Private Project

Stud Country

Stud Country, the largest queer country western line dancing event in America, was created to continue Los Angeles' 50+ year tradition. In 2023, the event is set to lose its venue.

  • Lina Abascal
    Director
  • Alexandra Kern
    Director
    Wild Magnolias
  • Lina Abascal
    Producer
  • Alexandra Kern
    Producer
    Wild Magnolias
  • Kenny Suleimanagich
    Director of Photography
  • Jill Sarao
    Editor
  • Zoe Lawrence Kraft
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    LGBTQ, Dance
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 28, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    8,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Lina Abascal, Alexandra Kern

Alexandra is a filmmaker whose work explores how we inform the next generation in our complex cultures. Growing up in New Orleans has taught her how crucial culture and art is in shaping future generations and how the family extends outside the home.

She has produced commercial and independent acclaimed projects for artists such as Tyler the Creator, Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, and Kendrick Lamar as well as line producing the 2022 Sundance Directing Award Winner feature Palm Trees and Power Lines.

Her creative directorial debut, the short documentary Wild Magnolias, is currently on its festival circuit having screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals. The short was honored by a special screening at the New Orleans Jazz Museum where it was offered a permanent stay in their historical archive.

***

Lina Abascal is a culture journalist and bestselling author. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, WIRED, Billboard, VICE, Playboy, and more. She has consulted for brands including Spotify, Equinox, and Netflix for creative ad campaigns.

Her first book, Never Be Alone Again: How Bloghouse United the Internet and Dancefloor was a national bestseller and nominated for awards by the American Musicology Society and The Association for Recorded Sound. It has been optioned to be made into a feature documentary.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Lina Abascal discovered Stud Country while reporting for the Los Angeles Times, where she wrote the first article about the event.

She partnered with Alexandra to bring the story of Stud Country to the screen through characters that represent the old and new guard of queer country line dancing.

As a third-generation Los Angeleno, Lina is passionate about highlighting a part of the city's history that has never been documented. The story of Stud Country and the line dance events that preceded it is as much a story of queer community as it is of gentrification and loss of community spaces that plague Los Angeles.