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The Songwriters Club

For 23 years a small Songwriters Club at a NY high school has flourished into a safe space for teens to express their songs, while also saving lives.

  • Dennis Polanco
    Director
    Shadow Lands (2019)
  • Dennis Polanco
    Writer
    Dennis
  • Dennis Polanco
    Producer
    Shadow Lands (2019)
  • Dennis Polanco
    Key Cast
    "Dennis"
    Dennis
  • Christian Sese
    Key Cast
    "Christian Sese"
  • Matt Welling
    Key Cast
    "Matt Welling"
  • Zoe Gopoian
    Key Cast
    "Zoe Gopoian"
  • Lauren Garcia
    Key Cast
    "Lauren Garcia"
  • Noah Maitland
    Key Cast
    "Noah Maitland"
  • Milla Telesmanic
    Key Cast
    "Milla Telesmanic"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 32 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Dennis Polanco
Distribution Information
  • Dennis Polanco
Director Biography - Dennis Polanco

Dennis Polanco is many things, but his true essence can be defined as: a high school English teacher of 34 years (24 of which in White Plains High School), a singer-songwriter under the pseudonym “Evening Son,” and a film director.

A passion that has been undeniably close to Polanco’s heart is his love of music. He has released five original albums out on digital music platforms under the pseudonym “Evening Son.” He has performed for the past 30 years in venues all along the East Coast, while also sharing his love of music with his very unique club at the high school entitled “The Songwriter’s Club.” For 24 years, this platform has allowed students to find their own songwriting “voices,” catapulting many into a place of self worth and acceptance through various networking opportunities by writing their own songs, getting them copyrighted, and performing to live audiences. Dennis has been very proud of how the club has been received for two decades, especially after his son and daughter have come through the system and have become successful songwriters in their own right.

After directing eight of his son’s music videos (Ivan Polanco) and three of his daughter’s (Zaida Polanco), in 2018 Dennis felt compelled to write, produce and direct his first movie-lengthed feature entitled “Shadow Lands,” a gritty urban music-drama dealing with an issue close to his heart: how music can serve as a changing agent in saving lives. The movie is about a street-entrenched 12 year-old that struggles to learn that there is more to life beyond the street corner. Through music and running, her uncle opens a new world to her in the hopes that she can battle her own personal demons.

The documentary, “The Songwriter’s Club” is his second complete cinematic work.

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