Introducing Level Ground Productions

Hi! This is Samantha Curley, one of the founders of Level Ground and the Producer of Framing Agnes, the first film from Level Ground Productions that’s World Premiering at Sundance in one week. This is a huge achievement and I wanted to briefly share how we got here.

Chase and Samantha celebrating the Sundance premiere of Framing Agnes.

When Level Ground started we were exclusively a film and arts festival — one that was most interested in the deep conversations and personal transformation that happens around film. I met Chase Joynt (the Director of Framing Agnes) when we screened and installed his work at the very first Level Ground Film Festival in 2014. I loved how Chase’s work challenged me to understand myself and others differently. 

Over the years, we kept in touch and chase was part of many a Level Ground Festival. During that time Level Ground was becoming more than just an annual festival. We were becoming a safe and welcoming hub for underrepresented artists who wanted to explore and experiment with new projects — comedy shows, podcasts, art workshops, immersive gallery shows, and filmmaking. 

It was a subtle but significant shift that happened over many years and was really solidified when Chase asked me to produce his next film project. Even though I had never produced a film (I had only, at that point, produced 5 years of Level Ground Festivals and events), Chase convinced me to say yes and we were able to use some of Level Ground’s access and resources to pull of an incredible short film that premiered at Tribeca in 2019. 

After making a film together, Chase and I had a vision of leveraging our ongoing work to support the growing level ground community and our particular ethos of experimentation and collaboration. And then, in the summer of 2019, we got funding to turn the Framing Agnes short into a feature  and now that feature is premiering at Sundance. 

What’s so wild and exciting is that it was a trip to Sundance 9 years ago that inspired me and a group of friends to start Level Ground in the first place. Now we have a film premiering at the festival AND a production company that’s going to keep making more films. 

Chase and Sam at the Tribeca premiere of Framing Agnes (the short) in 2019.

Level Ground Productions will be run by me and Chase and is a for profit production company that will help leverage access and opportunities for the Level Ground Collective and its artists.

Next year, Level Ground will be 10 years old! We’ve come a long way thanks to the hustle and love of so many of you. And I’m proud and excited to say theres more to come. 

Please get a ticket to see the Sundance virtual premiere of Framing Agnes. Tickets are $20 and you can get them on the Sundance website (linked below). Help us push Level Ground to the next level!