Welcome to Fentress Films

Hey there! 

Welcome to Fentress Films!! First of all, we are SO glad you decided to stop by to take a minute to look at our work. Thank you so much!

Creating this production company has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I am so so excited to have finally taken the leap!! 

For some background info on how this all started... I went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts to study theatre, musical theatre, and you guessed it... FILM! While at AADA, I completely fell in love with filmmaking and acting for the camera. After I graduated in 2018, I knew I wanted to create my own films. The thing was, I simply wasn't sure what I wanted to create or what I wanted my voice to be as a filmmaker. 

Jump to 2019, I was working as a professional actor (mostly acting in short films and readings of plays) and a professional fashion stylist at Anthropologie and BHLDN. I also spent most of my "days off' (because when you're an artist, there are no days off) working as a freelance portrait and fashion photographer. With my photography business, I started working with clients who wanted their photos to be for statement pieces for their advocacy work (for example, I did a #MeToo photoshoot with one client). I found so much joy working on these powerful photo projects, and it felt so rewarding to have my work be focused on creating positive social change!
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So... that's when I decided that I wanted to start creating films centered around social issues and health issues. And boom! Here we are!

Currently, I have created several shorts about mental health and diabetes advocacy. I have found such joy in spreading awareness and trying to help others who may be affected by these issues. My first short (which is a really really short short) is titled Melancholia, and stars Michael Kennedy (another AADA alum and one of my close friends). This short is about depression and anxiety, and is less than one minute in length. You can watch this short for free under our "Films" page on this site! 

My second short film is titled Life in a Vial, and stars Samantha Yestrebsky (known for Mosaic), Leah Abigail Shifrel (known for her instagram blog @theblondetype1), and Miles Thompson (who is also part of the Fentress films production team). Life in a Vial is about type one diabetes and the insulin affordability issue here in the US. I created this film because it is a very personal issue to me. I have been living with type one diabetes for nearly 20 years, and when I was in college, one of my friends with type one diabetes confided in me that she was rationing her insulin and asked if I could give her some of my own. She was incredibly scared and embarrassed to ask me, but she was also desperate and knew that if she didn’t ask, she might die. Some background info: insulin is a hormone necessary to regulate glucose in the blood, and without it, a person will die within a few days. Insulin was discovered in 1921 by Frederick Banting, and he sold his patent for $1, ensuring that anyone who needed access to it, would have it. In the US, insulin prices have gone from about $50 per vial in 2010, to close to $350 per vial in 2020. That means that if someone uses 4 vials of insulin per month, they will be spending over $1000 a month for their life saving medication. As you watch my film, I want to ask, “Could you afford to pay the price?” Could you afford to pay $1000+ a month to survive? Or would you have to pay the price of losing your life in order to pay your rent, pay your bills, and provide for your family? This is a very scary issue to talk about, but we can’t ignore it. AND we have the power to make change. Petitions are being signed, bills are being passed, and money is being raised. We can and we will make a difference for type one diabetics. Life in a Vial is now available to rent or purchase on Vimeo! 90% of the proceeds we receive from this film will go towards insulin affordability advocacy. You can watch the trailer for this film for FREE under our "Films" page, OR you can purchase a copy (digital or DVD) of the film in our storefront for $10. 
*SO far there has been a fantastic response to the debut of Life in a Vial! We have made over $300 in profits to be donated to charity AND the film has been selected for two major international film festivals... more details to come soon!!!

I also had the opportunity to direct and produce singer/songwriter, Kunle Ulysses', new music video for his song "Daylight". First of all, working with Kunle was such a wonderful experience. He is truly the kindest human being I have ever met and I recommend collaborating with him in the future if you ever get the chance! Going back to the music video... it was so fun! The song is about introspection and love, so Kunle and I decided the video would center around the simplicity and beauty of nature. I used lots of focus and blur effects to connect to the theme of introspection, and then I colored the film to be a bright and dreamy aesthetic. I really encourage you guys to check out Kunle's music; he's so talented! You can find his music on iTunes, Spotify, or SoundCloud. You can also check out the music video I made for him on my storefront page (and you can download the video for FREE). 

Anyways, I am so so so excited to have created this film production company and I cannot wait to create more content!! 

Thanks for reading (if you made it this far) and stay tuned!

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