The second film of Streitwieser's produced through Pennies Pictures, LLC, "Excuse Me" is Lena Streitwieser's eighth short film. Also written and produced by her mother, Mary Beth Warner, "Excuse Me" shows the value in human connection against divisive forces, and the empowerment that results when women help other women. It is Streitwieser's first venture into the realm of comedy. 

Ignored because of her age, 50-year-old Amanda leaves a coffee shop without the last chocolate croissant, but maybe something even sweeter.

"Excuse Me" was awarded the Women in Film and Video (WiFV) Short Narrative Film Finishing Grant and was a finalist in the 2023 WiFV Short Screenplay competition. It is now in the festival circuit. 

Watch the trailer here!

Produced through Pennies Pictures, LLC, "Pennies" is Lena Streitwieser's sixth short film, with a 20-minute run time. She directed, scored, and co-produced the film. Pre-production through post-production ran from May until December 2023. 

When a quiet bookstore owner from Washington D.C. gets called back to his rural hometown after the death of his mother, he is faced with the bullies from his childhood, who now run the town and conspire to deprive him of his inheritance.

"Pennies" received press attention in the Kent County News in July 2023. 

Pennies has gained recognition from film festivals around the country and around the world. Streitwieser earned the Best Female Director award at the Central Coast International Film Festival. The script, penned by her mother, who also produced the film, won Best Screenplay at the Brooklyn International Short Awards. The film was named Best of the Region at the Alexandria Film Festival in Alexandria, Virginia. 

Watch the trailer here!

Produced during her final year of high school, "Unprompted" is Lena Streitwieser's fifth short film. She wrote, directed, edited, scored, and produced the film. 

As she struggles to answer a college application essay prompt, young Olive reflects upon impactful moments in her life.

"Unprompted" was accepted into the Japan International Film Festival, at which she won Best Director of a Student Film for her work. "Unprompted" was also accepted by the Tokyo International Short Film Festival, where Streitwieser received an Honorable Mention for Best Director of a student film. She also received an Honorable Mention of Best Director for the film at the Munich New Wave Short Film Festival. 

She was interviewed by the Tokyo International Short Film Festival for her work on "Unprompted" and for a look into her creative process.

Streitwieser's short films range from horror to dramedy, two minutes to 20. 

Her first short film, "Gravestones," was accepted and premiered at the DC Student Film Fest in 2021. 

Trying to discover why she’s suddenly the only person in her spooky town, young Ivy Williams embarks on a quest for answers which brings her to a desolate graveyard and leads to a shocking discovery. 

Watch the trailer here!

Watch the film here!