Three GHS grads, Mitchell Mahar Perrin, Ian David Hawkes (both GHS ’11) and Nathaniel Dombek (GHS ’12) have joined forces on a new psychological thriller titled “Ash Woman,” which will be filmed on Peaks Island.

Hawkes wrote the script and will direct the film. Production is set to begin on a short version of the film in early November which will be submitted to film festivals in the Spring of 2024. The full-length Feature film is scheduled for production in the Fall of 2024.

Perrin, a cinematographer, will be Director of Photography. He has a degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts and is known for his work on “All You Can Carry (2018), “Mare of Easttown (2021) and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (2020).

Dombek is an entertainment rigger for many touring productions in New England. He attended film acting school at the New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts.

Their cooperative effort became possible when Hawkes moved back to Maine in 2021 along with his young family. Hawkes said, “Without a doubt the most fulfilling part of this project has been collaborating with childhood friends who have impressive portfolios that fit perfectly with my vision for the project.”

An enticing part of this creative project is that anyone interested in supporting the film can become a sponsor of the film and receive weekly progress updates. Other perks include a password protected link to view the finished short film and a special acknowledgement in the scrolling credits. To find out more about the Ash Woman project, visit AshWomanFilm.com. Hawkes and the team hope that many people will help to build something beautiful together.

Hawkes is thrilled to continue his creative pursuits as a writer and film maker in the place that he says feeds his creative inspiration. “Everything I was writing took place in Maine, and I wanted to film my scripts here with local artists who understand and love this place,” he said. He is a big fan of film maker, Dario Argento, known as the “Master of Horror” and of Gregory Crewsden, whose eerie photographic style blends surreal, incongruent images.

Hawkes earned a BA degree in Film/Cinema/Video Studies and a minor in Sociology from Brigham Young University in 2017. He worked at Creatably, a video marketing agency that specialized in comedic online advertising for Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. As the company grew, he moved up the ranks to become the Creative Director. “I wrote and directed dozens of projects, honing my craft as a filmmaker and writer,” he said. In 2021, he launched his own agency, Dangerfield + Hawkes, which allowed him to spend more time writing features and collaborating with local directors on indie films and shorts. Hawkes also owns Bait Shop, the production company for his fiction films. He also finds time to write features for directors around the country.

Hawkes now lives in Portland with his wife of eight years, Anna, and their two children with another on the way. Hawkes said, “Maine has been such a welcoming community for artists. We are excited to grow here and hopefully give back to this place.” Anna, a talented opera singer, is breaking into the theater scene in Portland. Hawkes can be reached at iandavidhawkes@gmail.com.