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Thomas Southerland (Director): Kentucky native and AFI graduate Thomas Southerland has been making films of various lengths and quality for 15 years. His short films have screened at numerous festivals and his documentaries have won a few shiny awards. His screenplay 65 SOUTH is currently under option by Anecdote Films. He's a co-partner in Giant Dolphin Pictures, which has produced the award-winning animated shorts HORSES ON MARS and THE LOOKING PLANET. |
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Katerina Stoykova-Klemer (Krasi): Katerina Stoykova-Klemer grew up in Bourgas, Bulgaria. In 1995, she immigrated to the United States and for over a decade, worked as a software engineer in high-tech companies. In November, 2009, she graduated from the brief-residency MFA in Writing Program at Spalding University. Katerina writes poetry and prose in both Bulgarian and English. She enjoys translating between the two languages, as well. Her poems and stories have appeared in numerous literary publications in the United States and in Europe. PROUD CITIZEN marks her film debut. More about Katerina can be found at katerinaklemer.com |
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Otto Helmuth (Sound Mixer): Otto Helmuth has been involved in music production and scoring for 15 years with projects as varied as engineering for The Apples in Stereo to location audio for the Discovery channel. After playing music and touring extensively throughout the 1990s he started a family in Lexington Kentucky. and has concentrated on studio work ever since. |
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Natalie E. Cummins (Debbie): PROUD CITIZEN marks her first appearance in a film. Her previous experience is in theater, where she has been a stage manager, props designer, costume designer, and occasional actor. Notable technical work includes: A CHORUS LINE; BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL; 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL (Stage Manager); THE SEAFARER; CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (Props Designer); and CHICAGO; WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S LAND OF THE DEAD (Costume Designer). Notable acting roles include: SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (Kitty) and BAD SEED (Miss Fern). She is thrilled to have this opportunity to play in another medium with such wonderful and supportive artists. |
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Leif Erickson (Andy): An English professor who was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, he holds a BA in English from Georgetown College, an MA in English from Eastern Kentucky University, and an MFA in creative nonfiction from Murray State University. In the age-old tradition of surrounding oneself with those better looking, more talented, and smarter than oneself, he has been married for 19 years (to the same person) and has a 17-year-old daughter, both of whom are award-winning visual artists. Erickson enjoys reading, writing, violating personal boundaries, acting, and otherwise being a nerd. |
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Ryan Case (Jeremy): Co-founder and a co-Director of the Balagula Theatre, his most recent acting and directing credits at Balagula include THE WOMAN IN BLACK, NOT I, PLAY, THE BOOK OF LIZ, FAHRENHEIT 451, CALIGULA (title role), BUG, MRS.KLEIN, DON JUAN ON TRIAL, THE TRIAL OF GOD, THE TWO CHARACTERS PLAY, and TERRORISM. Ryan has also worked with several of the Lexington theatres as well as nationally. |
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Judy Sanders (Judy): Judy is a Seattle actor, writer, editor, mother, and grandmother. Among her favorite stage roles are Aunt Eller in OKLAHOMA!, Sarah in QUILTERS, Mrs. Gibbs in OUR TOWN, Rebecca Nurse in THE CRUCIBLE, and Mrs. Eynsford-Hill in PYGMALION. She started acting at age 45 and, thirty years later, doesn't intend to stop. She encourages everyone who wonders what it would be like to be in a play to audition at their local community theater and then hang on for the ride. Take the leap! |
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Sami Allison (Lucy): A native of Frankfort, Kentucky and graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. Since returning to Kentucky Sami has kept herself busy directing and acting at the Woodford Theatre, improv comedy groups and teaching theatre courses to adults aged 50 and above. It was at an adult performance Sami had directed where she was lucky enough to meet Thomas. Creating this film in such a collaborative effort was one of the most best artistic experiences she's ever had. Sami is very grateful Thomas allowed her and her son to be a part of it. |
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Elliott Moore Haynes (Elliot): Elliot is three years old and loves entertaining audiences already. He is the only son of Sami Allison and lives with her in Frankfort, Kentucky. Creating this film took up a large part of his life and he had so much fun. His favorite part was getting to know all of the cast and crew. He looks forward to more work like this in the future! |
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Blakeley Burger (Natalie): A sixteen year old violin major at the School for Creative and Performing Arts School in Lexington, Kentucky, she is a violinist with the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra. Blakeley has won multiple awards as both a performer and as a songwriter. She performs throughout Kentucky and Tennessee as both a solo artist, as well as a founding member of the Hollow Bodies, a new Bluegrass band. Blakeley studies with Daniel Carwile, and recently received a scholarship to study violin at Christian Howes's Creative String Workshop. She shares a birthday with Katerina Stoykova-Kremer and describes her experience playing Katerina's younger self as allowing her to have a very unique connection to her. |