Help Erica Faye Studios Bring In Plain Sight to Life
About Erica Faye Studios
Erica Faye Studios is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering inner-city middle school and high school students through film education, mentorship, and hands-on creative experiences.
Founded by award-winning filmmaker and actress Erica Faye, the organization was created to provide opportunities for young people who may not otherwise have access to the arts, media, and film industry. Through workshops, training programs, and community projects, students learn the basics of:
- Acting
- Screenwriting
- Producing
- Directing
- Cinematography
- Video Editing
- Storytelling
- Leadership and Teamwork
Our goal is to help young people discover their talents, build confidence, develop professional skills, and see new possibilities for their future. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to tell their story and be heard.
Beyond education, Erica Faye Studios uses film as a tool for healing, inspiration, faith, and meaningful community conversations.
Who Is Erica Faye?
Erica Faye is an award-winning filmmaker, actress, writer, producer, director, nonprofit founder, and community advocate based in Waterloo, Iowa.
With more than 21 years of experience in the performing arts, Erica has dedicated her life to telling stories that inspire hope, raise awareness, and encourage positive change. Before creating her award-winning feature film Mercy, Erica wrote, produced, directed, and starred in six micro-short films, demonstrating her commitment to independent filmmaking and storytelling.
Her work behind and in front of the camera has earned recognition from the Iowa Motion Picture Association, with one of her micro-short films receiving an award, helping establish her as an emerging filmmaker in Iowa before the release of Mercy.
Erica later wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning film Mercy, which received an Award of Excellence from the Iowa Motion Picture Association and achieved distribution across multiple streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Apple TV, Xumo, Local Now, RendezView, and EncourageTV.
As an African American female filmmaker and founder of Erica Faye Studios, she is committed to creating opportunities for underserved youth while producing films that address important social issues affecting families and communities.
Through her work, Erica strives to combine faith, storytelling, education, and community impact to create lasting change. Her vision extends beyond filmmaking. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of storytellers, providing inner-city youth with opportunities to learn acting, directing, producing, screenwriting, and other essential filmmaking skills that can open doors to creative careers and personal growth.
Today, Erica is working to bring her newest faith-based feature film, In Plain Sight, to life. Through this powerful story, she hopes to encourage conversations about anxiety, depression, trauma, faith, family relationships, and the importance of healing through God’s love and guidance.
This version ties together your 21 years in the arts, six micro-short films, Iowa Motion Picture Association recognition, Mercy, Erica Faye Studios, youth mentorship, and In Plain Sight into one cohesive biography that is well-suited for a Spotfund campaign.
About the Film: In Plain Sight
In Plain Sight is a powerful faith-based drama that explores the effects of unresolved trauma, anxiety, depression, and the ways unhealed emotional wounds can impact the people we love most.
The story centers on Audrey, a mother carrying the weight of painful experiences and past trauma she has never fully addressed. Although she loves her son deeply, the emotional battles she faces internally begin to spill over into their relationship, affecting both her ability to cope and her ability to parent.
Her son, Brian, is a teenager who simply wants to experience a normal life. He wants to spend time with his friends, enjoy being young, and navigate the everyday challenges of adolescence. Instead, he finds himself caught in the middle of struggles he doesn't fully understand and burdens that were never his to carry.
As Audrey's unresolved pain continues to grow, anxiety, fear, and depression begin to take control of her life. What starts as hidden emotional wounds gradually develops into a downward spiral that impacts her relationship with Brian and those around her.
The tragedy is not that the warning signs weren't there.
The tragedy is that they were there all along.
They were hiding in plain sight.
At its heart, In Plain Sight is a story about family, forgiveness, faith, and healing. It shows how unaddressed trauma can affect generations and how emotional and spiritual battles left unresolved can have devastating consequences.
More importantly, the film explores what can happen when we try to fight life's struggles alone. Through Audrey's journey, audiences witness the dangers of carrying anxiety, depression, fear, and emotional pain without seeking healing, support, or God's guidance.
This story serves as a reminder that we were never meant to fight these battles by ourselves.
In Plain Sight encourages viewers to seek help, embrace healing, lean on their faith, and allow God to carry the burdens that often feel too heavy to bear alone.
The film is designed to spark important conversations about mental health, trauma, faith, family relationships, and the importance of recognizing when someone is hurting, even when their pain is not immediately visible.
Because sometimes the greatest battles are the ones no one else can see.
And sometimes the people who need help the most are hiding their pain in plain sight.
Why This Film Matters
Mental illness affects millions of individuals and families every year, yet countless people continue to suffer in silence because they fear being judged, misunderstood, or ignored.
Many families have experienced the heartbreak of looking back and realizing that someone they loved was struggling, but no one recognized the severity of the situation until it was too late.
In Plain Sight addresses important issues including:
- Mental health awareness
- Depression and emotional struggles
- Family relationships
- Hidden trauma
- Faith during difficult seasons
- Grief and loss
- The importance of early intervention
- Breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness
- Recognizing warning signs before a crisis occurs
This film is designed to create meaningful conversations within families, churches, schools, healthcare organizations, and communities.
It encourages people to ask difficult questions, listen more closely, extend compassion, and seek help when needed.
More Than a Movie
In Plain Sight is more than a film project.
It is a tool for education.
It is a tool for awareness.
It is a tool for healing.
It is a tool for hope.
It is an opportunity to start conversations that could potentially save lives.
Through community screenings, church partnerships, educational discussions, and outreach programs, we hope to use this film to bring awareness to mental health challenges while encouraging individuals and families to seek support and help when needed.
Our vision is for this film to become a catalyst for dialogue, understanding, compassion, and healing in communities across Iowa and beyond.
How Your Donation Helps
Your support will help fund:
Film Production
- Equipment rentals
- Production design
- Wardrobe and makeup
- Camera and lighting needs
- Audio recording
- Transportation and logistics
- Production insurance
- Location expenses
Cast & Crew Support
- Production personnel
- Technical crew
- Training opportunities for aspiring filmmakers
- Meals and accommodations during production
Post-Production
- Editing
- Sound design
- Music licensing
- Color correction
- Graphic design
- Marketing materials
- Distribution preparation
Community Impact
- Mental health awareness initiatives
- Community screenings
- Church and organization partnerships
- Educational resources and discussions
- Audience engagement events
Youth Film Programs
- Acting workshops
- Directing and producing instruction
- Film education opportunities
- Mentorship programs
- Equipment and learning resources for students
- Hands-on filmmaking experiences
Our Vision
By supporting In Plain Sight, you are helping us do more than make a movie.
You are helping us:
✅ Raise awareness about mental health.
✅ Encourage families to have important conversations.
✅ Create opportunities for underserved youth.
✅ Teach the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers.
✅ Expand film education opportunities in our community.
✅ Use faith-based storytelling to inspire hope and healing.
✅ Build stronger, healthier communities.
✅ Amplify voices and stories that often go unheard.
✅ Create a lasting impact through the power of film.
Every donation, no matter the size, moves us one step closer to bringing this important story to life while expanding the mission of Erica Faye Studios.
Together, we can create a film that inspires healing, sparks meaningful conversations, empowers young people, and impacts lives for generations to come.
Your contribution is not simply funding a movie.
It is investing in youth.
It is investing in mental health awareness.
It is investing in faith, healing, education, and community transformation.
Thank you for believing in our mission, our youth, and the power of storytelling to change lives.
Erica Faye Studios
"Empowering the next generation of storytellers while creating films that inspire hope, healing, faith, and positive change." 🎬❤️
