Three Graces Films is a documentary film company focussing on social justice and cultural interest stories. We are located at:

Three Graces Films
316 Dean Street, 2nd floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217
347-489-9220

Elizabeth Elson

Director/ Producer Elizabeth Elson is a documentary filmmaker and visual artist. BORN IN A BARN is her first independent documentary feature, and has received funding from The Jerome Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts. BORN IN A BARN is inspired by Ms Elson's ongoing interest in what motivates seemingly ordinary people to express themselves in extraordinary ways. Subjects of previous short films have included New Yorkers who use the outside of their homes as forums for their personal artwork; a retired Vermont engineer who took five years to sculpt a new home out of mud; and how three New Yorkers - international artist DJ Spooky, avant-garde composer LaMonte Young, and sonic architects Bill and Mary Buchen - have used sound art to alter spaces in New York City.

Before starting Three Graces Films, Ms Elson worked for two years at the Academy-Award nominated documentary film company Gabriel Films, where her credits include Production Managing a five-part series on the New York City criminal justice system for A & E, Executive-Producing a three-part series on prison culture for TLC, and Executive Producing a three-part series on prison health issues for Discovery Health.

Samara Smith

Samara Smith is a documentary film editor and still photographer who is interested in using the visual arts as an agent of social change. In her work, Samara strives to use beauty and humor to illuminate larger social issues through the documentation of everyday life. BORN IN A BARN draws on her interest in how individuals grapple with power and self-expression in the most intimate aspects of their lives.

Samara studied photography with Roy DeCarava. She has worked in documentary film for eight years. Before moving into editing she worked as an Associate Producer/ Researcher to Gene Searchinger, the veteran documentary filmmaker and creator of the 1995 PBS 3-part hit THE HUMAN LANGUAGE SERIES.

Her editing credits include: Associate Editing Judith Helfand's BLUE VINYL (Documentary Award for Excellence in Cinematography - Sundance 2002) and Ric Burns' NEW YORK: A DOCUMENTARY FILM: EPISODE SEVEN THE CITY AND THE WORLD (Best Edited Documentary - ACE Eddie Award 2002); Assistant Editing Ric Burns' NEW YORK: A DOCUMENTARY FILM: EPISODE FIVE COSMOPOLIS (Best Editing in Non-Fiction - Primetime Emmy Awards 1999-2000); Associate Editor/ Stills Animation Supervisor for Ric Burns' ANSEL ADAMS (Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for Non-Fiction Programming).