WATCH THE TRAILER FOR
“THE SECRET GIFT”
FILM FESTIVALS
ABOUT
“THE SECRET GIFT” - tells the story of a get-together that was more than a decade in the making.
Eight brothers and sisters spanning 20 years reminisce about a mom with “surgical” advice and a dad who was a courtroom judge.
One sibling kept a secret that the rest of us would not learn about until more than a year after this reunion.
And it would profoundly change the way the rest of us - remembered this day.
THIS IS A FILM ABOUT FAMILY
HOW THE FILM CAME TO BE: THE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
My brother Michael was the first to suggest we do this – all the rest of us came on board.
My niece, Lauren, flew in from one of the coasts and agreed to add her special insight as our on-site producer.
Another niece - Casey – was our set designer and associate producer.
I am a journalist who has worked in television news for more than 30 years.
I agreed to produce something IF we hired a professional crew to shoot it.
So – thank goodness – Darnley and his team were available to join us. (Fabulous job!)
Then I reached out to Tracy to help me condense the hours of talking into the short film you see today.
Tracy is an award-winning editor who worked with me on my first documentary project.
Seth is a wonderful music composer who just happens to be married to Lauren.
Then Tracy led me to Mike who did our graphic animation.
I had not even watched the material until about 21 months after the taping and I was blessed to have great storytellers in my family. And grateful for all the team players who helped bring this project to life.
I hope you will sit back and enjoy the story.
CAST + CREW
SHEILA CONLIN
Director + Executive Producer + Writer
Sheila Conlin is an award-winning Director & Producer. Her first documentary short film was “The Back Story” – about a young teenager’s struggle with a severe case of scoliosis. She won “best documentary short” at a small film festival. That award propelled her to create the effort you are looking at today.
Her other job – involves more than three decades as a journalist in television news. Starting as a radio & TV reporter/photographer in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Then stops in Atlanta, Raleigh, Columbus, Providence, and Charlotte. For the past 20 years, she has been a producer for NBC News in Washington, DC.
TRACY BAUMGARDNER
Editor + Writer
Tracy Baumgardner is a freelance editor who's crafted over 100 hours of documentary in all manner of fur, fin, and feather; she's also "gotten real" with housewives and criminals alike.
Her varied work has landed on National Geographic, Investigation Discovery, The History Channel, Smithsonian Networks, Motortrend Network, and A&E.
She's received national Emmy nominations, Tellys, Daveys, and Cine Golden Eagles, as well as top awards at film festivals.
LAUREN CONLIN ADAMS
Producer
Lauren Conlin Adams was a series regular on Netflix Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as Mole Woman Gretchen Chalker. She’s also in IFC’s independent feature film Greener Grass and you may have seen her on the TV shows Modern Family, The Break with Michelle Wolf, Special, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Deadbeat. She recently directed the independent short All Is Well which earned her a nomination for Best Director at the Austin Comedy Festival.
THE CAST
Henry + Dorothy’s Eight
Back row left to right
Michael Henry Conlin, Mary Kay Conlin Toumajian, Patricia Conlin Adams Boykin, Terry Conlin
Front row left to right
Colleen Love Conlin, Sean Conlin, Sheila Conlin Fahy, Maureen Conlin Larson
Contact us.
Email: BurnsParkStart@gmail.com