Kenzie Elizabeth
Acting
Biography
Kenzie Elizabeth (she/her/hers) is a queer filmmaker+director+writer+actor, from Chicago. As a filmmaker, Kenzie started in producing — after producing a myriad of series' and short films by comedians out of Second City in Chicago, she started writing and directing her own work. Her short film, Pinkwashing for a Cure, was a viral piece featured on The Huffington Post, Upworthy, and Women You Should Know, for bringing a satirical light to the injustice behind breast health. Her award winning short film, Ponytail, played across the country in festivals throughout 2018, picking up Audience’s Choice, Best Made in Chicago, and Best Female Filmmaker awards. Ponytail is now distributed by Pixquid. She also co-directed Good Mothers, an official HBO Latino Shorts selection, written by Wendy Mateo and Lorena Diaz of Fred Armisen’s Dominezuelan Consulate. Space and Pride With the Adler Planetarium “Fighting for equality is Pride. A galaxy of so many different stars, is still one galaxy, united towards this goal. Black Lives Matter.” By Kenzie Elizabeth In 2020, she directed and executive produced the short, Pathetic Woman — a surreal love story written by E.R. Fightmaster of Grey’s Anatomy and Hulu’s Shrill, and Katy Fullan of Adult Swim’s Luxury. The film was featured in international film festivals, the Indianapolis LGBTQ Film Festival, and featured in Autostraddle as “Art/Culture to Follow”. The short film, My Black: A Haitian American Story, premiered 2020, is part documentary and part poetry, diving into poet Alex Dauphin's Haitian roots, and ultimately, her identity as a Black woman in America. SXSW 2020 official selection, featured on Amazon Prime and Short of the Week, is the short film Basic, written by close collaborator, Chelsea Devantez, and assistant directed and script supervised by Kenzie Elizabeth, alongside a crew of three. Kenzie worked on ABC’s Bless This Mess, The Problem with Jon Stewart for Apple+ TV, and most recently a series of music videos for folk artist, Johanna Samuels. As an actor, Kenzie has a co-starring role in the GLAAD nominated episode of Netflix’s Easy, was featured on ABC’s Bless This Mess and NBC’s Chicago Fire. She trained at The Second City and The iO Theater in Chicago, where she created and hosted the live, queer comedy show, Gender Is A Drag. Kenzie Elizabeth is a member of SAG, and she currently resides in Los Angeles.
Known For
This eclectic, star-studded anthology follows diverse Chicagoans fumbling through the modern maze of love, sex, technology and culture. First dates, friends with benefits, couples with kids. Whatever your relationship status is, it's always complicated.
Easy
Gloria and Nick go through a painful breakup. Gloria then spirals through Nick’s past dating history, untangling his web of ex-girlfriends until she discovers the reason for all their issues: Kaylinn, the hottest, most basic ex-girlfriend to ever exist, who not only just took Gloria’s boyfriend, but is about to take her entire story from her, too. Based on Devantez's award-winning 2020 short of the same name.
Basic
An awkward encounter at work carries two unassuming co-workers into a dreamy holiday weekend. A weekend that inevitably falls to pieces when Andy introduces Katherine to some friends. A surreal portrait of love and how pathetic it renders us.
Pathetic Woman
With guests waiting outside, a blood-drenched bride evaluates the state of things, whilst advising her lover on a recipe for that evening's "special" dinner. As the high stakes of a dead body loom over her, she focuses instead on her lover and the special recipe, resulting in a serious reality check. "Brisket" is a queer, dark comedy that calls into question the nature of desire, appetite, and the lengths they drive us to, both violent and banal.
Brisket
Focuses on the queer female filmmaker and actress, K.Z. Elizabeth and her story of getting immersed into film and making stories that she is passionate about in a currently white male-dominated industry.
Kenzie's Beaming Light
In 1951 Violet and Milly make a love promise over a penny. In 2015, the promise comes due, and Violet must face a heartbreaking reality.