Kim Rocco Shields

Kim Rocco Shields is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker . She focuses on pushing the envelope and breaching controversial topics with her passion-driven projects. A film theory major from the University of California Santa Barbara, she started out as a script-supervisor for directors including J.J. Abrams and Gore Verbinski. In 2007, Shields launched her first production company Wingspan Pictures, producing groundbreaking digital media - including the viral critically acclaimed short film "Love is All You Need? . After winning multiple accolades and over a dozen festival awards - the film was leaked onto the internet in 2013: spreading like wildfire based on the unique premise of the film: flipping the script on modern bullying and prejudice - depicting our society if heterosexuality was a sin, and homosexuality the social norm. "I originally considered using inversion approaches founded on race, religion and appearance. I decided the lens of sexuality works best in speaking to intolerance for this story, because love is universally important." The short received accolades and garnered rave reviews and was discussed on thousands of blogs, publications and social communities (Facebook, Reddit, and Tumblr) and news coverage including "Buzzfeed" "Upworthy', 'IB Times', as well as news reports on ABC, NBC, and FOX. After spreading across the globe, the film was translated into 15 different languages by fans and has been seen by and estimated 50 million people+ worldwide. As the short continued to spread, it was quickly adapted as by educators across the country as a conversation starter in classrooms to discuss bullying and discrimination. However, in some schools, it created controversy. In 2014, Jeremy Rhoden angered members of his local Florida community for showing the short in his classroom in Palatka High School - and was put on administrative leave. Shields traveled to support Rhoden at a public hearing and defended the mission of the film against a local pastor that claimed the film was 'the militant sodomite agenda.' Two years later in Kansas city - the same story played out again: this time garnering national press attention when Tom Leathy showed it to his Jr High class and was subsequently asked to resign. Again Shields intervened - and like the Florida incident - all charges were dropped. In early 2014, after 7 years and thousands of video productions under the umbrella of Wingspan, Shields re-branded the company as Genius Produced with the intention of creating films and media that create social change. The highlight of her slate being the feature adaptation of Love Is All You Need? - which was green lit immediately. Pulling together an ensemble cast, Shields launched her feature directing debut in March of 2016 on the festival circuit and, like the short film, has started to garner multiple awards. To Shields 'this is more than a movie, it's a movement'. She is predicting a theatrical release sometime near election time of late 2016. "Rocco" is currently in development on slate of projects for film, TV, and digital: all which explore her mission: "to use media for social change".