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trace the line

Trace the Line is a timely feature film shot in Madison that tells a definitive story of 2020, and we need your support to finish it ahead of the Cannes Film Festival entry deadline.

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transform the narrative

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What will be the first feature film to tell the story of 2020? A pair of Madison, Wisconsin, filmmakers is working to finish a feature-length film called Trace the Line, set in Wisconsin during the pandemic with the backdrop of protests against racial injustice. While most of Hollywood was on hiatus and not filming, director Alex Miranda and producer Noel Miranda shot Trace the Line in 21 days with no COVID-19 incidents. Please donate what you can to help us bring this transformative film to audiences.

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01/20/21 "Bravebird founders Alex and Noel Miranda could have just hunkered down and weathered the storm, making long-term plans for 2021 and beyond. Instead, they decided to meet the moment and use the unexpected free time to make their first feature film...The result is Trace the Line."  – Madison film studio Bravebird keeps flying with 'Trace the Line' film, The Cap Times
01/15/21 "We’ll undoubtedly look back on the year-plus COVID-19 pandemic as a time of incredible challenge and, frankly, incredible drama. ... How could a host of compelling stories not come out of such a potent and culturally urgent narrative cocktail?" – Fiscal Spotlight: Three Projects About Living, Working and Actualizing During COVID-19, Film Independent
01/04/21 "Bravebird, through their film, has shown us that there is always something beautiful found amidst the most trying circumstances." – Defining 2020 Through Film, The Isthmus
12/23/20 "2020 has felt stranger than fiction, like we’re living in a movie, as some might say. Well, a Madison-based production company has made that movie a reality." – Wisconsin Filmmaker Creates a 2020-Style Movie,  Spectrum News
12/19/20 "Sometimes 2020 feels like it was written for the big screen instead of real life. A Madison-based film company is making that movie, from start to finish, right here at home." Madison-based Film Company Makes Movie Surrounding Challenges of 2020, Wisconsin Channel 3
09/28/20 With its cast and crew rising to adapt to distinct and ever-growing challenges, Trace The Line speaks to the ingenuity of DIY filmmakers who exist outside the studio system." – Alex and Noel Miranda Seek Transformative "Cinema Dignité", Tone Madison

about

Our film captures the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and racial injustice through the eyes of two young artists — a Black poet and a White painter — living in a state that has been ground zero for both.

‍Trace the Line doesn’t shy away from the intense challenges and heartache we face, but it also offers a transformational narrative of unity and hope. The film reconciles with this moment and shares a bold vision of what our future could hold, while reminding audiences what it means to be human. Trace the Line gives Madison the chance to share a transformational story of resilience and hope on the international stage when many will be trying to reconcile with the events of 2020. The filmmakers plan to submit Trace the Line on the film festival circuit in 2021, but right now they are trying to raise funds to finish post-production.

Donations made to Trace the Line through Film Independent, a registered 501(c)(3) are tax-deductible. The production provided jobs to 19 diverse families — who lost work due to the pandemic — with help from initial donors, foundations and grants.

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Spoken word artist, Matthew Charles Bogart plays the thought provoking poet, Asa Little in his first feature length film debut.
Quotation marks.
In a world with hate on the rise and our culture that glorifies violence rather than kindness, Bravebird Cinema’s Trace the Line offers a new model of heart, vulnerability, courage and internal transformation. This movie reflects life’s complexities in a way that can draw viewers in and challenge them to discover their best selves. The Human Family Unity Foundation aligns with these transformative possibilities and is honored to have supported Bravebird Cinema in making Trace the Line.

– The Human Family Unity Foundation
Visual Artist, Brooke Leland plays the role of Painter, Eva Sorenson in her first feature length film debut.

Filmed in a pandemic

Director Alejandro Miranda and producer Noel Miranda live and work in Madison, and their short film Fantasy in D Minor won Best International Short Film at the Oxford International Film Festival. Miranda shot Trace the Line in 21 days without any COVID-19 incidents.

The production provided jobs to 19 diverse families with help from donors, foundations and grants. We are now raising additional funds for post-production through Film Independent, a registered 501(c)(3) — all donations are tax-deductible.

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Cinema Dignité

There is high demand for narratives that depict the rich diversity of the ever-changing demographics in the U.S. Bravebird is pioneering a new wave of high-quality filmmaking to holistically depict the humanity of all people and empower communities. We develop and produce impactful, meaningful, and memorable stories with an equitable lens at every step of the storytelling process. Bravebird is also creating a “farm system” to build a pipeline of untapped BIPOC creatives and eventually deploy them on our projects. Watch our video to learn more.

See How We Work
Behind the scenes with Director Alejandro Miranda Cruz and Producer Noel Miranda holding the slate for "Trace the Line".
3:15

Thank you to our partners

21
Days Safely filmed
44
collaborators
55%
BIPOC
50%
Female
transform the narrative

Spark conversation

Our film, Trace the Line strives to offer a forum for connection, catharsis and action. We feel the most powerful way to do so is by partnering with local organizations to highlight community-led efforts that address the critical human and societal issues the film touches on.

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in the press

Kenosha News
Kenosha activist and local developer join filmmaker's conversation seeking to move past racial divide
Kenosha News
Filmmakers to host Kenosha leaders as part of online conversation about social justice issues
The Little Book Project WI
Artist Profile: Bravebird
The Capital Times
Madison film studio Bravebird keeps flying with 'Trace the Line' film
Film Independent
Trace the Line
Isthmus
Defining 2020 Through Film
Tone Madison
Filling the gap in a theater-less year
Spectrum News
Wisconsin Filmmaker Creates a 2020-Style Movie
Channel 3000
Madison-based film company makes movie surrounding challenges of 2020
Tone Madison
Alex Miranda Cruz and Noel Miranda seek transformative "cinema dignité"
Isthmus
Behind the Seen: Making a Movie and a Movement
Wisconsin Inno
Madison production startup wins $5K at female founder pitch competition
Isthmus
The Reel Reveal
Carefully crafted with love by Alejandro Miranda Cruz 
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