Three days without sleep and only caffeine and ramen to fuel their semi-lucid minds, four team members wait nervously behind the stage. In their freshly pressed business suits, drenched with sweat, they have only one goal: impress the investors. So how did these four teammates end up together? After moving to Austin, getting laid off, and basically seeing his five year plan go up in flames, NICK DAVID, a 25-year-old nerd at heart, finds himself at a crossroad when asked to join MusiqMatrix, his best friend, TRÉ DINKIN'S latest startup. Lost and unsure of his own identity and future, Nick decides to give the startup world a try, along with living life with a YOLO (you only live once) mantra. His plan shifts when he becomes involved with his new roommate, KELSEY BONNEL, the girl we laid him off. Despite this clearly awkward situation, Kelsey, the work-a-holic who has quit her job to grow her fledgling dream PR company, cannot help be distracted by Nick's live-in-the-moment spirit. As playboy, Tré finds himself, like most entrepreneurs, running out of money without a completed product in sight, he decides to not only rope in both roommates, but also PHIL ROSENBERG, the stereotypical hippy, Austinite coder into MusiqMatrix. With limited time and resources, things get complicated. Nick and Kelsey get lost in their steamy love affair, Tré dives deeper into debt, and Nick seems further away from finding himself than he started. Set in the popular Austin scene with a backdrop of the sites and live sounds of the city, Funemployment explores the burn out culture many post grads experience as they navigate the startup world. Torn between making money and following their dreams, many hopeful entrepreneurs try to start their own businesses without realizing the costs it will inflict on them. Through the new medium of applications, this stark comedy delves into the consequences of getting into bed with your friends... physically and entrepreneurially.
Christine Chen is an Academy qualified film producer, director and writer. She fell in love with capturing images and telling stories through film the first time she got her hands on an early addition VHS camcorder in 1993. Christine has a B.A. from Rice University as well as a MBA from the University of Texas McCombs. Christine's short films "A Bird's Nest" and "Ya Albi" were a Top 5 Louisiana Film Prize Finalists. They will be available on iTunes, Amazon, ShortsHD and continue to make the festival rounds. Funemployment, Christine's debut feature, produced under her banner Moth to Flame Films, is also currently being submitted to festivals. The company specializes in telling stories for business owners, artists, and families. Over the past seven years, their innovative approach to media and marketing assets has raised almost 1 million dollars in startup funding via crowd funding. Christine's favorite thing to do is being on set behind the camera, but when she is not filming, she also enjoys watching movies, eating, and empowering other female entrepreneuers.
