Los Angeles, CA - Young Dragon Studio has completed Shenanigans, an independent coming-of-age short film starring Alex Henry and Brooke Moeller. Directed by Michael Lena, the film explores family pressure, identity, and the unexpected ways people look for connection.
Set in the late 90s, the story follows James Dwayne Jr. (played by Alex Henry), a college senior trying to keep his life together while dealing with family expectations and uncertainty about what he wants from life. Stacey Lee Miller (played by Brooke Moeller) is also a college student, known online under the alias DR superlove, where she offers unofficial emotional guidance on AOL through anonymous chat sessions.
James finds Stacey through her online persona, where people speak more honestly than they do in their real lives. Their conversations become a space where both of them can express what they’re thinking and feeling without judgment. The film isn’t about idealized romance, it’s about two people trying to understand themselves, and finding a connection at the moment they need it.
Shenanigans focuses on family dynamics, self-doubt, and how confusing it can be to make sense of your feelings while everything else in your life keeps moving forward.
“This film is about trying to understand yourself while everything else feels uncertain,” said Alex Henry, who produced the film under Young Dragon Studio. “It’s about identity, and what it means to be seen by someone when you don’t always know how to be yourself.”
Shenanigans is an independent short film and proof-of-concept for potential expansion. The film will begin festival submissions in 2025, with a planned public release in 2026.
