FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: HollyWeb Festival Co-Director Daniel Doherty Announces Full Schedule – Episodes From 97 Digital Series Will Screen at AMC Universal CityWalk
The 2017 HollyWeb Festival, sponsored by AMC Independent (March 30-April 2) Co-Director Daniel Doherty announced the full schedule of digital series, filmmaker panels, and events for this year’s edition of the festival, celebrating the world’s premiere digital content. 97 digital series will have episodes screened at AMC Universal CityWalk 19 (100 Universal City Plaza), the Universal Hilton (555 Universal Hollywood Drive), and the Fonda Theatre (6126 Hollywood Blvd.).
HollyWeb Festival Co-Director Daniel Doherty Announces Full Schedule
HollyWeb Festival Co-Director Daniel Doherty, said, “From the beginning, the HollyWeb Festival has sought to shine a light on web series creators, honor their collective vision and work, as well as create a yearly event where they can gather and meet, exchange notes, and possibly form partnerships that will lead to even more outstanding and entertaining web series.”
HollyWeb Co-Director Jennifer Doherty, added, “Each year, the web series become more ambitious in terms of scope, creativity, and technical accomplishments, and this year’s incredible slate of projects has raised the bar once again.”
HollyWeb will begin on Thursday, March 30 with a series of panels, workshops, and a Keynote Presentation featuring “A Conversation with Keith Powell.” Moderated by Digital L.A.’s Kevin Winston, Powell (30 Rock, About a Boy, creator of Keith Broke His Leg) will hold forth on the state of digital series creation, television, etc. from his own unique perspective. The Opening Night Industry Mixer will be hosted by Tinhorn Flats (724 Highland Avenue)
HollyWeb Festival Co-Director Daniel Doherty Announces Full Schedule
Panels include; “Who’s Looking?” moderated by Jonathan Robbins, about Content Acquisition and Opportunities for Digital Series Creators with Comedy Pro’s Rachel Shapiro, and Kara Buckley, the Manager of Original Programming, HBO; “First Impressions: A Writing Workshop,” moderated by Marilyn Thomas, with panelists Doug Eboch (SWEET HOME ALABAMA), and Jorge Rivera (APB); “We’ll Fix It In Post: Shooting With Post Production In Mind,” with Jason Leaver (Out with Dad), veteran film composer Rob Gokee, and Sean Oakley (The Guild, Vanity).
Highlights among the ambitious slate of 97 digital series being screened at HollyWeb, are; Fantasy Hospital , which follows the adventures of dwarfs, giants, fairies and other wizarding doctors, who can cure any magical malady from Arachpneumonia to Zombie Decay. The cast includes Emma Caulfield, Kunal Nayyar, and Wil Wheaton; LA Picker, which follows Sally (Devin Sidell), a lover of estate sales, thrift shops, and swap meets, as she builds her resale business, while a rival picker plots to sabotage her online store by giving her negative reviews; Soho Haus Rules, about a Members Only club for famous fabulous people, which features James Franco, and The League of S.T.E.A.M, which is the longest running steampunk comedy action adventure web series. Special guest stars on the series include; Doug Jones, Grant Imahara, Phil LaMarr, Chloe Dykstra, Milynn Sarley, Robin Thorsen, Lisa Foiles, and Michele Morrow.
HollyWeb Festival Co-Director Daniel Doherty Announces Full Schedule
Additional highlights include; The Amazing Gayl Pile, which follows the exploits of a home shopping club host, with guest appearances by stars like, Jon Hamm, Jack McBrayer, and Scott Thompson; the New Zealand series, High Road, about a washed up rock star whose PR miscues torment his famous sister. Guests stars include fans of the show, Greg Wise and Emma Thompson; Chat. Like. Love, about a long-distance “friendship between a quirky boy from the UK and the feisty All-American girl who caught his attention at camp. A “who’s who” of You Tube personalities guest star, including Mia Stammer, Chris Kendall, Lauren Elyse Buckley & Tom McLaren; and the LGBT hit series, Out With Dad. In its 5th season, the quirky drama about a teenage girl and her single father, at a time when she is coming of age and coming out of the closet, has solidified itself as an international sensation.
The “Blue Carpet” Closing Night Awards Ceremony will take place at the historic Fonda Theatre (6126 Hollywood Blvd.) and will be hosted by Noemi Gonzalez (“East Los High,” PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES), and Jim Mahoney (“Wilfred”).
Festival passes and tickets can be purchased at: http://www.hollywebfestival.com.
2017 HOLLYWEB FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTIONS DESCRIPTIONS:
20 Seconds To Live
Director: Ben Rock
The horror/comedy web-series for people who hate happy endings.
30 Second Star
Directors: Gayle Kellon Christensen, Stefanie M. Davis
30 Second Star: The first and only show that profiles popular commercial actors. Have you ever watched commercials with the Pine Sol lady or Flo the Progressive Insurance girl or the Cheez-It cheese maturation guy and asked yourself, who are these actors and what are their real names? They’re stars in 30 second commercial ads, but we don’t know anything about them – not even their real names. 30 Second Star profiles these “unknown” artists so we CAN get to know them and their names – because they are indeed the stars of tomorrow!
A Backwards Guide To The Film Industry
Directors: Lucas Kingman-Hills, Barry-James Connolly
Joel forces his friend Gydzy to film his rise to success in the film industry. However, his uncontrollable anger, awkwardness, and socially inept persona lands him into the most embarrassing and debacle situations.
The Adventures of a Broken Heart
Director: Ariel Martinez Herrera
If the heart could talk, this would be its first television show. With the special appearances of Rabid Penis, Drunk Liver and Operated Kidney.
The Adventures of Delores Briggam
Director: McKenzie Trent
A mid 30s late bloomer, Delores Briggam arrives in Los Angeles ready to take on the world. Through videos she sends to her family back home in Tennessee, we see her experience the bizarreness that only Los Angeles provides. Whether it’s her narcissistic boss in a graphic tee, her roommate who might be a witch, or an invitation to a party of lesbians, Delores grows up quickly. Slightly delusional but always delightful, Delores experiments and navigates the city of LA as only she can. And we get to laugh at her while she does it.
A.L.L.I.A.N.C.E
Director: Kenneth Mader
A.L.L.I.A.N.C.E. is a Science Fiction/Thriller/ Drama Series, which follows a team of Intelligence Agents as they become drawn deeper into a web of conspiracy, deception and cover-ups, all related to the mysterious UFO and alien abduction phenomenon. But unlike shows of this kind that have come before, A.L.L.I.A.N.C.E. approaches the matter from the inside, exploring the dark world of abductees, covert operatives, and a secret worldwide cabal intent on protecting ancient discoveries from falling into the wrong hands, and saving humanity from a coming “purge”.
All For One
Director: Shannon Litt
All For One follows brash college freshman Dorothy Castlemore on her quest for love, new friends and the sorority of her dreams. The audience views the series through the eyes of one of Dorothy’s many online friends and watches as she quickly finds herself in way over her head when she dares to take on the corrupt student government. With a focus on inclusive and diverse representation, strong female leads, and meaningful audience engagement, All For One is a modern retelling of Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. Along with fully integrated transmedia storytelling, All For One featured a narrative 20-minute interactive live episode where the audience became part of the story and world in real time.
The Amazing Gayl Pile
Directors: Morgan Waters, Brooks Gray
One man’s misguided quest to conquer the world of home shopping. Gayl Pile (Morgan Waters) finds himself stuck in the daily grind as a host on the Shop-At-Home-Channel in Hamilton, ON.
Amnesia
Directors: Patrick de Ranter, Jérôme Fansten
What would happen if we were to get all amnesiac at the same time – All of us. 7 billion human beings? Amnesia is a digital series composed of 10 episodes of 10’, in which we follow Margaux, Vincent and Nadia, three members of the same family that became a stranger to herself and try to survive in a world that collapses following a collective amnesia.
Attack! Attack! Art?
Director: Scott Walmsley
An idealistic artist, Bellamy discovers her diabolical grandmother is stealing her work to sell online. Against such a cunning foe, Bellamy will have to stop at nothing to protect her artistic integrity. Meanwhile her pretentious boyfriend fights for her affection against a much hotter gentleman who always has his shirt off.
The Auditions
Director: Jasper Whincop
The Auditions follows Graham, a recent drama school graduate, as he enters the Australian film and TV industry. All seen through the eyes of the casting process, we get an inside peak into what happens in these rooms, from the surprises, humiliations to the downright bizarre.
Aunty Donna: 1999
Director: Max Miller
Taking place in the high-rise, ‘modern’ city office of Australia’s largest corporation, this outrageous sketch series loosely follows a professional business on the eve of the dreaded and unfathomable Y2K, in the way Aunty Donna do it best: a descent into pure madness. A high energy mash up of songs, prosthetics, animation and dance moves, Aunty Donna: 1999 is Aunty Donna more bizarre, more absurd and definitely worse dressed than you’ve ever seen them before.
Bad Business
Director: Roberto Carmona
Being in a band sucks. You get old, you don’t make any money, and nobody comes to your shows. But what if you ran it like a business? Wore sharp suits, got whiteboards, charts, graphs, and a “can do” attitude the likes of Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg would only dream of. This series tells that story.
Bellman Chronicles: Hollywood
Director: Jeff Hodsden
Bellman Chronicles: Hollywood is a single camera workplace comedy which gives a never seen before look into the unsung heroes of the hospitality business: the bellman. This original, new series will deliver a revealing look at what goes on in a boutique hotel in Hollywood. Watch as we show hilarious tales of a motley bell staff as they overcome the absurdity and oddity of their daily lives; as it intertwines with that of the unhinged Hollywood elite and other eccentric highbrow clientele.
Bill The Therapist
Director: Hugo de Sousa
Once upon a time, there was a therapist named Bill. He always made sure he took really good care of his patients, until one day an unexpected event in his life made him do and say very unusual things.
Bob and Donna
Directors: Randy Eisneberg, Sally Bollinger
It’s season one of Bob and Donna – a travel-adjacent reality show where two, fun-loving Michiganders fulfill their lifelong dreams of traveling to major cities that everyone else has been to but them. In season one, Bob makes Donna’s dreams come true with a some-expenses-paid trip to New York City for the holidays!
Boondock Alley: A Doctor’s Surgery the Undead
Director: James Pentecost
Charlie and Lillith work at Boondock Alley: A Doctor’s Surgery for the Undead. Headed up by Dr Miranda Evans, a pioneer in research and medicine for the Undead, they are a tight team. In spite of the recent passing of the controversial Integration Act, humans remain divided in their views on equal rights for the Undead. Amid the ensuing conflict, Dr Evans goes missing. In the face of threats from both ends of the creature continuum, Charlie and Lillith fight hard to treat their patients and to save their colleague, assisted ably, if reluctantly, by newcomer Evelyn. As each wrestles with the complexities of treating such distinctive often dangerous clientele, their own secrets are driven to the surface. Finally, the past enters the present in the forms of a Gypsy, a Vampire and a Warlock, and scores are revealed that may cost lives if they are to be settled.
Bright Summer Night
Directors: Elsie Bollinger, Sally Bollinger
A New Zealand house party in the middle of summer, four lovers, three environmental activists, and a musical-political performance group are the ingredients for The Candle Wasters’ Bright Summer Night. An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream re-contextualising the play’s themes for a millennial audience.
Brosa Nostra
Director: Mike Smith
After 33 years of exile, Steve Olivieri wants Sigma Mu Theta to return to Greek Row at Southern California College. A legion of fraternity presidents would rather he not. The only rule is debauchery. And that’s more of a suggestion.
The Call Room
Director: Craig Tovey
Adam, Alexa, Jonathan & Craig are four bright millennials who work at the only job they could get after college: telefunding for a local non-profit theater (Leslie Moore Performing Arts Center). Each episode sees the gang dodging the latest curve ball from their boss, Simon, while calling irritated potential donors to make their weekly sales goal. Simon goes to great lengths to ‘creatively motivate’ the callers with thinly-veiled threats and off-the-wall challenges. The four callers ‘group mind’ often backfire and exacerbate the problem. For instance, when Simon institutes a commission structure based on lottery scratch cards, the gang forms an alliance to share the winnings, but deceit and suspicion turn the office into Lord of the Flies!
Chat. Like. Love
Director: Eli Sokhn
When a quirky boy from the UK spends summer at a camp in the States, he meets a feisty All-American girl who catches his attention – even though she has a boyfriend. When she accidentally video messages him instead of her boyfriend, they begin a long distance “friendship” that has potential for more. Will the distance between them keep them apart?
Choose Your Own McGurskey
Director: Ted Limpert
Choose Your Own McGurskey (CYOM) is a 17 episode, choose your own adventure comedy series. “Crazy Eyes” McGurskey used to be a ball-crushing, dick-punching artisan of justice until his wife ripped out his man-heart and turned him into mush. Now, he’s divorced, badge-less, and utterly alone. Does he pull himself together or relent to the cruel world? Is he a crime slaying legend or just another sad sad-man? YOU choose.
Church Night TV
Directors: Linsay Deming, Landon Letzkus, Jeremy Frank, Theodore Lee Jones
If Portlandia, Between Two Ferns and The 700 Club immaculately conceived a baby, it would be Church Night TV. Reverend Bidet, Youth Minister Kathy, and Altered Boy Randy delight in preaching their misguided doctrine to a new internet audience. Five episodes of praise programming features fun for the whole family and not just Dad! Hear songs like “The Lord Shit in my Pants” by German hymn-hitmaker, Anke Brünner. Watch mountain jangle-footer, Jorbo Skaggs, dance like an angel high on trucker meth. Meet craftsman, Carl Faban, who believes the Lord is a door… literally.
City of Angles
Director: Delaney Buffett
Having finally made the move from New York to Los Angeles, Sasha stumbles upon a mentor who gives her a few tips on how to navigate Hollywood.
Clever Girl
Director: Joe Zappa
The story of a desperate writer’s participation in her lover’s brutal pastime, and the ripple effect their dark secret has on the troubled lives of besieged detectives and voyeuristic neighbors.
Conversations in LA
Director: Anne Marie Cummings
The main story of this dark comedy, that smacks of realism, is about Michelle Macabee, an unemployed menopausal woman in the midst of a mid-life crisis, who replaced her dog of 15 years with a hamster, and falls head over heels in love with Gus, a hot Hispanic millennial who she finds out is a lot younger than she thought. Alex and Nicole, her best friends from Amazon (where she used to work), think she’s lost her mind, but her pet loss therapist thinks she’s found it. Alex and Nicole try to persuade Michelle away from Gus giving Season One the running theme: Whose life you livin’? You or somebody else’s?
Cumbia Nena
Director: Jonathan Barg
Juli and Milu are two young musicians facing the challenge of making a living with their passion. The show narrates their day to day and their past: how they met, how they started the band, how to start making music through self-management, social networks and crowdfunding.
Dicks
Director: Alex Dean
LAPD Community Problems Unit Detectives Dina McDonough and Teresa Adams are assigned the biggest case of their careers: bring The Riverside Flasher to justice. Follow these shameless cops every episode as their personal and professional lives intertwine with hilarious consequences. Their sergeant is impressed when they make an arrest of the suspect, but it’s better that no one knows they might have broken a few rules along the way.
Docket 32357
Director: Randy Wilkins
A high profile case gives Alex, a gifted lawyer, the rare opportunity to ascend to the elite in his profession and he is looking to achieve victory at any cost. His girlfriend, Lena, wants him to reconcile with his family and live peacefully, while quietly hoping to begin a family with Alex. This new case will force Alex to face his haunting past and crumbling future. With his family and loving girlfriend hanging in the balance, Alex must pay the price for redemption.
Doomsday
Directors: Sonja O’Hara, Jaspal Binning
Doomsday is an episodic drama that chronicles the daily lives and backstories of the members of an upstate New York cult, uncovering the gray area where youthful idealism evolves into deadly extremism.
Doucheaholics
Director: Sean McCarthy
Doucheaholics is a group much like AA. Only instead of struggling with alcohol addiction, the group here struggles with addictions to douchebaggery.
Drunk Hawk Man
Director: Drew Hamilton
Drunk Hawk Man is the epic tale of Hawk, a very unheroic hero drinking away his destiny, specifically his attraction to the reincarnated woman he has lived and died for over a hundred lifetimes, Shiara. With the help of his roommates Ollie and Hal, maybe he can make it through this lifetime without too many screw ups. Or is destiny too hard to black out?
Fantasy Hospital
Director: Justin Marchert
Fantasy Hospital follows the adventures of dwarfs, giants, fairies and other wizarding doctors, who can cure any magical malady from Arachpneumonia to Zombie Decay. Dwarf Chief of Staff Kuckles (voiced by Robin Dearden) leads the medical mages: Dr. Bonaventure, the reformed evil wizard (Pete Holmes from HBO’s upcoming Crashing); Nurse Windham, the erratic elf (Emma Caulfield from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer); giant Dr. Pakij, the Ogre G.Y.N. (Kunal Nayyar from The Big Bang Theory); centaur Hunter, the quadramedic (Jonah Ray from MST3K), and Nickleby, the hospital secre-fairy (Pauley Perrette from NCIS). But when the High Wizard (Wil Wheaton from Star Trek: TNG) declares that even the lowly humans must be saved, they’ll seek help from the unlikeliest of worlds — ours. Through a magical mix-up, they receive med. school dropout Max Tuduski (Justin Marchert). Max will teach them human medicine. In return, they’ll teach Max to be a little more human.
Fashpack: Freetown
Directors: Benn Sutton, Tony Norton
Fashpack: Freetown is a six-part series that delves into a fashion scene that is rarely acknowledged: Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown, a fashion hub of its own making. Spanning the time before the Ebola Outbreak to the months after Ebola is contained, the series looks at how creativity and self-expression have the power to transcend circumstances. With an Australian aid worker/fashion blogger living in Sierra Leone as guide, the series profiles Sierra Leonean fashionistas who repurpose outfits from “the junks”, markets full of second-hand clothes rejects from the West.
#Final60
Directors: Chris Cusano, Frances Brennand Roper
#Final60 is the first-ever real time crime thriller, shot live and unedited entirely on Twitter’s Periscope. Women are being murdered in Santa Monica, CA and Detective Sean Foster has 60 minutes to try and find the latest woman to go missing – his sister Danni.
Fired
Director: Robert Matthews
Between the years 2012 and 2016, Mallie Murdoch had 99 different jobs. She was fired from all of them. This is how her adventure began – Job 1 – Shot Girl!
Fluffy Marky
Director: Benoit Lach
Mark and his Trio of Terror have perfected a reign of terror at school until the day he wakes up to find himself transformed into a puppet. Now harmless and suffering from the shock of his transformation, he must confront his former victims who want revenge, as well as the members of the Trio of Terror, who want to take his place. From now on, Mark must learn to survive as Fluffy Marky.
Ghosts ‘n Stuff Inc.
Directors: Benjamin Winter, Tony Oliver
In this paranormal workplace comedy mockumentary, join Felix, Nina, Anton, and Jade, four mediocre 20-something ghost hunters as their chronic Peter Pan syndrome (and the IRS) finally catch up to them, and they learn that while ghosts are scary, and “adulting” is even scarier.
Girl Mess
Directors: Karen Pollard, Lynn Malmberg
Girl Mess is a talk show that was created to help empower teen girls by providing real and sometimes brutally honest information. Veteran High School Drama teacher, Karen Pollard, and Sutter Health Family Physician, Dr. Karun Grossman, join forces to reach young women everywhere. In this pilot episode “Taking Control,” the show breaks down birth control options and discuss real issues that young people must be aware of if they choose to be sexually active.
Here We Wait
Director: Bea Macapagal
A dramatic, slice of life, sci-fi web series focused on the interactions between an eclectic wait staff in purgatory tasked with providing each patron passing through with a positive experience and pleasant sendoff. ‘Here’ is a place where a job is expected to last for an eternity – until the world and people its employees know begin to fall apart.
High Road
Director: Justin Harwood
Terry Huffer, a washed up rock star is causing publicity trouble for his famous sister. She forces him out of London, to New Zealand, where the trouble continues.
Hollywood
Director: Clemy Clarke
A webseries about the most terrifying stage for actors: the casting call. The series is dedicated to young aspiring LA actors. The actors attend casting calls and become their roles: The Terrorist, The Lover, The Student, The Bull, The Make-up Artist, The Suit.
H00ked
Director: Luca Vecchi
In a closed system that totally lacks information, external circumstances can influence our judgment. A sloppy dressed girl shivers and drools convulsively on the edge of a highway. It is 4:00 in the morning. Luca and Valerio are the ones trying to prevent this story to become popular in the media, but the chances to save an overdosed girl when you took the same substances are really poor.
Idiot Box
Director: Benjaimn Bryan
Two childhood friends struggle with adulthood and life in general.
Il Teatro Fa Bene
Director: Iacopo Patierno
“And what if we found a group of actors in north Mozambique? Could we work with them and create a theatre performance with health information that they could act out in their villages?” five Italians and a Mozambican ask themselves, while they are travelling round the forests in Northern Mozambique, searching for five actors to take back to Italy and produce a show on health information! In Alcatraz- Umbria’s residency of Jacopo Fo, in which “creation” is the keyword, actors will rehear “Confusion in Fatima’s house”, an art comedy classic, that they will perfom in Mozambique, to promote health best practices. This is the file-rouge of the 12 episode documentary web-series, in which trainers and actors’ adventures unfolds.
Indoorsy
Director: Eric Hunicutt
Three agoraphobics, looking to expand their worlds, open a day spa inside their apartment. A sitcom web series created by Schuyler Helford.
Jess Archer Versus
Director: Amy Taylor
Jess Archer Versus is a web series that follows prickly high schooler, Jess Archer, as she solves mysteries with her best friend, Chase. When star lacrosse player Troy is accused of selling answers to the mid-term exams, he begs Jess to help him clear his name. She decides to take the case when she realizes it will annoy her old nemesis, school security officer Turner. Solving the mystery, however, proves much more complicated, and involves more 80s montages, than she ever could have imagined.
Just Cuddle
Director: Elias Campbell
Just Cuddle is a web series about a professional cuddler and her eccentric clients.
LA Picker
Director: Rebecca Louisell
LA Picker is a ten-episode web series that follows Sally (Devin Sidell – Jane the Virgin, Ray Donovan, Parks and Recreation), a lover of estate sales, thrift shops, and swap meets, as she builds her resale business. Unbeknownst to her, rival picker Jonathan (Scott Epstein) plots to sabotage her online store by giving her negative reviews. Sally must get to the bottom of this, but her drive to win could cost her a budding romance with Angus (Shawn MacAulay), a shipping store clerk. What’s the price of success? Negotiable.
Laced and Loaded
Director: Jonathan Robbins
Cyd’s younger sister was abducted by human traffickers, and the police are of no use in getting her back. There’s only one way for Cyd to find her, and that’s through the Red Light Angels – vigilantes who have waged war against the city’s sex criminals. Cyd pulls a “Lois Lane”, getting herself caught by the traffickers in hopes that “Superman” will save her. Only in this case, Superman is a machine gun-weilding dominatrix named Raven. There’s no turning back from this choice.
The League of S.T.E.A.M
Directors: Andrew Fogel, Russel Isler, Nick Bauman, Paul Hough
The League of S.T.E.A.M is the longest running steampunk comedy action adventure web series! There are 29 monster-hunting episodes filled with funny situations, elaborate costuming, impressive practical and visual effects, and lots of cool steampunk gadgets. Special guest stars include Doug Jones, Grant Imahara, Phil LaMarr, Chloe Dykstra, Milynn Sarley, Robin Thorsen, Lisa Foiles, and Michele Morrow.
Lili and Eduard Present “Whipping Up Trouble”
Director: Michael Greischar
Lili Fenstermeyer’s marriage is crumbling because her soon to be ex-husband Eddy wants to bake cookies with other women. Inspired by her Holy Trinity (Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and Samantha Stevens of ‘Bewitched’), the tenaciously earnest Lili cinches up her apron strings and begins to rebuild her life while building a domestic empire. Lili won’t stop until she achieves the new American dream: her own line of tea-towels, an eponymous monthly magazine (take that Oprah!), and a full line of color coordinated cardigans (available soon at your local department store?).
Made in China
Director: Adam Siegel
In a comedic “mockumentary” format, Made In China, brings to light the Asian American struggle from people of all social and economic backgrounds with dreams of a better life.
Maybe Baby
Director: Amanda Griswold
Racing against her biological clock, a baby-crazy single city-girl searches for Mr. Right in the hopes of not becoming a crazy cat lady.
Mina Murray’s Journal
Director: James Moran
Mina Murray’s Journal is a modernized, vlog adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel Dracula. Mina Murray is just discovering that real life, work, and bills are a lot scarier than she expected. But that all pales in comparison when she comes across an ancient evil. Dracula’s heading to London, and he’s going to paint the town red.
Minor Embarassments
Director: Maggie Chan
Erik T. Gershbach is an awkward yet boorish slacker. In every episode, he finds himself in an uncomfortable social situation, and proceeds to embarrass himself.
My 90 Year Old Roommate
Director: Rob Stefaniuk
My 90-Year-Old Roommate is a semi-scripted comedy series about Joe, a widower living alone until his misguided adult grandson Ethan moves in. It is a buddy comedy rooted in family and set in the madness of the modern world. The show follows Joe and Ethan as they learn to live with each other and with themselves. It’s an exploration of technology, mortality, relationships, sex and other vices through the eyes of two generations, once removed.
My Delivery Guy
Directors: Meghan Weinstein, Roger Liew
My Delivery Guy is a 7-episode web series about the world’s greatest Chinese food delivery man, Robert ‘Bobbo’ Raymond, and two roommates who idolize him. Each absurd episode we catch Bobbo’s latest delivery to Tommy and Wilma’s house, where they always have a special surprise ready for their Sweet-and-Sour hero.
My Imaginary Ex-Girlfriend
Directors: Michael Sangalang, Darren Tucker
My Imaginary Girlfriend is a story of love, growth and self-confidence… but mostly about touching yourself. The five part series follows Mark, a self deprecating landlord who pursues charming new tenant Jessica. All the while battling through his insecurities and his dangerously seductive imaginary ex, Lily.
My Wife is a Pastor
Director: Victor Costa
A web comedy series about the adventures of an unusual couple. He, agnostic and rational, trying to get by with the new profession of his wife as a protestant minister. Between burials and aperitifs to the sound of bells, he will try to get a place in a world where he does not control all the codes! It will, in passing, the opportunity to question the practices of his wife.
Nasty Habits
Directors: Christina de Leon, Devon Werkheiser, Enrico Colantoni, Bethany Joy Lenz, Grant Harvey
Nasty Habits is a collection of vignettes featuring characters participating in their own addictive habits. Our second season continues to cover multiple points of view in these ‘slice of life’ episodes. Rarely are the stories about addiction itself, but more focused on the bonds and conversations that emerge from sharing a cigarette, a cup of coffee, a couple lines of coke, and all our other nasty habits.
Open Heart Burglary
Director: Stephen Papadimitriou
Kahlil, an effortless manipulator, owes a criminal debt to a dangerous and unforgiving gangster. He enlists the help of his pushover brother, Yousef, and their dim friend Peter, to help rob a fundraiser set up to help their father pay for a new heart in India.
Out With Dad
Director: Jason Leaver
Out With Dad is a quirky drama about a teenage girl and her single father, at a time when Rose is coming of age and coming out of the closet. The series tackles issues of coming out, homophobia, first loves & heartbreak, making mistakes and acceptance, learning and love.
Paper Boys: A Web Series
Directors: Curtis Casella, Kyle Cabral
In a brash decision Cole has secretly moved to San Francisco under the guise of his straight best friend’s engagement party to escape a dead-end career and the memories of a passionate summer fling with a boy in New York. But when he arrives, he runs into the former fling and old feelings resurface. And after his friend, Daren, reveals his engagement was an accident, Cole uses the mysterious powers of a re-discovered sketchbook to try to put their lives back on track, whatever the consequences.
People Like Us
Director: Leon Cheo
Following four gay men in Singapore, People Like Us is a poignant reflection and insightful look into the lives of Joel, Ridzwan, Rai, and Isaac navigating lust, love and life.
PETROL
Director: Ant Horasanli
PETROL is a high octane action/thriller series following five reckless drivers who all work for a mysterious employer. It’s Sons of Anarchy with the thrust of THE FAST & THE FURIOUS. The show is a complex character drama which also focuses attention on vehicle dynamics and real life escape maneuvers, blending them together in a compelling and unpredictable story arc.
Psychosomatic
Directors: Bernardo Shnitzler, Guido Ferro
Maia is about to get her degree on architecture when she experiments the worst crisis of her career. Clumsy, introvert and shy… what she cannot put into words is revealed in a strange and magical way.
The Quarter Life Couple
Directors: Lucien Flores, Michaela M. Smith
The Quarter Life Couple is a dramedy series from Elite Daily about Wilson and Becca, a long-term couple whose relationship has been stagnated by the stresses of adulthood. They must give their relationship a spark before it’s too late.
Quirky Female Protagonist
Director: Yulin Kuang
Quirky Female Protagonist is a single season of your favorite show distilled into two-minute episodes (so long as your favorite show is New Girl, Mindy Project, Sex and the City, or Girls). Quirky can’t get her life together, even though she tries with the help of all-knowing Straight Laced Bestie and her neighbor, Kooky Neighbor. An homage to female-centric comedy, QFP turns the genre on its head using script math as dialogue. Will she end up with Hot Guy From Work or Platonic Male Friend?
The Reform
Director: Darren Kwan
John Doe wakes up trapped inside an enclosure at a secluded forest. He’s disoriented and confused. He doesn’t remember anything or know his own identity. Struggling to find out, he breaks free to find a way out. John eventually stumbles his way into an injured man, named Alex Ellis. Both Alex and John have a brief conversation on what happened. Soon enough, two army men with masks stalk them. John and Alex escape as they get shot at. As they zig zag through another part of the forest, Alex gets hit, leaving John all alone to fight them off. Unfortunately, John succumbs to the men as he takes punch after punch. After the beating, they prepare John by covering his head and tying him up. They are displaying the position of an execution video. John has no where to go and nothing he can do.
Rich Keeble: Vanity Project
Directors: Rich Keeble, Sam Legassick, Edd Wright
Meet Rich Keeble – a real-life struggling comedy actor that feels that his way to success is to have his own show. This is the show – about the show. This new, awkward, hilarious improvised comedy series is about Rich Keeble’s struggles to get a successful second series. In a mockumentary style, we see him battle his bully of a producer and fail after every attempt to try and be Britain’s next top comedy talent.
Right Hand Man
Director: Rob Zazzali
When Danny was a child, his parents’ divorce messed him up. His therapist used a puppet to help him work through it. Thirty years later, life has knocked Danny down again and only his old friend can pick him up.
The Room Actors: Where Are They Now?
Director: Robyn Paris
The Room Actors: Where Are They Now (TRA:WATN) is a mockumentary web series that takes a fictionalized look at what happened to 7 out of 9 of the original actors from 2003 cult film, THE ROOM, after appearing in what Entertainment Weekly called “the CITIZEN KANE of bad movies.” TRA:WATN follows THE ROOM actors as they struggle with embracing or shaking THE ROOM’s “worst movie ever made” stigma. A Room-obsessed documentarian, J.J.J. finds THE ROOM star Juliette Danielle (Lisa) at a dive bar in Hollywood; Philip (Denny) faces harassment while working at Denny’s; Kyle (Peter) uses his celebrity status to charm women at a suicide hotline; Robyn (Michelle), divorced five times, breaks into houses to entertain her 8 kids; Dan (Chris-R) is a tough stay-at-home dad; and Carolyn (Claudette) is a huge fan of Tommy Wiseau. J.J.J. beats the real “ROOM fan zero” with spoons to glean information.
RUMUVI
Directors: Mario Borovich, Lucas Palacios
Three friends finish High School and decide to go on the greatest trip of their lives. The dream of jumping in the car and feeling free. The desired destination: Brazilian beaches. Chaos is right around the corner and one of them decides to record everything in a road movie. But things don’t turn out as planned from the get-go and they have to learn to adapt to what is in store for them every step of the way. A simple, ordinary story which could happen to anyone. Friends who learn to share unexpected moments. Thirteen short episodes to follow step by step and be a part of the adventure.
Santa & Jesus Roommates
Director: David Milchard
Santa and Jesus live together in a modern, 2-bedroom apartment.
Say Hello
Director: Brooke Elliott
Say Hello is the story of two unlikely friends. Living most of her life through observation, Maggie is a happy-go-lucky, borderline Asperger’s genius in need of a friend. Formerly over-privileged socialite, Alexis, is on the curb with no check from daddy nor man to support her. With nowhere to go, Alexis turns to her longtime cyber-stalker, Maggie, for a place to stay.
SEGS
Director: Will Rimmer
Segs is an 8-part series exploring the underbelly of the Austin Segway Tour bubble. Season one follows new-hire Liz through her first day as she navigates a bizarre world of eccentric employees and customers.
Seltsam
Directors: Matthieu Kassimo, Alexandre Decade
Seltsam is an anthology of Four different and original horror stories.
Shiny Baby Goats
Director: Alice Nicholas Wood
BFF’s Frances and Jude try to “make it” as a film composer and visual artist in LA and to figure out what that even means. The free-wheeling highs and soul-searching lows of their 20s are heightened as they chase aspirations in nonlinear, male-dominated fields. Also, as they offer bath services to the homeless, among other spectacular failures.
Shooting The Moon
Directors: Jeremy Sandor, Danielle Lapointe
Shooting the Moon is a comedy webseries which follows the journey of Danielle, an aspiring filmmaker from small town Ontario as she chases after her big break in the Montréal film industry. Danielle spends her days working a dead end job at a movie theatre while answering online ads for gigs on film sets. Bizarre encounters, failed job interviews and indie film set disasters leave Danielle close to abandoning her dream. Her only escape is her vivid imagination which transforms her daily life into onscreen storylines from iconic films and television shows. On the brink of giving up filmmaking, Danielle receives an offer that might be the big break she’s been looking for.
Soho Haus Rules
Director: Jason Romaine
Meet Jackie Hyme, he is the membership director of the fabled Soho Haus in West Hollywood. Soho Haus is a Members Only club for famous fabulous people, FYI, and Jackie is the most famous and fab of all (or so he thinks). Celebrities turn out to be the least of Jackie’s problems as his docu-series exposes the inner workings of Hollywood’s most exclusive club and the psyche of the man behind the machine.
Sorry, Ari
Directors: Justin Anthony Long, Stephen Guarino, Karl Girolamo
Ari is a neurotic single guy with a positive outlook and the absolute worst luck in the world. Each short episode, which periodically changes in style, explores today’s culture – dating, friendships, babies and more through the eyes of our optimistic everyman.
Star Trek Teleportation 2161
Directors: Emma Lepers, Laureline Amanieux
50 years ago, in 1966… The TV UFO Star Trek arrived on US screens.
His creator, Gene Roddenberry, a former policeman who became scriptwriter, dreams about an optimistic future and then creates a new myth: a multiethnic and revolutionary crew that explores unknown worlds with Captain Kirk, Spock the Vulcan and a female Lieutenant with African origins: Uhura. Even Martin Luther King influenced the story of the series!
Starting From Now
Director: Julie Kalceff
Starting From Now is a lesbian love quadrangle that explores the entangled, increasingly complicated lives of its four protagonists as they struggle to work out who they are, find a place where they belong, and maybe even find someone to love along the way.
StevenBe
Director: Maria Carrera
StevenBe and Stephen West (the Steph(v)ens as we call them) are the rock stars of the knitting universe. Each hilarious episode of StevenBe follows our heroes and the shenanigans of their Glitter Gang as they keep the store running, go on their knitting tour, write books, attend festivals, and help their community.
Sugar Babies
Directors: Olivia Delarentis, Sydney Heller
Becca (Sydney Heller) and Lucy (Olivia Delaurentis) are two non-sexual, completely platonic sugar babies making their way through college by going on dates with rich and lonely men. Their roommate, Raquel (Alyx Weiss, @ayydubs) is skeptical of their business and Lucy’s boyfriend, Pat (Alex Lewis), is not necessarily excited about it either.
Sunny Hearts CC
Directors: David Milchard, Matt Clarke, Aaron Au, Sonja Bennett
The story of egomania, cutthroat ambition, and epic tribal wars … at the local community center.
Tiny Tommy’s Night Night Tales
Director: Tom McDonald
When a young boy named Tommy has trouble getting sleep because he is worried about wearing glasses or going to the doctor, his Dad tells him a whimsical and disturbing tale to help him get some shut eye. Each tale ends with a nice moral that puts Tommy right to sleep.
Traif: An Unkosher Series
Director: Lew Levy
Jason Marcowitz, executive chef and owner at not-so-kosher restaurant, Traif, and host of late night cooking show, Food For Thought, does his best to balance a full plate of work with the ridiculous and mostly useless people in his life who sure as hell aren’t making things any easier on him.
Travel Boobs
Directors: Christine Boylan, Lydelle Jackson, Cezil Reed, Jaime Slater, Carole McClintock
There’s only one thing to do when the law, the INS, and the specter of a dead boyfriend close in on three best friends: Road Trip! Meet Lily, always taking one for the team, whether she wants to or not. Mel, a Brit far from her home across the pond and wiling to do anything to keep it that way. And Kai, who’s, uh, well nobody knows what Kai is but they love her anyway. Follow these three idiot besties as they careen from one misadventure to the next in a desperate attempt to outrun the lives they’ve completely screwed up.
Unemployed
Directors: Josh Munds, Melissa Munds
Josh and Johnny aren’t the brightest pair, but they make up for their dim-wittedness with determination and innocence. Their methods may be lacking, but their hearts are in the right place. Heading into Season 2, their quest for jobs leads to an unexpected fortune in Russia — putting them on the radar of the Russian mob. Getting their hands on the money proves problematic, and their series of unfortunate shenanigans results in massive international turmoil.
Velvet Sunset
Director: Micah Jones
Roommates struggling to make ends meet end up forming a “man-band” with some unlikely characters.
VTV
Director: Nir Shelter
VTV is about Simon and Caleb – two brothers who inherit a small television station that provides entertainment to mostly elderly viewers. A greedy CEO of a major network buys out their station in order to change it into a home shopping channel and exploit the elderly viewers. The brothers then deliberately produce the worst shows to temporarily lower ratings and force the CEO to sell back their shares. However, the content they produce gains an enormous number of hits online, and the CEO orders them to continue producing the same shows. Simon and Caleb must now find more borderline psychotic talent, to produce more insane shows for the ever-growing demand.
Webisodes
Director: Pearson Jenks
In the pilot of a mockumentary series about making a web series, a group of self-serious filmmakers rush to complete the first episode in order to submit it to a festival that could finally get them noticed.
Young & Reckless
Director: Brianne Nord-Stewart
Slacker Devon Young has found the woman of his dreams – the Camaro-driving ad exec living across the street. Now he will to do anything to win her heart, battling her 13-year-old daughter, the teen of his nightmares.
Your Mom Says Hi!
Directors: Carlie Mantilla, Doni Carley
Your Mom Says Hi! Is a Sketch Comedy Show starring Best Friends, Carlie Mantilla, a half Mexican straight girl & Doni Carley, a lesbian from Idaho. The show parodies contemporary culture from a fresh and unique perspective while maintaining a positive message. The sketches range from the girls playing themselves (Their Sunday morning routine, running into Doni’s ex), to characters (Carlie as Sophia Vergara and Doni as a slightly butch Reese Witherspoon) and even music videos of their own original songs from their hour-long stage show (Camel Toe, We’re Broke to name a few).
Zeroes
Director: Keryn Gibson
You know this story, or at least you think you do: a super hero and his nemesis battle for the future of a city, clashing over dastardly crimes, saving beautiful women, marketing their lines of branded merchandise. But! They have a terrible secret. Zeroes: the story of the semi-heroic Blur and the evil-ish Professor Pain as they attempt to rise up from incompetent newcomers to greatness! Of course, they’ll need to stop scuffling in abandoned warehouses on the outskirts of town, and aim higher, like stealing a fleet of attack helicopters (or at least the neighbors dog)…for ransom!
The 2017 HollyWeb Festival, sponsored by AMC Independent (March 30-April 2) Co-Director Daniel Doherty announced the full schedule of digital series, filmmaker panels, and events for this year’s edition of the festival, celebrating the world’s premiere digital content. 97 digital series will have episodes screened at AMC Universal CityWalk 19