From Page to Premiere: Keely Boutwell’s Filmmaking Debut

Keely Boutwell has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. From a young age, she's been captivated by the power of stories—so much so that she would often rewrite Disney princess tales and recruit her sisters to perform in impromptu plays and musicals of her creation. What began as childhood play soon grew into a lifelong passion. Lining her shelves are notebooks, each one holding a world of her imagination. Some are half-finished, others complete, but all echo with stories Keely was compelled to tell. Now, she's stepping into a new chapter: bringing one of her long-envisioned stories to life on screen.

Keely's recent piece titled "Rotten End" is described as a "Western Hamlet" with themes of anger and vengeance. The idea was spurred after hearing how Hamlet, and Shakespearean plays in general, sound better with a southern drawl. Keely shares, "I tried reading Hamlet in that voice because it was one I was familiar with. As I was reading the script, I realized that Hamlet includes a lot of old Western movie tropes, and just like the idea for "Rotten End" was born. The plotline follows the "fragile protagonist" Silas after his father had been murdered. Silas is coaxed into getting revenge for his father's death, but what was once a "righteous pursuit for his father soon turns into a self-driven quest to quench his own anger."

Keely began crafting her story well before she ever heard about a competition. What started as a full-length movie idea was initially distilled into a short script, featuring only ghost scenes. At the time, she saw it as a creative exercise, a small window into a much larger cinematic world she was building. She had no idea it would evolve into something much bigger.

The turning point came when she heard about the Dear Filmmaker Short Film Competition, an initiative by Watershed, an organization she had already worked with on two previous short films. She first learned about the contest through friends at her home church, and it immediately caught her attention.

Backed by a mission to empower young filmmakers with hands-on experience, mentorship, and resources, the Dear Filmmaker program invites storytellers between the ages of 17-24 to bring faith-based narratives to life. The competition provides a rare opportunity to create a short film from concept to completion with the support of industry professionals.

Inspired by the contest's vision and encouraged by the alignment with her own storytelling values, Keely submitted her "Rotten End" script. What began as a modest passion project became part of something larger: a collaborative filmmaking journey supported by a community committed to telling stories that matter.

She felt that competing in this contest was the place to start if she were to be part of the filmmaking business. Keely began working on expanding her script to match more of what the competition was looking for. Thankfully, she saved the original outline, and with that, she started creating more of the storyline. To make sure she made the 20-minute limit of a short film, she had cut a few subplots, and by the end of her edits, she had the script's final draft. After much time and hard work, she sent her script into the competition to compete against 158 other contenders.

Months later, during a Zoom call with a member of the Watershed team, Keely believed they were simply discussing behind-the-scenes footage from a previous project. As the conversation shifted, she was stunned to learn the real reason for the call—her script had been chosen as the winner out of 158 submissions. The news left her in shock. Despite a busy weekend working media for a DBU event, she quickly arranged to travel to Houston and made it just in time for the celebration.

After announcing her as the winner, she went back to work making the edits they had requested, finishing the 13-page draft with the whole storyline completed. Keely shared, "Like many artists of any kind, I have a bit of impostor syndrome when it comes to my work. I have a lot of self-doubt, and I often wonder not only if people will like what I create, but also if they will like me." This win gave Keely a huge confidence boost. 

Winning the Dear Filmmaker competition marks a major turning point in Keely's journey. As the selected winner, she doesn't just receive recognition, she gets the chance to bring her script to life on screen. Partnering with Watershed Motion Pictures, Keely will be involved in every stage of the filmmaking process: from development and pre-production to filming and post-production. It's a hands-on experience that allows her to learn the craft while seeing her vision realized. And the journey doesn't end once the film is complete. As part of the prize, Keely receives support in navigating film festival submissions and exploring distribution options to help her story reach a wider audience. What begins as an idea on paper now becomes a professionally produced film, with the potential to impact viewers far beyond what she ever imagined.

This experience hugely impacted Keely not only personally, but also professionally. "I get to have my name under the words 'written and directed by,' and that's invaluable—especially for a 19-year-old kid like me to have on her resume. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. The Lord has truly blessed me with this, and I can't wait to see what's next."

At DBU, where she is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education, Keely has been surrounded by incredibly encouraging individuals who have constantly supported her. Reflecting on her journey, she remarked, "I would not be as close to the Lord as I am today without the friends I've made here. DBU mentors its students to love the Lord and love others. It raises leaders who will defend their faith against all odds. It creates kind-hearted, kingdom-minded adults the world needs."

After graduation, Keely plans to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher while continuing to explore her passion for filmmaking and scriptwriting on the side. Looking ahead, she envisions returning to school after a few years to earn her master's degree, with hopes of eventually completing a doctorate and teaching English and Literature at the collegiate level.

Ultimately, she believes that the Lord will guide her in taking steps and following where the Lord guides her. "I've learned to release control and take life as He tells me to. He set the path. I'm just walking on it."