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Logline

A troubled young actor returns home to see his ailing mother after being estranged from his family, but when he walks through the front door, his life magically becomes a sitcom.

Synopsis

JORDAN, a young actor, arrives at his childhood home in New Jersey and finds his sister, CLARA, on their porch. He tries to make small talk, but Clara is hurt Jordan hasn’t come home in three years. They’re interrupted by his older brother, EUGENE, who’s excited to have Jordan back.

They head into the house, but as Jordan enters, he is magically thrust into a MULTI-CAM SITCOM starring his family. On “set,” he’s greeted by his aunt, TITA BABY, his kid cousin, AARON, and his father, RAY. The home is bright and the mood is bubbly. The family catches up with Jordan — every punchline is met with a LAUGH TRACK.

However, cracks start to show and reality starts to bleed in.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Derek Manansala – Writer
Derek Manansala is a Filipino-American filmmaker based in LA. He studied Civil Engineering at Rutgers University and was a Walt Disney Imagineer before pursuing an MFA in Film Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Derek completed the improv and sketch programs at the Upright Citizens Brigade NY and wrote on The Pack Theater’s weekend sketch team, “Speakeasy.” He has performed live at the Del Close Marathon, UCB Chelsea, the PIT Striker, and more places that are now out of business. Derek’s work focuses on highlighting universal truths of the Filipino-American experience through absurd and fantastical situations.

Grace Hanna – Director
Grace is a Filipino-American filmmaker obsessed with heartfelt genre stories. They have been a director’s assistant and shadowed on Aquarius (NBC) and Chance (Hulu). Their work has been shortlisted for competitions at Sundance Sloan, Disney, and Sony. A graduate of AFI, Grace received the Alan J. Pakula and Henry Hathaway awards. Their shorts have premiered at multiple festivals around the globe, like Athens Film Festival and Last Frame in London. Grace had a media fellowship with ArtsConnection in NYC; was selected for the Can Serrat Writer Residency in Catalonia, Spain; and completed a mentorship in Manila under F. Sionol Jose.


Eduardo Maia – Producer
Eduardo Maia was born and raised in Brazil, and is currently pursuing an MFA in Film & TV Production at USC, where he is focusing on producing and directing both documentary and scripted films. He originally came to America to study Computer Engineering, and had a long tech career, building products and leading Engineering teams at Facebook and Microsoft. He is interested in stories about queer integration into the mainstream, as well as stories told by – and about – historically underrepresented groups.

Mike Maliwanag – Cinematographer
Mike Maliwanag (pronounced MAH-lee-WAH-nahg) is a Filipino-American cinematographer based in Los Angeles. His work has premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Outfest, and other festivals across the world. Mike’s purpose is to continue to shoot films for underrepresented communities. When not shooting he likes to travel and eat food from different parts of the world. He is currently obsessed with okonomiyaki from Hiroshima, Japan.

Jisoo Jeong – Production Designer
Jisoo Jeong studied Scene Design at the Graduate School of Performing Arts, Hongik University in Seoul, Korea. She also spent her time in London and Los Angeles working as a production designer. Before switching over to the entertainment industry, she studied Fine Art for 11 years, earned a BA degree in 2014, held exhibitions in many different cities, such as New York, Beijing, Seoul and Los Angeles. She recently graduated as a Production Design fellow at American Film Institute Conservatory.

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Contact

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