Mercury Cinema

Red Blooded

The Frequenters

Human Resource

About the Filmmaker

Creative, entertaining, thought-provoking productions.

➔ Watch now on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://vimeo.com/ondemand/redblooded">Vimeo On Demand</a>Mercury Cinema’s 2023 production “Red Blooded” received <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21801834/">50 awards and 10 nominations</a> from film festivals in the United States and Europe.A school board president who has little tolerance for immigrants, students of color, and others, gets the tables turned on her when she learns that her son is a member of the kinds of groups that she and her husband target, leading to her own lesson in acceptance.“A timely and evocative tale, this film reminds us of the profound impact of self-reflection and the importance of unity in divisive times.” — Film Haus Berlin

Presenting “Red Blooded”

Gallery

Director and Producer line up camera shot before action is called

Film set studio photographed with fish eye lens

<h3>“Red Blooded”</h3>A school board president who has little tolerance for immigrants, students of color, and others, gets the tables turned on her when she learns that her son is a member of the kinds of groups that she and her husband target, leading to her own lesson in acceptance.<div data-video=""><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/861067383" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; border: medium;"></iframe></div><h3>Watch “Red Blooded” on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://vimeo.com/ondemand/redblooded">Vimeo On Demand</a></h3><h4>Lead Production Team</h4>Roman S. Koenig: Executive Producer, Director, Writer Jennie Olson Six, Rhianna Basore: Producers Garrett Glassell: Director of Photography Rob Gironda: Music Scorer De’Ja Simmons: Makeup Artist Cristyn Chandler, Liam Terlecki: Production Assistants ​ Special Thanks Barbara Basia Koenig and John Petrowski ​ Special Thanks and In Memory Ron Wolwowicz and Nancy Johansen<img src="https://cdn.soloist.ai/ffd0daba-d224-4522-8e51-57eba9c5a7bd/4bcd4c55-2d4f-4cd3-a031-c712fbee0b35_2048x2048.webp" data-image-fit="fill"><h3>Cast</h3>Denice Riddle as Lois Green Laura Bohlin as Kate Baumann Sean Dillingham as Don Green Cayden Dillingham as Benjamin Green Michael Li as Simon Kim Kevin Quezada as Noah Salcedo Brea Mascorro as Emily Wozniak Wilson Adam Schooley as Will Regan Kimberly King as Carol Constantine Marci Krown as Sonya Lee Mark Allyn as Michael Lancet Teresa Suarez Grosso as Connie Estevez Mukta Pal as Nadine Kanumba Sasha Foo as Dr. Ellen Gao Jackson Ogburn as Griffin Crowley James R. Shelledy as Charles Bond ​ With Lindsey Bates, Cody Dupree, Bryn Frazee, Isael Gonzales, Gary Nguyen, Deanna Rowland, Maria Sidon, Floyd Strayer<h3>Special Thanks</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.ascendroasters.com">Ascend Coffee Roasters | Old California Coffee House</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/SFMKensington/">Stehly Farms</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://unioncowork.com/san-marcos">Union Cowork San Marcos</a> Palomar College San Diego City College <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://iconindustries.io">Icon Industries</a> Barry J. Bridge<img src="https://cdn.soloist.ai/ffd0daba-d224-4522-8e51-57eba9c5a7bd/4e571808-b10e-449a-ad2d-8569c5c8a325_2048x2048.webp" data-image-fit="fill"><h3>Festivals and Awards</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21801834/awards/?ref_=tt_awd">Click here to see the movie’s awards and nominations</a><h3>Media Coverage</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/10/15/encinitas-filmmakers-school-board-drama-wins-recognition/">Encinitas Advocate: Feature story (10/15/2024)</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.thevistapress.com/palomar-instructors-award-winning-film-red-blooded-to-screen-during-san-diego-film-week/">The Vista Press: News story (10/05/2024)</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.northcoastcurrent.com/north-coast-beat/2024/10/encinitas-filmmakers-red-blooded-to-screen-during-san-diego-film-week/">North Coast Current: News story (10/04/2024)</a> Bits, Bites and Buzz Podcast: Episode 13 (07/26/2024) <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/06/13/arts-and-culture-newsletter-local-filmmaker-brings-award-winning-film-home/">The San Diego Union-Tribune: Night &amp; Day story (06/15/2024)</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thecoastnews.com/encinitas-filmmakers-red-blooded-receives-local-international-praise/">The Coast News: Feature story (06/05/2024)</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240601022237/https://www.encinitasadvocate.com/lifestyle/events/story/2024-05-31/san-diego-film-awards-nominee-red-blooded-screens-june-13">Encinitas Advocate: News story (05/31/2024)</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.northcoastcurrent.com/north-coast-beat/2024/05/encinitas-filmmakers-red-blooded-project-is-san-diego-film-award-nominee/">North Coast Current: News story (05/24/2024)</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlg2tNzXW6s">Stay Classy San Diego Podcast: Episode 50 (10/18/2023)</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2023/12/08/i-wrote-a-short-film-in-2015-about-a-vitriolic-school-board-it-no-longer-feels-fictional/">The San Diego Union-Tribune: Opinion essay (12/10/2023)</a>

2023

<h3>“The Frequenters”</h3>Can a psychic with a bad attitude “clean” a family’s house of suspicious occupants? Join Petunia Hom on her mission to discover the culprits behind the haunting.<div data-video=""><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xh_KDLvGRg8?rel=0&amp;color=white" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; border: medium;"></iframe></div><h3>Production Team</h3>Roman S. Koenig: Producer, Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor Laura Castañeda: Assistant Director Rob Gironda: Music Scorer David Pradel: Production Assistant Jennie Olson Six: Craft Services Phoenix Webb: Makeup ​ Special Thanks Barbara Basia Koenig and John Petrowski Ron Wolwowicz and Nancy Johansen<img src="https://cdn.soloist.ai/ffd0daba-d224-4522-8e51-57eba9c5a7bd/b8715454-f2ce-4490-a68c-2d5a49856d9d_2048x2048.webp" data-image-fit="fill"><h3>Cast</h3>Mary Cherwink as Petunia Hom Wilson Adam Schooley as Jerry Larson Jennie Olson Six as Jennifer Larson Christopher Dilley as Dennis Parker Julie Clemmons as Cassie Slate Rhianna Basore and Joshua Spiegel as the Frequenters Phoenix Webb as the Apparition<h3>Recognition</h3>Award of Recognition from the international Accolade Global Film Competition (2017) Award of Recognition from the Best Shorts Competition (2017)Filmed and screened for the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.48hourfilm.com/sandiego/48hfp/2017">San Diego 48 Hour Film Project</a>

2017

<h3>“Human Resource”</h3>Set some time in the not-too-distant future, “Human Resource” takes place in a time when corporate and government are one and the same. Those who work for this huge entity must subject themselves to a life rigidly managed by the Human Resource Manager, a machine that manages their time from morning to the end of the work day. “Human Resource” is about one woman’s attempt to break free of this system through a seemingly insignificant act, and live as an individual once again.<div data-video=""><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T04cFarobmM?rel=0&amp;color=white" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" style="width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; border: medium;"></iframe></div><h3>Lead Production Team</h3>Roman S. Koenig: Executive Producer, Director Writer, Editor Carla Van Wagoner: Executive Producer Daniel K. Lew: Associate Producer David S. Dawson: Director of Photography Rob Gironda: Music Scorer ​ Special Thanks Barbara Basia Koenig and John Petrowski Ron Wolwowicz and Nancy Johansen<img src="https://cdn.soloist.ai/ffd0daba-d224-4522-8e51-57eba9c5a7bd/759f8734-4b08-4fc8-9202-4a6d47a9e332_2048x2048.webp" data-image-fit="fill"><h3>Cast</h3>Sophia Elisabeth as Fiona Sheilina Shaw as Susan Mark DeWhitt as Evan Lawson Howe as TobyWith Melanie Glancy, Rob Gworek, Catherine L. Cox Lynne Goodman, Steven Schwartz, Daniel K. Lew<img src="https://cdn.soloist.ai/ffd0daba-d224-4522-8e51-57eba9c5a7bd/f6628378-d866-46ba-b7cf-6e1d09eb7305_2048x2048.webp" data-image-fit="fill"><h3>Festivals, Awards, Full Production Team</h3><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1555822/">Click here to see the movie’s full production team and awards</a>

2002

Roman S. Koenig is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter, publisher of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.northcoastcurrent.com">North Coast Current</a> in Encinitas, California, and longtime lecturer at San Diego State University (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://jms.sdsu.edu">journalism</a>) and adjunct at Palomar College (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.palomar.edu/cinema/">cinema</a>). ​ Roman’s educational background consists of a Master of Arts degree in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ttf.sdsu.edu/programs/television-film-media">Television, Film and New Media Production</a> from San Diego State University; a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a Literature/Writing Studies minor from Cal State San Marcos; and an Associate degree in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.palomar.edu/journalism/">Journalism</a> from Palomar College. ​ Find out more about Roman’s film work on his <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3718431/">IMDB page</a>.