A BIG movie grant from Big Sky

Nearly Departed receives Big Sky Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ASHLEY MARIA PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES GRANT FOR “NEARLY DEPARTED”

Los Angeles, CA — June 26, 2024

We are excited and proud to announce that Ashley Maria Productions has received a $20,000 grant from the Montana Department of Commerce to make a film in Montana. The movie grant funding is awarded through the Commerce’s Big Sky Film Grant (BSFG) program.

“The grant will help fund a film written by Molly Quinlan Artwick,” shared Director Ashley Maria. “We are happy to be able to support a Montana-based cast and crew with our funding, as well as the local economy.”

The short-form film — called “Nearly Departed,” will run eleven minutes. Targeted to film in Montana during the 2025 tourist off-season, the film will be Directed by Ashley Maria and produced by her production company, Ashley Maria Productions. 

“Molly wrote a heartfelt piece about grief with a dash of humor. When I first read this script, and felt my own reactions to the story and my own vulnerabilities to the topic, I knew I had to make this project a reality.” added Ashley.

What is “Nearly Departed” about?

“Nearly Departed” is a story of Charlie and Jules, two sisters at odds with each other discovering how to move on from their father’s death. This black dramady deals with the dark, trying, and often funny ways grief manifests. Faced with the loss of her father after moving across the country, Charlie struggles to find a meaningful place to let him go–and holds a secret that prevents her from saying goodbye. Jules’ own disastrous memorial to their father haunts her as she tries to help Charlie give their dad the sendoff he deserves. Things come to a head in the Montana forest, as a desperate Charlie threatens to smash their father’s urn.

Of the $2.5 million awarded through the Montana Film Office, Ashley Maria Productions was one of 21 short-form non-resident films that received grant funding.

Since the BSFG program started in 2013, nearly 350 film projects have received over $11 million of grant funding to assist with those productions. The Montana Film Office is part of the Department of Commerce and is funded by an allocation of the lodging facility use tax, commonly known as the “bed tax.” In 2023, Senate Bill 540 of the 68th Montana Legislature revised laws related to state-funded tourism promotion to require a specific allocation of lodging facility use tax for Montana-based film grants. For more information about the Big Sky Film Grant, visit montanafilm.com.