Clementine Heath
The spirit of independent film is shining bright for ‘Love, From Ellie’, a short film from Austin based writer/director Chantelle James. Becoming something of a festival darling, it’s been winning over audiences across America since its premiere at the Holly Shorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, in August 2025. Hopping on the festival circuit from Texas to New York City and Los Angeles, ‘Love, From Ellie’ has won the audience choice awards at both the Calabasas Film Festival and 512 ATX Short Film Festival, where it also won the jury award for Best Actress and Best Narrative. Next stop… the Utah Film Festival in January 2026.
The film stars Sara Willars in the titular role of Ellie, a precocious nine year old girl on a mission to visit her veteran father’s memorial on his birthday. Faced with challenges to execute this journey she enlists the help of her estranged Uncle George, performed with delicate nuance by Craig Nigh. Together, they share their grief, memories and unlock more about their complicated family dynamics. The short film is, in fact, a proof of concept for a feature film of the same title, written by James in 2021. The idea was to shoot the short to raise funds for the feature, while also generating buzz for the project. Both objectives proving successful, James is now in early stages of pre-production for the feature. So how has this journey been for the multi-talented creative and founder of Lady Alchemist Films, who’s about to embark on her directorial feature debut? “Motherhood and film making, what can I say? I have an incredible team of support. I was pregnant with my first child when I wrote the feature screenplay, and have since given birth to my second child. Community support has been everything and it’s just been so amazing to see all these people coming out to support this little film.” James reflects on the journey of crafting her short from the feature thoughtfully. “The short film concept, taking nuances from the feature script without giving too much away, it’s a challenge to craft it. Finding the story within the story that will resonate with audiences. This is about grief and from a multi-generational perspective – audiences can relate to that.”
Spearheading the production team along with James includes Producer Kirtana Banskota, along with Associate Producer Eliza St. John. A powerhouse team at Lady Alchemist Films, having raised an impressive $45,000 for the short film budget, they are now full steam focused on securing the financing to carry the feature into production with a scheduled shoot to commence in the summer of 2026. “It’s such a beast raising funds,” James explains. “You’re just never fully funded, but you need to make the commitment and really, it’s about setting the intention and having the right team aligned.” Banskota adds, “There’s a massive shift happening where independent filmmakers are creating these communities again. For women in film, women are taking center stage in the filmmaking community once more – as writers, directors, producers – if you look at the most successful groups of independent organizations and independent film festivals – the majority are owned and operated and run by women, or anyone with a feminine touch to their lives.”
Carefully navigating this space with intentional action, these women are setting a standard within their community for how they produce, and people are paying attention. “Paying people a livable wage was non-negotiable. We were intentionally creating community around this project, paying people for their work is how this industry stays supported,” James explains. At its grassroots level, leaving no position unpaid, Banskota and James committed to a level of professionalism and it shows in the quality of production for the short film.“What’s really important to remember is that filmmaking is a massive nurturing project and if you’re not nurturing that then you lose it,” Banskota adds. “That’s something we have been so adamant about – creating that space where we create a community where everyone is fed, everyone is paid, and everyone is taken care of. It’s a safe haven.”
Artistic integrity aligned, the dynamic team attracted impressive support early on during their festival run. For the short’s premiere, it screened as part of the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) block at Holly Shorts and Calabasas Film Festival. A move that proved to be a game changer for the project. “The Alliance of Women Directors have become our biggest champions,” St John acknowledges, “They have been such an incredible support on the festival circuit for us. They have allowed us to be fiscally sponsored going into the feature, which is very exciting.” An organization committed to supporting the increase of inclusion for women and gender-expansive directors in the film community, the recognition and support from AWD has been a blessing. “They have been amazing,” James says, “They really fight for visibility for female directors. They’re an amazing organization.”
It’s been an incredible ride for these creatives, waving the flag for independent film and female voices. For James, the journey has been a long time coming. Writing, directing, producing, acting and more recently motherhood, now gearing up to direct her first feature is a dream come true, and the recognition and support has been a powerful motivation. “People want to work on good content, and we’ve been lucky to have that recognized, it is a big confidence boost,” James reflects. “Knowing that our message is there and it’s clear and people get it. Knowing they believe in you as an artist, it’s huge.”