Follow the journey of five young aerial artists as they attempt to defy gravity in their first national competition. This story of personal achievement and the search for belonging provides a glimpse into the relatively unknown world of aerial performance art.
A passion project of John VonMutius, Suspension of Disbelief is an upcoming documentary focused on a group of aerial artists in Orlando, Florida. The story follows five dedicated students in particular who are preparing to compete at Viva Fest in Las Vegas, Nevada. As these emerging professionals spend increasingly more time creating and practicing their routines, the film provides a glimpse into the history and current state of the circus arts, which include trapeze, lyra, silks, pole, and many more.
The Team
John VonMutius, Director:
With degrees in Studio Art and Art History, John VonMutius enjoyed an early career in graphic design before discovering video production. With gusto, he began telling stories in motion, relishing the rare combination of teamwork, problem-solving, and technical achievement. After a decade of robust corporate and commercial production, VonMutius officially stepped into the filmmaking world as an editor, cinematographer, and director in 2018 with his directorial debut, Time Was.
Laura VonMutius, Producer:
An avid artist from a young age, Laura VonMutius grew up drawing, painting murals, and working with clay. While studying Art Education and Art History at FSU, she moved on to elaborate paper crafts and interactive installations. To her creative eye, film is a new and exciting art form to explore. Although not formally trained in filmmaking, Laura’s skills as a certified and experienced educator have easily translated to film sets. Clear communication, an eye for detail, interpersonal skills, and a calm demeanor under pressure make her an excellent producer, director and script supervisor. Laura wrote her first script in 2018 for a short film called Anything You Can Do, which she brought to life as her directorial debut in early 2019.
Amanda Hidalgo, Producer:
Amanda brings extensive communications and storytelling experience to her role as producer. Prior to her work on Suspension of Disbelief, Amanda worked in the corporate and nonprofit sectors to bring each organization’s story to life through public relations, marketing and copywriting. She first began her career in storytelling at the Sundance Film Festival, where she helped produce a mini docu-series about first-time filmmakers.