Dear Lemon Lima

Dear Lemon Lima,
Dear Lemon Lima,
***WINNER – Outstanding Perf ormanc e in Narrative C omp e titi on***
2009 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL – World Premier e
***WINNER – Audienc e Award – 2009 WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL***
A FILM BY Suzi Yoonessi
STARRING Savanah Wiltfong, Shayne Topp, Meaghan Jette Martin AND Melissa Leo
87 minutes | 2009 | USA | 35mm
Press Contact:
Alice Zou, mPRm Public Relations
[email protected] | 323-933-3399
Sales Representation:
Josh Braun, Submarine Entertainment (N. America)
[email protected] | 212-625-1410
Visit Films (International)
[email protected] | 718-312-8210
Dear Lemon Lima,
Short Synopsis
As sweet and colorful as a snow cone, this delightful happy-sad confection follows an awkward
Alaskan teen as she discovers her Yup'ik heritage while rallying her fellow misfits to compete in
her school's Snowstorm Survivor competition.
Full Synopsis
Vanessa Lemor, a lonely 13-year old Yup’ik (Western Eskimo) girl with a vivid imagination, is
dumped by her true love, über intellectual Philip Georgey, 14. Vanessa spends the summer in
Fairbanks, Alaska, working at an ice cream shack and obsessing over the heartbreaking tragedy.
After numerous unsuccessful attempts at erasing fond memories, she resolves to win Philip back
at Nichols Academy, a close-minded preparatory school where the Georgey family is legacy.
Awarded the only minority scholarship, Vanessa’s new life is a nightmare. Back from the
summer abroad and fluent in French, Philip is elevated to popular status, while Vanessa is
relegated to the bottom of the prep school caste system with the rest of the “FUBARs” (a cruel
Dear Lemon Lima,
acronym for those deemed “F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition”). Rounding out the rest of the
FUBARs are Hercules, a loveable, but socially inept boy with wildly overprotective parents,
Samantha, a 14-year old pathological liar who claims her father is Puff Daddy, and Nothing
(formally known as Madeline), a plump heiress to a funeral parlor chain who has legally changed
her name to a pronoun. Vanessa’s consolation prize is Philip’s decision to honor Vanessa by
being her student advisor. Philip, wishing the best for his pupil, reinstates the values that once
brought them together – the pursuit of individuality and embracement of a social consciousness:
an alternative lifestyle for a better world. Unfortunately, Vanessa misinterprets his preaching,
and alienates herself by presenting an anarchist essay at the opening school ceremony. To make
matters worse, she is the only freshman captain elected for the school’s infamous Snowstorm
Survivor competition, an event inspired by the Native events in the World Eskimo Indian
Olympics.
Vanessa believes that a victory in the Snowstorm Survivor championship is the only way into
Philip’s heart. She quickly forms a quirky team with her fan base in the weight room. Team
FUBAR prepares for the event, driven by Vanessa’s plight for her true love. Unlike the Native
Olympics that brings together people of all sizes and shapes to celebrate Native Alaskan culture,
Nichols’ Snowstorm Survivor simply perverts the traditional Eskimo games in order to foster an
antiquated class system.
After the tragic loss of a beloved teammate, Vanessa discovers the true meaning of love and
must embrace her Native heritage to reclaim the spirit of the World Eskimo Indian Olympics.
After Team FUBAR’s sensational victory in the final dance competition, the Nichols community
attempts to embrace a new wave of thinking.
Traditional values have been lost in Western culture. The World Olympics are a competition
that celebrates being “number one.” Dear Lemon Lima, thrives off the notion that life is a time
to come together and celebrate our common traits and differences, inspiring kindness,
individuality and equality, values kindled by the diary of a 13-year old girl.
Dear Lemon Lima,
Production Notes
From the outset of Dear Lemon Lima, it was imperative to us that the Alaskan Native elements
were authentic and that we garnered community support by approaching the 13 tribal councils in
Alaska. Our initial inclination was to shoot the film in Fairbanks, Alaska, but because of
budgetary constraints, we chose to shoot in Seattle, Washington, which has comparable breathtaking landscape and a thriving Alaskan Native community.
In casting our lead actress, it was integral to cast an Alaskan Native teenage girl. For months we
posted casting notices in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Fairbanks and Anchorage as we
searched for our lead. The tapes we saw from LA, NY and Seattle were underwhelming, so we
continued to post in rural Alaska and communicated with every Native outlet available to get the
word out about our search. We wanted every Alaska Native teenage girl to know about the film
and have the opportunity to audition. A glimmer of hope arose when a young girl from Eagle
River, a small town an hour outside of Anchorage, posted an audition tape of herself on youtube
after receiving an email from the Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska.
Our lead character is played by half-Yup’ik Savanah Wiltfong who is familiar with Yup’ik dance
and the WEIO (World Eskimo Indian Olympic) games. She had been in a few small productions
at her middle school, but beyond that had no other acting experience. There was definitely a
learning curve for Savanah as she learned the ropes of acting and navigated her way through her
first film shoot, but the authenticity and support Savanah and her family brought to her character
and to the film were tremendous and tangible.
The actualization of this film would also have not been possible without the support of the WEIO
organization. The film features WEIO games such as the blanket toss, the stick pull, ear pull,
and high kick. These “props” are not easily reproduced, nor are they available from any prop
house. The WEIO organization generously loaned the production these priceless items and
brought the recreation of the games to a whole new level. The blanket toss scene features two
walrus skin blankets from Alaska, which measure 15 feet in diameter each. These blankets are
incredibly rare- there are only 10 in the world- and we were fortunate enough to have two
blankets in our film.
Dear Lemon Lima,
Our actors, and members of the production, were truly learning about Alaskan Native culture.
We had the support of a female athlete who had actually participated in the Native games
working as a supervisor overseeing scenes featuring the various games. She taught the actors the
proper techniques to carry out the games, as well as the cultural significance of each event.
Some of the games were quite an athletic feat; we even employed the help of a high school
cheerleading squad to help with a scene featuring the 2-man carry- a Native game in which a
single person carries two other members of his/her team in a race to the finish line.
The final challenge of creating an authentic presentation of an Alaska Native tradition came in
the three dance performances in the film. Seattle has an incredible network of Alaska Natives
and we were able to find Aleutian, Yup’ik and Inupiak dancers. The male and female leads in
the film were taught dances inspired by traditional Yup’ik fan dance and Inupiak Walrus dance.
The film also features a performance by a 30-person Aleutian dance group who make all their
own dance regalia by hand. Their passionate performance in the film is awe-inspiring and
inspires faith in art and preserving cultural heritage, since the Aleutians have the most
devastating history of any tribe in Alaska.
In addition to the numerous Native elements to secure for the film, Dear Lemon Lima also
features a number of other unique/unconventional elements. Not only did the lead actors need to
learn Native dance, they also learned American Sign Language and Spanish, as the film features
three languages.
There were definitely challenges in making this film. It required a tremendous amount of time,
energy, and determination to make the world we were creating believable. The story did not take
place in just any American suburb. It took place in Fairbanks. It did not feature just any 13
year-old girl. It featured a half Yup’ik 13-year-old girl. It didn’t feature just any competition. It
featured the WEIO competition. But despite this specificity and our extremely low budget, we
were able to pull it off. We got our Alaska, we got our dancers, we got our native games and,
last but certainly not least, we got our girl.
Dear Lemon Lima,
Director’s Statement BY SUZI YOONESSI
When I was young, my grandmother would tell me Persian fairy tales about mythical lakes,
talking cockroaches and deserts that stretched miles beyond my imagination. I would put on a
ridiculous, silky nightgown and pretend that I was a princess. Bundled under the covers with my
sisters, we were transported from the homogeneous suburbs of upstate New York to an
enchanted castle in Iran. My grandmother’s storytelling inspired me to pursue narrative film, so
that I could visually capture the magical experience and share globally-conscious stories that
inspire kindness, compassion and love.
The heart of my first feature film Dear Lemon Lima, is plucked from the rainbow-studded pages
of my childhood diary: a tragic and funny compilation of letters written to my imaginary friend,
Lemon Lima. Each passage starts with a sweeping “Dear Lemon Lima,” and proceeds to recount
the concerns of a first generation adolescent struggling to understand her place in the world.
At thirteen, my world perspective was on par with Casablanca or Gone with the Wind, and
experiencing my first heartbreak was a Herculean effort. Dear Lemon Lima, embraces the
underrepresented, girly adolescent perspective, employing a sherbet color palette, sweeping
wide-screen aspect ratio and infusing the world with the symbols of love and kindness. I hope
Dear Lemon Lima, provides young girls with a relatable role model, making the trials of being
thirteen less melancholic and a more achievable epic battle.
My influences are the smart family films I grew up with in the eighties: Labyrinth, The Never
Ending Story, The Last Unicorn, The Dark Crystal: films that challenged my imagination, while
teaching me valuable lessons about loss and human morality. While Pixar thrives off this
storytelling model, the current live action family film model rarely challenges children and
teenagers. Dear Lemon Lima, is an independent family film that pays homage to the children's
films of the eighties. The film addresses more subversive and complex adolescent issues of
alienation and loss, making the film palatable with confectionary colors, honest, nuanced
performances, endearing music and undeniable charm.
Dear Lemon Lima,
Dear Lemon Lima, is an honest portrayal of a lonely 13-year old girl, alienated from her
community, and faced with heartbreak in Alaska. Vanessa overcomes heartache by pulling
together a community that appreciates and respects each other’s differences. I hope the film
inspires a diverse, wide family audience to approach every human connection with the kindness,
love and wide-eyed wonder of a teenage girl.
Dear Lemon Lima,
Creative Vision
The visual artists who inform the world of Dear Lemon Lima, are Sadie Benning, Sophie Calle,
Hellen Van Meene, Yoshitomo Nara and Loretta Lux. Hellen Van Meene and Loretta Lux’s
photographs visually capture the beauty of “angel-headed dorks” – adolescents who are alienated
because of their unique world view. Benning’s search for a sense of identity through the use of a
video journal informs Vanessa’s journey to find her own voice in the pages of her rainbowstudded journal. The issue of self-identity is colored in pastel pink and woven through a family
film, making the idea of self-exploration more palatable to a wider audience of teenage girls.
Dear Lemon Lima,’s color palette is plucked from the sticker-clad pages of my childhood diary.
Rich with vivid colors reminiscent of a confectionery shop, Vanessa lives in a word of pastel
yellows, pinks and soft greens. I believe that the Kawaii production design and color palette set
a loving tone, which allowed the young actors to play in this magical realm of the film.
The lush lensing and sweeping wide-screen aspect ratio reflects Vanessa’s sweeping perspective.
The camera is locked to heighten the comedy of Vanessa’s sweeping vision of her life and
Philip’s stagnant relationship, and transitions to fluid movements to capture the tender moments
between Team FUBAR in the weight room and at the Snowstorm Survivor competition.
In America’s current education system, the creative arts are frowned upon in favor of physical
aptitude. Using charmingly quirky characters, I want to question this value system. As a
director, I hope to strike an endearing balance between the beautiful vibrancy of a teenage girl’s
imagination and the spirited, familiar conventions of an underdog competition film. My dream is
for Dear Lemon Lima, to inspire in audiences the same camaraderie and delight that my
childhood companion, Lemon Lima, once provided me.
Dear Lemon Lima,
ABOUT THE CAST
SAVANAH
WILTFONG
Vanessa Lemor
Savanah Wiltfong, part Yup'ik Eskimo, was born in Eagle River, Alaska, on
December 18, 1993. She is an active high school student who works hard
on her studies and makes a point of being a friend to everyone. In Drama,
she has delivered numerous monologues and partnered performances.
Recently, she traveled with her Choir Class to New York City, taking in
Broadway musicals, and touring the city; a favorite highlight was meeting
with, and getting pointers from, a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall.
Savanah's future goals are to pursue her acting and singing career. Dear
Lemon Lima is Savanah’s first professional acting role.
SHAYNE TOPP
Philip Georgey
Shayne Topp discovered his love for acting in 5th grade when he was in a
classroom rendition of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" in the
starring role of Willy Wonka. After performing in community theatre in
Arizona and landing a local talent agent, Shayne was cast in Moonpie, a
feature film starring Michael McDonald. He booked his first recurring role
on the ABC TV series, Eli Stone. Shayne went on to book a guest-starring
role on the hit Nickelodeon TV show iCarly. In summer 2008, Shayne
landed the role of Phillip Georgey in Dear Lemon Lima. Shayne now plans
to attend college in the fall in LA and continue his acting career.
ZANE HUETT
Hercules
Howard
At age three, Zane Huett started performing on stage with a local
community group. By age four, he had an agent and worked in
commercials. He landed a small role in the feature film, Daddy Day Care
(uncredited) and in Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin. In 2003, Zane became a
series regular as Parker Scavo for four seasons of the TV series, Desperate
Housewives. In 2008, Zane landed the role of Hercules Howard in Dear
Lemon Lima,. Zane is a fun-loving kid who enjoys riding dirt bikes,
playing trumpet and guitar, singing, playing basketball and football and
using his great sense of humor to make people laugh.
MELISSA LEO
Mrs. Howard
Melissa Leo received universal critical adulation for her Academy Awardnominated performance as Best Actress in Frozen River (Sundance 2008,
Grand Jury Prize). Her awards include Best Female Lead at the
Independent Spirit Awards, Best Actress at San Sebastian International
Film Festival, and Breakthrough Actor at the Gotham Independent Film
Awards. As a working actor for over 20 years, Melissa is also known for
her portrayal of Detective Kay Howard on Homicide: Life on the Streets
and for her performances in The Young Riders, 21 Grams, and Three
Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Melissa studied Drama at Mount View
Theatre School in London and later at the SUNY Purchase Acting Program.
BETH GRANT
Principal
Applebomb
Beth Grant is best known for No Country For Old Men, Little Miss
Sunshine, Factory Girl, Donnie Darko, Sordid Lives, Rock Star, Rain Man,
Speed. Upcoming films: Extract from Mike Judge, All About Steve starring
Sandra Bullock, Darko Productions’ Rogue’s Gallery, and Herpes Boy (coproducer). Recent TV: Pushing Daisies, The Office, Sordid Lives, Jericho,
Dear Lemon Lima,
Six Feet Under, My Name is Earl, King of the Hill, CSI. Grant is a recipient
of Best Actress awards from Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, the L.A.
Stage Alliance and Backstage West for Trailer Trash Housewife; Screen
Actors Guild Award Best Ensemble for Little Miss Sunshine and No
Country For Old Men. Grant is married to actor Michael Chieffo, they are
proud parents of actor Mary Chieffo.
ELAINE
HENDRIX
Coach Roach
Elaine Hendrix is said to “earn her stripes” by legendary film critic, Roger
Ebert, best known for her work in The Parent Trap, Superstar, Romy &
Michele’s High School Reunion, and the cult classic What the Bleep Do We
Know?!; as well as television shows Joan of Arcadia, Criminal Minds, CSI,
CSI: Miami, Ghost Whisperer and others. Forthcoming films include Good
Intentions with LeAnn Rimes and Luke Perry, The Beacon with Teri Polo,
and Rock Slyde with Patrick Warburton and Andy Dick. Originally from
the hills of Tennessee, Elaine now lives in Los Angeles with her rescued
canine and feline companions, and spends her free time advocating for
animal rights with the international organization In Defense of Animals.
ELEANOR
HUTCHINS
Terri Lemor
Half Nelson
Margarita Happy Hour
MEAGHAN
JETTE
MARTIN
Megan Kennedy
Meaghan Martin was born on February 17, 1992, in Las Vegas Nevada.
She made her professional theater debut in the Los Angeles production of
the Jason Robert Brown musical “13.” Meaghan is best known for her role
as the beautiful yet bossy Tess Tyler, queen bee of the hottest clique in
camp, in Disney Channel’s Original Movie Camp Rock. Soon Meaghan
will be reprising her role of Tess in the upcoming Camp Rock 2.
Meaghan’s latest project is the ABC Family TV series, “10 Things I Hate
About You.” She has also guest-starred on Fox’s “House”, Disney
Channel’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” Nickelodeon’s “Just Jordan”
and CBS’s “Close to Home.”
VANESSA
MARANO
Samantha
Combs
Vanessa Marano started theater acting at age seven and has appeared in
numerous films and television series. Vanessa's first film was the animated
hit, Finding Nemo, followed by the independent film, Easy, and most
recently in the film adaptation of the popular book series, The Clique.
Vanessa was a series regular on the HBO Original Series, The Comeback,
playing Emmy Award winner, Lisa Kudrow’s stepdaughter. She has had
recurring roles in the hit television show, Without A Trace, Trust Me,
Gilmore Girls and Six Feet Under. Currently, Vanessa is playing Eden on
the popular soap, The Young and the Restless.
Dear Lemon Lima,
MAIA LEE
Madeline
“Nothing”
Amigone
Maia Eun Ok Lee began acting classes at age four and her first professional
role was on stage at nine. Later that same year she appeared in the feature
film Living Life. Other feature film roles include The Brand Upon the
Brain and Dear Lemon Lima,. She was a principal actor in the nationally
syndicated PBS TV show, Biz Kidz for two seasons. She has also appeared
in numerous commercials in the Seattle, Washington area. Maia lives in
Seattle, Washington where she enjoys writing, painting and drawing,
dancing, singing and volunteer work.
Dear Lemon Lima,
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
SUZI YOONESSI
Writer/Director
Director/writer Suzi Yoonessi's award-winning first feature film Dear Lemon Lima, premiered at
the Los Angeles Film Festival where it received an award for Outstanding Performance in the
Narrative Competition. At the film's east coast premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival, Dear
Lemon Lima received the Audience Award for Best Feature Film. The film is currently traveling
through the festival circuit, at internationally and domestically renowned festivals included BFI's
London International Film Festival, the Rome International Film Festival and the São Paulo
International Film Festival.
Yoonessi’s short of her feature film Dear Lemon Lima, received a 2006 Jerome Foundation NYC
Media Arts Grant, a 2007 All Roads Foundation grant and the feature script of Dear Lemon
Lima, was recognized by 2006 Tribeca All Access Connects, 2006 IFP No Borders Market, 2007
Film Independent Screenwriters and Producers lab and 2008 Film Independent Directors
lab. Dear Lemon Lima, was an official selection of the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, Nantucket
Film Festival and Los Angeles Film Festival, and received the Cross-Cultural Award at the
China-American Film Festival, a Special Jury Recognition for Directing and Cinematography at
the 41st Brooklyn Arts Council Film Festival and a Golden Starfish Award at the Hamptons
International Film Festival. Shorts International is distributing the short film and Yoonessi's
previous short film No Shoulder which premiered at the Palm Beach International Shorts Film
Festival is distributed by Vanguard Cinema. Yoonessi received the Jerome Foundation's New
York Media Arts Grant for Vern (2004), which she wrote, directed, and produced. Vern was a
finalist for the Roy W. Dean Foundation Grant, is in the permanent collection of the San
Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and is distributed by the National Film Network.
Yoonessi associate produced the Cannes and Sundance award-winning Me And You
And Everyone We Know (2005), written and directed by Miranda July, for IFC Films & Film
Four (UK), with frequent collaborator producer, Gina Kwon.
Yoonessi received her BFA from San Francisco Art Institute, and her MFA from
Columbia University where she was a recipient of the FMI Directing Fellowship. Yoonessi is
currently working on the superpowers graphic novel The Awesome Sauce Academy and the
family film I Want to Buy a Vowel. After the loss of their mother, Eva and Ava McLemore
befriend an illegal alien named Jesus. The friendship is put in jeopardy when their father Sheriff
McLemore announces his platform issue for the town's upcoming election: illegal aliens.
Dear Lemon Lima,
MELISSA LEE
Producer
A Hong Kong native by way of England, Melissa Lee is an independent producer based in Los
Angeles. Lee’s foray into a career in film began with an MFA from USC’s Peter Stark
Producing Program, where she produced a range of award-winning content, including
commercials, webisodes, and short films. Prior to film school, she worked in investment
banking with Morgan Stanley as part of their Mergers & Acquisitions Group in Los Angeles and
Hong Kong. Lee is currently a Film Independent Project:Involve Fellow and was selected for
the 2009 Sundance Creative Producing Summit. She is currently in pre-production for her next
feature, Circumstance, by writer/director Maryam Keshavarz. Lee graduated magna cum laude
with a BA in Literature from Harvard University.
JONAKO DONLEY
Producer
Jonako Donley has produced a number of short films and pilots. She recently produced an
adaptation of a Miranda July short story due out this fall. She worked on two Sundance
Screenwriting Lab features, Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) and The Motel (2005).
In 2007 she co-founded 5432 Films, a new-media production company based in Los Angeles
that produces web series and branded entertainment. She most recently received her MFA from
the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC. Donley was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA,
and graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Film Studies and Art History in 2005.
SARAH LEVY
Director of Photography
Sarah Levy is an award-winning cinematographer of narrative and documentary films. Sarah
graduated from the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television where she
was awarded a scholarship for Excellence in Cinematography and received the American Society
of Cinematographers Student Award. In 2001, she was named a Kodak Emerging Filmmaker and
invited by Kodak to screen a compilation reel of her work in the American Pavilion at the
Cannes international Film Festival.
Recent documentary work has included the Russell Simmons Brave New Voices for HBO, three
seasons of Morgan Spurlock’s FX series “30 Days”, Mark Wexler’s “Tell Them Who You Are”
and “Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy” for ABC.
Sarah shot the narrative feature, In Between Days, which won the Special Jury Prize for
Independent Vision at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Award at the Berlin
Film Festival. Other highlights of her narrative work include the feature Dream Boy which
premiered at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival.
Dear Lemon Lima,
DEAR LEMON LIMA,
MAIN TITLE CREDITS
Sanguine Film presents
a Suzi Yoonessi Film
Savanah Wiltfong
Shayne Topp
Zane Huett
Elaine Hendrix
Eleanor Hutchins
Meaghan Jette Martin, Vanessa Marano
with Melissa Leo
and Beth Grant
Composer
Sasha Gordon
Casting by
Sunday Boling C.S.A., Meg Morman C.S.A.
Costume Designer
Film Editor
Production Designer
Director of Photography
Produced by
Written & Directed by
Joy Andrews
Mara Farrington, Matt Linnell
Kay Lee
Sarah Levy
Melissa Lee, Jonako Donley
Suzi Yoonessi
Dear Lemon Lima,
DEAR LEMON LIMA,
END TITLE CREDITS
Associate Producers
MARY PRENDERGAST
MAYA SALGANEK
Unit Production Manager
Additional Unit Production Manager
First Assistant Director
Additional First Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director
Additional Second Assistant Director
Line Producer
Production Supervisor
LACEY LEAVITT
CHRIS CLANCY
TONY BECERRA
SCOTT KEINER
TYLER BEEM
BEN DOBYNS
JENNIFER WESTIN
KEITH C.A. JONES
CAST
Vanessa Lemor SAVANAH WILTFONG
Philip Georgey SHAYNE TOPP
Terri Lemor ELEANOR HUTCHINS
Norma KARI NISSENA
Principal Applebomb BETH GRANT
Coach Roach ELAINE HENDRIX
Nate Jackson BRIAN BLOCH
Sean Walsh BRIAN GODDARD
Jon Mongory CHASE VANEK
Jen MICHELLE PIZZO
Megan Kennedy MEAGHAN JETTE MARTIN
Hercules Howard ZANE HUETT
Samantha Combs VANESSA MARANO
Nothing Amigone MAIA LEE
Mrs. Howard MELISSA LEO
Mr. Howard RICK TURNER
Mr. Walters SHELDON JACOBS
Marshall JACK GRAVALIS
Emmaline Chin JADA MORRISON
Lynne Chin TAYLOR FINLON
Mr. Amigone BOB McCRACKEN
Mrs. Amigone ELAINE MANI LEE
Kellie EMMA NOELLE ROBERTS
WEIO Rep EMILY OLEYER
Senor Montague GEORGE BASS
Announcer John Sivaluaq JESSE MICHAEL SALAS
Stunt Coordinators ART HICKMAN
MICHAEL HILOW
Additional Diary Entries CASSIE MIGGINS
LEILA YOONESSI
Art Director
Set Dresser
Property Master
Art Department PA
Art Interns
RENA BUSSINGER
CASSIE MIGGINS
BEN BLANKENSHIP
MATTHEW SHANNON
INDUS ALELIA
Dear Lemon Lima,
MIKE BURNS
ADAM CLEVER
LISA HAMMOND
MIKKI KRESSBACH
DONOVAN NGUYEN
JEREMY REINHOLD
SARENA SCHUMACHER
CB SHAMAH
CARMEN SMITH
BRETT THOMSON
JASMINKA VUKCEVIK
SETH WESSEL-ESTES
Storyboard Artist CHRIS UNRUH
Shadow Artist NANCY PARCZYK
First Assistant Camera T.J. WILLIAMS, JR.
Second Assistant Camera SAM GRAYDON
JASON KNOLL
AMBER LOW
B Camera Operator T.J. WILLIAMS, JR.
Jib Operators T.J. WILLIAMS, JR.
T.J. WILLIAMS, SR
Additional Camera Operator MiCHAEL BARNETT
Gaffer
Additional Gaffer
Best Boy Electric
Electricians
Key Grip
Best Boy Grip
Grips
Grip Intern
Production Sound Mixer
Additional Sound Mixer
Boom Operator
Sound Intern
JEREMY MACKIE
CHRIS PURKISS
NIALL JAMES
SHAUN BOWLBY
MARK BUEING
PATRICK LEVAD
MARK DEWEY
COREY LOPARDI
JEFFREY DIMMOCK
ART REYNOLDS
JUSTIN SALVA
BETHANY STOWELL
ADAM POWERS
JOSH BISSETT
DENNIS SCHWEITZER
DEVIN HICKEY
Key Makeup Artist NAOMI HIRAMOTO
Makeup Interns DEMETRIUS SHEPPERD
OLIVER VILLAFUERTE
Key Hairstylist KELLI SAMUELSON
Additional Hairstylists TRACY McCABE
LAUREN J.B. O’CONNELL
Wardrobe Supervisor ASHLEY RUSSELL
Wardrobe Assistants KIRA ARNOLD
HEIDI BARRIENTES
SHANNON WEATHERMON
Wardrobe Interns CLAUDIA BAKER
MARGIE BRZYNSKI
SOPHIA GOLDFARB
Dear Lemon Lima,
Script Supervisor
Extras Coordinator
Production Coordinator
Assistant Production Coordinator
Second Second Assistant Director
Key Production Assistant
Office Production Assistant
Production Interns
CHERYL COWAN
DENISE GIBBS
KIMBERLY JAMES
GERALD ORTEGA
LACEE RED
LEE LUNA
CAMILLE KOLODZIEJSKI
COLLEEN CAREY
ANDREW FORDERER
SHAUNNA HAGREEN
AARON HEINZEN
ERIN HEMENWAY
JOEY KRAWIECKI
SAMI KUBO
WARREN LARGE
CAITLIN MAGNUSSON
BECCA MANWILLER-THOMPSON
PAUL MAUPOUX
NATE PEIRSON
DANNY PHELPS
NATE POTTS
BRETT RENVILLE
JOANNA ROBERTS
EDDIE SANDOVAL
HEIDI SEAGER
LISA SPENCER
NEIL SWANSON
MATT WRIGHT
Location Manager SPENCER CROSSLAND
Assistant Location Manager McCALLANN GLENN
Finance Manager
Assistant to the Director
Assistant to the Producer
Catering
Craft Services
Product Placement Services
Studio Teacher Services
Sign Language Coach
Spanish Language Coaches
Alaskan Native Athletics Advisor
Spider Wrangler
Jaxx the Bunny provided by
ELIZABETH HEILE
ASHLEY RUSSELL
NIKHOL SVAY
BRENDA LEE
VINCE MILLER
CRISTEN FRIESZELL
J.J. FREES
KIM DESKIN
LISA HOUGH
DAMIANO MARANO
JULIO RAMIREZ
EMILY OLEYER
JULIE LA TURNER
DAWN EDWARDS
Still Photographers DAVE CLARK
MATT DANIELS
RYAN McMACKIN
Post Production Supervisor
Assistant Editor
Assistant Editor, Dailies
Editorial Interns
MARY PRENDERGAST
DANIEL CRAVEN
DAVID MORGAN
YUKI AIZAWA
GUNNAR McGREW
Dear Lemon Lima,
Sound JULIA SHIRAR AND KENT SPARLING
Post Production Sound Services SKYWALKER SOUND, A DIVISION OF
LUCASFILM ENTERTAINMENT CO.
Re-Recording Mixer KENT SPARLING, CAS
Mix Support IVAN FRITZ
Mix Engineer DOUG FORD
Re-Recordist RON ROUMAS
Score Produced by
Additional Arrangements by
Score Recorded and Mixed by
Score Mixed at
Music Editor
SASHA GORDON
VICTOR MAGRO
SASHA GORDON AND VICTOR MAGRO
3RD CIRCLE MUSIC
JULIA SHIRAR
Visual Effects ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY
Visual Effects Supervisor CATHERINE TATE
Compositors EMI BABA
JANTIMA BANNARAKNA
MARIE MING-YUN CHOU
ERIK GONZALEZ
NATAPON HUANGSAKUNCHAROEN
RICKY KAMFOLT
JAVIER LEON
KARL SISON
PO-FENG WU
Animators NATAPON HUANGSAKUNCHAROEN
. RICKY KAMFOLT
Production Assistant ADRIENNE KRONICK
Director of Animation and Visual Effects CHRIS ARMSTRONG
Lab Manager GALINA ROZINA
Technical Assistant JEREMY PARRISH
Opening Titles
Title Sequence Design and Animation
Title Sequence Illustrator
Additional Graphics and Animation
FRIEND OF A FRIEND FILMS
SARAH ADINA SMITH
CASSIE MIGGINS
MIKE DUDEK
SHAHEEN SETH
ALEX SETH
End Credits AARON MONROY
Film Processing ALPHA CINE LABS
Telecine MODERN DIGITAL SEATTLE
TECHNICOLOR
Digital Intermediate
DI Supervisor
Film Scanning
Digital Conforming
Digital Color Grading
Data Management
DI Coordinator
MODERN DIGITAL SEATTLE
DAVID FASSIO
BILL LORD
KEVIN ADAMS
TIM MAFFIA
JESSE HOWARDS
KATHIE McCALLISTER
Insurance Provided by MIDLAKES INSURANCE
Production Legal MARC H. SIMON, ESQ. AND JAIME
HERMAN ESQ.
Payroll Services MEDIA SERVICES
Dear Lemon Lima,
"Hearts and Flowers"
Words & Music by Shirley Kent
© 1970 Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd For the World
Used By Permission. All Rights Reserved.
“La Botanera”
Written, performed, and produced by Dominic Bisignano
© 2009 Dominic Bisignano
"Don't Go To Sleep"
Written and performed by Becky Stark
Courtesy of Becky Stark
"Unani Imapigmiqaa"
Pamyua
Written by Phillip Ossie Kairaiuak
Performed by Pamyua & ANHC Dance Group
Published by Pamyua
From the album “Drums of the North”
© 2005 Courtesy of Arctic Voice Records
"Cayuurlakunguur”
Pamyua
Performed by Pamyua
Published by Pamyua
From the album “Drums of the North”
© 2005 Courtesy of Arctic Voice Records
"Fresh Air"
Written by Z. Govan and Z. Turner
Performed by Foreign Legion from the
Hungerstrike Records
release "The Secret Knock"
Produced by Prozack Turner
"Rise in the Springtime"
Lavender Diamond
Written and performed by Becky Stark, Jeffrey Rosenberg,
Ron Rege Jr., and Steve Gregoropoulos
Published by Lavender Diamond Music (ASCAP), Temple Bells (BMI),
DISCOMBOBULATED VENT (ASCAP), JEFFREY ROSENBERG MUSIC (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Matador Records
Artwork, courtesy of Atsuko Donley, Cassie Miggins,
Jessie Oleson, and Natalie Oswald
Blonde Hair Commercial, courtesy of Aaron Umetani
Fibromyalgia Commercial, courtesy of Ruby Blues Pictures
Unangax Dance & Music Performance, courtesy of Becky Bendixen
and the Unangax Dance Group, Sngagim Axasniikangin (Dream Dancers)
WEIO Footage, courtesy of Perry R. Ahsogeak
Yupik Dance Choreography “Pulling From Within” by Phillip Blanchett
Dear Lemon Lima,
Special Thanks
Karim Ahmad
Nilufar Alemozaffar
Adrian Aoun
Tim Anton
Brandon Balin
Lorette Bayle
Dusty Bendixen
Judy Benjamin
Phil Benson
Ram Bergman
Daniel Bernato
The Bevan Family
Max Burgos
The Bussinger Family
Dave & Sherri Clark
Penny & Bryan Cole
Nancy Cooper
Amy Dee
Judy Ding
Ben-Alex Dupris
Tyler Estes
Miranda Felch
Meghan Fritschy
Brad Goodman
Heather Goodwillie
Jennifer Grausman
The Hanslik Family
Ric Halpern
Amy Hobby
Hercules Howard
Molly Hynes
Nancy Jundi
Glenn Kiser
Jennifer Kushner
Gina Kwon
Mitchell Larson
Ron Lawrence
Panu Lucier
Josh Lowden
Eugene Makela
Michelle Miggins
Dave & Katrina Miller
Gordon Minette
Ryan Nakanishi
Nate Moore
Tony Mosher
Michael Mouris
Tamir Muhammed
Dolly Norton
Laine Perry
Drew Pillsbury
Courtland Premo
Jason Puccinelli
Danielle Renfrew
Residents of Summerwind
The Roley Family
Emily Ruzzo
Jessica Sanders
Tony Sheppard
Art & Gloria Sherman
Samantha Sloyan
Millie Snook
Chris Stinson
Miles Thompson
Maggie Tollentino
Willy Topkok
Josh Welsh
Garret Williams
Amy Wyland
Leila Yoonessi
Mahmood Yoonessi
Roxy Yoonessi
Shams Yoonessi
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Amigone Funeral Home
Athletic Awards Co.
Blue Bunny, Snyder's of Hanover
B-Seen Apparel
Cashmere School District, Staff, and Students
Cedar River Watershed Education Center
City of Renton
CRISTA Ministries | Sally Ralston
Demo Momma | Paul & Virginia Ashmore
Dreyers
DTC | Don Rohrbacker
Elite Limousine
Epicenter Press
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
First Student INC. | Robert Cook & Dee Gilbert
Footlocker Retail Inc.
French Toast
Galaxy Cheer | Ronda Thomas
Gallery Frames | Larry Yocom
Glaceau
High Five Sportswear
Hollywood-DI | Neil Smith & Aaron Peak
Landmark on the Sound | Michael Gray
Main Clothing Company
Mort's Cabin
Mirror Studios | Charlie Hewitt & Ken Sease
Northwest Film Forum
Nichols School, Buffalo, NY | Sarah Carney
Pan Pacific Hotel
Dear Lemon Lima,
Park Ridge Community Church | Pastor Brad
Sebranke
Phil’s Custom Bindery
Potlatch Fund | Ken Gordon,
Justin Finkbonner & Lawrence Leake
Quagmire Company
Red Light
Reel Grrls
Rudy’s Barbershop
Rue Boutique
Schylling Toys
Screen Actors Guild
Seattle Film Office | James Keblas & Chris Swenson
Seattle Musical Theatre
Seattle Theatre Group | Kristi Gamer
Shurchart
SIFF Office
Sigma Phi Epsilon
Snapdog Printing
Sugartown Boutique
TalkingRain Beverage Company LLC
United Reprographics
Washington State Film Office | Heather Doran
WeCan | Fred Lauth
WEIO | Perry R. Ahsogeak & Luke Gunderman
Developed in Association with the Independent Television Service with funding provided by
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Supported by
FILM INDEPENDENT (logo) and Tribeca Film Institute (logo)
Filmed in Washington State with Funding Assistance from WashingtonFilmWorks (logo)
Recipient of KODAK / Film Independent Film Grant
Filmed with Panavision Cameras and Lenses (logo)
Kodak Motion Picture Film (logo)
Post Production Facilities
and Editorial Equipment provided by
Runway (logo) and Orbit Digital (logo)
HD Post Production
and Digital Intermediate services provided by
Modern Digital Seattle (logo)
American Humane monitored some of the animal action.
No animals were harmed in those scenes. (AHAD 01316)
(AHA logo)
Approved No. 45163
(MPAA Globe logo)
MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
IATSE “Bug”
THE CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS PORTAYED AND THE NAMES HEREIN ARE FICTITIOUS. ANY
SIMILARITY TO ACTUAL EVENTS AND PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.
THIS MOTION PICTURE IS PROTECTED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AND OTHER COUNTRIES. ANY UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION, COPYING, OR USE OF ALL OR
PART OF THIS MOTION PICTURE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL LIABILITY AND/OR CRIMINAL
PROSECUTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.
© 2009 COPYRIGHT LOVE SAD, LLC
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Dear Lemon Lima,