LADY BUDS joins forces with Sava and Josephine & Billies in honor of our Starz Premiere and Women’s History Month!

Lady buds available on demand!

LADY BUDS tells the story of six courageous women who come out of the shadows of the cannabis underground to forge a path to legalization. With deep-pocketed corporations taking over the industry, these trailblazers risk everything to make their American Dream come true in the market they helped create.

Feature documentary • 2021 • USA • color • 96 min • English • DCP 1.78 • 5.1 surround

VOGUE names “LADY BUDS” one of “8 Things to Watch This Thanksgiving Weekend!”

"Russo and her editors deftly weave individual sagas and bigger-picture themes into a cohesive narrative whole, while Abby Posner contributes a diverse original score." — Dennis Harvey, Variety

“Enlightening… Anyone who approaches Lady Buds expecting it to be entirely populated by tie-dyed wack jobs will be surprised by the diversity of the characters” — Wendy Ide, SCREEN DAILY

“Lady Buds is ambitious in scope.” “Russo develops a real sense of place and community” — Inkoo Kang, The Hollywood Reporter

“Director Chris J. Russo’s debut film is an upbeat doc that introduces five women who have been sticking it to the man for years.” — Madeline Lines, POV

CLICK ON YOUR FAVORITE STREAMER BELOW TO WATCH Lady Buds TODAY!

SCREENINGS

3/4/22 SALT SPRING FILM FESTIVAL, Canada

12/3-10 THE ROYAL THEATER, West LA, CA

12/1 LAEMMLE NoHo 7, North Hollywood, CA

11/30 FOX CINEMAS, Banning, CA

11/30 MINARET CINEMAS, Mammoth Lakes, CA

11/30 BARSTOW STATION, Barstow, CA

11/30 RIVER VILLAGE CINEMA, Bonsall, CA

11/30 MARY PICKFORD 14, Cathedral City, CA

11/29 THE ROXIE, San Francisco, CA

11/26,27 GLENDALE LAEMMLE, Glendale, CA

LADY BUDS THEATRICAL RELEASE! 11/26!

11/20 NOYO THEATRE, Willits, CA

11/27 GUELPH FILM FESTIVAL, Canada

11/13 DOC NYC

11/6,7 DENVER FILM FESTIVAL

11/4 CENTRE FILM FESTIVAL

10/19,20 DOCSMX, Mexico City

10/8-17 PROVINCETOWN WOMEN’S WEEK

10/22 SEATTLE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

10/9,13 MILL VALLEY FILM FEST *US Premiere

10/1-2 MINOR THEATRE, Arcata, CA

8/20 OUTFEST *Sneak Preview

4/29 HOT DOCS *World Premiere

CAST

Chiah Rodriques

As a second generation cannabis farmer, Chiah Rodriques co-founded a Mendocino County farm alliance that fights to maintain stability for her community and the values she grew up with. With the price of weed dropping, and while taking a leap of faith into the unknown, Chiah must find balance between farming, working multiple jobs and parenting her two sons amidst the harsh financial pressures of legalization.

Sue Taylor

Sue Taylor is a 71-year-old retired Catholic school principal whose mission is to open the first cannabis dispensary for seniors that would offer alternatives to pharmaceuticals. As an African-American businesswoman in a white and male-dominated industry, Sue pushes forward despite financial concerns, repeated delays and the frustrations of dealing with local bureaucracy.

Felicia Carbajal

Felicia has been an activist in the Latinx, LGBTQ and cannabis communities for decades since she was first involved in providing cannabis to Bay Area AIDS patients in the 1990’s. Determined to help bring social and restorative justice to those affected by the War on Drugs, Felicia holds new cannabis industry players and policy makers accountable in Los Angeles and throughout the industry.

Karyn Wagner

Former New York restauranter and serial entrepreneur Karyn Wagner put down roots in Humboldt twenty-three years ago with her high-school sweetheart, a master cannabis grower. Bringing city and business smarts to a small farming community, her goal is to help cultivators survive legalization by marketing the most recognized brand in cannabis: Humboldt weed.

The Bud Sisters: Pearl Moon & Dr. Joyce Centofanti

As OG cannabis pioneers, Emerald Cup Judges and best friends, the Bud Sisters have seen it all. Rich with colorful anecdotes about operating in the underground market, Pearl and Dr. Joyce’s enthusiasm for cannabis brings levity to the film, while shedding light on the more serious implications legalization has on the older and smaller farmers who have lived in the Humboldt hills for decades.

MEET THE TEAM

CJ Russo

**Director / Producer / Writer**
Chris J. Russo’s award-winning short films have screened all over the world, including the Sundance Film Festival, and have been broadcast on Showtime, PBS, IFC, LOGO and NETFLIX. She is a 2018 fellow of the Sundance Institute/Women In Film Financing Intensive with *Lady Buds*, and is also a fellow of Film Independent’s Director and Screenwriters Labs, with her project, *Directed By Dorothy Arzner*. Notable short film credits include, *A Woman Reported*, about the moments before a hate crime occurs; *Size ‘em Up*, a coming of age story; *Straight Down The Aisle: Confessions of Lesbian Bridesmaids*, winner of the Outfest Best Short Documentary Award for its poignant view on marriage non-equality (pre-Prop 8); and numerous music videos.
After receiving two art degrees in Photography — a BFA from the University of Buffalo and MFA from the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY — Russo moved to Hollywood and worked for Kodak for 15 years and as a Post Production Supervisor on over 15 feature films. Russo is an exhibited fine art photographer, with recent group shows in Los Angeles, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. She has dedicated the last four years to producing and directing *Lady Buds*, her first feature film which had its World Premiere at Hot Docs 2021.

Michael J. Katz

Producer

Michael Katz has had a 20 year career in the entertainment, marketing and branding industries producing content for some of the most recognizable brands in the world, including Apple, the NFL, Hewlett Packard, Tylenol and many others. Katz lives in Mendocino, CA and is a member of the Producers Guild of America.

Christian Bruno

DP/Producer

Christian Bruno work as a cinematographer includes Brian Davis’ feature-length doc, The Million Dollar Duck, which won the Audience Award at Slamdance 2016, and Arthur Jones’ Sundance 2020 hit, Feels Good Man. As a director, he co-directed the Sundance Award-winner, Pie Fight 69 with Sam Green. The short documentary, Ed & Pauline (co-directed with Natalija Vekic), a portrait of the early years of film critic Pauline Kael, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. His upcoming feature-length doc, Strand: A Natural History of Cinema, is a meditation on movie going. He was the first HBO Documentary Fellow and was in residence at the MacDowell Colony.

Shauna Harden

Executive Producer

Shauna Harden is a passionate advocate of equity for women, minorities, and craft farmers who are champions of the wellness aspects of the plant. Via her family office in San Francisco, California, Shauna supports hospitality and wellness businesses, non-profits, and passionate individuals driving positive change in the world.

Tamara Maloney

Editor/Writer

As a producer/editor, Tamara Maloney has worked closely with Academy Award winning cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler on his critically acclaimed feature documentary, WHO NEEDS SLEEP? (Sundance 2006), released by The Sundance Channel. She has produced the narrative feature film, A QUIET LITTLE MARRIAGE directed by Mo Perkins and released by IFC. As an editor Maloney has worked with veteran directors, Marcus Nispel (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) and Trish Sie (PITCH PERFECT 3) she has cut scripted features for director Christopher Monger, A SENSE OF WONDER (PBS 2008). Grace Lee's mockumentary AMERICAN ZOMBIE (2007) and Chopper Bernet's THE TWENTY. Her feature documentaries include, LADY BUDS, EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE, FALLEN STAR and Joan Churchill's documentary on Haskell Wexler, MY DINNER WITH HASKELL.

Abby Posner

Composer

Abby Posner has been a working musician in Los Angeles for the past 13 years. This CalArts music graduate has composed music for commercials/TV, films, and radio shows all over the globe (including the Old Fashioned, The Fosters, This American Life Radio, The Art of More, and Last Tango in Halifax just to name a few). She also has music placements all over China, Sweden, The UK, and Australia. Posner appeared in two episodes of GLEE on season four playing banjo and guitar, and she recently appeared in the new Freeform show Famous In Love in playing banjo. After signing with KCRW DJ Gary Calamar’s licensing company (Laurel Canon), Abby and The Myth have gained recognition in the LA music scene and in the TV licensing world. In 2018, Posner scored the music for award-winning short animation “Elizabeth Sees,” and in 2019 Posner plays a primary role in a Bank Of America commercial for the Ken Burn’s new PBS Country Music Documentary.

Taylor Rowley

Music Supervisor

Taylor Rowley is an L.A. based DJ, radio host, and music supervisor. She has worked as the coordinator for music supervisor Tiffany Anders since 2016, assisting on a wide range of film & TV projects including You're The Worst (FX), Everything Sucks! (Netflix), and Pen15 (Hulu). From 2003-2019, her radio show, The Windmills of Your Mind, broadcasted live on the fabled KXLU 88.9 FM every Sunday evening to listeners all over Los Angeles and beyond. Now it streams monthly on London-based NTS Radio.

Sophia Wang

Associate Producer

Sophia Wang is a second-generation Asian American filmmaker and pizza enthusiast. The experience of navigating the world through two lenses, her Chinese heritage and her American upbringing, propelled her to focus on social perception and the human experience in her work. As an editor, Sophia delights in piecing together impactful stories that explore overlooked truths, triggering deeper dialogues. Sophia is currently working on Netflix’s “Stranger Things Season 4”, as an Assistant Editor.

Sarah Olson

Consulting Producer

Sarah Olson is the producer of the award-winning documentary Knock Down the House which premiered at Sundance 2019. The film took home the Audience Award for US Documentary, as well as Festival Favorite and was acquired by Netflix Original Documentaries. Prior, Sarah developed and produced the highly acclaimed documentary FED UP, which premiered at Sundance in 2014, for Atlas Films. Sarah line-produced the 2009 award-winning documentary Tapped and developed and produced short films and viral campaigns for Environmental Working Group and Food and Water Watch.

Stephen Israel

Consulting Producer

London born, LA based, prolific indie producer Stephen Israel is still probably known best for the cult hit, Swimming With Sharks. Sharks has subsequently been produced for the London stage starring Christian Slater, before going on to Mexico (Damien Bechir) and Paris (Thomas Longman), and is currently in production as a series for the new platform, Quibi. With broad corporate experience from working at Warner Bros., Turner, and top management consulting firm Booz•Allen & Hamilton, Stephen adds seasoned management & financial expertise to hands-on production in film.

Jonathan Gray

Consulting Producer

Jonathan Gray has been practicing law for nearly three decades, and is a partner at the NYC based entertainment law firm Gray Schwartz LLP. Jonathan is highly regarded in the independent film community as an attorney, producer, and advisor to filmmakers, producers, financiers, and distributors. He has acted as production counsel on noted documentary films including One Child Nation (2019 Sundance Documentary Grand Jury Prize); American Factory (2019 Sundance Documentary Directing Award); and Life, Animated (2016 Sundance Documentary Directing Award; 2017 Academy Award Nomination for Best Documentary Feature); as well as seminal independent narrative films such as The Station Agent, Black Swan, and Precious, providing filmmakers with legal and creative consultation from acquisition of rights through delivery to the distributors. His producing credits include Blue Caprice (2013 Sundance); Words with Gods (2014 Venice International Film Festival); Nightingale (HBO - 2015 Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Television Movie); and Dark Night (2016 Sundance). A former adjunct professor at Columbia University School of the Arts, Gray earned his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law.

Marah Strauch

Co-Producer

Marah Strauch’s debut documentary feature Sunshine Superman was released theatrically by Universal Pictures (in foreign territories) and Magnolia Pictures (USA). Sunshine Superman is an exhilarating and poetic portrait of Carl Boenish, the inventor of the sport of BASE jumping. It premiered as the opening film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Dubbed a “masterful debut” by The New York Times and “one of the best docs of the year” by Indiewire, Sunshine Superman was picked up to air on CNN as a “CNN film.”

Marah directed an ESPN original as part of the “Pioneer Series” profiling the street skater Mark Gonzales. The film explored the intersection of sports and art. Currently, Marah has a documentary premiering the summer of 2021 on Vice as a Vice Versa original about the female wrestler known as Chyna. She has produced and directed over 40 hours of content in over 30 countries for TV and branded, working with such networks and brands as Discovery Channel, VICE, HGTV, POPSUGAR, American Express, and Adidas.

Rebecca Sekulich

Co-Producer

Michigan born and raised, Rebecca produced her first feature film while attending MSU when she was 19. An exceptionally talented and creative artist, Rebecca relocated to Los Angeles and has produced several films, most notably one of Showtime’s first web series, Girltrash! along with a myriad of other short films and projects. She owns her own real estate company specializing in investment, reimagining & design and residential sales and loves to help filmmakers with a strong vision get funded.

TAKE ACTION!

Buy organic cannabis lovingly grown at Chiah and Jamie’s farm, River Txai! Check out their website for locations where you can purchase their products: https://www.arcannaflowers.com/

You can learn more about MAMA SUE WELLNESS and where to purchase Sue Taylor’s products here: https://www.mamasuewellness.com

Learn more about the Bud Sister’s line of Pain Relief Salve from their website below, or order direct by emailing thebudsisters@gmail.com! http://www.thebudsisters.com/The_Bud_Sisters/The_Bud_Sisters_Pain_Relief_Salve.html

Incarceration does not make our communities safer. Investing in mental health, jobs, and community does. LEARN MORE about The Social Impact Center's programs and education initiatives. GET INVOLVED at www.thesocialimpactcenter.org/

CONTACT

SALES

Amanda Lebow, CAA
amanda.lebow@caa.com

PUBLICITY

Sylvia Desrochers, MPRM
ladybuds@mprm.com

TEAM LADY BUDS

info@pacelinepictures.com

DONATE

Lady Buds is a sponsored project of Film Independent, a non-profit independent media arts organization. Film Independent will receive grants for the charitable purposes of Lady Buds, provide oversight to ensure that grant funds are used in accordance with grant agreements, and provide reports as required by the grantor. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Lady Buds must be made payable to Film Independent and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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