Adrienne Shelly

Adrienne Shelly was an actress skeptical of her own ambitions and motivations prior to becoming a burgeoning filmmaker whose life was cut short by murder. Her talents both as an actress and as a director were admired by critics and film lovers, but remained largely unknown to the masses even after her untimely death. Hal Hartley, that unique directing talent whose quirky, philosophical films developed a strong cult following, made Shelly his personal muse in such notable indie hits as "The Unbelievable Truth" (1989) and "Trust" (1990). She eschewed the glitter of Hollywood for the grit of independent film, developing strong feelings about the objectification of women onscreen and believing that women belonged behind the camera as well as in front. With her last directing effort, a bittersweet comedy called "Waitress," which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival amidst sobs and cheers, Shelly left behind a message of hope and redemption, despite her own hopes being callously and senselessly ended.