Filmmaker and Tribecan Alixx Schottland, who with her husband, Matt Pomerantz, owns Zucker’s Bagels, will premiere her latest film, a short titled “Love, Music, Shelter,” on Sept. 21 as part of the Soho International Film Festival. The short — which was inspired by a family that Alixx met while her son was at Beacon High School — centers around a teenage girl and her mother who are living on the streets, busking for their survival until a performing arts school recruits the daughter, despite her mother’s fears, alcoholism and demons.

I am writing this in advance so folks can catch the screening — it looks great.

Alixx, a writer, producer and actor who has lived Downtown since 1999, was inspired by a chance meeting with a homeless mother and daughter a decade ago. She then began to research homelessness as a volunteer at The Door, and set out to write a story about making it against all odds. This is a proof of concept for what will be a full-length feature.

The film relied on a lot of local talent. Her son Charlie Pomerantz, 24, is now a dj/producer and his recording studio in Williamsburg, Greenlight Studios, recorded some of the music for the film. “He also did me a favor and played the teen heart throb, Cooper, in the movie!” Alixx said. The film’s DP was Seaport resident Learan Kahanov and Zucker’s did the craft services. “It was really very much a family affair,” Alixx said.

The film stars Laurissa Romain and Marsha Dietlein and has original music featuring The Next Stop, a subway band including buskers Eddies Bellas, Edson Sean, Jelani Williams and Nekaybaw McNeil alongside singer/songwriter Sylvie Cox.

Alixx wanted me to note that the film comes at a time when New York City’s homeless population has reached the highest levels since the
Great Depression. The number of homeless single adults is 106 percent higher than it was 10 years ago, according to the Coalition for the Homeless, and the average stay in a NYC shelter ranges from 412 to 750 days.

“We believe that ‘Love, Music, Shelter’ can show the world what buskers and folks that are in and out of homelessness really look like,” says Eddie Bellas of The Next Stop. “We hope to disrupt the negative stereotypes surrounding homelessness.”

Schottland’s production company co-produced the short film with veteran producer Scott Rosenfelt of Cinema Veritas (Mystic Pizza, Home Alone, Critical Thinking). Their team includes director Courtney Miller (director/choreographer for Usher, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Film – Girl in the Closet ), Kahanov (Clerks, Madam Secretary), as well as actors Brenda Braxton, Esther McGregor, Frederick Weller, Isabella Di Rienzo and Eve Austin.