Comedy has long been a vehicle to talk about the issues plaguing society. From projects like podcast-turned-HBO series “2 Dope Queens” to favorites like “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” women creatives have used humor to address serious topics like abortion, discrimination, and inequality. This week’s crowdfunding picks are all projects that spotlight some of today’s most pressing concerns through a comedic lens.
In “The Witches of Bushwick,” writer-directors Catherine Delaloye and Joe Pardavila use black comedy to take a look at the perils of “influencing.” Carla Lee’s series “Nice Tan” aspires to bring queer people of color’s perspectives to the mainstream through sketch comedy. Finally, with “Close Ties to Home Country,” Akanksha Cruczynski shines a light on her experience as an immigrant separated from her family in the U.S.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest women-created and women-centric crowdfunding picks.
“The Witches of Bushwick” (Short) – Written and Directed by Catherine Delaloye and Joe Pardavila
The era of social media has ushered in a new crop of films and television shows that focus on our relationships with technology, such as “Black Mirror” and “Unfriended.” With their short film, “The Witches of Bushwick,” writing-directing team Catherine Delaloye and Joe Pardavila hope to engage with the issue by highlighting one of Instagram’s darker subcultures.
The short film will center on a young woman who is about to be initiated into a modern coven. When things — inevitably — start to go wrong, however, she and the other witchy influencers find that they are no match for the actual supernatural. Inspired by #WitchesofInstagram and Delaloye and Pardavila’s real-life interactions with the people behind the hashtag, the film will blend horror and comedy to produce a biting critique of social media.
“’The Witches of Bushwick’ is a satire that talks about how social media and influencers are selling lies to everyone,” Delaloye explains in the project’s Seed&Spark campaign video. She and Pardavila hope that their dark comedy can push viewers to rethink their relationships with platforms such as Instagram while also sparking a conversation about holding individuals and corporations accountable for spreading misinformation. With this critical perspective at its core, “The Witches of Bushwick” promises to do much more than poke fun at influencers.
Support “The Witches of Bushwick” on Seed&Spark.
“Nice Tan” (Series) – Created by Carla Lee
Though discussions about the representation of women, queer folk, and people of color on screen have become more prevalent than ever, we still have a way to go. Comedian and writer Carla Lee wants to tackle the issue of (mis)representation in comedy by creating the first-ever sketch comedy show led by queer people of color. “Nice Tan” aims to highlight the experiences and perspectives of QPOC in the Bay Area, where people are frequently not as “woke” as they claim to be.
Lee has assembled a full team of women/queer people of color to write and act for the project, ensuring that the show will remain authentic to their experiences while also creating an opportunity for them to shine. From sketches centered on being “the only one” in a space to misguided activism, “Nice Tan” promises to be a relevant and hilarious take on the challenges that QPOC face in their day-to-day lives.
The “Nice Tan” team is currently fundraising to shoot and produce the project’s pilot episode, which they will then pitch to mainstream networks and platforms. “Audiences of all kinds are hungry for unique stories, characters, and perspectives,” Lee writes in the project’s Seed&Spark campaign. “Help us show the networks that the world is ready for a show like ‘Nice Tan,’ and that there’s a demand for more diverse and representative sketch comedy content on mainstream platforms.”
Support “Nice Tan” on Seed&Spark.
“Close Ties to Home Country” (Short) – Written and Directed by Akanksha Cruczynski
These days, it’s tough to find anything funny about U.S. immigration policy. But the issue of family separation far predates the days of Trump, as thousands upon thousands of families have been torn apart by longstanding immigration laws for decades. Writer-director Akanksha Cruczynski found herself in exactly that situation when immigration officials denied her younger sister a visitor’s visa. In the seven years since they last saw each other, Cruczynski conceptualized a short film whose title is based on the clause that led to her sister’s visa denial.
In “Close Ties to Home Country,” Cruczynski stars as a fictionalized version of herself, an immigrant woman separated from her family who is forced to find love and support from an unusual source: rich people’s dogs. The fictional Akanksha dog-sits as way to make cash and avoid feeling alone during holidays. While the project tackles heavy issues such as immigration and loneliness, the writer-director wanted to approach them from a more light-hearted, comedic perspective. In the short’s Seed&Spark campaign, she writes that “comedy is a keen way to build bridges, foster relationships, and bring cultures together, and that’s what this film is about.”
While the project was inspired by her own experiences, Cruczynski hopes that it can also play a role in educating people about immigration laws in the U.S. “We wanted to communicate that, even if you do everything ‘right,’ even if you immigrate here ‘legally’ and follow every law, the system is still designed to work against you,” she explains. Given the broader context, Cruczynski’s project provides a vital, hilarious, and personal perspective on a painful issue that will certainly resonate widely with viewers, particularly if they are immigrants themselves.
Support “Close Ties to Home Country” on Seed&Spark.
To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to womenandhollywoodinterns@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
