STATE OF GRACE

Following a surprise arrest for possession of eleven grams of the powerful opioid fentanyl, 31 year-old single mother Erin Sanders loses control of her life and the custody of her one-year-old daughter, Grace, to the Missouri foster care system. Desperate to get Grace back, Erin must conquer her demons and prove to the court that she still can be a responsible parent. STATE OF GRACE is a beautiful and deeply moving film about the power of community and the price of love.

Filmmakers: The primary creative team behind all NEVER2LATE productions is the husband/wife duo of Stephen Wallace Pruitt and Mary Settle Pruitt. For this sixty-something couple, filmmaking isn’t a mere “job”. . . it’s a passion.

Since 2008, Stephen and Mary have been making truly independent, Hollywood-quality feature films that both entertain and inspire. Working together, the two write, produce, cast, design, direct, DP, edit, color, and sound design every frame of every film. And yet, somehow, they’re still married!

In his “day job,” Stephen (66) is the Arvin Gottlieb/Missouri Endowed Chair of Business Economics and Finance in the Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri—Kansas City. A college professor for almost 40 years, and the author of over 60 scholarly publications, Stephen’s eclectic research interests include the valuation of sports sponsorships, the stock price impacts of various corporate tragedies, automotive safety, consumer boycotts, and the impact of fast-food advertising on children.

After investing the first 26 years of their marriage as a stay-at-home mom, Mary (63), initially skeptical of Stephen’s suggestion that they “make a movie,” now describes her role as a filmmaker as “behind-behind the scenes.” Indeed, in addition to serving as Executive Producer and sharing co-authorship and co-production credits with Stephen on all their films, Mary handles all the truly essential, but largely “unseen details” such as location management, scheduling, accounting, payroll, regulatory compliance, and craft services.

Special Guests: Stephen Wallace Pruitt & Mary Settle Pruitt