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Logline & Trailer

 A Certain Woman is a documentary feature film that follows Shirael Pollack—Immigrant, Wife, Mother, Advocate & Entrepreneur—in a luminous examination of a 21st Century Woman.

“I believe that you have Core Values and things that matter to you ... If you don’t stay true to that, nothing you do in life will be attainable or achievable. Or, you’ll do it but you won’t find happiness in it.”


Shirael Pollack

Film Poster

"What changes young girls when you're an Immigrant is this courage ... You have a higher likelihood of failure but if you succeed, no one can stop you. Sometimes that's what you need to do to succeed: you need to overcome adversity and know that you can do it."


Yelena Janjigian, MD | Memorial Sloan Kettering

The Filmmakers

Renée Marie Smith

Renée Marie Smith

Renée Marie Smith

Executive Producer 

Renée is the granddaughter and daughter of entrepreneurs, a self-made woman. Her lifelong commitment to helping others started in 2007 when she founded her law firm to assist thousands of distressed homeowners who were facing homelessness due to the global real estate market collapse. In 2017, Renée decided she needed t

Executive Producer 

Renée is the granddaughter and daughter of entrepreneurs, a self-made woman. Her lifelong commitment to helping others started in 2007 when she founded her law firm to assist thousands of distressed homeowners who were facing homelessness due to the global real estate market collapse. In 2017, Renée decided she needed to do more. This led to the creation of Trending50, Inc., a production company that focuses on female entrepreneurs and empowering women through education and teaching the internalization of the entrepreneurial mindset. 

Timothy James Kay

Renée Marie Smith

Renée Marie Smith

Director, DP & Editor 

With over a decade of experience behind the camera, Timothy has Directed, Produced and Edited 30+ shorts and 2 feature films. He’s had the privilege to film and photograph Presidential Candidates, NY Times Bestselling Authors, Celebrity Athletes and Emmy and Oscar winning filmmakers. His work has performed virally on

Director, DP & Editor 

With over a decade of experience behind the camera, Timothy has Directed, Produced and Edited 30+ shorts and 2 feature films. He’s had the privilege to film and photograph Presidential Candidates, NY Times Bestselling Authors, Celebrity Athletes and Emmy and Oscar winning filmmakers. His work has performed virally online, been screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and aired on major American networks. As a storyteller, he is committed to singular purpose: to invite audiences into experiences that invoke Beauty and Wonder. 

Rebecca Baker

Renée Marie Smith

Rebecca Baker

Producer 

Rebecca Baker is a promoter of great content and talent in the British Film & TV community. As a film-maker, Northwestern film school alum and current Film and HETV D&I manager, Rebecca runs the Equal Access Network at Film London. This agency has the core mission to support representation and diversity within the film and televi

Producer 

Rebecca Baker is a promoter of great content and talent in the British Film & TV community. As a film-maker, Northwestern film school alum and current Film and HETV D&I manager, Rebecca runs the Equal Access Network at Film London. This agency has the core mission to support representation and diversity within the film and television industry in London and the wider industry. Rebecca Baker also curates and produces her own film projects including co-producing Trending50 50/50 The Series and A Certain Woman. 

Jason Szesze

Renée Marie Smith

Rebecca Baker

Assistant Director

Jason Szesze has a passion for narrative storytelling and a heart for the people behind them. He found his way behind the camera while learning motion graphics and animation in college. Soon after graduating, he found employment on staff at a local church on the creative team as the video director. There, he experienced 

Assistant Director

Jason Szesze has a passion for narrative storytelling and a heart for the people behind them. He found his way behind the camera while learning motion graphics and animation in college. Soon after graduating, he found employment on staff at a local church on the creative team as the video director. There, he experienced firsthand the power of storytelling and his passion for narrative work was ignited. Since then, he has served as Director and Cinematographer for multiple projects in the Cleveland area. 

Mary Ahlman

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser

Editor 

Mary’s infectious joy for storytelling pulled her out of law school, away from the East Coast, and dropped her into L.A. where she continues to collaborate with wonderful people on a variety of projects. With over 20 million views online, her work has premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, been executive-produced by Madonna, and lives on Justin Bieber’s Instagram. 

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser

Composer  

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser is an award-winning composer for trailers, television, and video games. He studied piano and violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory School, before attending Berklee College of Music, where he was the recipient of the prestigious ASCAP scholarship. After moving to Los Angeles, Jeffrey has wo

Composer  

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser is an award-winning composer for trailers, television, and video games. He studied piano and violin at the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory School, before attending Berklee College of Music, where he was the recipient of the prestigious ASCAP scholarship. After moving to Los Angeles, Jeffrey has worked on numerous projects including The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Outlander, Agents of Shield, and Call of Duty: Mobile. His work has been heard at the Hollywood Bowl, Kulas Hall, Severance Hall and around the world. 

Isaac Jeffrey Kay

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser

Isaac Jeffrey Kay

Violin Soloist  

Isaac is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Denver, Westmont College, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory College. He has performed in the great halls of Europe and America, has toured the world as a Lincoln Center Artist, is a recipient of fellowships at the Aspen Music Festi

Violin Soloist  

Isaac is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Denver, Westmont College, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory College. He has performed in the great halls of Europe and America, has toured the world as a Lincoln Center Artist, is a recipient of fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and has performed with the Omaha Symphony, New World Symphony, and Santa Barbara Symphony orchestras. Additionally, he has performed chamber music with Stephen Waarts, Robert Chen, Simone Porter, Alex Kerr, and Jeremiah Shaw.

James Smithson

Jeffrey Emerson Gaiser

Isaac Jeffrey Kay

Recordist & Sound Designer  

James’ love of sound started in his early teens recording his own music. After college, he played bass on the road with bands from Nashville. For the last decade, he has provided Audio Field Recording and Audio Post for short and long form projects. His work has been heard by millions, airing on ABC, AMC, BBC R

Recordist & Sound Designer  

James’ love of sound started in his early teens recording his own music. After college, he played bass on the road with bands from Nashville. For the last decade, he has provided Audio Field Recording and Audio Post for short and long form projects. His work has been heard by millions, airing on ABC, AMC, BBC Radio, HGTV, Investigate Discovery, NBC, Nat Geo, Velocity, Destination America, TV Land, and the Travel Channel.

Andrew Didway

Andrew Didway

Andrew Didway

Camera Operator

 Andy has been working in TV full time since 2011. For the past 7 years he has worked on documentaries for sports television - E:60 for ESPN, SC Features for Sports Center, PGA Tour Originals, and 30 for 30 Films as a Cam Op/Cinematographer.

Andy has had the honor of being part of multiple Sports Emmy-award-winning shows and

Camera Operator

 Andy has been working in TV full time since 2011. For the past 7 years he has worked on documentaries for sports television - E:60 for ESPN, SC Features for Sports Center, PGA Tour Originals, and 30 for 30 Films as a Cam Op/Cinematographer.

Andy has had the honor of being part of multiple Sports Emmy-award-winning shows and productions as a Cam Op/Cinematographer.

In recent years, he's directed documentaries on such topics as Special Needs and Recidivism, Homelessness, and Fatherhood. Currently, he is directing a film on the refugee crises in Ukraine. 

"You can't raise us to be educated and to pursue all these things, but then expect us to be the traditional Mom. There's a new definition of what [a modern Woman] looks like."


Alexandra Kostakis | Professor of Entrepreneur Practice

Film Screenshots

"Shirael has invested her time, her treasure, her family into Public Education because she believes our success is interconnected ... We all rise together or we all fall together ... Shirael gets that and that's what makes her such a special person."


Ravi Bhalla | Mayor, Hoboken NJ

Behind the Scenes

Show More

"While I've always focused on giving to others ... once I had this different perspective on life, I realized that the most empowering thing is giving. [My life motto is what Winston Churchill said] 'A living is what you get but a life is what you give.'" 


Shirael Pollack

Contact & License Info

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