Film festivals aren’t just for showcasing finished work. They are one of the best tools to get you started on your next project or to help you refine the project you have already started. ZenLily Films’ Director and Producer, Stephanie Manesis, recently attended the 2026 International Fargo Film Festival to…
ZenLily Films’ is embracing international voices in more ways than one! Our independent documentary film that highlights stories of compassionate acts between enemy soldiers on the WWII battlefield not only includes global veteran voices, but it is being made by a talented international filmmaking team! During wars, humans become each…
From Book Club to Battlefield: The Birth of ZenLily Films A single story can spark a dream and change a life. For ZenLily Films founder Stephanie Manesis, one tale of compassion on the WWII battlefield planted a seed that would grow into a full-scale documentary project. What began as early…
ZenLily Films hired a film crew in Düsseldorf, Germany to capture moving footage of one story directly from Guenther Degen, the son of a German U-Boat commander whose life was saved by an American Army Air Corps pilot. We got some vital background on the story of compassion between the…
Did you know that we have an Emmy-award winning actor in our documentary? You’ve probably heard his voice, even if you’ve never seen him before! Who is Peter Coyote? Our film’s narrator Peter Coyote is known for his incredible work on Ken Burns’s documentaries. He has done the voiceover in…
As the holidays draw near, we are reflecting on one of the greatest displays of compassion on a battlefield to date: the Christmas Truce of 1914. This event was a show of true camaraderie between enemies on the battlefield on a scale we have never seen since. Many soldiers of…
Celebrate Our Success At The ETHOS Film Festival Celebrate with us as we accept the Peace Award from the ETHOS Film Festival! Our film won despite the fact that Marked by Grace: Compassion Prevails on the WWII Battlefield is still in the making. We are incredibly excited by this big…
We know it’s hard to keep up with things you care about when life seems a little too hectic. But at ZenLily Films, we want to make our content easily accessible for everyone. If you’re reading this, you already know our blog is a great place to get quick, yet…
