Stay Then Go is an emotional mystery that examines the limits of love and sacrifice. In a hospital waiting room, a mother reviews her experience raising her son who has autism. This leads her to a startling discovery which alters their course forever.
The Filmmakers
Shelli Ainsworth
Writer/Director
Writer/Director Shelli Ainsworth is a Minnesota-based artist whose work in experimental theater and film has earned her national recognition. She is the past recipient of grants and fellowships from ITVS, The Bush Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Minnesota State Arts Board and the McKnight Foundation. Ms. Ainsworth began her artistic career as a playwright working in experimental theater. With an extensive background as a playwright, director and multi-media artist, she was a frequent collaborator with the acclaimed Red Eye Theater in Minneapolis. Her plays were commissioned and produced by Red Eye Theater, Theatre Orange, Intermedia Arts, and Minnesota Public Television. Her screenplay A PSYCHIC MOM, was commissioned by the Independent Television Series (ITVS) for production as part of the TV FAMILIES series with James Schamus as the coordinating producer. A PSYCHIC MOM aired in all major markets and was featured at the Rotterdam Film Festival. Ms. Ainsworth’s short narrative films have been seen in festivals and museums in the United States and Europe. Her first feature film, STAY THEN GO, has been the 2014-15 official selection in film festivals across the country, as well as the official selection for the Southern Circuit, a highly regarded touring program. For STAY THEN GO, Ms. Ainsworth was the recent recipient of the “Pioneering Women in Screenwriting” award from the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival. She lives and works in Minneapolis and has three children.
WORKSHOP Date
January/February 2013
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Festivals & Awards
2014 Provincetown International Film Festival
2015 Fargo Festival