Can you spare a dime? Check out the PUNK QUEEN!

3 May

One of the really fun things about running NerdLush is that sometimes we get contacted (or seek out the info ourselves) to help spread the word on a cool, independent project. Since we began, we’ve run several posts talking about the highs and lows of independently (or crowd-sourcing) a project, even enjoyed interviewing several awesome people in regards to their projects.

Today we’re running a double post day in order to help spread the word about a fun little film project, The Punk Queen. To facilitate getting this post out as quickly as possible, I’ll share the press release I just received- hear from the production team what this project is all about!

The Punk Queen is about an elderly lady who joins a punk band by accident & realizes its her true calling.We truly want this ﬁlm to empower people of all ages!!!

We are seeking $40,000 to fund The Punk Queen ﬁlm project.

The Punk Queen short ﬁlm is about rekindling youth and going for what you want in life, no matter what age you are. This story is about an elderly lady who joins a punk band by accident and ﬁnds her life passion. She forms a friendship with her bandmates that is very special and unique. She inspires her gruff, younger bandmates to want to be better people, and they help her learn to be happy with just being herself.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueDWMa3WUn8]
We want this ﬁlm to empower people of all ages to reach their full potential! In addition to screening this in ﬁlm festivals, we plan to host screenings in retirement homes and senior centers to show support for elderly and their caregivers. It will showcase the elderly in a positive light, and be a wholesome story for all ages to enjoy. We believe our own appreciation for the elderly in our lives will shine through this project. Justin, Director of The Punk Queen says: “I’d like to say how grateful we are for supporters of our project. I care deeply about elderly people and how much wisdom and inﬂuence they’ve imparted on my life from my Grandma and Aunt. I feel honored to be apart of this project and look forward to showcasing elderly people in a positive light. We learn so much from our elders, it’s time to ﬁnally show them in more ﬁlms!” Emily, the Producer, says “When I was in high school, a very special elderly woman named Edith befriended me and changed my life. She rarely considered her age a factor when it came to doing what she loved, and I really admire her for that. Though I was very shy, she inspired me to become a writer and I really appreciate her for that. She inspired the blog which eventually developed into this screenplay.”
Justin Shenkarow: Director/Co-writer

Justin Shenkarow has spent 25 years working in television, ﬁlm and animation, as an actor and director. He received an Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for his acting role for 4 years on Picket Fences. He has worked on over 50 productions including Oscar winning ﬁlms Avatar, Good Will Hunting, Silver Linings Playbook and starred on numerous television shows including Eerie Indiana and Picket Fences, as well as cartoons Hey Arnold,Recess and Lloyd in Space. Justin also spent 5 years as the National Chairman of the Young Performer’s Committee at The Screen Actors Guild, overseeing 18,000 young actor’s wages and
working conditions. He has directed several short ﬁlms that have
won numerous ﬁlm festivals. He is a graduate of Stanford
University and has a Master’s in Business from CSUN.

Emily Robinson: Producer/Creator

Emily has been involved in TV productions since age 3, her debut on a PBS documentary, and later a series of furniture commercials. She learned reel to reel editing at age 5 (through a pro editing system the local San Francisco news station was
throwing out) and she picked up her ﬁrst broadcast camera by age seven. (ﬁlming her own reenactments of Star Trek: The Next Generation with her family). By age 18, Emily got her job for FreeState Studios/6News as a ﬂoor director/ videographer where she also trained extensively in audio engineering and graphic design. She studied Graphic Design at Phoenix University and Theatre & Film at The University of Kansas. She has won several awards for her writing and production work, including 3 Telly awards, 2 Midi Awards, 2nd place writer’s scholarship award through World Magazine, and 2 regional Emmys. Today she produces for Silver Rose Entertainment.

Christie Scanlin Dobson: Associate Producer

Christie earned her Master of Arts degree in Speech Communication Studies, Theatre & Dance with Alternative Training
in Drama Therapy from Kansas State University in 2006 and is a Registered Drama Therapist. She interned at Bert Nash Mental Health Center for the Secondary Classroom with students with severe behavioral disorders and created a drama group for older women at Brandon Woods Assisted Living. Exploring the importance of the expressive arts across the lifespan, she wrote her thesis on drama in the preschool classroom. Continuing education has also included a certiﬁcate program from Kansas City Play Therapy Institute.

Christie worked for ﬁve years as Arts Outreach Coordinator for
GaDuGi SafeCenter, Lawrence’s direct service provider of support
for victims of sexual assault, and built an extensive collaborative
network with other agencies including Lawrence Arts Center, Boys and Girls Club, The Shelter, Inc., local schools, the District Attorney’s ofﬁce and others with the goal of creating projects to
address social issues. She founded StormDoor Productions in 2009.

A member of Screen Actors Guild, Christie can be seen in feature ﬁlms Earthwork and Jayhawkers and appears in Misti Boland Osbern’s Goodnight, Jane.