It started with a script.
Now it’s on the big screen.
The Sun Rises is the first film created through Dear Filmmaker, written and directed by Keely Boutwell and developed and produced alongside experienced film professionals.
Follow the film from script development and production through its Houston premiere and festival run.
BEHIND THE Scenes
The Story of The sun rises
THE MAKING OF THE SUN RISES | BEHIND-THE-SCENES FILM
Keely Boutwell came to Dear Filmmaker with The Sun Rises, a script she had written and the opportunity to learn what it would take to bring it to the screen.
Working alongside Scott Brignac and the team at Watershed, Keely became part of the professional filmmaking process: developing the script, preparing for production, working with a professional cast and crew, and making the creative decisions required of a director.
You can learn about filmmaking in a classroom. Some things you can only learn by making a film. Dear Filmmaker gives an emerging filmmaker that chance, surrounded by experienced professionals who can teach, guide, and collaborate along the way.
For Keely, directing The Sun Rises meant making real creative decisions with the guidance of experienced professionals. From working with actors to collaborating with the production crew, she gained firsthand experience directing a professional film.
LEARNING FILMMAKING BY MAKING A FILM.
FROM SCRIPT TO THE BIG SCREEN.
The Sun Rises premiered in Houston on May 3, 2026, bringing together the filmmakers, cast, crew, families, and supporters who helped make the production possible.
MAY 3, 2026
Houston Premiere
17
Festival Submissions
winner
Los Angeles Film Awards
Dear Filmmaker selects one emerging filmmaker each year to develop a short-film script alongside experienced professionals and take it through professional production.
Applications for the 2027 Dear Filmmaker cycle open in January. Sign up to receive application updates and be notified when the next cycle opens.