For those feeling conflicted by both mourning the loss of “Bored to Death” while tiring of neurotic male protagonists, your dream series has arrived. The amateur Brooklyn detective comedy gets a radical spin in “Bkpi,” a delightfully wacky new short form series from writer/director Hye Yun Park. The series, which is produced by Super Deluxe, is in the middle of a triple-header festival run, playing La Film Festival, Outfest, and Frameline all in the span of a few weeks.
Read More: ‘Will & Grace’ On Speed: Gotham-Nominated Web Series ‘The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo’ Is A Surreal Ride
The series stars Park, Dina Shihabi (“Madam Secretary”), and Celine Justice as three badass, working-class women of color who start a private investigation firm to solve minor crimes affecting their Brooklyn neighborhood. But this isn’t some tired parody of hipster Brooklyn filled with beards and skinny jeans; the world of “Bkpi” looks much more like the actual Brooklyn than anything you’ll see on television currently.
“I could not bare to watch another white-washed portrayal of Brooklyn where wealthy millennial hipsters hash out their lives, while working class people witnessing the gentrification of the borough are sidelined to store keepers with funny accents,” said Park. “I wanted to shatter that misrepresentation and have 3 strong, independent women of color stomp around Brooklyn, giving no fucks and claiming their powers.”
Mission accomplished. The experience of watching “Bkpi” is akin to that of watching “Wonder Woman,” albeit on a much smaller scale. It is utterly thrilling to see a group of strong women kicking ass and getting shit done, all while cracking jokes and taking care of their neighbors and each other. Park is an energetic and charismatic ringleader, rocking a shaved head and cracking dirty jokes. It’s refreshing, but also a bit disorienting (in a good way) to realize just how rare images like this are.
Read More: Lgbt Superheroes: Why ‘Wonder Woman’ Could Never Have Been The Lesbian Avenger We Still Need
Park is no stranger to the short form series, having produced two seasons of the wryly self-mocking “Hey Yun,” a play on her name. She also had a viral hit with “First Kiss NYC,” where she invited total strangers to kiss on camera. The sweetly mesmerizing short reveals so much about human vulnerability, and the imaginary barriers we put between ourselves and others. It clearly struck a chord: It’s been viewed nearly 8 million times on YouTube and was picked up by Jill Soloway’s Wifey TV.
The cast and crew of “Bkpi” were 95% women, many of whom were queer and trans women of color. “It was the first time I experienced a synergy from having the humans behind the camera reflect the humans on camera,” said Park.
Check out this short exclusive clip for a taste of “Bkpi”:
“Bkpi” plays Outfest in Los Angeles on July 7. It is produced by Super Deluxe.
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Related storiesViral Videos at Sundance: Why Super Deluxe Belongs At Film Festivals (And Watch Their Short, 'Deer Squad')Vancouver Web Fest Announces Official Selections for Fourth Annual FestivalDracula-Based Web Series 'Mina Murray's Journal': 'Doctor Who' Writer Re-Vamps Vampire Classic...
Read More: ‘Will & Grace’ On Speed: Gotham-Nominated Web Series ‘The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo’ Is A Surreal Ride
The series stars Park, Dina Shihabi (“Madam Secretary”), and Celine Justice as three badass, working-class women of color who start a private investigation firm to solve minor crimes affecting their Brooklyn neighborhood. But this isn’t some tired parody of hipster Brooklyn filled with beards and skinny jeans; the world of “Bkpi” looks much more like the actual Brooklyn than anything you’ll see on television currently.
“I could not bare to watch another white-washed portrayal of Brooklyn where wealthy millennial hipsters hash out their lives, while working class people witnessing the gentrification of the borough are sidelined to store keepers with funny accents,” said Park. “I wanted to shatter that misrepresentation and have 3 strong, independent women of color stomp around Brooklyn, giving no fucks and claiming their powers.”
Mission accomplished. The experience of watching “Bkpi” is akin to that of watching “Wonder Woman,” albeit on a much smaller scale. It is utterly thrilling to see a group of strong women kicking ass and getting shit done, all while cracking jokes and taking care of their neighbors and each other. Park is an energetic and charismatic ringleader, rocking a shaved head and cracking dirty jokes. It’s refreshing, but also a bit disorienting (in a good way) to realize just how rare images like this are.
Read More: Lgbt Superheroes: Why ‘Wonder Woman’ Could Never Have Been The Lesbian Avenger We Still Need
Park is no stranger to the short form series, having produced two seasons of the wryly self-mocking “Hey Yun,” a play on her name. She also had a viral hit with “First Kiss NYC,” where she invited total strangers to kiss on camera. The sweetly mesmerizing short reveals so much about human vulnerability, and the imaginary barriers we put between ourselves and others. It clearly struck a chord: It’s been viewed nearly 8 million times on YouTube and was picked up by Jill Soloway’s Wifey TV.
The cast and crew of “Bkpi” were 95% women, many of whom were queer and trans women of color. “It was the first time I experienced a synergy from having the humans behind the camera reflect the humans on camera,” said Park.
Check out this short exclusive clip for a taste of “Bkpi”:
“Bkpi” plays Outfest in Los Angeles on July 7. It is produced by Super Deluxe.
Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
Related storiesViral Videos at Sundance: Why Super Deluxe Belongs At Film Festivals (And Watch Their Short, 'Deer Squad')Vancouver Web Fest Announces Official Selections for Fourth Annual FestivalDracula-Based Web Series 'Mina Murray's Journal': 'Doctor Who' Writer Re-Vamps Vampire Classic...
- 6/21/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
This year’s Los Angeles Film Festival, better known as Laff if you’re fun, has unveiled its full slate of 2017 offerings, including new offerings from Vincent Grashaw, Leena Pendharkar, Hong Sangsoo, Lea Thompson and many more. The slate includes 48 feature films, 51 short films, 15 high school short films and 10 short episodic works representing 32 countries. The festival’s five competitions feature 37 World Premieres, 2 International Premieres and 9 North American Premieres. Across the competition categories, 42% of the films are directed by women and 40% are directed by people of color.
“Our competitions reflect who Film Independent is as an organization,” said La Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. “Within each section you’ll find discovery, diversity, and promising talent both in front of and behind the camera.” Programming Director Roya Rastegar added, “The films curated for the 2017 competition reflect the changing political climate’s impact on emerging independent filmmakers, who are compelled to tell stories about the power of conviction,...
“Our competitions reflect who Film Independent is as an organization,” said La Film Festival Director Jennifer Cochis. “Within each section you’ll find discovery, diversity, and promising talent both in front of and behind the camera.” Programming Director Roya Rastegar added, “The films curated for the 2017 competition reflect the changing political climate’s impact on emerging independent filmmakers, who are compelled to tell stories about the power of conviction,...
- 5/9/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The days are getting longer and the nights are getting warmer, which means that we're edging ever closer to this year's La Film Festival. Taking place June 14th–22nd, the La Film Festival's 2017 competition lineup has been unveiled, and of particular interest for genre fans is the Nightfall section, which includes Colin Minihan's It Stains the Sands Red, Julius Ramsay's Midnighters, and Amanda Evans' Serpent.
Press Release: Los Angeles (May 9, 2017)— Today the La Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, unveiled the official U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, La Muse and Nightfall sections. The 2017 La Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of feature films, shorts and episodic series, along with programs such as Coffee Talks and Future Filmmakers Showcase. The La Film Festival takes place June 14 – June 22, 2017 headquartered at ArcLight Cinemas Culver City, with additional screenings at ArcLight Hollywood,...
Press Release: Los Angeles (May 9, 2017)— Today the La Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that also produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, unveiled the official U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, La Muse and Nightfall sections. The 2017 La Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of feature films, shorts and episodic series, along with programs such as Coffee Talks and Future Filmmakers Showcase. The La Film Festival takes place June 14 – June 22, 2017 headquartered at ArcLight Cinemas Culver City, with additional screenings at ArcLight Hollywood,...
- 5/9/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
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