PRAYERS OF A SAINT Will Screen At The La Femme International  Film Festival

PRAYERS OF A SAINT, a dramatic short film written and directed by Santho Goonewardene, will be featured in the 15th Annual LA Femme International Film Festival on Saturday, October 19th at 2PM, 2019 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. The film is also entered into competition at the 10th Annual Oaxaca FilmFest in Oaxaca, Mexico, Oct. 7, 2019 and the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival in Palm Desert, California on Nov. 1, 2019.

PRAYERS OF A SAINT shows how the decision to run away from an abusive home life has profound consequences for young Maya, portrayed by Amber Midthunder (Legion on fX, new season of Fargo). An encounter with a violent man forces her to face reality and stand up for herself as she decides to leave her old life behind forever. Also featured are actors Rob Tepper and Abigail Shields.

The behind the camera team included Producers Jeffrey Stott and Sonia Marques; Director of Photography Bella Gonzales; Editor Annie Guidice; Supervising Sound Designer Victor Ennis (Oscar-nominated for Drive), and Original Score and song by Robert Summerfield.

Writer-Director Santho Goonewardene immigrated from Sri Lanka to the United States at age 14, alone. Her fascination with films began at an early age as they helped her escape her unstable home environment. After graduating from University, she secured a position as an assistant to Jeffrey Stott, a prolific producer who produced many of Rob Reiner's films including Stand by Me, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, and The Bucket List. Stott's encouragement inspired her to further expand her experience by working on both film and television projects including True Detective, Stronger, and Trumbo.

Santho has since collaborated with filmmakers Greg Campbell and Jake Gyllenhaal as a Co-Producer on their award-winning documentary, Hondros, and most recently served as Associate Producer on the Amazon Prime limited series, Too Old to Die Young, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

Having been inspired and encouraged by these incredibly talented filmmakers, she started making her own films. In 2015, her first short film, Butcher, premiered in New York at the Chelsea Film Festival and was also selected to screen at the Bath Film Festival in the UK and the Short Sharp Festival in Australia.

"The one thing that underlies all my work is the firm belief that narratives that represent all walks of life are essential for us to be more understanding of each other and remind us that we are not alone." Santho confides. "I strive to tell stories that engage thought while encouraging the viewer to navigate beyond what's comfortable and familiar." Critics have singled out her emotionally seductive, distinctive visual voice which is the hallmark of all her films.

PRAYERS OF A SAINT will screen on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 pm at Regal Theater 14 at the LA Staples Center, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015

For ticket information, visit http://www.lafemme.org/tickets/. When visiting L.A. LIVE for two hours or less, we recommend using the East Garage (Lot E, Enter on Olympic Blvd) or West Garage (Lot W, Gates E & F - Enter on Georgia St. and turn on West Road). Some establishments validate, please confirm prior to arrival.