Shade

WINNER – The Vision Award for Best Festival Short Film – Heartland Film Festival
WINNER – The Crystal Heart Award – Heartland Film Festival
WINNER – Director’s Choice for Outstanding Directing & Acting – Sedona Intl. Film Fest.

Official Selection – 2007 Planet Ant Film Festival in Detroit, June 13th-16th, 2007
Official Selection – 2006 Heartland Film Festival, October 19th-24th, 2006
Official Selection – 2006 Moondance International Film Festival, June 7th-12th, 2006
Official Selection – 2006 Nashville Film Festival, April 20th-26th, 2006
Official Selection – 2006 Sonoma Valley Film Festival, April 5th-9th, 2006
Official Selection – Premiered at the 2006 Sedona Intl. Film Fest, Feb. 23rd-26th, 2006

Shade was inspired by a story I saw on CNN about little kids born with a rare genetic defect, called Xeroderma Pigmentosum, that prevents them from ever being able to see the sun, even through a window. The kids in the news story ran around outside in full blue NASA suits that covered every inch of their bodies. I couldn’t imagine living life that way. I wrote the script overnight, refined it over a few months and made it more accurate through the help of the XP Society, an organization that benefits people with this disease. Then I cast myself in the lead role, asked Patrick Dempsey to play my husband, and we shot it last October over two weekends in Los Angeles. During the shoot, I spent three hours every day in makeup to make my skin look like that of an adult with XP. Before the shoot, I went for a walk by myself in the full-cover gear of one of these patients, and was able to taste the true isolation they feel in the world.
I financed this film myself, and from years of experience working with people in the film industry, I was able to get some seasoned professionals who believe in the piece, to volunteer their time and talent. I’m grateful to these people for believing in this story, and for spending their precious time making this movie better.
We’re finished our film festival travels, but we have the film on DVD. I welcome your thoughts and comments and advice on the film’s www.imdb.com page.

Thanks for you interest in our project, and we’ll keep you updated!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Williams-Paisley