Synopsis:

"Zombie Woman" is a short film about, Hannah, a woman who goes “missing” at the start of a zombie outbreak. After twenty five years of ripping people’s throats out, she is reunited with her husband and now grown daughter as they try to develop a cure for the zombie disease. She must now comes to terms with the choices she made as a zombie, however after a brief brush with her reclaimed humanity, she begins to regress back. Will she be able to control her urges or will she yet again become a killing machine? Director’s Statement: By making a story about a character able to reflect on her zombie past, we are able to pierce the psychology of a zombie. Why do they do the things they do? Do they have a choice? Typically a movie of this type is an external battle of zombies versus humans. Here the battle is internal; with our hero protagonist and antagonist, human and zombie. It is a different way to look at a zombie film and hopefully will make for a unique experience.

"Zombie Woman" is one of twenty short scripts selected to be a part of the 2014 Steeltown Film Factory Community Showcase, a contest designed to find and assist talented filmmakers in Pittsburgh.

Logline:

A zombie is cured of her disease, but the cure is only temporary. Runtime: Aspect Ratio:

14:49 min 16x9

Contact: ZombieWomanFilm@gmail.com

For downloadable photos, click here. (Link yet to be added.)

Created, Cast, Crewed and Completed entirely in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Jennie Bushnell as “Hannah”/ “Zombie Woman”

Jennie Bushnell has starred in several award‐winning films including the Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival Best Short, White (2013) and the NYC Urban Action Showcase Best Feature Film Winner, Army from Hell (2014). She has had the privilege of studying acting with the incredible Tom Todoroff (NYC), Randy Kovitz (Pitt) and Mark Witherspoon (LA/Pitt) among others and voice with Ann Simerlink at the Cincinnati Music Academy. Jennie is a series regular on New America, Jack & Emma and The Librarian Diaries and recently starred in the independent short films In the Blood (official selection for the 2014 Rumschpringe International Short Film Festival) and Zombie Woman (2015). She returned to the stage after several years of focus on film as the quirky and impulsive

character Gloria in the 2014 Bobcat Players summer production of Be My Baby. Jennie is an active student of Tae Kwon Do and looks forward to any opportunity to use her skills on set.

Julianne Avolio as “Carolyn” A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Julianne works locally not only as an actor, but also as a teaching artist with Gateway to the Arts, the Public Theater, Bricolage, and others. Film credits include the Steeltown Film Factory winner, My Date with Adam (Julie) and Always a Bridesmaid (Lizzie). Past theatre credits include, Bricolage: SCarrie: The Musical (Chris), Midnight Radio, Jr. (Voice Artist); No Name Players: Evil Dead: The Musical (Cheryl), SWAN Day 2014; City Theater: Young Playwrights Festival 2012; Hatch Arts Collective: Driftless (Marcellus); and Florida Repertory Theatre: [title of show] (Susan). See Julianne every month at Arcade Comedy Theater as part of No Name Players' live monthly sitcom, The Sisters Sorella. Dan Bisbee as “Jack”

In addition to Zombie Woman, Dan recently appeared in a number of short films including Written by Quincy O’Neal and in several of local community theater productions in the Pittsburgh area. Dan is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh researching urban warfare and political violence. Dan has backpacked across Europe from Iceland to Istanbul, and has experience with hitchhiking in Northern Ireland, Corsica, on the Orkneys, Crete, Tasmania, and in the Golan Heights. Over the past decade or so Dan has been an M1A1 tank officer, a State Department diplomat, a theater fight captain, a junior high school teacher and a campaign manager for a U.S. Senate race. So if the acting thing doesn’t pan out, well, then there’s that stuff. Also possibly useful skills in the event

of an undead epidemic.

Kevin Hejna: Writer/Director/Producer

Kevin Hejna has worked on multiple shorts, several web series, and feature films shot in the Pittsburgh area. Originally from Connecticut, he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Film Studies. Kevin has written and directed two plays and many shorts including, “Zombie Woman,” a Steeltown Community Showcase Selectee. Along with Jerry Pietrala, he wrote a feature comedy called “Retail Purgatory,” which won 3rd Place for Best Feature Comedy Script at the 2014 Indie Gathering Awards. Erika Knox: Producer/Production Designer/Assistant Director

Erika Knox graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Communications Media and minoring in film studies and Theater. Erika loves being on set, and enjoys film production, art, design, and animation. Currently she is working at Steeltown Entertainment Project as the Manager of Projects and the Steeltown Indie Program and is a proud supporter of Pittsburgh’s growing film community. Jim Helfrich: Producer

James Helfrich is a producer/director, living in his hometown of Pittsburgh. He loves working with local actors, writers and crew. He produced "Zombie Woman", a short horror/love story, written/directed by Kevin Hejna and he directed/produced "Always A Bridesmaid", a romantic comedy, written by Wendy Grube. Both shorts were Steeltown Entertainment Community showcase selectees. He produced "Lightheaded" , a romantic comedy for 13 Films LLC, which won the "Audience Award" at the 2015 Sydney Reel Film Festival. He directed "The NewWorld", a short which was screened at several festivals including the 2014 Limerick International Film Festival. He directed "Ketchup is King" , a comedy and audience award winner for the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Film Kitchen event at the 2013 Three Rivers Arts Festival. James has several projects in early development, has co‐authored a feature script and is assisting a friend with a web series sitcom. Chelsea Schneider: Editor/VFX Artist

Chelsea Schneider has been a freelance editor for two years. In 2013, she received her BA in Cinema and Digital Arts from Point Park University with a concentration in editing. Additionally she is an avid visual effects editor, color grader, and digital interface technician. Chelsea is currently working on several screenplays to explore new ways to practice her love of storytelling.

Full Cast and Crew List

CAST

HANNAH/ZOMBIE WOMAN…………………………………………..…….…JENNIE BUSHNELL CAROLYN……………………………………………………………………………….. JULIANNE AVOLIO JACK……………………………………………………………………………….……….DAN BISBEE YOUNG CAROLYN……………………………………………………………………ELLIE WALKER‐WINTRUBA DOUG……………………………………………………………………………………..TED DRAGISICH JR. FREDDIE………………………………………………………………………………… NOAH ZAMAMIRI

CREW

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER…………………………………………..….KEVIN HEJNA PRODUCER/PRODUCTION DESIGNER/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR…..ERIKA KNOX PRODUCER…………………………………………………………………………….. JAMES HELFRICH PRODUCER/LOCATION MANAGER……………………………………….… ROBERT PODURGIEL DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY…………………………………………………MATT KAPPEL

EDITOR/VISUAL EFFECTS ARTIST/SCRIPT SUPERVISOR…………... CHELSEA SCHNEIDER ORIGINAL SCORE/SOUND DESIGNER……………………………………… ZACK MORGAN WARDROBE MANAGER…………………………………………………………..NATALIE RANKIN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER……………………………………………………………CAROLINE COLLINS EXTRAS CASTING DIRECTOR………………………………………………..….ROBERT SCOTT SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP ARTIST……………………………..…………..TIM CURRENCE ASSISTANT SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKEUP ARTIST…………………..……TOM KOSTELNIK HAIR AND MAKEUP………………………………………………………..……… HANNAH DONOVAN HAIR AND MAKEUP………………………………………………………..……… VALESHA ANNE MOWRY ASSISTANT CAMERA………………………………………………………….…… TROY BOGDAN GRIP………………………………………………………………………………………. RANDON BOPP GRIP………………………………………………………………………………………. SAM LUNZ GRIP………………………………………………………………………………………. ADAM SHAHEN GRIP………………………………………………………………………………………. TIM ROBERTS PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER/BOOM OPERATOR……………………KEVIN KUKLER ADDITIONAL EDITING SERVICES ……………………………………………. TIM ROBERTS SCRIPT SUPERVISOR/DIT…………………………………………………………NOAH TYLER GRAY PRODUCTION ASSISTANT………………………………………………………..ANGELA DONATELLI PRODUCTION ASSISTANT………………………………………………………..MASON LAZARCHEFF CRAFT SERVICE MANAGER……………………………………………..………ROBERT SKWARK SET PHOTOGRAPHER………………………………………………………………GREGER ERICKSON STUNT CONSULTANT………………………………………………………..…….DAVE PETTI “CAROLYN’S LULLABY” MUSIC BY……………………………………………J. M. STAG & ZACK MORGAN “CAROLYN’S LULLABY” LYRICS BY……………………………………………KEVIN HEJNA ZOMBIE WOMAN CREDITS MUSIC BY……………………………………..JOSH LOUGHREY CREDITS ART BY………………………………………………………………………GEORGE BRODERICK JR.

EXTRAS:

ZOMBIES: SHANNON GOLEBIEWSKI

BILLY "AL" INGHAM JOHN IWANONKIW PHIL NARDOZZI BONNIE WYSOKI

SOLDIERS: RANDON BOPP LOU CONSOLO

MICHAEL KRIVACS MASON LAZARCHEFF

EARL RORER ADAM SHAHEN

VICTIMS: ANGELA DONATELLI JAMES HELFRICH

THE PRODUCERS WISH TO THANK:

ELYSE ALBERTS BRIAN BARRETT

WENDY BURTNER‐OWENS JOYCE BEVC

THE BOBCAT PLAYERS COUNCIL MEMBER PHIL BOYD

LAURA LEE BRAUTIGAM MICHAEL BUZZELLI

ZAC CAGEAO KAYCE DEWEY MOLLY DUERIG

CARNEGIE ARTS INITIATIVE CARNEGIE SCREENWRITERS Membership CARNEGIE SCREENWRITERS FILM FUND

EMILY DABNEY BAILEY DONOVAN

COUNCIL MEMBER RICK DE’LOSS KRISTEN HEJNA

PAUL & DIANE HEJNA FRANK HORROR WENDY GRUBE HUGH HARPER

FRANK JUCHNIEWICZ CARNEGIE MAYOR JACK KOBISTEK

THE KNOX FAMILY CARL KURLANDER TALIA SHEA LEVIN KATI LIGHTHOLDER NICK LaMANTIA SUZIE McGUGIN KRISH MOHAN JOSH MULKEY

OHIO VALLEY HOSPITAL STEVE "STEVO" PARYS

JERRY PIETRALA RUSTED SOL PICTURES

RESERVE TOWNSHIP FILM BOARD PATTI ROSS

PHILIP SALVATO DENNIS SCHEBETTA DAVID SCOTT, C.E.O.

SCOTT CONSERVANCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SLICE ON BROADWAY MARLENE SMITH–PENDLETON

SAMANTHA SPRENGER STEELTOWN FILM FACTORY

3RD STREET GALLERY HENRY TJERNLUND JESSE WARNICK KEITH ZAGORSKI

ZOMBIE SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR INDIEGOGO SUPPORTERS:

CARNEGIE SCREENWRITERS CAROLINE COLLINS

DANELLE & JOEY FERNANDEZ TED HAYNES

JAMES HELFRICH JAIME MEYERS

ROBERT PODURGIEL ROSALYN RAPSINSKI

STEELTOWN ENTERTAINMENT PROJECT ERIC & AMANDA WILLIAMS

CREATED, CAST, CREWED AND COMPLETED ENTIRELY IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

COPYRIGHT © 2015 KEVIN HEJNA KEVIN HEJNA IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS MOTION PICTURE FOR THE PURPOSE OF COPYRIGHT AND OTHER LAWS.

THIS MOTION PICTURE IS PROTECTED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES. ANY UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION, DISTRIBUTION AND/OR EXHIBITION

OF THIS MOTION PICTURE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL LIABILITY AND CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS PORTRAYED AND THE NAMES HEREIN ARE FICTITIOUS, AND ANY SIMILARITY TO THE NAME, CHARACTER OR HISTORY OF ANY PERSON IS ENTIRELY COINCIDENTAL AND UNINTENTIONAL. NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS FILM.

Zombie Woman will return.