Beleeve
ENTERTAINMENT
SINCE 2012
Press Coverage
Production during a pandemic: how should filmmakers approach work in the midst of COVID-19?
Article| ProVideo Coalition | March 31, 2020
Written by Shannan Leigh Reeve
Establishing social distance while still working in production
It was just a month ago, at the end of February, that I took stock of how well things had been going for the small production company that I co-own, which is based in Los Angeles, California. The addition of the Canon C500mkII to our gear list had certainly been a highlight as we created new content. My team and I had just gotten back from a shoot in Vegas, and the client was so happy they were already inquiring about when we could squeeze them in for another shoot, given our already busy March shooting schedule. Things were bustling, bookings were coming in for April, and we even had one as far out as July.
Then the world changed.
Meet Chelese Belmont and Shannan Reeve of Beleeve Entertainment in North Hollywood
Article| October 14, 2019
Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelese Belmont and Shannan Reeve.
Chelese and Shannan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We formed Beleeve (which is a combination of our last names – Belmont and Reeve) in 2012 because we were inspired to tell stories that we believed in and to give voice to underrepresented characters. It was also a time when digital content was becoming cheaper and cheaper to create, so we wanted to step back from previous work with other collaborators and focus on creating quality over quantity.
KaPow Intergalactic Film Festival Creator Series: Parts 1 & 2
Podcast | September 16, 2019
Creators: Shannan Leigh Reeve ("Chromo 46"), Ed Hartman ("As the Earth Turns"), Bruce Nachsin ( "Lunchtime Is Over") and Maria Humphreys ("Strong Body Strong Soul Podcast"), met a few hours before KaPow Intergalactic Film Festival opened its doors to the very first screenings of the day. Their creative process, tribe mentality, influences, and a whole lot more ideas are discussed. Many synchronicities, harmonic epiphanies, and connections are bridged within this short segment.
Third Annual CineSpace Blasts Off at HCAF17
Article | November 17, 2017
On November 10, the Houston Cinema Arts Festival — in partnership with NASA — screened 13 finalists from 650 entries during the CineSpace short film competition at Rice Cinema. Entries were judged by Richard Linklater and awarded prizes totaling $26,000.
The top prize of $10,000 was presented to Lunar, by Christian Stangl, Austria; 2nd place ($5,000) went to Nadir, by Pedro de Filippis, Hungary; and 3rd place ($3,000) was awarded to The Invisible Border by Shannon-Leigh Reeve & Chelese Belmont, California. Guests mingled in the STELLA Lounge while interacting with telescopes provided by the Houston Astronomical Society.
Nine is Sublime at 2017 Houston Cinema Arts Festival
Press Release| November 15, 2017
Houston Cinema Arts Festival, in partnership with NASA, screened 13 finalists from 650 entries spanning nearly every continent worldwide at the Rice Cinema in the CineSpace short film competition and awarded top prizes totaling $26,000, which were judged and selected by Academy Award-nominated director Richard Linklater.
The top prize of $10,000 was awarded to Lunar, by Christian Stangl, Austria; 2nd place prize of $5,000 went to Nadir, by Pedro de Filippis, Hungary; and 3rd place prize of $3,000 was awarded to The Invisible Border by Shannan Leigh Reeve and Chelese Belmont, California.
Space Film Festival winners explore the universe of human beings and beliefs
Article | November 24, 2017
Invisible Border tells the story of a disabled scientist who returned to Earth after completing a one-man mission to space missions. Her success drew the media's attention. In her dialogue with reporters, she shared her views on life, the universe, Faith awareness.
Reeve said: "In the vast and vast universe, the Earth is only a tiny planet. She is our home and we are responsible for her. My original intention is to reflect the idea."
Chelsea Film Festival Announces its 2016 Winners
Press Release| October 17, 2016
Chelsea Film Festival (CFF) is an international film festival, enlightening the work of emerging filmmakers, producers, and actors. It offers a wide range of films, such as shorts, documentaries, and feature-length pieces. It empowers the work of risk-taking storytellers and remains committed to its mission to discover and develop independent artists and audiences around the world.
Best Screenplay - Penumbra, by Shannan Leigh Reeve & Gino Costabile
'Penumbra' Traces the Damage of Addiction on Friends and Family
By Indiewire Staff | IndiewireFebruary 16, 2015 at 9:00AM
Here's your daily dose of an Indie film in progress -- at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: is this a movie you'd want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Penumbra
Tweetable Logline: The addict must survive addiction; everyone else must survive the addict.
Elevator Pitch: The story of two addicts: a sober cop and a cocaine-loving artist, whose past history and addictions cause their lives to intersect. A tragic event will set both of them on a path that will challenge everything that they know and love. The film is not just from the perspective of the person in the clutches of addiction, but also focuses on the friends and family members of the addict, who have to endure the addict's struggles, recovery and relapses. Everyone who has struggled or known someone who has will be able to relate.
Making movie magic
Thursday, November 13, 2014 9:52 am | Updated: 9:55 am, Thu Nov 13, 2014.
Dan Holden • The Gilroy Dispatch
Gilroy High School graduate Chelese Belmont finishes first feature film, “Penumbra”; hopes for spring release.
The secret to fulfilling a dream is to wake up and do it. Chelese Belmont, a native of Gilroy, is making her dream come true.
As a student at St. Mary School and Gilroy High School, Belmont wanted to be a movie actress. Now, after years of hard work and dedication, she’s making that happen—in Hollywood in her own film.
“Chelese doesn’t follow in the footsteps of those around her, she creates her own,” said Rachelle Struthers, Belmont’s sister, also from Gilroy. “If she sets her mind to something, she does not give up until she has accomplished what she has set out to do. She is persistent, passionate and perseveres even in the toughest of times.”
Belmont’s Indie production, “Penumbra,” is a feature-length film she co-wrote with friends Gino Costabile and Shannan Leigh Reeve. It’s a gritty story about the toll of addiction on the friends and family of two women.
Handsome Timmy D Express: Podcast
August, 2014
Onto Episode 5, I’m delighted to welcome Chelese Belmont and Shannan Leigh Reeve. They’re the founders of Beleeve Entertainment and this interview ties in perfectly with yesterday’s theme of women making their mark in today’s Hollywood. Chelese and Shannan are currently campaigning on indiegogo to finish their new feature “Penumbra” which takes an honest and unapologetic look at the struggles of addiction from several sides.
“Penumbra” tells the story of Erin Jacobs, a gifted artist who’s harboring a destructive cocaine addiction. She has a run-in with a police officer Valerie, who has a past scarred by her own addiction. Erin struggles to find sobriety but Valerie shows us how hard sobriety is to maintain.
Shannan and Chelese are two women who wear many hats on a movie set and they’re trailblazing their way across the indie scene making the movies they believe should be made. They’re setting a tremendous example to all of us who want to make films but are sometimes intimidated by the complexity of the studio system. The work they’re doing reminds us that if you truly want to achieve something, there’s really nothing stopping you. This a great conversation about believing in yourself and making your own path, especially in the face of glass ceilings and preconceived notions. I’m really proud that they took time out of their busy schedule to appear on my podcast: