Shauna Grace

Award-Winning Horror Hit “Soul Trader” Screens in LA for Calabasas Film Fest Sept 21, Susan Dynner, Shauna Grace in-person

Award-Winning  Horror Hit “Soul Trader” Screens in Los Angeles Calabasas Film Fest Sept 21 1pm.

Award-winning short film The Soul Trader returns to Los Angeles to be screened as part of Calabasas Film Fest on Saturday September 21 at 1pm.

The Soul Trader is a 12 minute short proof of concept for a feature or series directed by Susan Dynner (Brick, Punk’s Not Dead, Code Blue: A Love Story) and starring Shauna Grace (Real Housewives…, Vanderpump Rules), Shane West (A Walk to Remember, ER, The Dirty South), Donna Mills (Knots Landing, Nope, Origin).

The story follows Coral Chase (Shauna Grace), an occult hitwoman who has the power to steal life-extending souls, which she then sells to vain, wealthy elites like Erica Claessen (Donna Mills), who clings to the crumbs of youth. She’s flanked by stoic bodyguard Damien (Shane West), who ultimately emerges from the shadows as her rival when she’s about to carry out a money-spinning hit at a target’s home and realizes she’s not the only one with murder in mind.

“We’re excited that the audience is falling in love with this story and

a strong female lead.

I want to keep sharing this story with audiences everywhere”

Director / Producer Susan Dynner

 

The short film launched at the Cannes Film Festival’s American Pavilion in May and has been gaining momentum ever since.  

It won its first award just weeks later at the Manhattan Film Festival in NYC. Then more acclaim at Rock The Shorts in Beverly Hills and DC Shorts in Washington, DC, one of the country’s largest short film festivals.

Now it’s set to screen at many more festivals on the West Coast, East Coast and across the globe.

“I’m proud this project is inspiring so many women.

We meet people after every screening, women who are excited by the Coral characters.

Playing the role of Coral, working with our cast and crew has been incredible.

But the biggest thanks is the reaction from the audience. 

Getting to meet people who are excited and inspired by the story and characters.”

Actress / Executive Producer Shauna Grace

 

Meanwhile the filmmaking duo Susan Dynner and Shauna Grace are busy taking meetings toward their next step.

What is their next step?

 

“This was always meant as a proof of concept short film to become a feature film or TV series. 

With the sold-out screenings and awards, it just confirms our feeling that this story is so much bigger than a short.”

Susan Dynner

 

Actress Shauna Grace has been receiving strong reviews, comparing her on screen presence to other heroines including Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson.

Dynner’s experience as a studio development executive for visionaries such as Richard Donner and Wolfgang Peterson shines through.  Also, her producing work on Sundance hit “Brick” and festival darling “Punks Not Dead” shows her ability to bring production value on a range of budgets.

Both Dynner and Grace will attend their Calabasas Film Festival screening on Saturday September 21 at 1pm and be available afterwards to discussion.

The Soul Trader is directed and produced by Dynner, written by newcomer Mike Underwood, photographed by Matthias Schubert (The Door Man, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, Shelter in Solitude), produced by Lauren Bancroft (The Making of Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, Wild Bitch, Bite Size Halloween), edited by David Hopper (God Bless America, In Between Songs, Rust Creek), and executive produced by Shauna Grace, with music composed by Jeff Russo (Fargo, Ripley, Star Trek: Discovery).

See The Soul Trader at Calabasas Film Festival on Saturday September 21, 2024 at 1pm.  Tix available here: https://calabasasfilmfestival.com/session/shorts-program/

 

 

Horror Hit “Soul Trader” Returns to LA for Rock The Shorts Sept 2 with Susan Dynner, Shauna Grace in-person

Horror Hit “Soul Trader” Returns to LA for One Night Only at Rock The Shorts Sept 2

Award-winning short film The Soul Trader returns to Los Angeles to be screened as part of Rock The Shorts Festival in Beverly Hills’s Fine Arts Theater on Monday September 2 at 8pm.

The Soul Trader is a 12 minute short proof of concept for a feature or series directed by Susan Dynner (Brick, Punk’s Not Dead, Code Blue: A Love Story) and starring Shane West (A Walk to Remember, ER, The Dirty South), Donna Mills (Knots Landing, Nope, Origin), and newcomer Shauna Grace.

The story follows Coral Chase (Shauna Grace), an occult hitwoman who has the power to steal life-extending souls, which she then sells to vain, wealthy elites like Erica Claessen (Donna Mills), who clings to the crumbs of youth. She’s flanked by stoic bodyguard Damien (Shane West), who ultimately emerges from the shadows as her rival when she’s about to carry out a money-spinning hit at a target’s home and realizes she’s not the only one with murder in mind.

“We’re excited to share this story and show a strong female lead that audiences are falling in love with”

Director / Producer Susan Dynner

 

The short film launched at the Cannes Film Festival’s American Pavilion in May and has been gaining momentum ever since.  

It won its first award just weeks later at the Manhattan Film Festival in NYC. Now it’s set to screen at many more festivals on the West Coast, East Coast and across the globe.

“This project is definitely a good luck charm.  Playing the role of Coral, working with our cast and crew has been incredible. But the biggest thanks is the reaction from the audience.  Getting to meet people who are excited and inspired by the story and characters.”

Actress / Executive Producer Shauna Grace

Meanwhile the filmmaking duo Susan Dynner and Shauna Grace are busy taking meetings toward their next step.

What is their next step?

“This was always meant as a proof of concept short film to become a feature film or TV series.  With the sold-out screenings and awards, it just confirms our feeling that this story is so much bigger than a short.”

Susan Dynner

 

Actress Shauna Grace has been receiving strong reviews, comparing her on screen presence to other heroines including Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson.

Dynner’s experience as a studio development executive for visionaries such as Richard Donner and Wolfgang Peterson shines through.  Also, her producing work on Sundance hit “Brick” and festival darling “Punks Not Dead” shows her ability to bring production value on a range of budgets.

Both Dynner and Grace will attend their Rock The Shorts screening on Monday September 2 at 8pm and be available afterwards to discussion.

The Soul Trader is directed and produced by Dynner, written by newcomer Mike Underwood, photographed by Matthias Schubert (The Door Man, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, Shelter in Solitude), produced by Lauren Bancroft (The Making of Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, Wild Bitch, Bite Size Halloween), edited by David Hopper (God Bless America, In Between Songs, Rust Creek), and executive produced by Shauna Grace, with music composed by Jeff Russo (Fargo, Ripley, Star Trek: Discovery).

See The Soul Trader at Rock The Shorts Film Festival on September 2, 2024 at 8pm.  Tix available here:  https://filmfreeway.com/RocktheShortsFilmFestival/tickets

 

Newcomer Shauna Grace twists and turns with Shane West in Supernatural “Soul Trader” [MOVIE REVIEW]

Newcomer Shauna Grace twists and turns with Shane West in Supernatural “Soul Trader”.

The screen fades up at the LA premiere of The Soul Trader and the first face we see reminds us of Hollywood Glamour.  This screen siren kicks ass in a Charlize Theron, Scarlet Johannson, Anya -Taylor Joy kind of way.

It’s easy to fall in love with Shauna Grace; the camera certainly has. She leads the audience through an upscale party, to a business deal where she explains her very unique set of skills.

In this business deal, Grace’s character stares down characters played by heartthrob Shane West and TV legend Donna Mills.

If you love more of West’s character work, you’ll love him in this role.  He rolls with the plot’s twists and turns with a smooth confidence that makes you want to see him in more mysteries, thrillers and heists.  Is a David Mamet film in his future?  We’d beg to see that!

We know Donna Mills as a 1980s sex symbol turned wine country icon.  Here she delivers icy lines with a vulnerability that remind us why she is a famed on-screen heartbreaker.

Filmmaker Susan Dynner inspires great moments from her cast, but also creates ambience with cinematographer Mattias Schubert and a score by Jeff Russo (yes, that Jeff Russo from Fargo and Ripley) and an original script from Mike Underwood.

Twisty-Turny Thriller

For as short time-wise as a short film typically is, this one moves fast.  Real fast.  With an ending that feels like it freezes time.  The crowded theater all leaned in at the last moment just before it ended.  With a collective, “But what happens next?”

The Future of The Soul Trader

What happens next is both obvious and a mystery.  

For the obvious, the short film, which has already received acclaim will continue on its film fest journey collecting honors and sparking meetings.

For the mystery, both Filmmaker Susan Dynner and Shauna Grace have revealed this is a proof of concept teaser to the feature film or TV series they want to make based on the concept.

Based on the crowds and applause in Cannes, NYC and now LA, it seems like this short is a sure bet for more. 

Susan Dynner shared:

 

“Today’s audience is an example of our future.  The theater was full of the entertainment industry and it played so well.  Tides are shifting in Hollywood. 

There are more opportunities than ever and we are excited to be getting so many meetings with those opportunities.”

Susan Dynner

 

At the LA after-party reception, both Shauna Grace and Susan Dynner were crowded with well-wishers and production companies. 

 

I was able to pull Shauna Grace away for a moment to congratulate her and ask about the experience:

 

“This has already been one of the best experiences and it’s only the beginning.  We are traveling around showing our short film that we are so proud of. 

It’s so rewarding getting audience feedback. Hearing from companies who are as excited as we are and wanting to work with us.  It’s all very exciting about the future.”

Shauna Grace

 

Story: An occult hitwoman has cornered the market for selling life-extending souls to the elite. But on her final hit before retirement, deadly competition emerges from the shadows.

 

Follow The Soul Trader on social media at their Instagram, TikTok and Facebook

For more information, visit their website at: www.TheSoulTrader.com 

Scroll to top