THE STORY 

On the first day of classes at a rural high school, Emmanuel, a civil-war fascinated teen with undiagnosed Asperger's, desperately struggles to maintain his friendship with his reenacting buddy, Judith, as she moves towards the popular crowd. Monocacy is a personal work of award-winning and local Frederick County, Maryland filmmaker Lincoln Robisch.  With this film, he and his production team wishes to showcase how neurodivergent individuals navigate relationships and are often negatively treated in the culture of rural high schools in America. 

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT 

Monocacy, in one form or another, has been on my mind for the better part of 3 years. It is a story rooted in a conglomeration of my childhood experiences and is easily my most personal work to date. Our purpose in making the film is to shed a light on the experiences of those on the Autism spectrum within the culture of rural high schools in America today. The fictional Monocacy High School, of which the majority of the picture will take place in, represents a concoction of characteristics uniquely specific to our times. Our neurodivergent lead, Emmanuel, struggles to maintain a simple friendship amidst the school’s tumultuous environment of anti-political correctness. 

Much of my approach to tackling this subject has been informed by my experiences growing up as a sibling of an older sister with Autism. I have had the opportunity to see up-close how the culture of our times impacts individuals like her. For this reason, this project is of the utmost importance to me. I feel it is essential that this film be made now so that we are able to fully confront the negative normalities of our current culture as it relates to those that are neurodivergent. I hope you will assist us in this effort. Thank you.

Meet the Filmmakers! 

Director: Lincoln Robisch 

Lincoln Robisch is an award-winning writer and director from Frederick, MD. Among his accomplishments are winning Best Drama for his short film "40-Love" at the Ocean City Film Festival and having his short film "For The Rabbits" selected to premiere on the online exhibition site NoBudge. A senior in Towson University’s Electronic Media and Film program, he has also worked for the university’s Digital Media Department for several years. He has served multiple semesters on the executive board of Towson’s well-established media production society Lambda Kappa Tau. Lincoln’s childhood experiences growing up with an older sister with Autism have informed much of his work. Many of his cinematic ventures explore the frequently strained relationship of those that are neurodivergent to society. In exploring these themes, his approach focuses heavily on realism and portraying the potency of a single moment in time.

Co- Producer and Editor: Natalie Pelaez 

Natalie Pelaez is the co-producer and editor of Monocacy. She is part of Towson University's graduating class of 2020; she began making independent films in 2016. Over the past four years, Natalie's passion for editing has led her to work on a variety of genres—from drama to comedy to horror. Most recently, Natalie wrote, directed, and edited the short, "Maria." Her experience with the emotionally-packed film, made alongside a skillful crew, makes her excited to produce Monocacy. Natalie is also a member of Towson's media production society Lambda Kappa Tau where she held the position of Treasurer for a term. With her financial management and creative skills, she is confident that she and the team will be raising the bar to make their most incredible film yet. 

Co- Producer: Patrick McAllister 

Patrick McAllister is the co-producer of Monocacy. He is also apart of the graduating Class of 2020 at Towson University, majoring in Electronic Media and Film (EMF). As a student, Patrick has had the privilege of working on a wide variety of films, many with Natalie and Lincoln. Highlights include writing and directing his short film Simmer, a winner of several festival awards. Patrick has a passion for the camera department as he held the role of cinematographer or assistant cameraman on projects and got to hone in on his technical knowledge by working for Towson's equipment cage (EMF). Patrick is also active in Lambda Kappa Tau and is finishing up his term as Vice President. Partick is interested in producing entertaining films that contain stories that leave audiences with food for thought when credits role, and he believes Monocacy is one of those films. With his leadership and film production skills, he believes he will be able to assist in Monocacy's making successfully.  

Director of Photography: Seth Herzog  

Casting Director: Lauren Maiden 

Production Designer: Ayo Tunde-Sanya

Ayo Tunde-Sanya is a junior double majoring in Electronic Media and Film and Psychology at Towson University. She has been a member of the Art Department on numerous short films and featured as an Assistant Director. A few projects that she is most proud of to date are Lincoln Robish's Outlet, of which she was the production designer and Simi, a short film she wrote and plans to direct in the Summer of 2020. Ayo participates in many extracurriculars based on her majors. Pertaining to film, she is an active member of Lambda Kappa Tau, a media society. Ayo came into the film world determined to only be a screenwriter- she has written a total of two features, one of which placed her as a quarter-finalist in a national contest. After much navigation within three years of studying film at Towson University, she has found her passions broaden to screenwriting, directing, and working in the art department. She is excited to challenge her production design skills learned from her previous projects to work on Monocacy.  

Sound Designer: Brock Jones 
Brock Jones is the Sound Designer for Monocacy. He is a Class of 2019 graduate of Towson University's Electronic Media and Film department. He has been in love with audio and sound since high school, and his studies have led me to pursue sound design in film. Brock's sound design work has been featured on multiple award-winning films including, "Dog Person" - Directed by Justin Fairweather, "Hit and Run" - Directed by Alex Dapp, "Outlet" - Directed by Lincoln Robisch and "Full Moon" - Directed by Kenny Brossoie. During his time at Towson, Brock stayed active even outside his curriculum. He was an active member of the media society Lambda Kappa Tau as Marketing Chair, an intern for Studio Unknown, and completed various freelance sound designer work. Brock also participated in the school's Greek Life community as a founding member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity's Towson chapter. Brock's passion and experience extend from sound design and reaches to audio engineering, production sound, and radio production. He is confident that he can bring a quality sound design to Monocacy. 

Thank you, for your support and for your time!

Sincerely, 

The Monocacy Production Team