Shelter
Screenplay by David Rysdahl
Directed by Jen Gerber
STATUS: In pre-production
A troubled father reconnects with his estranged daughter after they find themselves homeless in the middle of a winter storm. Desperate for shelter, the duo returns to his mom’s home in rural Minnesota where they fake an illness in hopes of quickly getting back on their feet. The mother turns to her evangelical church seeking support and is inundated with love, money, and casseroles. As the lie grows, the family is forced to decide which secrets are worth keeping. CAST: David Rysdahl, Melissa Leo, Hala Finely, Zazie Beetz
Has Been Beauty Queen
Screenplay by: Jen Gerber & Samuel Brett Williams
Directed by: Jen Gerber
STATUS: In development
Andi , 16, successfully juggles school and her gig at the BBQ joint but struggles as caretaker for her undiagnosed bipolar mother CANDY and her younger multiracial half-sister LEXY. what she can’t control is her bipolar mother. With hopes of winning a college scholarship, she turns to the local pageant circuit. Against her mother’s wishes and with the help of a local pageant coach, she hopes to win a college scholarship. negotiates lessons from a no-nonsense local pageant coach Tensions caused by the crown surmounts when CANDY is hospitalized after a manic episode. Andi blows off picking her mom up from the hospital and travels with Lexy to compete for Miss Teen Arkansas. Ultimately, she doesn’t win the crown, but learns she is better off being - a Has Been Beauty Queen.
Crash Queen
Screenplay by: Samuel Brett Williams & Jen Gerber
Directed by: Jen Gerber
STATUS: Script
MOLLY can fix an engine better than anyone, but in a town where the gender barriers are as old as the car parts, she spends her days as the receptionist at an auto repair shop. Molly needs an outlet, and ends up finding one through the demolition derby. As the first woman to compete in the male dominated sport in Arkansas, Molly must not only master the game, but she must win the respect of the men who are fighting to keep her out of the competition.
The Revival
Screenplay by: Samuel Brett Williams
Directed by: Jen Gerber
Featuring: David Rysdahl, Zachary Booth, Raymond McAnally, Lucy Faust & Stephen Ellis
STATUS: Released (Available on Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Vudu)
The Revival is a tragic love story about a closeted gay southern baptist preacher who finds himself in a secret love affair that disrupts the equilibrium of his growing church. This film explores the pain of suppressing desire in the face of religion. It is a sermon to anyone who has wanted something they can’t have.