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.
S.E. King is a Los Angeles-based creative with roots in Chicago comedy before moving to Los Angeles to pursue their dream of writing and directing. S.E. looks to elevate LGBTQ+ voices, women, and other overlooked perspectives across documentary, narrative, and branded spaces.
S.E.'s storytelling centers underrepresented protagonists looking for levity. S.E. subverts expectations to spotlight observational truths — fascinated by the assumptions surrounding marginalized communities, King explores the many facets of the human condition and the million truths behind American folklore. Comedic empathy for the underdogs. Satirical honesty for those in power.
S.E.'s dramedy scripts centering complicated women have placed as Finalist, Top 8, Semifinalist, and Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival, the Tony Cox Screenplay Competition at Nantucket, HollyShorts, Cinequest, ScreenCraft, and more. King's debut documentary feature, Our Dad, Danielle, was independently produced with support from a grant from The John Steven Kellett Foundation and crowdfunding. It won the Best Documentary Jury Award at Manchester Film Festival, the LGBTQ+ Voices Jury Award and Audience Award at Portland Film Festival, and the Audience Award at Vail Film Festival.
King is currently in production on Lick Me: The Cherry Vanilla Story, a feature documentary about an unsung counterculture revolutionary — glam-punk pioneer, Warhol collaborator, Bowie's publicist, and at 82, still as punk as ever. Selected for Gotham Week Project Market 2025. Interested to learn more please reach out to connect.
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
