SENSE OF URGENCY

OFFICIAL SELECTION – GARDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL 2025

A powerful documentary that journeys from Asbury Park to the frontlines of cancer treatment and back again

From the train tracks of Asbury Park emerges one of New Jersey’s most compelling stories of transformation. “Sense of Urgency” follows Queen Stewart—attorney, mother, and native daughter of the Garden State—as her stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis at age 35 becomes not just a fight for survival, but a catalyst for authentic living.

With unprecedented access to Queen’s treatment at MD Anderson at Cooper, this intimate documentary captures a woman refusing to be defined by statistics that show Black women face a 42% higher breast cancer mortality rate. Instead, Queen forges an unexpected path forward, trading courtroom arguments for comedy stages and private singing for public performance.

Shot primarily throughout New Jersey, the film weaves between medical facilities, family moments in Queen’s home, and poignant returns to her Asbury Park roots—where early hardships shaped her determination and where she now finds renewed purpose in embracing life’s full spectrum.

“Sense of Urgency” isn’t just about cancer—it’s about the universal wake-up calls that challenge us to stop postponing joy. It’s about a woman who discovered that sometimes you need to get knocked down to truly stand up. And it’s a testament to the resilience that defines both Queen Stewart and the Garden State itself.

Runtime: 87 minutes | Directed by: Cenna Wilkerson & Queen Stewart | Produced by: Mark Moskowitz & Queen Stewart