Bringing up Kenzie
The doors are closed. There are no more screenings of this film.
Synopsis: Follow married couple Michael, and Lori as they aspire to raise their infant daughter Mackenzie in stark contrast to their upbringing; both raised in households of substance abuse. One of their unique challenges being that Michael is a recovering addict himself.
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Director's Statement
Addiction is something close to Jason. While he’s had relatives struggle with drug use, and alcohol dependency, Jason himself is in recovery from opioid addiction. Back in college, Jason initially thought that he’d like to make parody films (not unlike the work of the Zucker Brothers, or Mel Brooks). However, it’s stories of the human condition, slice of life dramas, that ultimately appealed to him most. Jason feels that his love for storytelling and a desire to help create awareness around recovery/addiction, provide the perfect venue for him to do two of the things he loves: tell stories, and help people.
Director's Bio
Born and raised in Queens, NY, Jason Spagnuoli was reared for the first third of his life in Kew Gardens. It was at the age of 10, upon seeing Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America,” which was filmed in his neighborhood, that Jason realized he wanted to tell stories about the people, and places, he grew up around. His varied path includes studying screenwriting at SUNY Purchase, and then becoming a film teacher at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria.
While Jason made a handful of short films throughout college, and staged an original one-act play in 2004, he spent a majority of his time from 2005-2018 raising his son, Thomas, and starting a career in education. It’s as a result of helping young adults realize their own celluloid dreams, that Jason’s come full circle: he would like to continue writing and directing his own films.