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AN AWARD WINNING FILM!

THEIR LOVE WAS COLORBLIND UNTIL IT TURNED RED

A FILM BY

JOY SHANNON

Featuring
Sharena Walker
and AJ Garrett
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A Feature Film by Joy Shannon

In a genre that usually goes for blood, guts and gore, My Dead Selfie aims to take the horror audience on a journey that shows the horrific side of racism, full of betrayal and deceit. 
 
Ginger, a young and beautiful African American woman, and her professional white husband, Hal, are full of life and enjoy a passionate marriage.  However, they tiptoe around the discussion of race. Ginger spends her time enjoying the financial security that her husband brings.  But Hal has a family secret though -- he comes from a long line of vicious slave overseers who secretly practiced the occult. Now, in a house that is possessed by the evils of racism, Ginger has no choice but to hope that her life matters.  

Director's Statement

Making a social-horror film, a sub-genre of horror films, just felt natural to me.  It allowed me to look at elements of racism in an aggressive, yet creative, way.  No doubt, the collective Black American experience has been horrific in every sense of the word, thus it's likely that horror films on race will be some of the most unique films that Black filmmakers create.  My leading cast of Ginger and Hal is symbolic. Ginger represents a segment of Black Americans who look away from racism, even when it's staring them in the face, and Hal represents this country's long-going exploitation of Black people.  So I took the set-up of a standard ghost story and placed Ginger and Hal in the center. Why call it, "My Dead Selfie"? It's a play on words.  We all need to look at ourselves and examine how we treat one another; if not, our 'selfies' will be void, from the inside out.
 

We made this film with spit and chewing gum, almost no money.  Really, almost no money. But the skeleton crew, mainly young people from Craigslist, and a very talented cast from LA helped to make magic! We were strangers, Blacks, Whites, Asians and Mexicans, who love cinema -- that's what brought us together and kept us together. I am so happy for this experience.

-- Joy Shannon

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SEE OUR TRAILER

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Music by Chris Amato

Clips
About
The Crew
JOY SHANNON | Producer / Writer / Director

JOY SHANNON | Producer / Writer / Director

Joy Shannon is a Los Angeles based producer, writer and director of indie films. Years ago, a historian of African American cinema conducted a study and determined that Joy's first 16mm feature film, Rags to Reality, was the first feature film directed by an African American woman to get a home video deal and the first to get released in the then popular Blockbuster Video (under the title of Uptown Angel). Past films include a feature and short version of 3rd Generation Female Gangsta, a short comedy entitled Sexless After 45 and a screw-ball feature comedy entitled Stuck With Jazz (aka All That Jazzin'). My Dead Selfie is Joy's first horror film.

MIRIAM HOLDER-JACOBS | Producer

MIRIAM HOLDER-JACOBS | Producer

Born in former British Guiana (aka Guyana), South America, Miriam came to America as a teenager with dreams of working in the entertainment industry. Her career began as an executive secretary to Oscar-winning producer Marty Richards, Gill Champion of POW Entertainment and Tom Fiorello of The Casting Group in New York City. Miriam has also written and produced Roots of Destruction, a documentary on three (female) generations of gang violence and how to stop the dysfunctional behavior in the home. She produced a short film entitled The Club, starring Tommy Ford and was an associate producer on a TV game show pilot Grammar Bee with the Monk TV producer, Fern Field Brooks. Miriam also produced the feature film House Arrest, starring Stacy Dash and The Game, a LionsGate/Grindstone release. Miriam is presently in pre-development for The Last Dragon sequel with Kerry Gordy Entertainment, John Davis Entertainment & Sanford Panitch of Sony Pictures. Also in pre-development, she has optioned a caper novel, Damaged Goods, by Roland S. Jefferson as a screenplay adaptation published by Simon & Schuster/Atria.

JONATHAN BURNETT | Co-Producer

JONATHAN BURNETT | Co-Producer

Independent filmmaker and producer Jonathan Burnett studied film and television production and received a BFA from the Academy of Arts University, in San Francisco, CA. He has directed and produced several projects during his tenure. Shortly after graduation, Jonathan worked on professional films in France, Algeria, and Atlanta, USA. He recently received his MFA in Film Production at Loyola Marymount University.

JOY PARRIS | Associate Producer and Head of Social Media PR

JOY PARRIS | Associate Producer and Head of Social Media PR

Joy Parris is co-founder of Rich Girl Productions and has been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. She has experience as a talent manager, event planner, public relations and film producer. She has written, directed and produced several shorts, actors’ demo reels and produced a well-received play, Quill and Ink. She believes in finding projects that are exciting and interesting with a compelling story. Along with her business partner, Kim Carter, she hopes to continue creating and producing captivating stories that impact the human experience.

ANNA KOVALEVA | Production Coordinator

ANNA KOVALEVA | Production Coordinator

Anna Kovaleva launched her career in 2000 in Moscow as a TV journalist and screenwriter. In her professional portfolio, she has more than 200 packages for news shows, five documentaries and three commercials. In 2015, Anna relocated to Los Angeles to boost her professional knowledge in the film and TV industry and apply it to the American market. She currently works as a project manager and production coordinator for motion pictures. Anna is also producing her own movie and working on music videos as a director and producer. Anna is a mix of good appearance and professional attitude and possesses an absolutely fun and easy-to-get-along-with personality combined with a strong character.

MATTHEW SADOWSKI | Executive Assistant to the Producers

MATTHEW SADOWSKI | Executive Assistant to the Producers

Matthew Sadowski was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, and immediately found himself surrounded by Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Calvin and Hobbes. His imagination and creative drive were pushed to the point that only a film school could hold him. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinema Art and Science, Matthew relocated to Burbank, California, where he now works as an associate producer and an executive assistant.

CHRIS AMATO | Composer

CHRIS AMATO | Composer

Chris Amato is Boston based musician and composer. Starting his career as a multi-instrumentalist playing bass, trumpet and piano in various local bands, working as a live sound engineer and producing for local artists, he is now a graduate of Northeastern University’s music and recording programs. He now works mainly composing music for films and television incorporating classical, jazz and contemporary styles adding creative and unique depth to the projects he works on.

NICOLE HANCOCK | Sound Effects Assistant

NICOLE HANCOCK | Sound Effects Assistant

Nicole Hancock is a music composer, producer and sound designer who specializes in the avant-garde. Operating under the pseudonym Lore Mysfit, she uniquely blends heavy bass and synth-driven Hip-Hop with Psychedelia and Pop/Rock elements. Originally hailing from Washington, DC by way of Cincinnati, Ohio, Nicole picked up her first instrument at age 3 and began composing music at age 11. She is a proud alumna of Howard University where she earned her a degree in music composition and English. Nicole currently lives in Los Angeles loves writing, hiking, boxing, dancing, traveling and food.

The Cast
SHARENA WALKER | Ginger

SHARENA WALKER | Ginger

Actress Sharena Walker made her acting debut in the low budget feature Torment - A Love Story as the sheriff. You may recognize her from recent episodes of Upscale with Prentice Penney, and Season 6 of Investigation Discovery's Deadly Sins. The California native actress has studied throughout Orange County and Los Angeles, from Studio 105 to Ivana Chubbuck. Her personal acting influences include Sharon Leal and Viola Davis. She loves belly dancing, rock n roll, animals and The Walking Dead. Click HERE for Sharena's Instagram Page.

AJ GARRETT | Hal, Hal's Demon Self and The Rich Man

AJ GARRETT | Hal, Hal's Demon Self and The Rich Man

AJ Garrett studied acting at the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television, and The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City.  He has performed on stage in a number of theatre productions in Los Angeles, New York City and Sydney, Australia.  He received the OOBR (Off Off Broadway Review) award for acting in Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth for his portrayal of Henry.  AJ has also been seen in various short films, the TV miniseries The Pacific, Power Games-The Packer Murdoch Story and the TV movie of the week Parer's War.

LINDA BURZYNSKI | Frida, a neighborhood psychic and friend to Ginger

LINDA BURZYNSKI | Frida, a neighborhood psychic and friend to Ginger

Linda Burzynski is an award winning actress who studied Meisner at Playhouse West in North Hollywood. She has been awarded the best actress Audience Choice Award and Grand Jury Award at both Playhouse West Film Festival LA and Philadelphia as well as best actress at the Hoboken International Film Festival for her leading role in the indie feature film ‘Fear, Love, and Agoraphobia.’ Other film and TV credits include roles on Shameless, American Crime, Animal Kingdom, The Mentalist and the feature film Christmas Crime Story. Linda is a veteran who served in the Marine Corps before pursuing her acting career.

EFÉ | Anita, Ginger's mother

EFÉ | Anita, Ginger's mother

Efé, pronounced E-fay, hails from the concert dance world of Chicago, has embraced the ancient traditions of yoga to “tame the cerebral, transform the physical and energize the spiritual,” and has joyously extended her love of performance to the world of entertainment through television, film, print and theatre.  Grandmother to an actor and musician teen boys, Efé is grateful for the opportunities Los Angeles has extended, allowing her to continue her deep commitment to a life of enlightenment, illumination and the beauty that lies in the telling of stories through various media outlets.  She thanks her beautiful, talented daughter Mei-Ling for opening this fascinating world to her and is pleased to be working again with Joy Shannon.

KEITH WHEELER | Willie, Ginger's father

KEITH WHEELER | Willie, Ginger's father

Born in New York City, Keith paid for college as the lead singer in a top 40’s rock band.   His acting career began in Los Angeles in the 1970’s, appearing in national commercials and in the made-for-TV movie, “Death Scream”.  He has appeared in more than 30 films, plus music videos and theater.  In 2000, Keith and his family moved to Florida where he continued his acting career.  Since his return to Los Angeles in 2016, Keith has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and in a number of hit TV-series.  He has also co-starred in stage productions of “The Family Secret” and “Absence Makes the Heart”.   Currently, he can be seen in the series, “You Can Do Better” on Amazon and “Laff Tracks” on TRU-TV.   Keith recently signed with Angel City Talent for commercial and theatrical representation.

JEFF PRATER | The Overseer (from slavery)

JEFF PRATER | The Overseer (from slavery)

Jeff Prater’s recent credits include the feature films My Dead Selfie, a horror thriller written and directed by Joy Shannon, Chameleon, a crime drama written and directed by Marcus Mizelle and Devil’s Cove, a crime adventure directed by Erik Lundmark. Jeff has most recently appeared on stage in the original stage play The Gun, written by Justin Yoffe  and directed by Dave Florek. A graduate of the two-year Meisner curriculum at The Ruskin School of acting in Santa Monica, CA, Jeff is constantly training with the best teachers and directors in the industry.

BERNA ROBERTS | Lizzy, Hal's mother

BERNA ROBERTS | Lizzy, Hal's mother

Berna Roberts is a Los Angeles based actress originally from East Chicago.  She has appeared on The Bold & The Beautiful, Meet the Fockers, War of The Worlds, and the OutTV network television series Boystown as Kelly to name a few.  She is set to play in the upcoming television series Lettuce from creator Rob Gunnerson and executive producer Peter Facinelli.

MIKE BINGAMAN | BillyJake, Hal's Father (in a flashback)

MIKE BINGAMAN | BillyJake, Hal's Father (in a flashback)

Mike Bingaman was born in raised in Perth, Western Australia. He has been acting since he was 5 years old, and grew up performing in many theater productions in Australia over the years. He moved to the United States permanently in 2012. Mike is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood. Since graduating, he has been working on a number of different film projects and has multiple ventures lined up for 2018 as well.

WILL BLOCK | Young Hal

WILL BLOCK | Young Hal

Will Block is a classically trained and obsessed actor and director. Originally from Sacramento, Will worked and trained with the Sacramento Theatre Company, the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival before getting his Bachelors in Theatre Arts from UCLA's School of Theatre, Film and Television. During his time at UCLA, Will spent two years as the artistic director of the Shakespeare Company at UCLA, directing productions of The Tempest and Twelfth Night, which went on to an extended run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. As an actor, selected credits include Iago in Othello (Shakespeare at UCLA), Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julio in Double Falsehood (UCLA), Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Santa Clarita Shakespeare), @Blaze22 in the world premiere of Gamers (UCLA and Hollywood Fringe), Lysimachus and Ensemble in Pericles (Porters of Hellsgate), Hally in Master Harold...and the boys and Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island (Sacramento Theatre Company). Film credits include My Dead Selfie, Love, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Distant Vision.

JORDAN ALCOBA | Joey, Hal's crime buddy

JORDAN ALCOBA | Joey, Hal's crime buddy

Jordan Alcoba has been making good on his childhood dream of becoming an actor in Hollywood. He made his acting debut in a college musical production of Cabaret in 2004 and hasn't looked back since, taking on dozens theatrical and movie projects and becoming immersed in the art that allows him to morph into anyone. Over the past 13 years, Jordan has made his way to Hollywood and is currently training at the legendary Actors Studio under the tutelage of Martin Landau and other greats.

STACY JORGENSEN | The Realtor

STACY JORGENSEN | The Realtor

Stacy Jorgensen, actress and founder and producer at Jorgensen Pictures, is originally from Deland, Florida.  She moved to Los Angeles to attend USC, where she studied Theatre and Cinema.  Stacy produced and starred in the feature film Grey Skies, which went on to win two film festivals and was well received by sci-fi/horror fans when it premiered on Chiller and Netflix.  Current projects at Jorgensen Pictures include Pennsylvania, based on the hit science fiction novel by Michael Bunker, a revenge thriller, Brackish Water and Loving Iris, a coming of age drama.  Stacy is also the creator and host of the YouTube series "Independent in an Instant", which offers advice and interviews with experts for aspiring independent filmmakers.

DANNY HANSEN | Husband buying house

DANNY HANSEN | Husband buying house

Born in Boston, MA, but raised out west, Danny Hansen developed a passion for writing and performing at an early age, landing small roles in film and television, including three episodes of Touched By an Angel. He then gained experience while dividing his time between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, enjoying a steady stream of commercial work for most of the major casinos on The Strip. Now, fully rooted in Los Angeles, Danny continues to work in both television and film, most recently starring in the upcoming features Bury Me Twice and Red Fish, Blue Fish.

LINDSAY RATHERT | Wife buying house

LINDSAY RATHERT | Wife buying house

JULIAH CHEREE TAYLOR | Gloria, the helpful neighbor

JULIAH CHEREE TAYLOR | Gloria, the helpful neighbor

Juliah Cheree Taylor is an aspiring actress living in Los Angeles where she was also born and raised. Juliah began her showbiz career dancing at Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy at the early age of 8. While she spent most of her younger years learning the ropes of a professional dancer, she then began to develop a bigger passion for acting and modeling. At the age of 16, she landed her first print modeling gig with a local jewelry line. She also started to land small roles in various musical and play productions at Fairfax High School, where she graduated in 2012. As Juliah began to enter adulthood, she decided to pursue her modeling and acting career with a strong focus on the latter.  She began to book feature roles in film, commercials, infomercials, internet ads and more.


THOMAS FAIRELL | Slave with supernatural powers (in a flashback)


THOMAS FAIRELL | Slave with supernatural powers (in a flashback)

Born and raised in Miami, FL, Thomas has an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. After accepting a job offer to become a police officer at the Atlanta Police Department in Fall 2012, he moved to Atlanta, GA. Shortly after, in 2015, Thomas realized that a police officer was not a career he wanted to continue pursuing. Thomas then began taking acting classes at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, GA. In 2016,  he was featured in 10 short student and feature films. In 2017, he moved to Los Angeles to continue harnessing his craft while receiving more training in the industry.

C. FELICIA VAL'REY | Contributing solo artist/composer, "We's Be Slaves" (flashback into slavery)

C. FELICIA VAL'REY | Contributing solo artist/composer, "We's Be Slaves" (flashback into slavery)

C. Felicia Val'Rey, a.k.a. "FeeCat", kicked ass composing, arranging, producing and performing several original songs for Shannon's film, 3rd Generation Female Gangsta, soundtrack, which includes "Iron Bitch", "Ry'Da Chicks" and "Lady G's".  This is now Felicia's second time collaborating as a composer on Shannon's current film, My Dead Selfie. Felicia takes us back into history as she performs her beautifully written original spiritual hymn, "We's Be Slaves" a cappella. It lends a powerful yet eerie mood to the flashback into slavery.  C. Felicia Val'Rey currently lives in Los Angeles County and is an active songwriter, music producer and poet. Click HERE for C. Felicia's website.

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Press
My Dead Selfie Channels the Ghosts of Racism, and You're Invited to a Free Preview

My Dead Selfie Channels the Ghosts of Racism, and You're Invited to a Free Preview

“Joy takes us into a world of ancestry and race and makes us wonder about the power of karma.” — Downtown L.A. Film Festival​

For three consecutive Saturdays in April, the general public will have an opportunity to enjoy a complimentary sneak preview of director Joy Shannon’s film My Dead Selfie. This award-winning supernatural thriller is Shannon’s first venture into the macabre.

Our Scary Past Still Haunts Us: Black-Horror-Film Screams with Importance

Our Scary Past Still Haunts Us: Black-Horror-Film Screams with Importance

Los Angeles-based film director Joy Shannon in her new film, My Dead Selfie, has entered the world of filmmaking with confidence, talent, credentials and tenacity. After acquiring a BA from Howard University and a Masters degree in film from The American University, she was, as the saying goes, fired up and ready to raise the bar on under-represented women directors in Hollywood.

Award Winning Film "My Dead Selfie" Directed by Joy Shannon Scheduled to Preview in Los Angeles

Award Winning Film "My Dead Selfie" Directed by Joy Shannon Scheduled to Preview in Los Angeles

A sneak preview of the award-winning supernatural-ghostly-thriller, "My Dead Selfie" will be shown in the Los Angeles area in the spring of 2019. The film represents a new breed of cutting edge African American filmmakers who are venturing into the horror film market. "My Dead Selfie" recently won The Best Experimental Feature Film Award presented at the prestigious Downtown LA Film Festival.

Sound Expert Doris Perrolf Joins Joy Shannon’s Film Thriller ‘My Dead Selfie’

Sound Expert Doris Perrolf Joins Joy Shannon’s Film Thriller ‘My Dead Selfie’

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Doris Perrolf always had an affinity for films and music when she was growing up in Sweden. She often dreamed of someday coming to Hollywood and pursuing her passion for capturing and creating sounds for motion pictures.

‘You have Got To Take Your Mind There First And Convince Yourself That You Can Do This’

‘You have Got To Take Your Mind There First And Convince Yourself That You Can Do This’

What challenges do women of color as directors still face in Hollywood? How to find a strong filmmaker’s voice? And, why we don’t have a female Quentin Tarantino? Anna Kovaleva discusses these and more with a writer/director Joy Shannon.

Red Carpet Interview, The Downtown LA Film Festival, 2018

Red Carpet Interview, The Downtown LA Film Festival, 2018

"My Dead Selfie" had it's LA Premiere at the DTLA Film Festival. The festival was held at the LA Live Regal Cinema and MajorFilmEvents.com was on the Red Carpet to interview the cast, director, and filmmakers of this sure to be a social-horror classic. In a genre that usually goes for blood, guts and gore, "My Dead Selfie" aims to take the horror audience on a journey that shows the horrific side of racism, full of betrayal and deceit.

Festivals

Winner of The Best Experimental Feature Film award

The Downtown LA Film Festival, Oct 2018

Nominated for the Independent Horror Movie Awards

Official Selection Bloodstained Indie Film Festival: Sci Fi Horror Action

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