Rocklin resident Tracie Donahue will be premiering her first full-length feature film at the Sacramento Independent Film Festival tonight at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento.

“Secrets to Love: A Journey to Find Happily Ever After,” is a documentary that explores love and how to maintain happy and healthy relationships.

Featuring actress Robin Givens, local comedian Jack Gallagher and the author of “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” John Gray, as well as real couples and relationship experts, the film takes a close look at what makes a relationship last.

“I went through a divorce and I really wanted some answers on what it took to have a healthy relationship,” Donahue said.

Although this is her first full-length film, Donahue lists some short films and commercials among her credits.

“It has been a long process, it is a much bigger beast,” Donahue said. “It has been very exciting.”

Donahue uses her own story as a starting point, taking a look at the traditional, perhaps stereotypical “Leave it to Beaver” concept of marriage and contrasting it with the reality of today.

“I wanted to make a movie that made a difference,” she said.

The film not only touches on things that can and do go wrong, but also provides solutions to those issues.

“The really great news? We can change,” Donahue said.

Givens recounts her story of domestic violence with former husband Mike Tyson.

“The first time I was hit I wasn’t married,” Givens said. “That was certainly more than a sign, but I still got married.”

Givens finds that domestic violence is a generational phenomenon, one that she can trace back through her father for three generations.

“It’s interesting to go through so much and really marry a man very much just like my father,” she said.

Domestic violence is just one of many forms of relationship dysfunction the film addresses.

According to University of Denver Psychology Professor Howard Markman, “Even if you come from the most disadvantaged, dysfunctional, chaotic family… (and) all that matters, however, what matters more is how we handle things right now, in the present and in the future.

“Love and a successful marriage is not so much about being lucky enough to find the right partner, though that’s important, it’s being the right partner over time and as you move forward,” he said.

Funded through a federal grant aimed at restoring relationships, Donahue enlists the efforts of Emmy award-winning editor Jim Eckes and award-winning director of photography Brian Hamm.

“Secrets to Love: A Journey to Find Happily Ever After” premieres tonight at 7 p.m. at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. in Sacramento.

To reserve a seat, call Julia Spiess with the Perry Communications Group at 658-0144 or 601-8282. Check-in is at 6 p.m. Red carpet arrivals at 6:30 p.m.