audience through a new chapter of antebellum slavery that depicts the “above-ground railroad” or the raising of money to free enslaved loved ones. A star-studded “cast” of historic characters include abolitionist Julia Williams; famous orator Henry Highland Garnet, and renowned abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Lewis Tappan. Now a rescue effort, involving hundreds of people, offers a ray of hope as the countdown begins for Diana and Cornelia’s escape.

  • Amy Gerber
    Director
    Hope of Escape, Public Memory, My Grandfather Was A Nazi Scientist, Do Cell Towers Dream of Morse Code, Hollywood credits on IMDb: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0314082/overview
  • Amy Gerber
    Writer
    Hope of Escape, Public Memory, My Grandfather Was A Nazi Scientist, Do Cell Towers Dream of Morse Code, Hollywood credits on IMDb: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0314082/overview
  • Suzanne Stroh
    Producer
    Oka!, Scotch Verdict
  • Mizan Kirby
    Key Cast
    "Diana Williams"
    The Occultist, Where Hearts Lie, The Rest of My Life
  • Kendra Chideya
    Key Cast
    "Cornelia Read"
    It's Over, A Reflection of Evil, Light In Us Dark Ones
  • Marley Gregory
    Key Cast
    "Wilby Gould"
    Garden of Gods, Hope of Escape
  • Hope Blackstock
    Key Cast
    "Julia Williams Garnet"
    Law & Order: Organized Crime, Manifest, The Report, Mandated
  • Ashton Rae
    Director of Photography
    Denervation, Spa Sybarite, Death of a Telemarketer
  • Project Type:
    Feature, Television, Other
  • Genres:
    Historical, Drama, African American
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 31 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 7, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • 2025 Emmy Awards
    Washington, DC
    United States
    June 21, 2025
    Emmy Nominee
  • 2024 Washington, DC International Film Festival
    Washington, DC
    United States
    April 27, 2024
  • 2024 DC/Maryland/Virginia Int'l Film Festival (DMViFF)
    Fort Washington
    United States
    June 23, 2024
  • International African American Museum
    Charleston, SC
    May 30, 2024
    South Carolina Premiere
  • 2024 University Film & Video Association Conference
    Cleveland
    United States
    July 30, 2024
    Ohio Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 2024 Historical Grandin Theatre Screening
    Roanoke
    United States
    February 15, 2024
    Invitation
  • 2024 Best of NYADIFF, Thalia Theater, New York
    New York
    United States
    November 29, 2023
  • 31st New York African Diaspora International Film Festival 2023
    New York
    United States
    November 24, 2023
    Opening Night NY Premiere
    Official Selection
  • 2023 South Carolina Humanities Grant
  • 2023 Broadcast Education Association Award of Excellence
  • 2022 Women Make Movies Production Assistant Program Recipient
  • 2022 Virginia Humanities Rapid Grant
  • 2022 Virginia Film Office Production Grant
  • 2021 Footcandle Society Filmmaker Grant
  • 2021 University Film & Video Foundation Production Award
  • 2021 Hollins University Cabell Foundation Grant
Distribution Information
  • Indie Rights, Los Angeles
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand, Pay Per View, Hotel, Airline, Ship, Video / Disc, Free TV, Paid TV, Console / Handheld Device
Director Biography - Amy Gerber

Amy has produced and directed independent films for over 25 years. Her films have won honors at numerous national and international film festivals. She also has directed art films for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her films focus on the intersection of memory, culture, and history. Amy also was a casting associate on 12 major motion pictures in the 90s, including Angels In The Outfield, Tank Girl, Goldeneye, and The Mask of Zorro. She worked for all the major studios in Hollywood including Disney, Warner Bros., and Columbia Pictures. Amy received her M.F.A. in film/video from the California Institute of the Arts. She chairs the film department at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia where she teaches production, animation, and film studies.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I was inspired to offer an alternative to the conventional portrayal of slavery, diverging from the prevailing trope of excessive violence and victimization. Instead, Hope of Escape delves into the lesser-known facet of slavery, the “above-ground Underground Railroad,” an often clandestine movement where enslaved individuals were liberated through ransom payments to their masters (by their families, mostly in the North), akin to Frederick Douglass’ path to freedom.

It "took a village” to fundraise and emancipate an enslaved person. Hope of Escape vividly illustrates how my ancestors Diana Williams and Cornelia Read depended on a complex network of abolitionists, both within and beyond the United States.

Hope of Escape highlights the resilience of both free and enslaved families, who, despite being separated by time and thousands of miles, managed to keep their connections, holding onto the hope of a brighter future.

Thank you for considering my film!