#1 Can you describe your movie and why somebody should see it?

Inspired by the writings of Frederick Douglass, a young enslaved man discovers a pathway from slavery to freedom through literacy.

#2: What do you want the Borrego Springs Film Festival audience to know about your film that isn’t obvious from its title?

This is not a true depiction of real life events. ‘Free’ is inspired by the writings of Frederick Douglass.

#3: What is your movie making background? Tell us about yourself.

Ben Hartley has been working in professional theatre for the past 23 years. His filmmaking journey begun in 2016 when he wrote, directed, & choreographed his first multi award winning short film, Early Mourning that completed a 22 film festival tour and is now seeking distribution. His second award winning short film, Free is currently on the festival circuit and has been distributed by ShortsTV & Amazon Prime. Ben is currently working on his third short film about an aging hero of the gay rights movement and his first feature.

#4: What was the biggest lesson learned in getting your film made?

There are too many to list LOL.

#5: What does the future hold for your film and you?

We continue to develop a workshop series based on the themes of ‘Free’. It's important for us to give back as much as possible.