Hello. I'm Dave Payton.

Ever wonder why bad things happen to so many good people? I do. All the time. Tragedy after tragedy and there doesn't seem to be an answer. It's hard to talk about. It's hard to digest; so what did I do about it?

I wrote a movie.

THROUGH EYES OF GRACE centers around Pastor Seth Adams, a devout minister in a small-town community. That community is rocked to the core when his oldest daughter "disappears".  As the local sheriff and his new deputy search for her, the townspeople clam up as they try to bury their secrets. When the dust settles and all is revealed- who will see the world- Through Eyes of Grace?

The last few years I have been travelling around the country filming movies, and I would like to bring one to Wisconsin. I am most known for my role as "the Neighbor" in the faith-based thriller "Thy Neighbor". I have won 5 awards for this role and now I want to face my next challenge. With the success of "Thy Neighbor",  I am confident Grace can have that same backing.

This story is important to me as it is a personal journey of much pain and discovery. I hope to be able to share my tale with the community, and I hope it will spark true and honest debate about what is happening in this world, and perhaps the next. I'm going to be completely transparent, writing this story has been a gut-wrenching process and I hope to be able to continue exploration of it.

Right now, I am looking to raise $25,000. This will be for the crew. I have an editor in place for the post production, and I have actors lined up as well. I hope to eventually raise $50,000 for all the costs, but we don't have a movie without the crew. 

We do have some neat perks if you choose to get involved. You could buy the novel or see your name in the credits! (and many others!)

This story is near and dear to my heart.

The last few years of my life have been a great struggle. I have battled the "why" and have come up with no answer. Trying to reconcile life's difficulties has been a day to day battle. It has led me to this piece of art- Through Eyes Of Grace- a heart-felt story of struggle and pain. I hope to share my story with the world, and perhaps even come to peace with it. I know there are others out there who struggle with life. Struggle with the "why does God allow bad things to happen to good people" questions. The questions are real. They are hard, and yes, they warrant an answer.

We also have award-winning film maker Jacob Dufour of Amor Domini Productions has signed on to take care of post-production, but we got to get to Jacob first!

If you can't financially contribute, you could help by sharing this link and telling your friends and family about this project. It will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Dave Payton

Writer- Actor- Producer

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, I grew an appreciation for the arts at a very young age. I knew very early that I wanted to be in entertainment. I acted frequently but in college I stepped out to get a "real degree". I got my BA in English, but it didn't fulfill me. A year later, I ran away to tour with the Christian theater company, Covenant Players. I spent 2 years on tour, travelling the US playing Biblical characters such as Judas, Cain, the Devil  and Joseph, in addition to many fictional characters as well. I returned to NYC where I performed for 3 years as Pee Wee the Seagull, mascot of the Brooklyn Cyclones on Coney Island. My last year there, I met my wife on the internet which led me to Wisconsin. Since then, I have performed in many plays and movies, such as "Foster Home"; "The Perfect Day"; "What Happened to Ken Coffmann"; "Timbertown"; and what I am most known for, "Thy Neighbor", where I play the average friendly Neighbor. Having won 5 awards for this role in various film festivals across the US, I am now ready to tackle my next challenge- bringing my novel, Through Eyes of Grace, to life on film. Thank you for reading!

Here are some actors attached to the project:

Eric Leukert

Jen Grams

Kevin Horne

Rachael Siehs

Tanya Landwehr

Gracie Scott

Jacksen Wolff

Bob Deyo

Christian Gill

Diane Richardson

Brad Leonhardt

Jacob Dufour, Post-Production Supervisor