Sharsheret Book Club: Film Edition
June 5 @ 8:00 pm EDT
An exploration of how film helped process the cancer experience for survivors and previvors, caregivers and their families.
PANELISTS and BIOS:
Amy Byer Shainman, Love, Danielle Executive Producer
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Amy Byer Shainman, known as the BRCA Responder, is a passionate advocate, author, and film producer focused on educating people about BRCA and other hereditary cancer syndromes. Shainman is a BRCA1 gene mutation carrier and a previvor. Shainman has shared her BRCA story through various media outlets, using her voice to raise awareness about hereditary cancer. Her memoir, Resurrection Lily: The BRCA Gene, Hereditary Cancer & Lifesaving Whispers from the Grandmother I Never Knew, won 14 independent book awards and was a 2020 National Library of Medicine book club selection. Most recently, she produced Love, Danielle, the first-ever scripted feature film to explore the decisions and issues faced by individuals with a BRCA gene mutation who have not been diagnosed with cancer. The film features an all-star, including Devin Sidell, Jaime King, Barry Bostwick, and Lesley Ann Warren. Love, Danielle is currently screening at film festivals worldwide. |
Justin Johnson, Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory Director
Randi Johnson, Justin’s mom and inspiration for the film
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Justin Johnson, also known as Justinsuperstar, is an Emmy-winning filmmaker who has been creating popular online content for over 25 years. His documentaries aim to engage audiences with down-to-earth tales that authentically explore the lives of extraordinary people. His most personal film to date, Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory, premiered at the Milwaukee Film Festival and went on to play DocLands, Port Townsend Film Festival, and other notable festivals. The documentary tells the unexpectedly funny and deeply human story of his father’s secret mission to help his wife—Justin’s mother—feel whole again after a unilateral mastectomy, by quietly building a nipple prosthetic factory in their small-town basement. |
Kailee McGee, CAN Filmmaker
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Kailee McGee is a filmmaker and writer who blurs the line between reality and fiction. Her work explores the intersections of life, art, connection, and identity. Kailee’s body of work includes commercials, music videos, short films, and long films. In 2024, Kailee’s film CAN premiered at SXSW and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short Film. |
Questions? Contact Deborah Litwak.
Sponsors:
