Over the past two years it’s been hard to miss the short
film ‘Seventh Grade,’ a true coming-of-age drama by prolific filmmaker Stefani
Saintonge, as it has graced multiple festivals. 

But if you have missed it, now you can see it for free on
Saintonge’s Vimeo channel.

In the film, “Everyone is growing up except Patrice. But
when a raunchy rumor threatens her best friend’s reputation, she’s forced to
join the party and embrace adolescence.“  With breakout acting by its young actors, and humor, sensitivity, and perfect timing by writer/director Saintonge, the film is easily one of the best recent short films released. 

Early last year, before the film was even in full festival
release, Saintonge was announced as the inaugural winner of the ESSENCE Black
Women in Hollywood Discovery Award by ESSENCE’s Black Women In Hollywood
Academy. Since then, ‘Seventh Grade has been an official selection at New
Voices in Black Cinema, the Austin Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Urbanworld
Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival, Athens International Film + Video
Festival, Afrikana Film Festival Noir Cinema Series Rebels Film Festival, Hayti International Film Festival, and Cinema Club Volume
XXXV. In 2014 the film was also a NBCU Short Film Festival Finalist, and took home
the 2nd Place Short award at the North Carolina Black Film Festival.

Saintonge has multiple projects coming down the pike,
including producing Faren Humes’ new drama short ‘Macho’ that explores
how to be a man in today’s society, and the consequences in not being the ideal
version of that.

Check out Saintonge’s website for more about her past and ongoing projects.