Here's our conversation with the team behind the Award-Winning film 'JUNKIE' - writer-director William Means and lead actor Rocky Shay. The film won both the Grand Jury and Audience Awards in the Narrative Feature category at the 2026 Florida Film Festival.
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About the film:
Junkie, the gritty debut feature from writer-director William Means, follows a haphazard 72 hours in the life of Stevie Chapman (played by real-life recovering addict Rocky Shay). A perpetual screwup running on empty, Stevie has escaped rehab (again). On the run, she sets out to make amends and reconcile with her estranged, gay son, Liam, before she skips town for good. Through Stevie’s eyes, we are plunged into an eccentric tour of America’s southern underbelly. An unforgettable odyssey, Junkie evolves into a touching, emotionally raw mother-and-son story about dignity, identity, and the fragile hope of redemption. Executive produced by Patty Jenkins (Monster, Wonder Woman), Junkie announces a bold new voice in Means, while Rocky Shay’s fearless, darkly comic, and deeply human performance as the bonkers yet endearing Stevie stands as one of the great breakout performances of this year’s festival.
Director Bio:
William Means (Junkie) (he/him) is a Los Angeles-based writer and director who earned his MFA in directing at the AFI Conservatory in 2021. Since AFI, William worked alongside cinematographer Lawrence Sher as well as director Patty Jenkins. His most recent short, “Blue Square Heart,” qualified for the 2024 Oscars®.
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