Screen Test
The doors are closed. There are no more screenings of this film.
Synopsis: When five New York City fitness instructors find themselves at the final screen test for a reality TV show that could change their lives, they come face to face with their real identities and their fake ones. This comedic mockumentary follows their shameless, exasperated, and even desperate attempts to grab and hold attention long enough to get noticed. But as they vie for a spot on the small screen, they each contend with the question: is this really who I am?
Language
Run Time
Starring
Jillian Paige (Caroline)
Kennedy Kanagawa (Kenny)
LaWanda Hopkins (Devvy)
David Gow (Jason)
Directed by
Produced by
Allison Koehler
Edited by
Cinematographer
Director's Statement
When I worked in fitness, I saw the transition happen. We started out as fitness instructors, but we morphed into #fitfluencers in a handful of years. Our follower counts became more important than our certifications. Our online audience became more important than our students. And our reality was reinterpreted through highly filtered and curated screens. Screen Test explores that cross-over from IRL to online. And it asks the question, if we keep fluffing and shading and filtering and editing and auditioning for an audience we never even meet, how does that change us? And if it does change us, can we get ourselves back?
Director's Bio
Courtney Romano is a writer/director based in New York City. She started her career as an actor, performing in everything from commercials to Off Broadway, before transitioning into writing. In addition to being published online on NY Press, Backstage, Verily Magazine, Writer’s Edit, and more, Courtney self-published her book “The First Ten Years: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Creative Longevity” in 2015, based on her experience as an NYC actor. Her pilot, “The First Ten Years” based off the book was a Semi-Finalist in the Big Apple Film Festival and Quarter Finalist for the Page International Film Festival; she served as Creative Strategist/Writer for “MOVE Experience with Julianne and Derek Hough” in 2018; Courtney was the Script Supervisor for the national tour of CHEFS, and stepped into her first writing/directing role with her short film “Screen Test” in 2020. She is currently in pre-production for a new limited digital series and the second season of her podcast, The Break Breakdown, premiered in March 2021. Courtney lives with her husband and two year old daughter in Queens.