Presenting Princess Shaw

Samantha Montgomery has a dream. Working as a nurse aid in New Orleans, she spends her free time uploading clips of her singing to YouTube. Recording under the moniker Princess Shaw, Montgomery’s voice is terrific; comparisons to Amy Winehouse and Macy Gray are certainly appropriate. Unfortunately, her channel doesn’t garner many hits, and audiences are scarce at local gigs. She’s also dealing with depression, which stems from a history of childhood sexual abuse. Across the world in Israel, mashup artist Kutiman has stumbled across Montgomery’s videos and is enamored by her voice. He crafts a tune using her acapella singing, brilliantly blending it with random bits and pieces from other amateur YouTube contributors. Soon the song becomes a viral hit, putting Princess Shaw in front of crowds she never expected. PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW spotlights the incredible power of technology. Without it, Montgomery’s music might have gone unnoticed forever. This film is an inspiring story of a talent who never gave up, despite a whirlwind of setbacks. In this day and age, sometimes that big break can come from the most unexpected places. –E.F.