Laura lives alone with her only daughter, Katie, as her husband Jeff spends most of his time working in Europe. Katie's boyfriend proposes to her, and due to the fear of her mother's reaction she hides this fact from Laura. As she consults with her grandmother, Emily, about what to do, Laura suspects that something is amiss. As they work independently towards uncovering and dealing with the situation, they must finally come to terms with the passage of time and the changes that it brings.

'A Lovely Sunrise' is an intimate domestic drama, the story of a mother finding the courage to accept her daughter's impending marriage and departure from the family home. Despite the simplicity of the core narrative, the film features a number of unconventional or experimental elements, such as a complete absence of camera movement; the gradual development of object-symbol relationships using decorative images; and the first use of the 'Godshot.' Directed by recent graduate Cas Raegis and filmed by a team of predominantly local students and recent grads in North Carolina, it is a tribute to the warmth and familial bonds at the heart of southern culture.