BraveMaker Fiscal Sponsees

Dawn

A film by Shia Shabazz Smith

Logline

A grieving wine bar steward sets out to meet the mysterious nomad she once loved, grappling with the secret that drove them apart. As memories of their romance resurface, she must decide—will she embrace love again or finally let go?

Synopsis

On the anniversary of her parents’ death, Dawn awakens to the quiet ache of a life unfulfilled. She’s spent years drifting — her dreams of becoming a therapist buried beneath grief, her heart walled off behind the comforting rituals of pouring wine at a cozy San Francisco bar. Every glass is a distraction. Every evening, a delicate detour around the pain she refuses to face. But when Kamari — a magnetic, free-spirited nomad – unexpectedly appears, dormant complex emotions surface. Their connection once felt destined, but the secret that shattered them still lingers. As Dawn moves through the echoes of their memories, she’s faced with a choice: hold tight to the safety of certainty and walk away or lean into love to finally reclaim her future and the possibilities in her forever.

This is the story of one transformative day — the day she realizes closure isn’t found, but chosen.