“Laura Somers is the real deal. She is talented, dedicated and clear-eyed about what it takes—very specifically—to get an independent film made. As an independent filmmaker myself with four features that I wrote, directed and/or produced—all of which either ran the festival circuit, sold for distribution, won awards, or all three--, I can tell you that Laura is a gold-mine of information and she shares it in a relevant and encouraging way so that you can take it, make it yours, and make your movie. I cannot recommend her class highly enough.”
Shawn Tolleson, writer/director/producer, multi-award-winning Saturn Returns, Santa’s Boots (Lifetime), Undergrad Nightmare (Lifetime).
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Rise and Shine
In 2024, Laura will be directing her next feature film, Rise and Shine, for Voyage Media, Low Road Films, and Just Like You Films.
Based in a small town in the South, Rise and Shine depicts the relationship between Terri, a teen with a developmental disability, and her protective mother, Janice.
The tension arises between them when for the first time, Terri attends high school her senior year, determined to graduate and experience a “normal” teen life. Janice struggles to balance Terri’s growing need for independence while rediscovering her own needs when she falls in love with a local man.
Rise and Shine is about the strong bond between mother and daughter and the difficulties of letting go. It captures what it’s like to be a person with a disability as well as to be a caretaker.
This coming-of-age story explores themes of relationships, the value of empathy, and all people's paths to becoming independent.
Laura Somers is a writer, director, editor, producer. Tired of waiting for permission to do what she always dreamed of--direct her own feature film--she raised funds on Seed & Spark and went back to her hometown of Houston, TX to make her feature directorial debut, Rich Kids. After Rich Kids won 16 festival awards, she struck a deal with Premiere Entertainment for worldwide sales. Her domestic distributor, ITN, licensed the film to Netflix where it premiered in February 2020—almost unheard of these days for a no-budget drama with unknown actors.
Laura is originally from Texas and has lived in many pockets and communities around the country and has a deep love of characters who are outcasts looking for appreciation.
A creative visionary with a finger on the pulse of American consciousness and its youth, Laura is interested in telling stories that encourage viewers to create empathy for one another and advance humanity through creative storytelling by drawing characters who are strong, capable, independent, and thoughtful people who are fighting to have dignity in their lives and struggling with issues in today’s society. Much of her work is about subverting expectations and drawing stereotypes out of their boxes.
As a director, she has been selected for fellowships and mentorships with Women In Film, Film Independent, and SHOOT, and her work has received financial support from Banana Republic, Vanity Fair, IBM, UCLA, and the City of Austin. Her productions have been highlighted in American Theater Magazine, New York Magazine, Remezcla, Vanity Fair, The W Hotels and more.
In addition to directing, Laura writes screenplays and television pilots based on existing IP for Voyage Media which connects storytellers with Hollywood producers and writers. Prior to this, she worked as a reality television editor for clients including Syfy, Lifetime, TruTV, CMT, MSN, and Endemol.
Laura has mentored screenwriters through the WGA East Emerson Program, the Collyer Fellowship, and the Veteran’s Writing Project/Wounded Warrior, taught acting students at Austin Community College and was a programmer for the Anchorage International Film Festival between 2019-2021. She is a member of the Alliance of Women Directors and Film Fatales. She holds a BFA in Theater Directing from NYU’s TISCH School of the Arts and is a graduate of UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program. She grew up in Houston, TX, and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and son.
With two produced features, three pilots in development with a production company, three features in development, 30+ award-winning theater productions, and a handful of award-winning shorts, Laura’s work has proven time and again that it has an impact on audiences and she has a loyal fan base that she continues to build with every project she takes on.
Awards & Honors
