synopsis
Crista Luedtke is a serial entrepreneur. She was born into the restaurant business but didn't follow her calling right away. She eventually left behind a corporate job in San Francisco to pursue her passion of opening a hotel in the sleepy vacation town of Guerneville, two hours north of the city. A restaurant, a market, and a bar soon followed, and the town began its transformation into a hip destination. Along the way, she weathered a flood that severely damaged her hotel, saw her marriage fall apart, and faced local resistance. A final project pushes her to the brink and changes her perspective on life, love and empire.
DIRECTOR
Jessica Congdon is a storyteller at heart and brings a natural approach to her work. Empire on Main Street is her directorial debut. Her latest editing and co-writing project is the award-winning documentary Dolores, with director Peter Bratt, which premiered in the 2017 Sundance Documentary Competition. She produced, co-wrote & edited the documentary films, The Mask You Live In and Miss Representation with Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The films premiered at Sundance in 2011 and 2015. Prior to that, she co-directed and edited the documentary Race To Nowhere.
Other editing work includes the documentaries Speed and Angels, Motherland, The Bronzer, and the narrative features Big Girls Don’t Cry and Sundance award-winner Dopamine. Jessica is a founding editor and director at Umlaut Films in San Francisco. Her work has received AICE editing awards, the One Show Award, and Cannes Lions awards. She grew up in Washington, D.C., received her degree from UC Berkeley, and studied film at the Art Institute of Chicago.
PRODUCER
Eric Holland is a producer, sound supervisor, and music composer who has worked in film for over 20 years. His projects include the documentaries The Mask You Live In and Miss Representation, which premiered at Sundance in 2011 and 2015; the Showtime documentaries The Opposite Sex and Daddy Don’t Go; and the independent documentaries Desert Runners, Speed & Angels, Rabbit Fever, The Bronzer, and Motherland. His narrative feature films includes Numb, One of Our Own, and Sundance award-winner Dopamine. He composed the original score for all five seasons of the PBS/Sundance Channel TV series e2 – the economies of being environmentally conscious, which was narrated by Brad Pitt. He has also worked on commercial campaigns for Nokia, Mattel, and Blue Cross.
REVIEWS:
"Best Non-Glamorous Portrayal of the Restaurant Industry"
-North Bay Bohemian
’Empire on Main Street’ tracks Crista Luedtke’s boon to Guerneville.
-Made Local Magazine
SCREENINGS / AWARDS:
Cinequest Film Festival 2018 Short Film Competition
Redwood City, CA / Saturday, March 3rd / 4:20 PM / more info
Redwood City, CA / Monday, March 5th / 8:15 PM / more info
San Jose, CA / Tuesday, March 6th / 3:30 PM / more info
San Jose, CA / Saturday, March 10th / 12:00 PM / more info
Short. Sweet. Film Fest. 2018
Cleveland, OH / Saturday, March 3rd / 5:30 PM / more info
WINNER: JURY AWARD & AUDIENCE AWARD
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Sonoma International Film Festival 2018
Sonoma, CA / Friday, March 23rd / 9:00 AM / more info
Sonoma, CA / Saturday, March 24th / 7:15 PM / more info
WINNER: BEST DOCUMENTARY
Blackbird Film Festival 2018
Cortland, NY / Saturday, April 21st / 9:00 AM / more info
Julien Dubuque International Film Festival 2018
Dubuque, IA / Thursday, April 26th / 9:00 AM / more info
Dubuque, IA / Saturday, April 28th / 3:15 PM / more info
RUNNER UP: BEST SHORT
Outshine Film Festival 2018
Miami, FL / April 29th / 3:00 PM / more info
Bentonville Film Festival 2018
Bentonville, AR / May 2nd / 2:30 PM / more info
Bentonville, AR / May 4th / 10:00 AM / more info
Montclair Film Festival 2018
Montclair, NJ / May 4th / 9:15 PM / more info
Montclair, NJ / May 5th / 4:45 PM / more info
WINNER: BEST DOCUMENTARY
Emerging Filmmaker LGBTQ Showcase, American Pavilion at Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, France / May 13th / 4:00PM / more info
Short Film Corner
Cannes, France / Times TBA
Greenwich International Film Festival 2018
Greenwich, CT / June 1st / 11:30AM / more info
Greenwich, CT / June 3rd / 8:45PM / more info
Nantucket Film Festival 2018
Nantucket, MA / June 21st / 9:00AM / more info
Long Beach International Film Festival 2018
Long Beach, NY / August 4th / 2:15PM / more info
WINNER: ALTERNATIVE SPIRIT AWARD
Rhode Island Flickers Film Festival 2018
Providence, RI / August 8th / 12:15PM and 9:00PM / more info
Sidewalk Film Festival 2018
Birmingham, AL / August 26th / 10:25AM / more info
DC Shorts Film Festival 2018
Washington, D.C. / September 7th / 9:30PM / more info
Washington, D.C. / September 12th / 9:15PM / more info
GlobeDocs Film Festival 2018
Boston, MA / October 14th / 11:30AM / more info
Ridgefield Independent Film Festival2018
Ridgefield, Connecticut / October 18-21 / more info
Pawtucket Film Festival 2018
Pawtucket, RI / November 3rd / 12:30PM / more info
St. Louis International Film Festival 2018
St. Louis, MO / November 5th / 7:00PM / more info
Napa Valley Film Festival 2018
Napa, CA / November 7th / 5:15PM / more info
Napa, CA / November 9th / 8:15PM / more info
Napa, CA / November 10th / 8:00PM / more info