I first met Shauna Grace and Susan Dynner at the 2024 Festival de Cannes’ American Pavilion, where they screened The Soul Trader as a proof-of-concept short film. I had just arrived on the French Riviera, and it was a harbinger of the week to come when, ironically, the award-winning The Substance would steal the spotlight. Films with similarities so far apart in production yet alike in the realm of purpose and meaning illustrate why the imitation of art and life is always worth noting and what’s on the mind of contemporary filmmakers, who are the modern storytellers.
As The Soul Trader made its way through the 2024 festival circuit, it was featured in short film blocks and showcases and won awards. The film returned to me in the fall of 2024 with the debut of the Boise Film Festival (BFF), where the executive producer and lead actress of The Soul Trader, Shauna Grace (Coral Chase), along with the film’s director and producer, Susan Dynner, discussed their experiences with me since France. I had the opportunity to watch The Soul Trader at a festival in my home state of Idaho, at the newly minted BFF adding to the excitement of the festival’s debut. The Soul Trader screened in very good company in a short program at The Flicks in Boise.
The Soul Trader centers on Coral Chase (Shauna Grace) who is far from your typical hitwoman. Uniquely gifted, she can extract souls, a talent she exploits by selling young souls to the aging elite desperate to prolong their lives. For years, she has monopolized this dark trade, catering to the depraved desires of the affluent, including Erica Claessen (Donna Mills) and Damien (Shane West). Weary from a career spent indulging the morbid fantasies of the rich, Coral yearns for an exit. She plans one final, lucrative job to secure her freedom, dreaming of retiring to a peaceful, warm haven with her twelve-year-old son, Noah (Dexter Hobert), where they can lead a life of normalcy. With a high-value target in her sights, Coral sets out on what she intends to be her last “soul-tapping” adventure. However, her mission encounters an unexpected complication. The intended target is not isolated as anticipated, and Coral swiftly realizes she is not the only one in the apartment harboring lethal intentions.
“I enjoy creating things that are complex and rich in meaning.”
Dynner, an award-winning director, producer, and writer, is also a recent Sundance Stories of Change Directing Fellow and a current Blackmagic Studio Feature Directing Fellow, among her many accomplishments in her lengthy career producing and directing television and independent films, having worked for Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes as a VP, and Wolfgang Petersen. She began her career at Richard Donner Productions and Di Novi Pictures. Dynner is also a founding member of GenXX, an initiative dedicated to expanding opportunities for the generation of women who have been overlooked due to sexism and ageism. Her production company, Aberration Films, has numerous projects in development.
Grace’s love for filmmaking and performance has fueled her passion since the age of five. She grew up immersed in dance training, acting classes, and musical performance. She graduated Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts with a B.F.A. in Theatre, emphasizing Original Works. She has written and performed several one-woman shows and has been cast in numerous regional musical productions throughout the Pacific Northwest. Through her work in the metaphysical industries, Grace’s reputation has also secured her a place in the unscripted television sector. She has appeared on “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and “Vanderpump Rules” on Bravo! TV Network. Grace is also recognized as an Expert on Empaths and Extra Sensory Perception, as demonstrated in the series “Proof,” produced by HopLight Productions and streaming on Amazon Prime.
Grace’s investment in The Soul Trader extends beyond her roles as executive producer and lead actor. She is experiencing the independent film world from multiple perspectives through this well-orchestrated, engaging film that keeps you on edge. It’s not merely a sexy thriller-horror film. It possesses heart and purpose with a meaningful message. It’s no surprise that it continues to be programmed and win awards. The Soul Trader showcases plenty of pizazz and style, revolving around popular culture’s allure of the occult and the desire to live eternally as youthful and beautiful.
