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Heaven is a playground on Earth. free play a documentary "GALLATIN MIRACLE PARK" "All-Inclusive Playground Ball Field Pedal Park" Blu Star Productions Presents "Free Play" Executive Producers Sarah Haas and Matthew Samia Co-Producer Matt Astrella Editor Jonathan Rogers Sound Mixer Alonso Cacho Assistant Camera Mindy Cook Field Coordinator Elijah Donnely Director of Photography Athena Klub Written and Directed By Alex Astrella www.blustarproductions.com

Free Play 

A mother’s perseverance leads to the creation of Middle TN’s largest all-inclusive playground.

The full film can be watched here, on the Reel South YouTube channel.

Videos

Cast and Crew

Alex Astrella

Alex Astrella

Writer, Producer
& Director

Karen West

Karen West

Self

Micheal West

Micheal West

Self

Tabitha West

Tabitha West

Self

Avatar Fallback

Name

Title

Official Selections and Awards

WINNER Making a DIFFerence Award "Free Play" DESERTSCAPE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION WACO INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 2024
OFFICIAL SELECTION NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL 2024
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT JULIEN DUBUQUE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024

Photos

Avery Nixon and her brothers smile and wave at the camera while riding a balance bike and two scooters on a paved traffic-safety playground, next to a red STOP sign.
A child seen through a colorful playground panel featuring a star-shaped green window.
Avonlea, A young child with blonde hair, wearing a sleeveless dress, is sitting on the floor and playing with a colorful wooden puzzle. Her mother's hand is visible nearby, assisting her.
Avery Nixon, a young girl in a red shirt and sandals sliding down a green spiral slide at an outdoor playground, with a warning sign in the background that reads: ‘WARNING: DO NOT CLIMB ON THE OUTSIDE OF THIS SLIDE.’
Avonlea playing the xylophone with her mother, Elizabeth
Avery and her brother play at a playground around an orange spinning merry-go-round with a blue top and green handles. Her brother stands on the rotating platform, Avery in a red shirt steadies it from the side, and a boy in a yellow graphic T-shirt grips one of the handles. Play equipment and green foliage appear in the blurred background.
Tabitha West's Gravestone reading: Tabitha Paige West "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and [the] glory of the Lord rises upon you." Isaiah 60:1 De[c 26], 2003 - May 26, 2019
Karen West, a woman in sunglasses sits on a quilt beside her late daughter, Tabitha's, flat bronze grave marker decorated with a ribboned bouquet and vase of pink peonies.
A person wearing a camera stabilizer rig is filming outdoors at Gallatin Miracle Park on a sunny day.
A person wearing a camera stabilizer rig is filming outdoors in Gallatin Miracle Park on a sunny day.
Close-up of a camera monitor displaying a child lying among Pokémon stuffed animals (Snorlax, Psyduck, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, etc.), with recording overlays like "REC" and waveform.
A film crew shoots an interview with Avery Nixon and her parents Amy & Nathan Nixon in a home living room set up with lighting and a tripod-mounted camera.
Heather and Elizabeth Broadaway seated on blue chairs in a home studio setup for video recording, with a professional camera mounted on a tripod in the foreground displaying a live preview of the scene on its monitor. Behind them is a built-in bench with green cushions, and a large softbox light is visible on the right side of the frame.
High-angle view of a small interview setup in a living room. A man in a black T-shirt and baseball cap with glasses and a beard stands beside a camera rig mounted on a boom arm, with a monitor displaying the live feed. Alex Astrella, a cameraman in a black shirt sits on a gray upholstered chair operating a camera on a tripod, pointed toward Heather and Elizabeth Broadaway, seated on a stool over a patterned rug. Hardwood floors, a wooden side table, and scattered gear fill the surrounding space.
A person in dark clothing and a cap stands beside the white brick wall of a house, holding a camera rig while filming in a grassy backyard. Flowering shrubs grow nearby, with trees and a parked vehicle visible in the sunny background.
Alex Astrella [Left] stands with part of the cast of this thesis film, Free Play.

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