Luke Pensabene

Pensabene was born in 1991 at Staten Island University Hospital.^[1] He grew up in Great Kills, Staten Island, attending PS 8 Shirlee Solomon School^[2][3] and started yoga at the age of 10.^[4]

In 2002, Pensabene was a trombonist in Staten Island's Boroughwide Band for the annual "Salute to Music" concert at Carnegie Hall.^[5] While attending St. Joseph by the Sea High School, he competed in track in 2005 for the 2.5 mile run at the 79th CHSAA Intersectional Cross Country Championship at Van Cortlandt Park^[6] and the distance medley for the Martin Luther King Jr. relays at Fort Washington Avenue Armory in 2006.^[7] In 2008, Pensabene was one of ten boy scouts at Camp Aquehonga to earn over 50 merit badges.^[8] He had previously achieved Scout, First Class and Star rankings^[9][10][11] before he was awarded The Vigil Honor in 2010.^[12][13]

Pensabene is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.^[14] In 2021, he produced Graduation Afternoon, a Stephen King adaptation by author Marie D. Jones that was directed by Rob Padilla Jr..^[15][16]

Pensabene, along with Jeanette Di Pinza and Tony Olmos, formed a production company called Rosewood Five Studios^[17] that was located at 1150 Seventh Ave in the basement of the C Street Inn.^[18][19] After the production of films like South of 8,^[17][20] The Phantom Hour,^[21] and a production of the San Diego International Fringe Festival in 2017,^[22] the venue became Gray Area Multimedia, which was solely managed by Pensabene.^[23]

Under the Gray Area banner, the location housed the film productions of Friend of the World by Brian Patrick Butler,^[23] Hacksaw by Anthony Leone,^[24] Touch by Justin Burquist,^[25] and Everybody Dies by the End by Ian Tripp and Ryan Schafer.^[26]

In 2023, Pensabene was a co-producer for the stoner comedy film Mike & Fred vs. The Dead by film director Anthony Leone and executive producer James Cullen Bressack. The film is about two stoners navigating through a lockdown of the undead.^[27] It starred Amy Cay, Brian Patrick Butler, George Jac, Felissa Rose^[28][29][27] and featured Sadie Katz,^[30] Michael C. Burgess,^[29] and Nick Young.^[31] It was produced by Brain Damage Films and Leone Films.^[27]