When Charlotte-based Tepper Creek Films Owner Valerie Whitcomb heard of Bernie Ellis, who “reinvented” himself as a blueberry farmer after facing a felony conviction for growing and providing cannabis for medicinal use, she wanted to tell his story.

Whitcomb launched a Kickstarter campaign to run from mid-December to mid-January to complete the documentary, the Blueberry Farmer. More than 100 backers raised $8,181 — exceeding the $7,500 goal — to make the project possible after two years in the works.

Tepper Creek Films produces documentaries, music, videos and other multimedia productions.

Whitcomb debuted the film for an exclusive audience of donors and friends of hers or Ellis at her home Sunday. Though she said it was “scary” to have a roomful of 40 to 45 people watching the film, Whitcomb was “really pleased at how it went.”

Some, she said, came in thinking one way and walked out with a whole new perspective after watching the 1 hour and 42 minute documentary about “everyone’s favorite felon.”

Who is Bernie Ellis?

Ellis, a public health epidemiologist, shared his story with the Times in December, during the Kickstarter campaign. He began providing medical cannabis to AIDS patients in the late 1980s, and cancer patients soon afterward. For about 15 years and “without incident,” he’d been growing marijuana on Trace View Farm in Maury County.

But in 2002, Ellis noticed a law enforcement helicopter circling his farm, which was “raided.” Usable cannabis was taken as evidence, and federal officials threatened to take his farm. Whitcomb said at one point, Ellis was looking at 10 years in prison, a $2 million fine and confiscation of his entire farm.

More: Fundraising campaign underway for medical marijuana film

“My career essentially went away," Ellis said in a previous Times story. "I was helping four people when they raided me. And all of them died within a few months, much more miserable deaths than (they) would have had I been able to continue to help them.”

Now, visitors of Trace View Farm can pick or order seasonal berries and jams and other products.

“Very few people I think would ever say that being arrested and prosecuted by our government was a good thing or is a good thing. I’m here to say it was a good thing,” Ellis said in December. “My own spiritual awakening, my own commitment to service, my own connection with the natural world, none of those would be at the level they are now without this experience."

Still, Ellis previously noted the “disproportionate” punishment to his victimless crime, and Whitcomb agreed that he was trying to help people. They hoped that the Blueberry Farmer would spur conversation and possibly change minds, and even laws.

“It’s a great story and its true,” Whitcomb said. “What they did to Bernie was so wrong…He was trying to do a good thing.

“The world’s changing.”

The Blueberry Farmer

Whitcomb said it took a team — pointing to Mike Green, Liz Ficalora and Jill Sissel — to successfully complete the documentary and tell Ellis’ story.

Green is the director of technology and broadcast at SoBro Media Group, and the founder of Pixelwerk Studios. Ficalora is a drummer, audio engineer, producer and songwriter, among other titles, and Sissel is a songwriter who has written and performed music around Nashville for nearly two decades.

“Together we all did much more than any one of us could’ve done on our own,” she said. “You have to have that teamwork and that collaboration to make it work…that’s really special.”

Whitcomb said remaining Kickstarter funds left will pay to create DVDs, pay graphic artists and others who worked on the film, and enter the Blueberry Farmer in festivals.

So far, she said she’s submitted it for consideration for about 10 film festivals, including Sundance and Nashville Film Festivals, among others. She hopes to expand the Blueberry Farmer’s reach internationally, including at festivals in Toronto.

DVDs and/or streaming will be available for purchase after Jan. 1 because of festival guidelines, she said.

“Everybody applauded” after the film at the viewing party, Whitcomb said. “Bernie was smiling.”

The film also includes a call to action for viewers to contact their representatives and urge them to pass laws to legalize marijuana. Whitcomb argued that the plant is not “devastating” like opioids or alcohol issues, and “Tennessee needs to step up and not be the very last” state to legalize it.

“The film gets that conversation going,” she said. “That’s what I wanted to do… People need to educate themselves about it (and) I hope I added a little bit to the conversation.”

Kelly Fisher, reporter for the Ashland City Times, can be reached at KPFisher@gannett.com, 615-801-3866 or on Twitter at @KellyPFisher.