Festival Fun: 4 Webseries From the LA Web Fest

Dumper Entertainment is pleased to announce that Big Bother is an Official Selection of the L.A. Webseries Festival. It will be screened on Saturday, March 26^th at 5:25 p.m. at Stage 52 Theater. Lots of other great webseries will be screened over the weekend too. Many of which we’ve covered in the past, like GOLD, SOLO, In The Rough, Hard Drive 13, Suck and Moan, Miss Behave and Out With Dad. But there are many shows we haven’t yet covered, so this month’s webseries category focuses on a few of the LA Web Fest’s Official Selections.

Asylum

St. Dympna is a hospital for the criminally insane. Only the most difficult patients end up here. The methods of head Dr. Suli Urban (Sophie King) and her disturbingly close-knit staff seem unorthodox, but you can’t argue with the results they achieve. But when an outbreak of violence draws the attention of Department of Mental Health Agent Patrick Aubert (Dingani Beza from SOLO), Dr. Urban has some explaining to do – starting with the whereabouts of her predecessor.  Asylum is written by Dan Williams and directed by Scott Brown (Both from Blue Movies) and produced by Matthew Arrevalo (From GOLD: NOTZK).

Who…

Men, did you ever wonder what women discuss when no-one else is around? “Who…” has the answer. In each episode, a pair of African American gossip queens (Played by Shoneji Loraine and Nafeesa Monroe) discuss everything from “Who… Needs Jesus” to “Who… Better Not Look At My Man” to “Who… Needs To Shut The Hell Up” to “Who… I’d Do” to “Who… Be Workin’ My Nerves” to “Who… Can Kiss My @$$.” Besides the episodes themselves, AjakweTV.com features a wide selection of music you can listen to as well. Who… was created by L.A. Web Fest founder Michael Ajakwe Jr.

The Best Friend

Our next selection is about Sooze (Allie Smith) the beautiful girl the boys adore. But this is not her story. This is really the story of her best friend Millie (Marilyn Anne Michaels). We first meet the duo when Millie’s date is smitten with Sooze. Next, Sooze’s stalker does nothing to make Millie feel better about herself (Though it does allow Millie to break into a great “Stalker” musical number). The Best Friend is created and produced by Smith and Michaels; written by Smith, Michaels, Dominic Conti and Krystel Schley, and directed by Tarique Qayumi and Wednesday Standley.

Cell

Last but not least is Cell, the story of … a cell. It’s actually two cells, but that’s not important. What’s important is how the cell inhabitants got there. Or maybe it’s “where do they go from here?” We’ll see. Brian (Danny Cameron) wakes up in said cell looking for answers. Instead, he gets a cattle-prodding from his jailer (Kevin McCarthy). Brian’s only other company is the woman in the cell next door (Jourdan Gibson). Together, they attempt to find out why they’re here, and more importantly, who they are. Cell is written, directed and produced by Mark Gardner.

Canadian Kudos: 4 Webseries North of the Border

We’re happy to announce that Dumper Entertainment’s Gym Shortz won Best Animated Webseries of 2010 by the podcast Indie Intertube. Who’s Indie Intertube? Funny you should ask. They’re Destini and Shad, the  Canadian WebTV fanatics. Congrats also to Gym Shortz’es Cooper Harris who won Smexiest Actress (For Squatters) and Max Glick who won Most Loveable Geek (For Gold: NOTZK). Tune in to Indie Intertube every Wednesday at 4 p.m. (Pacific Time) to hear their latest webseries news and reviews. In honor of the Canadian co-hosts, this month’s webseries category focuses on WebTV from The Great White North.

Heroes of the North

Our first selection is Canada’s answer to The X-Men, Heroes of the North. The story begins during World War II, where concentration camp experimentation to create the super human results in the evil Zombots. We pick up in the present where an elite team of heroes is being assembled to defend Canada against evil:  The Canadian (Larry Vinette), Fleur-De-Lys (Edith LaBelle), 8-Ball (Anderson Bradshaw), Nordik (Vanessa Blouin) and Black Terror (John Fallon). Heroes of the North is written by Sergio Rico and Christian Viel and is also an Indie Intertube winner for Best Credit Sequence (You need to see it).

Hard Drive 13

Our next pick is another web thrill ride, but with fewer heroes and more hackers. Nomad (Video D.J. C.B. Shaw) is a world-class computer hacker who is investigating the mysterious death of his father. But his efforts result in the disappearance of fellow hacker Lifer38 (Terry Levergood) and the discovery of the mother of all conspiracies. Nomad and secret agent and femme fatale Dee Thompson (Denyc) soon find themselves outrunning Agent 01 (M.E. Lewis) and the Interplanetary Security Department. Hard Drive 13 was created by Stephen H. Plitt and is produced by Plitt, Lewis and Michael Chmarca.

Venus Spa

Next, we head to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the ladies of Venus Spa give the Gym Shortz crew a run for their money. It’s 1983. Phones have cords, Charles has Diana, legs have warmers, and aerobics instructors have attitude. Molly (Braeley Hobbs) is the blonde one, Ally (Danielle Brincheski) is the smart one and Nancy (Leilanie Giordmaina) is the one you don’t want to mess with. But Nancy meets her match when newcomer Andrea (Amy Simoes) challenges her to an intructors’ duel. Venus Spa is written and directed by Chris Greenaway and features the ‘80s music of Winnipeg’s The Pumps and Orphan.

In the Rough

Our final selection is the brand new golf webseries, In The Rough. Will Ryan (Jake Michaels) is a great golfer who never went pro. He’s dismayed one morning to learn that his club membership has been suspended because he hasn’t paid his dues. Things get worse when Will heads home early to find his girlfriend Quinn (Adele Gigantes) in bed with his best friend Danny (Bryan Stanley). But with the help of his old coach O’Rielly (Len Greenaway), Will just might get his game back. In The Rough was created and co-produced by J. Michael Dawson and Chantal LeBlanc-Everett and written by Reece Crothers.

Drama Queens: 4 Webseries With Chicks in Charge

Dumper Entertainment is proud to announce our latest animated webseries – Sketch 22. This month saw the release of the debut episode, Sarah Failin’s Disasta’.  Devin Mills (From Dating in the Middle Ages) plays Sarah Failin’ while yours truly (Justin Marchert J ) and Katie Wilson play Todd and Bristol Failin’ (respectively). Check it out at www.DumperFilms.com. For this month’s webseries category, we decided to look at drama – not dramatic thrillers like After Judgment and The Fall of Kaden, but rather real-life drama. It turns out all of our picks feature strong, female lead characters. Who knew?

Diary of a Single Mom

Ocean Jackson (Monica Calhoun from The Best Man) is a single mom hoping for a fresh start in life. She has a new boss, played by Richard Roundtree (From Shaft) and a new apartment. Here, she meets neighbor single mom Lupe (Valery Ortiz) and single grandmother Peggy (Janice Lynde). The three initially clash, but soon become each other’s baby-sitters, career support group, and even closest friends. Diary of a Single Mom is produced and directed by Robert Townsend and written by Cheryl L. West. The show recently won the Webseries of the Year award from podcast Indie Intertube (More on them next blog).

Anyone But Me

Our next selection finds another young woman in strange new surroundings. Vivian (Rachel Hip-Flores) is forced to leave New York City when her dad Gabe (Dan Via) suffers from 9/11-related asthma. A difficult enough move for any teenager, the transition is further complicated by Vivian’s courtship with Aster (Nicole Pacent), which suddenly becomes a long-distance relationship. New friends like Archibald (Joshua Holland) and Sophie (Jessy Hodges) have their ups and downs, but slowly help Vivian adjust. Anyone But Me is written and executive produced by Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward and received the 2010 Streamy Award for Best Female in a Leading Role.

Miss Behave

We go from east coast to west with our next pick, Miss Behave. Tori Archer (Jillian Clare from Days of Our Lives) is an affluent Malibu teen. School is for hanging with BFFs Dylan (Brett DelBuono from The Cleaner) and Danielle (Jenna Stone). Home life is shared with her brother Billy (Trevor Nelson), as their parents are rarely around. But Tori may lose her good girl reputation when Riley (Marco James) becomes the new bad-boy-friend. Miss Behave, known also for its extensive soundtrack, is written by Frances Gilbert and executive produced by Clare, Susan Bernhardt and Anne Woodward.

Out With Dad

Rose (Kate Conway) is another teenage lesbian. Or so she thinks -- or doesn’t she? We’ll see. The one thing she’s learned thus far is that her best friend Vanessa (Lindsey Middleton) is not (Or is she?). Things are further complicated by the men in her life. Guy pal Kenny (Cory Lof) is presumed to be her boyfriend, much to both of their chagrin. Her dad Nathan (Will Conlon) suspects her alternative sexuality, but is having as much trouble broaching the subject as she is. Out With Dad is shot on location in Canada and is written and directed by Jason Leaver.