“A soulful salute to a distinctly 21st-century phenomenon that’s also an old-fashioned fairy tale come true.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

This uplifting documentary produced by JBFC Founder Stephen Apkon and directed by former JBFC International Fellow Ido Haar is a testament to creative expression as tool for healing and the power of the internet to establish unlikely allies and true connection. The film follows Samantha Montgomery,  a 39-year-old health aide struggling to make ends meet in a tough New Orleans neighborhood and harboring the (possibly unrealistic) dream of being a successful singer/songwriter. Under the stage name Princess Shaw, Montgomery channels her present and past hardships into her music, performing for small (and sometimes non-existent) crowds at area open mics, and uploading confessional videos to YouTube that have view counts that rarely go above 20. But unbeknownst to her, her intimate videos featuring her incredibly raw and vulnerable singing voice have caught the attention of Kutiman, an enigmatic composer, musician, and video artist in Israel who creates video mash ups of amateur YouTube performers. Through cables and towers and whatever magic that happens when one hits enter on a search field, Kutiman discovers an unlikely muse and Princess Shaw’s dream actually has a chance of becoming her reality. Presenting Princess Shaw is the ultimate Cinderella story and supports the importance of hope, because “[j]ust as man cannot live without dreams, he cannot live without hope. If dreams reflect the past, hope summons the future” (Elie Wiesel).