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Documentary about 9/11, Navy Seals produced in Hampton Roads wins award

Posted at 10:14 PM, Jul 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-11 23:28:46-04

NORFOLK, Va. - A film produced entirely in Hampton Roads won a "Best Film" award for first time filmmakers at the Cayman Islands International Film Festival.

Todd Grubbs, Norfolk-based film producer, accepted the award on the Fourth of July.

"It's an amazing American story," he says.

Grubbs says he and his wife, Stephanie, bought the artwork titled "Until It Hurts" a few years ago at a benefit hosted by Wounded Wear, a local non-profit that work with combat-wounded warriors.

At the center of the artwork is a piece created by Navy Seal Dave Hall. He fired 79 bullets into a target from 911 feet away, one for every seal killed since September 11, 2001 to 2012.

Grubbs says he hung up the piece in his Norfolk home and quickly realized from his military neighbors that stopped by, that he needed to do more than that.

With the help of a creative crew, including director Scott Hansen, the artwork became a documentary.

"That was  the purpose, to take it to a bigger medium, pay tribute to these guys that did amazing things and sacrificed for our community and our country," says Grubbs.

The award comes after the film stirred up some controversy.

Hall sued Grubbs, Wounded Wear, its founders' Jason Redman, a retired Navy Seal from Hampton Roads who is featured in the video, and his wife.

In the suit, Hall says his involvement in the documentary had several conditions that Grubbs and the others did not follow, claiming it jeopardized his security clearance required for his job.

Grubbs stands by his work and says there has been no movement in the suit since the spring of 2015. He feels it is a movie everyone, not just those in the military, need to see.

"There are souls on this art that are represented that you would never ever know, unless this film was made."

To watch "Until It Hurts," head over to its website. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, the movie is available for free.