Shawn Christensen

Shawn Christensen is an American screen artist best known for his writing, with a career that bridges music and film. He studied Illustration and Graphic Design at Pratt Institute, earning a BFA before moving into creative work that would later inform his distinctive storytelling voice.

After school, Christensen co-founded the indie rock band Stellastarr*. While touring, he continued developing scripts and achieved notable industry traction by selling screenplays including Sidney Hall (Fox Searchlight) and Karma Coalition (Warner Bros.). Stellastarr* released two albums through RCA Records and later put out a third independently, cementing his reputation as a multidisciplinary creator.

Christensen’s momentum in film accelerated with short-form work. His 2011 short Brink screened as an Official Selection at the Tribeca Film Festival and was later recognized by ShortOfTheWeek.com as Festival Film of the Year. In 2012, Curfew became a major awards-season success—winning dozens of festival prizes before taking the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 85th Oscars.

As a performer, he’s also appeared in several projects, including Curfew and Before I Disappear as Richie, plus roles in Grandma's Not a Toaster, Cul-de-Sac, Missing Girl, and Drink and Be Merry. He has been linked to expanding Curfew into a feature and to directing Sidney Hall.