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Divine Providence is a forthcoming narrative short film centered around and inspired by the city of Providence, Rhode Island. Set in the late 1970s, the film tells the story of a tumultuous confession that brings the lives of a lonely parish priest and a guilt-ridden mobster crashing together, forcing the two men to tear open old wounds and confront the demons of their respective pasts.
A story of guilt and forgiveness, Divine Providence begins filming in January 2022 in locations throughout the Providence metropolitan area.
We hope you'll join us for the journey as we set out to make this film. Take a step back in time, and welcome to Providence.
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Johnny Halloran is an actor from South Kingstown, RI who has also been the lead singer of the RI-based cover band Those Guys since 1996. He can be found in the forthcoming films Pulled From Darkness, The Bootlegger, and Don't Look Up, and he also plays the role of 'Fitz' in AMC's Kevin Can F**k Himself.
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Cedric Gegel is a stage and film actor, filmmaker, and screenwriter currently based in Rhode Island, originally from Ohio. He is an avid football fan (The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cincinnati Bengals), loves reading (fantasy novels in particular), and spends a lot of time in nature. Cedric is the writer and director of the feature film Cadia: The World Within (Amazon Prime, Vudu) and runs an active YouTube channel under his name. He can be seen in such works as Walking On, The Coroner’s Assistant, We Love You Not, Forbearance, Window With a View, and many more.
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Ginger OToole is a Connecticut based actor who has trained at HB Studio, William Esper Studio and she’s recently completed the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Improvisation Program. She can be seen in the upcoming feature film Lukewarm and in such works as How to Tie a Tie, The Insult and the soon to be released The Mountains Call Me Home. Outside of acting, Ginger is co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Weekend Throwdown with Jagger and she has her doctorate in pharmacy.
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Neal Mercier is the founder and primary filmmaker behind Huxley Pictures. A lifelong lover of cinema, he spent much of his adolescence with friends attempting to make movies with an old tape-based Sony Handycam.
In 2014 Neal began operating under the Huxley moniker, and in 2016 he started using the name in a commercial setting. His narrative short film Amaryllis was chosen as an official selection for the Oscar-qualifying 2015 Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and he has made numerous videos for clients such as Portela Soni Medical and The Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
A Rhode Island native, Neal currently resides in Cambridge, MA. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics with minors in both Film and Writing from Providence College. Presently he is enrolled at Emerson College where he is pursuing an M.F.A. in Film & Media Art.
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Madeleine Derveloy is a multimedia artist from a small town in the Deep South who now lives in Boston, MA. Her work speaks to the concepts of belonging, home, and change, and her films have been screened in festivals throughout the New England area – including the Green Mountain Film Festival, where she won Best Comedy for the short film The Puppet.
In 2018 Madeleine received her B.A. in Directing Theatre & Film from Emerson College, and she is currently a third-year M.F.A. student in Emerson's Film & Media Art program. She loves to help directors bring their stories to life through producing.
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Brian Sweeney has worked with Huxley Pictures in various capacities since 2015, performing in both logistical and creative roles. After growing up in Connecticut, Brian lived in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts before relocating to Memphis, TN in late 2019. He holds a B.A. in Global Studies with minors in Film and Spanish from Providence College in addition to an M.Ed. from Northeastern University.
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Masoud Arabkouchehkhatibi is a filmmaker and cinematographer from Yazd, Iran. He attended medical school at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences before shifting his focus to study art and cinema. He holds an M.F.A. in Cinema Studies from Sooreh School of Arts in Tehran and is working towards an M.F.A. in Film & Media Art at Emerson College. Masoud currently resides in Boston, MA. He enjoys watching films and reading novels and short stories from around the world.
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Amber Yang received her B.F.A. from Northeastern University with a double concentration in Film and Photography and a minor in Graphic Design. She does graphic design work on the side while pursuing an M.F.A. in Film & Media Art. Although she wears many hat, her primary interests lie in the realm of cinematography. You can find her either petting dogs or enjoying food on her day off.
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Much of Divine Providence’s purpose lies in asking questions that do not have any clearly defined or easily discernable answers.
Some of those questions lie in the personal: Who is it that I was, who is it that I am, and who is it that I hope to someday become? How has Roman Catholicism – the religion in which I was born and raised – impacted the way I perceive not only the world, but myself? What is it about the city of Providence that has made it linger in my life in such a significant yet intangible way?
Other questions lie in a realm that borders on the philosophical, or perhaps even the theological: In what ways are we all as autonomous individuals bound together and invisibly interconnected? What are the consequences of our actions when the choices we make create untold ripples that we can’t even begin to see or comprehend? What does it mean to both forgive and be forgiven? And how can we ultimately learn to accept our shortcomings and move towards forgiving ourselves?
I don’t presume to have answers to any of these questions, and I don’t have any false delusions to think that I ever will. At the end of the day, some questions just aren’t meant to have answers.
But that doesn’t mean you stop asking.
– Neal Mercier
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At this stage we have secured our principal location and have locked in our primary cast. We have also assembled most of our key crew – it's a truly incredible team of people, and many of them are generously dedicating their time and talent to help see this project through.
But the reality of the situation is that making a film costs money – often a lot of money. Equipment rentals, transportation, production design, location costs, and craft services are just some of the many elements that add to a film's overall budget. And that's not to mention post-production expenses – we'll need to have funds to ensure the best quality edit and to submit the finished film to festivals the world over.
While we are doing everything within our power to keep costs manageable, there are simply some expenses we will be unable to avoid.
That's where you come in.
You can help bring Divine Providence to life by donating to the project. Every dollar helps, and we could not be more appreciative of your interest and support.
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Don't think we're just going to take your money and run – we have a number of great perks to thank you for your generosity and commitment to the project.
Some of the perks we're offering include:
- password-protected link to an early-access screening of the film
- 5.5"x8.5" thematic programs designed to mimic the appearance of a battered missal book, featuring cast and crew bios and a note from the director in addition to historic photos of Providence and related ephemera
- 35mm film strip featuring five frames from the finished film on real celluloid
- signed poster
- randomly selected storyboard frame hand-drawn by the director
- exclusive stained glass Huxley Pictures vinyl sticker
- the chance to become an Executive Producer of Divine Providence!
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We can't wait to share these collectibles with you – a lot of work has gone into crafting them, and we think that you're going to love them as much as we do!
More information about the perks associated with each contribution level can be found by clicking on the individual neighborhoods in the sidebar to the right.
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We completely understand that the past two years have been difficult for everyone – even if you are unable to make a monetary donation at this time, you can still help bring Divine Providence to life by telling others about the project and sharing this campaign on social media.
And don't forget to follow Huxley Pictures on Instagram (@huxleypictures) to stay up-to-date on both this film and future projects!
The historical photographs of Providence used on this page come from the Providence Public Library’s Avery Lord Aerial Photograph Collection. A digital archive of this collection and others like it can be found at provlibdigital.org. Used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Graphics and text added to originals.