What is Shepherd in the Mist?
Shepherd in the Mist is a limited series (in development), based on the life of Jim Graham and his memoir “Buried Truth: A Poignant Story of a Man’s Search for His Father, Exposing Powerful Forces Bent on Hiding the Truth”, written by Maria Doctor Fernandez, Alex George Pickering & Asher B. Gudsen.
Spanning decades, Shepherd in the Mist follows the story of a man who learns the origin of his birth—and the reason he rarely saw his mother as a child—is a lie. A man who discovers why an institution was more committed to protecting its power than the people harmed in its wake—and the perseverance needed to do something about it and find healing along the way.
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Biographical, Investigative Drama
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“Spotlight”, “Philomena” & “The Keepers”
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When 48-year-old Jim Graham discovers his father was a Catholic priest, he embarks on a quest to prove his paternity, expose a costly cover-up, and reconcile his pursuit of justice with his need to heal from the past and move forward.
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The series is about family secrets, institutional coverups, and perseverance in the face of stonewalling and collective silence.
It’s also about the unexpected signs and people that kept Jim going—and ultimately pointed him toward the light.
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The series dances that fine line between painful drama, gripping mystery, and heartfelt hero’s journey. One obstacle at a time, one breakthrough at a time.
With wit, humor & intrigue, like its real-life leads, Shepherd in the Mist never takes itself too seriously. It lets you breathe, even with what’s at stake.
Meet the Team
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Maria
WRITER/PRODUCER
Maria Doctor Fernandez is a freelance filmmaker, screenwriter, and poet from Indiana. She's a USC's Cinema-TV production program, from which she graduated in 2008. She worked in the entertainment industry for several years before working in the documentary and nonprofit worlds and returning to the Midwest. Having come of age in a multicultural community and multi-faith upbringing, she creates worlds and explores characters with diverse backgrounds, relatable flaws, high stakes, and always comic relief.
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Asher
CO-WRITER/PRODUCER
Asher is an international, multilingual filmmaker and photographer who was born in Venezuela and has also lived in Spain, the U.K., and now the U.S. A Spanish Air Force veteran and recent film school graduate from Columbia College Chicago (a second degree), he is a mechanically-inclined, gifted visual storyteller with a passion for fiction and non-fiction stories that communicate truth, beauty, and justice. An active set photographer and director of photography, he is also a soulful screenwriter.
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Alex
WRITER
Alex George Pickering is an LA-based screenwriter and producer, represented by Citizen Skull Management alongside his writing partner, Matthew Breault. Originally from Boston, MA, Alex earned his BA in English/Writing at Georgetown University before obtaining an MFA in Cinema-Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. During his time at USC, Alex wrote the FotoKem Gold-winning Efrain, recognized as USC's Best Film of 2011, and the Ryan Coogler-directed Fig, which was distributed on HBO and Kanopy.
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Jim Graham
Jim is the author and life rights holder on whom Shepherd in the Mist is based.
Jim, a successful airline and investor relations executive, discovered in middle age that his identity was deliberately buried. Raised in silence and under strict Catholic discipline as a child, Jim becomes an unlikely investigator of his own past as an adult.
His journey transforms him from a wounded son into a seeker of truth, forcing him to confront familial loyalty and institutional power in order to unearth the truth, finding a bigger purpose for his life—and hope along the way.
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Melodie Graham
Melodie is the additional life rights holder on whom Shepherd in the Mist is based. She is not only Jim’s wife, but his emotional anchor. An empathetic and perceptive companion and business partner, with a great sense of humor.
Melodie is also a catalyst in Jim’s search for truth. She builds trust with witnesses, provides needed perspective, and steadies Jim through every win and loss.
Melodie helps Jim not only with the patience needed to achieve his goals, but the ability to be present, enjoy life, and have faith. In the end, she lovingly represents chosen family over inherited silence.