Diane is 70, recently divorced, and mad as hell at the richie yahoos invading her small, tourist town. Buckle up, folks, this late bloomer is about to blossom.
DIANE FROM KERNVILLE is a single-camera, satirical dramedy set in 2013 that looks at wealth disparity, internet culture, and local politics through the eyes of a 70-yr-old woman grasping for visibility and purpose. Diane spends her free time cloaked in the anonymity of online life. She self-medicates with cigarettes, wine, and a recent "self-help" bestseller. But she's ready for tangible change. Understanding impoverished, small-town folks are easily left behind, Diane refuses to have the integrity of her beloved Kernville erased by the burgeoning San Fran tech world invading it. Her small California river town—gorgeous landscapes juxtaposed by local economic desperation and increasing entitled tourists—is striving to adapt to the growing influence of social media and short-term rentals. Diane and her best buds, determined to protect it, become unlikely heroes on a mission to preserve what's sacred about Kernville.
COMPS: Somebody Somewhere meets Northern Exposure with a dash of Parks & Rec.
I'm a director and writer. I look to elevate my LGBTQ+ community, women & other overlooked voices in the documentary, narrative & branded spaces.
Oftentimes, my storytelling centers underrepresented protagonists looking for levity. I like to subvert expectations to spotlight observational truths. Fascinated by the assumptions surrounding marginalized groups, I explore the many facets of the human condition and the million truths behind American folklore, examining these complexities to humanize shared experiences. Comedic empathy for the underdogs, satirical honesty for those in power.
My “quirky” dramedy scripts centering complicated women have placed as a Finalist, Top 8, Semifinalist & Second Rounder at festival competitions like Austin Film Festival, Tony Cox's Screenplay Competition at Nantucket, HollyShorts, Cinequest, ScreenCraft and more. My debut documentary feature, Our dad, Danielle, was thoroughly independent and made possible with a grant from The John Steven Kellett Foundation and crowd-funding. We were fortunate to win the Best Documentary Jury Award at Manchester Film Festival, LGBTQ+ Voices Jury Award & Audience Award at Portland Film Festival and the Audience Award at Vail Film Festival.
I'm currently hard at work on our next feature documentary, Lick Me: The Cherry Vanilla Story, about an unsung counterculture revolutionary who was a glam-punk pioneer and at 81 she is still as punk as ever. Please reach out if you’re interested in learning more as we need more funding to keep going and we would absolutely love a seasoned, badass producer to come on board and rock it out with us.
Nantucket Film Festival 2024 - Tony Cox Screenwriting Competition - Top 8 Semifinalist
Austin Film Festival 2024 - Second Rounder
HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition 2024 - Semifinalist
Cinequest Screenwriting Competition 2024 - Semifinalist
BlueCat Screenwriting Competition 2024 - Quarterfinalist
