Grief is love
with nowhere to go.
When nine-year-old Ellie loses her veteran father and befriends her estranged, unhoused uncle, their unlikely bond becomes a journey toward healing, forgiveness, and family.
We begin in shadow.
We end in light.
Through the unlikely friendship between a grieving child and her estranged uncle, Love, Ellie explores how memory, compassion, and human connection can illuminate even the darkest grief.
Press
“This is cinema meant to move you.”
— One Film Fan
“Becoming something of a festival darling, Love, From Ellie has been winning over audiences across America since its premiere at HollyShorts.”
— LA Weekly
“A moving short on loss, love, and the healing power of empathy.”
— League of Filmmakers
Based on the award-winning short film Love, from Ellie
Development Recognition
Official Selection: HollyShorts Film Festival (2025), Calabasas Film Festival (2025), Chelsea Film Festival (2025), Black Bear Film Festival (2025), Round Top Film Festival (2025), REEL East Film Festival (2025), 512 ATX Short Film Festival (2025), Utah Film Festival (2026), Austin Revolution Film Festival (2026), Dam Short Film Festival (2026), Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival (2026), Austin International Film Festival (2026), USA Film Festival (2026), ATX Short Film Showcase (2026).
Winner: Audience Award — Calabasas Film Festival (2025); Best Narrative — Jury Award — 512 ATX Short Film Festival (2025); Audience Choice Award — 512 ATX Short Film Festival (2025); Best Texas Director — Austin Revolution Film Festival (2026); Best Texas Narrative Short — Austin International Film Festival (2026); Best Short Film — Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival (2026); Best Director — Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival (2026); 47th Telly Awards — People’s Gold Telly Award (2026).
The feature screenplay for Love, Ellie was selected for the Athena Film Festival Writers Lab (2024) and the Stowe Story Labs Narrative Lab (2024).
Why this story matters.
Love, Ellie explores grief through the eyes of a child, a perspective rarely seen on screen with such honesty, humor, and hope.
At a time when loneliness and disconnection affect so many communities, the film reminds us that healing often begins with unexpected human connection.
Through Ellie and George’s unlikely friendship, the story invites audiences to reconsider family, compassion, and the enduring power of love.
About the Film
Love, Ellie is a dramatic coming-of-age story about grief, family, and the unexpected connections that help us heal.
Balancing heartbreak with humor and wonder, the film explores loss through the eyes of a child who refuses to stop believing in people.
“Grief is incredibly hard, but it’s also deeply beautiful. It’s love with nowhere to go.”
— Chantelle James, League of Filmmakers
Director’s Statement
Love, Ellie began as a quiet question that wouldn’t leave me, what happens when love has nowhere to go?
The story was born out of two moments in my life: meeting a kind, unhoused man who lived near my neighborhood, and preparing to become a mother for the first time. I found myself thinking about how small moments of compassion can change us and how deeply the presence, or absence, of love shapes who we become.
Through nine-year-old Ellie’s eyes, I wanted to explore the way children experience grief, not with bitterness, but with curiosity and courage. Her world is filled with color and hope, even as she tries to understand loss. Her light collides with her uncle George’s darkness, revealing that healing can come from the most unexpected places.
Grief, to me, is love that no longer has a place to rest. But love always finds a way — through memory, through forgiveness, through connection.
My hope is that Love, Ellie reminds people of that.
Love,
Chantelle James
Lady Alchemist Films
Our Mission
Lady Alchemist Films tells bold, transformative stories that illuminate the human experience with emotional honesty and cinematic care.
Our mission is to champion authentic voices, celebrate diversity, and create a home for filmmakers who believe storytelling can spark empathy, connection, and change.
Writer / Director
Chantelle James
Chantelle James is an award-winning Australian-born filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. She creates emotionally honest, visually lyrical films about connection, identity, and hope that stay with audiences long after the credits roll.
Her feature screenplay Love, Ellie was selected for the Athena Film Festival Writers Lab and Stowe Story Labs Narrative Lab and is inspired by her award-winning short film Love, from Ellie.
Producer
Kirtana Banskota
Kirtana Banskota is an award-winning Nepali American producer, director, actor, and philanthropist dedicated to championing bold, socially impactful storytelling.
Founder and CEO of Banskota Productions and co-founder of South Asian House and the Nepal America International Film Festival, she builds opportunities for women, people of color, LGBTQ+ creatives, and underrepresented communities.
Get In Touch
For all inquiries:
Writer / Director: Chantelle James
Producer: Kirtana Banskota