GASBAG
Lynn Rosen‘s Season 2 pilot for her web series GASBAG features some of NYC’s best theatre performers. Rosen’s dialogue is hilarious. The cast is outstanding. Lead Chad Kessler is an undeniable star with the unrelenting energy of a catnip-high feline. This genuine ensemble overflows with talent, wit, and comic timing. GASBAG deserves a proper budget. While the show is quintessential New York, it reaches far beyond a niche audience. This Friday, you can catch the pilot at this year’s DWF: NY. More details on production and tickets are below!
Gasbag follows George Nordstrom (Chad Kessler), a lovable over-talker who is discovering what he really wants and who he really is…at age 42. His overbearing mother, meddling neighbor, and dysfunctional coworkers at The Marcia Powell Travel Agency sure don’t make it easy, but thanks to his can-do spirit, some loving shoves from his brash cousin Jean, and the liberating realization that he’s gay, George is learning to love silence. He may even learn to love himself.
WHO: Lynn Rosen is a playwright and screenwriter who is currently co-writing a musical about feminist Flo Kennedy with Pia Wilson, featuring music by Rona Siddiqui. The project is commissioned by Theatreworks Silicon Valley and received a grant from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre in 2023 and residencies from The Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals in 2023 and 2024. Rosen previously co-created the award-winning comedy web series Darwin, directed by Carrie Preston (Elsbeth) and featuring Michael Emerson (Lost), and has sold two television pilots to major networks. She is a New Dramatists alumna and co-founder of the pop-up theater production company The Pool. “I’m thrilled to premiere GASBAG, our offbeat “series that could”, at DANCES WITH FILMS: New York,” says Rosen. “DWF: NY is the perfect fit for GASBAG because it features a spunky NYC vibe and notable NYC talent, and because GASBAG is the epitome of the scrappy “can do” spirit that Dances With Films celebrates.Chad Kessler spent a decade creating a multitude of roles in the hit off-Broadway comedy “MyBig Gay Italian Wedding” franchise and its two sequels. On-screen, he can be seen on Amazon’s Emmy-nominated series Tainted Dreams, and is also a recurring voice on Pokemon! and Nickelodeon. He adds, “The story of a late-blooming gay fella trying to find his path in life while navigating a world he never felt he fit into resonated deeply with me. George is an endearing oddball whose hilarious-and often stymied-efforts to evolve is something everyone can relate to. Also, Lynn’s script and my co-stars are so beyond funny. We couldn’t stop laughing even after our director yelled ‘cut’.”Also featured in GASBAG’s principal cast are notable NYC theater performers such as DramaDesk winners Mia Katigbak and Mary Bacon, Lortel-nominated actress Danielle Skrasstad, and TV stars Deirdre Lovejoy (Rhonda Pearlman on THE WIRE, Cynthia Panabaker on THEBLACKLIST) and Jackie Tohn (Esther on NOBODY WANTS THIS, Melrose on GLOW).
WHEN: Friday, December 6 at 12:45 PM EST
WHERE: Regal Union Square,850 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
MORE: Gasbag started life as a pandemic-era web series, which inspired the creators to produce the TV pilot, which builds on the action and characters in the web series. They have also already started working on new episodes of Gasbag to distribute in the future. Tickets are available here.
Gasbag – Pilot
Running Time: 24 minutes
Directors: Christopher Gerson, Julie Kramer
Creator/Writer/Executive Producer: Lynn Rosen
Executive Producer: Chad Kessler
Producer/Director of Photography: Charles Grubbs
Producer/Music by: David James Boyd
Editor: Teresa Cicala
Cast: Chad Kessler, Danielle Straakstad, Tina Chilip, Trey Gerrald, Mia Katigbak, and Mary Bacon with Deirdre Lovejoy, and Jackie Tohn






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To find out more information on all things Sundance 2024, head to
2nd Annual Dances With Films – NYC 



TRIBECA FESTIVAL 2023 brings thrills, mystery, comedy, fantasy, you name it, there is something for everyone. This year’s lineup features Joe Lynch‘s latest, Suitable Flesh, Gabriela Cowperthwaite‘s I.S.S., and David Duchovny‘s Bucky F*cking Dent. Let’s get into a few of the films we are dying to get our eyeballs on this year.
Directed by: Steve Buscemi











SHATTER BELT
From director James Byrkit (Coherence) comes a collection of stories from the other side of consciousness.
Slamdance 2023 Premiere of
After jail-time, 12-step programs and five marriages, Annie begins her acting career in her mid-fifties with the help of a young director she met at a Burger King. In this show within a show, Annie tackles both her gigs as an actor and the role of herself in her own life story.
A farcical meta delight, Slamdance 2023 episodic WHO’S ANNIE skewers the absurdity of Hollywood, but that’s only the beginning. Annie Pisapia plays herself and doesn’t. Yup. You read that correctly. This “series within a series” is wildly entertaining and wholly bizarre.
Writer-director Sophia Peer plays “herself,” a television director with awkward and quirky energy. Peer bears a striking resemblance to Rhea Pearlman. It’s a head-scratching role, and I could not look away. Sofia Dobrushin plays the “series” version of Peers. Wide-eyed and perfectly cast, Dobrushin appears both afraid and at home in coordinated chaos. I adored her. Annie Pisapia owns the screen, as her comic timing is something to behold. Her rough exterior feels part false flag, part true identity. She is so convincing it is genuinely tough to discern between Annie’s real life and the script. That is the entire point of the series, and Peer has succeeded with flying colors. Adding in Peer’s manic confidence and Dobrushin’s “yes, and” attitude, these three women exquisitely complement one another.
Because the show jumps in style, so does the cinematography. It is eye candy that never gets boring. It is pure silliness, and I’m dying for more. It’s Comedy Central meets Mad TV. There is a lot of meat on the bone for series development. Everyone has enough (or a lot) of backstory to expand upon and plenty of weirdness to start. 
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES TO OPEN FEST
Flamin’ Hot
Parachute
Angel Applicant
Down Low
A Disturbance in the Force
Brooklyn 45
Breaking Fast with a Coca Cola
I Probably Shouldn’t Be Telling You This
The Bus (Spain)
Beyond The Fringe (Spain)
Dead Enders
Breaking Silence
Aespa VR Concert at Kwangya (Republic of Korea, U.S.)
Eggscape (Argentina)
















A woman must confront an ancient and powerful entity after her daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of their new home.













Bodies Bodies Bodies
Bad Axe
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
Bitch Ass
A Vanishing Fog (Colombia, Czech Republic, Norway)
DIO Dreamers Never Die
Sheryl
2nd Chance
61st Street
Awayy
All the Crows in the World (Hong Kong)
The Voice Actress (Japan, U.S.)
Warsha (Lebanon)
Long Line of Ladies
Angakuksajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice (Canada)
Blink
Act of God
Before
I’m Here
Baby Tate – ‘Pedi’ / Director/Screenwriter: Norton
Lil Nas X – ‘Montero’ / Director: Tanu Muino
Don’t Breathe 2 Title Sequence / Company: Filmograph / Title Designer: Aaron Becker
WandaVision Main On End Title Sequence / Company: Perception / Creative Director: John LePore
(Hi)story of a Painting: The Light in the Shadow (United Kingdom)
Beatday – The Beginning – Mini VR Concert (Taiwan)
Madame Pirate: Becoming a Legend (Taiwan)
Having switched from in-person to completely virtual, audiences of Sundance 2022 will have the opportunity to see a plethora of entertainment that will terrify, tantalize, and remind you of why we love storytelling so much. From horror to drama, television series to shorts, documentaries to VR experiences, we’ll be watching as much as our eyes can consume from January 20-30th. Things are finding distribution left and right, with is always great news. That means even if you miss something during the festival, it will most likely be coming to a theater or streaming platform very soon.
Cha Cha Real Smooth / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Cooper Raiff, Producers: Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Erik Feig, Jessica Switch, Cooper Raiff) — A directionless college graduate embarks on a relationship with a young mom and her teenage daughter while learning the boundaries of his new bar mitzvah party-starting gig. Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cooper Raiff, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garrett, Leslie Mann. World Premiere.
Dual / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Riley Stearns, Producers: Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian, Lee Kim, Riley Stearns, Nick Spicer, Maxime Cottray) — After receiving a terminal diagnosis, Sarah commissions a clone of herself to ease the loss for her friends and family. When she makes a miraculous recovery, her attempt to have her clone decommissioned fails, and leads to a court-mandated duel to the death. Cast: Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul, Beulah Koale. World Premiere.
I Didn’t See You There / U.S.A. (Director: Reid Davenport, Producer: Keith Wilson) — Spurred by the spectacle of a circus tent that goes up outside his Oakland apartment, a disabled filmmaker launches into an unflinching meditation on freakdom, (in)visibility, and the pursuit of individual agency. World Premiere.
Brian And Charles / U.K. (Director: Jim Archer, Screenwriters: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Producer: Rupert Majendie) — A story of friendship, love, and letting go. And a 7ft tall robot that eats cabbages. A comedy shot in documentary format. Cast: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey, Jamie Michie, Lowri Izzard, Mari Izzard. World Premiere.
Calendar Girls / Sweden (Directors, Screenwriters, and Producers: Maria Loohufvud, Love Martinsen) — A coming-of-golden-age look at Florida’s most dedicated dance team for women over 60, shaking up the outdated image of “the little old lady,” and calling for everyone to dance their hearts out, while they still can. World Premiere.
Something In The Dirt / U.S.A. (Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Screenwriter: Justin Benson, Producers: David Lawson, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson) — When neighbors John and Levi witness supernatural events in their Los Angeles apartment building, they realize documenting the paranormal could inject some fame and fortune into their wasted lives. An ever-deeper, darker rabbit hole, their friendship frays as they uncover the dangers of the phenomena, the city, and each other. Cast: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead. World Premiere. Fiction.
Hatching / Finland (Director: Hanna Bergholm, Screenwriter: Ilja Rautsi, Producers: Mika Ritalahti, Nico Ritalahtit) — While desperately trying to please her demanding mother, a young gymnast discovers a strange egg. She tucks it away and keeps it warm, but when it hatches, what emerges shocks everyone. Cast: Jani Volanen, Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Saija Lentonen, Reino Nordin, Oiva Ollila. World Premiere. Fiction.
Speak No Evil / Denmark (Director and Screenwriter: Christian Tafdrup, Screenwriter: Mads Tafdrup, Producer: Jacob Jarek) — A Danish family visits a Dutch family they met on a holiday. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly starts unraveling as the Danes try to stay polite in the face of unpleasantness. Cast: Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huêt, Karina Smulders, Liva Forsberg, Marius Damslev. World Premiere. Fiction.
Maika / Vietnam (Director and Screenwriter: Ham Tran, Producers: Jenni Trang Le, Duy Ho, Anderson Le, Bao Nguyen) — After a meteor falls to earth, 8-year-old Hung meets an alien girl from the planet Maika, searching for her lost friend. As Hung helps her otherworldly friend search, the alien inadvertently helps Hung make new friends and heal a broken heart. But danger lurks everywhere… Cast: Phu Truong, Diep Anh Tru, Tin Tin, Ngoc Tuong, Kim Nha. World Premiere. Fiction.
The Dark Heart / Sweden (Director: Gustav Möller, Screenwriter: Oskar Söderlund, Producers: Anna Carlsten, Caroline Landerberg) — Sweden: in a mythological landscape, search parties roam through forests of spruce, secret conversations are whispered in open fields, and verbal duels fought on narrow country roads. A story of family feuds, inheritances, and forbidden love. Cast: Aliette Opheim, Clara Christiansson Drake, Gustav Lindh, Peter Andersson. World Premiere. Fiction.
Huella / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Gabriela Ortega, Producers: Helena Sardinha, Rafael Thomaseto) — When the death of her grandmother unleashes a generational curse, a disenchanted flamenco dancer resigned to a desk job is forced to experience the five stages of grief through a visit from her female ancestors. Cast: Shakira Barrera, Denise Blasor, Carla Valentine.
Long Line of Ladies / United States (Directors: Rayka Zehtabchi, Shaandiin Tome, Producers: Garrett Schiff, Pimm Tripp-Allen, Rayka Zehtabchi, Sam Davis, Dana Kurth) — A girl and her community prepare for her Ihuk, the once-dormant coming of age ceremony of the Karuk and Yurok tribes of Northern California. World Premiere. DAY ONE
Giant Bear (*shown alongside Don’t Say Its Name)
The Death Doula
Watershed
Creepy Bits- Chapter 1- “Baby Face”
Narcoleap: S2
GHOST- A Primitive Evolution
Midnight Lunch Break
The Revenge of the Snowflakes
We All Dream (*being shown with Motherly at 9 pm this evening)
Disquietude (screening with Tin Can Sunday night at 11:30 pm.)
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