Hebo

Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor

"Hebo" is a documentary short film that follows the story of Sam Ezell, a unique folk artist in Hillsborough, North Carolina, who must overcome the challenge of sudden partial blindness to continue his artistic expression.

For over 50 years, Sam has served as a maintenance worker at the Daniel Boone Village. He is a passionate collector of folk art and antiques and spends his free time painting. His love for painting was ignited by Bernice Simms, a folk artist from Brewten, Alabama, who encouraged him to paint her a picture of a sunflower. Sam's painting journey continued even after he had a stroke in 2015 that caused him to lose sight in one eye, which he feared would put an end to his painting career. However, he discovered a new passion for painting large abstracts as a way to improve his vision and has been hooked on the process ever since. "Hebo" is a documentary that captures Sam's amazing artistic journey and celebrates the resilience of the creative spirit in the face of adversity.

"Hebo" was shown at 19 film festivals and exhibited at 2 galleries in the United States. The film received two awards for Best Documentary Short, one at the Magnolia Independent Film Festival and the other at the UPIKE Film & Media Arts Festival.