Also on YouTube!
Also on YouTube!
Also on YouTube!
Also on YouTube!
Also on YouTube!
LOGLINE
Frustrated with their strict cultures, Mariam (Lebanese), Naya (Indian), and Cho (Korean) decide to sneak out to an all-American house party and get the real high school experience they deserve – and soon realize they have no idea what they’re doing, or where they fit in.
If My Big Fat Greek Wedding & Mean Girls had a baby, it would be FIRST GENS.
This story explores the universal struggle of trying to find where you fit in. These girls struggle to find a balance between their own culture and the American culture. There is also a deeper struggle of immigrant parents and their children trying to understand each other. CAUSE PARENTS JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND...but we still love them, anyway :) <3
THE BIG PICTURE
SYNOPSIS
It’s senior year. Mariam is determined to make it unforgettable. But with her strict Lebanese father, it’s almost impossible to get the real high school experience – almost impossible, but not quite. When Matt, her quarterback crush, invites her to a party, Mariam enlists the help of her best friends, Naya and Cho, to help make this happen.
Together, they are a quirky group of first-generation girls who venture out into trouble for the first time. Mariam, the trendy ringleader, fights for the freedom to go out more. She's finally gotten an invite from Jenny, a pretty and perfect cheerleader, and this is her chance to party with the popular "American" kids.
Made clear by her bindi and jaded attitude, Naya has no interest in fitting in at school. Her dream of being a filmmaker is known by all except her father, who wants her to take over the family business. Naya gets to watch her enemy, Neda – who doesn’t wear a bindi or much clothing at all – have a normal teenage life.
Cho focuses on thwarting her parents’ attempt to plan her future - Med school and Kang, a family friend’s preppy son. Between avoiding him and her sleazy ex-boyfriend, she has her hands full in the school hallways. Cho is afraid to stand up to her strict mother, and to reveal her real likes (white boys) and dislikes (kimchi). She also fears ending up like her mother – a submissive wife who obeys her husband’s every command.
The girls decide it’s time to stop spending their Saturday nights playing mundane board games and talking about *Nsync. They hash out a plan to sneak out, but get caught by Naya’s older brother, Amal. Amal agrees to keep quiet as long as they take him along, which Naya reluctantly agrees to do.
The night of the party brings many surprises, much bigger than accidentally getting themselves into a game of Spin-the-Bottle. But the biggest obstacle still remains not getting caught by their parents. When Mariam gets photographed with a boy, Cho runs into her own brother, and Naya stands up to Neda, the girls find the least-expected people coming to their rescue. - or rather, joining their efforts, because they can save themselves ;)
ACCOLADES
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1 in 5 Comedy Finalists at JUNTOBOX FILMS
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Quarterfinalist in ScreenCraft Comedy Competition
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Quarterfinalist in Big Break Screenwriting Competition
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Quarterfinalist in Screencraft Film Fund
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Trailer Sizzle Accepted into 7 of 9 festivals, winning several awards