“Scholarship brushed with humor.”
We specialize in documentaries that are meticulously researched, yet full of charm and whimsy. These are humorous, engaging, scholarly, visually pleasing, and persuasive.
History
How the film came about (Short Version)
STBN Timeline: From Stage Show to Film (Long Version)
Stage Show “O Mistress Mine” (OMM), Photos
RP Fundraiser For Eagan-Donovan Film, Photos
OMM Film Showing at Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Annual Conference, Photos
OMM Film Showing at Cosmos Club, Photos
OMM Film Fundraiser for International Association Foreign Service Workers, Photos
Groundbreaker Films Incorporates (“SHAKESPEARE: Hiding in Plain Sights” (SHIPS) Film Title)
“Nothing is Truer Than Truth” Launch (10.20.2019)
Robin Enters First Film Festival (9.10.2020) “Behind the Name Shakespeare: Power, Lust, Scorn & Scandal”
NTTT New Title “Shakespeare: The Man Behind the Name” (2.20.2021)
“BNS” Now “SHAKESPEARE: The Truth Behind the Name” (5.3.2021)
Cheryl and Robin: Friendly, Healthy Competition Among Filmmakers is Good for the “Truth”
Stage Show Rave Reviews
How the film came about (Short Version)
Robin Phillips has a long career as a playwright/producer/performer in her own original critically-acclaimed musical stage shows. Robin used those same skills to create this this evocative tale. It started out as a stage show in 2016, as a fundraiser for charities and another filmmaker. It took four years for Robin Phillips and Art Harman to turn it into a multi-award winning documentary.
Timeline: From Stage Show to Film (Long Version)
This film started out as a stage show. After watching Rolland Emmerich's film in July of 2016, Robin Phillips was inspired to begin extensive research on the Shakespeare Authorship Question. With her background as a playwright, she wrote a stage show on the subject, and called it, "O Mistress Mine! The Secrets, Lies, Loves & Wives of the REAL Shakespeare: Edward de Vere." It was presented at a small theater as a fundraiser for Health In Harmony, a group which is helping to save the planet by saving the rainforests. (See Dr. Kinari Webb's book: Guardians of the Trees.
https://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Trees-Journey-Through-Healing/dp/1250751381)
Robin next gave it as a fundraiser for an Oxfordian filmmaker. Robin became an enthusiastic supporter and active investor in the film, "Nothing is Truer Than Truth." then also gave her stage show as a fundraiser for several charities, including the International Eye Foundation, AAFSW the Associates of American Foreign Service Worldwide (twice, one year apart).
The group from the Shakespeare Authorship Group at the Cosmos Club were so impressed with the production (See Reviews) that she was asked to take the show to the next Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Conference in Chicago. A logistical nightmare, so Robin filmed it and presented that instead.
Robin gave several showings of the film over the next four years -- twice at the august Cosmos Club in Washington DC -- all the while researching, re-writing, re-structuring and re-editing. By March 9, 2020, she and her co-editor, Art Harman finished filming. On March 12, Dr. Kinari Webb called from her hospital in Borneo to urge Robin (who suffers from asthma) to isolate immediately because of the impending spread of a lethal virus: Covid.
Over Skype and Zoom, Robin and Art finished editing the film over the next six months, and by September 13, 2020, they had entered their first film festival -- not knowing if it was really any good. There had been some surprising naysayers along the way, but this didn't slow them down. She and Art Harman just put their heads down and kept working. The pair had worked together for 8 and 10 hour days for the previous four years and it was "Now or never."
On May 3, 2021, Robin signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Vision Films, Inc. of L.A. During an arduous technical review of the film, in order to meet the stringent requirements for distribution, Art Harman's extensive technical skills and discipline took him from Co-Editor to Co-Producer on the film. Right away the awards began pouring in, and it took just two of them to get it done. Ta daaaaa!
November 19, 2016 - The film began as a stage show, a fundraiser for Dr. Kinari Webb’s Health in Harmony (healthinharmony.org).
May 8, 2017, Robin’s stage play was also as a fundraiser for Cheryl’s film about Oxford, “Nothing Is Truer Than Truth.” Robin was an enthusiastic supporter and active investor in her film.
October 21, 2017, Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Annual Conference, Chicago.
“O Mistress Mine,” the first rough prototype version of Robin’s film is presented.
April 13, 2018, Second version of the film,“O Mistress Mine” is presented at a dinner at the Cosmos Club.
June 4, 2018, Third and fourth versions of the film, now “SHAKESPEARE: Hiding in Plain Sight,” is presented to the Association of American Foreign Service World Wide (AAFSW) on two separate occasions, one year apart.
September 11, 2018, Robin incorporates Groundbreaker Films LLC and continues working with her co-editor on “SHAKESPEARE: Hiding in Plain Sight.”
October 20, 2019, Gravitas debuts Cheryl Eagan-Donovan’s acclaimed documentary “Nothing is Truer Than Truth.” As an investor, Robin is delighted.
September 10, 2020, Robin and Groundbreaker Films enters first film festival, “Behind the Name SHAKESPEARE: Power, Lust, Scorn & Scandal.” During COVID, it was no longer essential to be present to enter a film festival, so Robin entered 200 festivals. For fun, she decided to use a pen-name, Christina di Marlo. In this new opening sequence, she exclaims, “Who was hiding behind the name “Shakespeare?” It takes a woman to see it!” We decided it might be prudent to take it out — but here it is.
February 2021, Eagan-Donovan’s Oxfordian film gets new global distribution. “Nothing is Truer Than Truth” is released through NENT UK with a new title, “Shakespeare: The Man Behind the Name.”
May 3, 2021, Groundbreaker Films signs world-wide distribution agreement with Vision Films. They change the name to “SHAKESPEARE: The Truth Behind the Name,” similar to her original title eight months before. The movie launch took place the day after Robin’s birthday on September 13, 2021. It took Robin and her co-editor, Art Harman, four years to create the film. It took one year from the first festival to film launch. Ta daaa!
FRIENDLY, HEALTHY COMPETITION:
April 4, 2022, Robin’s ex-husband, a product of Harvard’s Business School, used to say that having competition on the same block was healthy for business. If you have a McDonald’s franchise, don’t worry that Arby’s is moving into your area. Sometimes the customer will go to your shop, and sometimes they’ll walk across the street. Friendly competition is good for business!
Rave Reviews for the original stage show, “O Mistress Mine”