In The Times, Before

Exploring the cost of truth

Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Development
Writer/Director/Producer: Terra Wellington
Consulting Producer: Nina Martinek
Composers: Alexa L. Borden and Connor Cook
 
Instagram: @inthetimesbefore
 
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Logline

A public health researcher’s data contradicts the government’s lies, forcing her to choose between exposing the truth around a deadly outbreak or walking away to protect her family.

Synopsis

In 2030 Los Angeles, a dangerous new strain of dengue fever is quietly spreading. Public health researcher Anna Benton uncovers the truth: the disease is far deadlier than reported, but officials have downplayed its severity and rebranded it to avoid mass concern. Anna knows speaking up could cost her everything—but staying silent would cost lives.

After a traumatic incident on campus, Anna’s world begins to unravel. Her research is confiscated, her privacy is breached, and her family’s safety is suddenly in question. As pressure mounts, she must make an impossible choice: protect the people she loves or fight to protect the public. In a final act of defiance, she risks it all to make the truth known.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Terra Wellington – Writer/Director/Producer
Terra is known for her work as a producer, writer, and actor in the entertainment industry. With over 15 years of experience, she has earned a reputation for producing compelling film and television that blend artistic vision with social advocacy. Her recent projects include the sci-fi thriller feature Habitable and the award-winning TV series Magnolia Hill. Terra has creatively produced hundreds of television segments with major sponsors for consumer audiences. An acclaimed author of two climate-action books and a respected voice in U.S. media with over 2,000 television guest segments on wellness and environmental issues, she has been frequently sought after by public relations agencies and international clients for impactful marketing campaigns. Terra is also the recipient of the prestigious Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation grant from George Lucas for In The Times, Before (fka Torn).

Nina Martinek – Consulting Producer
Nina Martinek is a writer/director, originally from Australia. Her short films have screened at film festivals internationally including Sundance, LA Shorts, Mannheim/Heidelberg, Edinburgh, Vienna, Toronto Women’s Film Festival and Brooklyn Art Museum. Nina is an alumna of NYU Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film Program. She has worked extensively as a documentary filmmaker in Africa for UNICEF and as a video producer/journalist for Reuters and the New York Times. Nina recently completed her debut narrative feature film Happy Birthday Charlie and is working on a documentary What We Dream. More at www.ninamartinek.com

Alexa L. Borden and Connor Cook – Composers
Alexa L. Borden and Connor Cook are an award-winning composition and singer-songwriter duo. Originally from Philadelphia, PA (Borden) and Boone, NC (Cook), both women hold an MFA in Music Composition for the Screen from Columbia College Chicago and are involved members of the Alliance of Women Film Composers (AWFC). Together they have composed music and songs for dozens of productions including films, podcasts, video games, and musical theater. Some of their most recent work includes scores for the critically acclaimed films Static Space and Balloon Animal, both currently in the festival circuit. More at lexaconmusic.com

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.