Lemon Shark

Lemon Shark is a short film about endangerment, love, science and music education set in a midwestern elementary school. Lemon Shark tracks Freddie, a Kindergarten/music teacher and single mother, in the wake of her best friend's death, as she comes to understand what it means to love that which is endangered.

  • Kate Nowlin
    Director
  • Kate Nowlin
    Writer
    Blood Stripe
  • Kate Nowlin
    Producer
    Blood Stripe
  • Remy Auberjonois
    Producer
    Blood Stripe
  • Biz Stone
    Producer
    Blood Stripe
  • Jeremy Kotin
    Producer
    Ghost Team, Blood Stripe, Monogamy
  • Yaya Simakov
    Producer
    Keep it quiet, Life interrupted, Dust
  • Kate Nowlin
    Key Cast
    "Freddie"
    The Hunt, Blood Stripe, New Amsterdam, One Dollar, Young Adult, The Outsiders
  • Sunde Auberjonois
    Key Cast
    "Sam"
    Blood Stripe
  • Stacey Thunder
    Key Cast
    "Vegan"
    Tallulah, The Jingle Dress, Crash, Indigenous
  • Sha Cage
    Key Cast
    "School Principal"
    New Neighbors
  • Ryan Artzberger
    Key Cast
    "Tao"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 22, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    80,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Austin Film Festival Premiere 2021
    Austin
    United States
    October 23, 2021
    North American Premiere
  • Twin Cities Film Festival
    Minneapolis
    United States
    October 24, 2021
    Audience Award Winner-short film
Director Biography - Kate Nowlin

Filmed in St.Paul Minnesota, made possible by a grant from The Knight Foundation, Lemon Shark is Kate's directorial debut. Prior to Lemon Shark, Kate co-produced/co-wrote and starred in the 2017 LAFF Jury Prize winning feature film Blood Stripe. Kate was born and raised in St.Paul Minnesota where she has since returned to make art and raise her family, not unlike the lemon shark.

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Director Statement

I am drawn to telling stories about people who live and work on the front lines. The folks whose lives and daily contributions are so woven into the fabric of our society that they are taken for granted, and often undervalued: our teachers, social and medical workers, our factory workers and military personnel. The folks whose daily labor is often emotionally and physically compromising and under compensated, who rarely complain and always show up to serve...these are the folks to whom I feel a great debt of gratitude and want to serve as an artist.