New York Romantic Comedy Pilot JOE To Screen at Newport Beach Film Festival

The indie pilot, romantic comedy, "JOE" is an official selection for The Newport Beach Film Festival. The pilot follows Jillian a girl who was recently fired from CORPORATE America in her new job as a barista. Jillian meets the man of her dreams, Joe on the street, but instinctively lies about what she does for a living. Turns out his favorite COFFEE SHOP is where she works.

Screenings will take place in Costa Mesa, California at the Triangle Square Cinemas in the curated "Not Short on Romance" narrative shorts program on Sunday April 29th at 6:00pm. The screening will be followed by a talkback with the filmmakers in the block.

JOE is a comedy pilot created by a team of many female filmmakers. It's written and produced by Shara Ashley Zeiger (Roughly Speaking, The Red Lotus, Faustess) and directed by Kaye Tuckerman (Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction, and actor in upcoming Summer, the Donna Summer Musical on Broadway) with cinematography by Samantha Pyra (Mysteries in NYC) and assistant directing by Samantha Winter. The production team also features editing by Sean MacLaughlin and a score by Leeran Z. Raphaely.

The cast features Bethany Nicole Taylor (Taking in Quinn), Sean MacLaughlin (Broadway's Phantom of the Opera), Shara Ashley Zeiger (Roughly Speaking, Bull, Last OG), Amanda Bruton, (Addams Family Musical Nat'l Tour, Billions, Punisher, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Amanda Damron (If Only for a Moment), J.J. Phillips (The Upside, Nashville), Jim O'Hare (Billions, Blacklist), Eve Austin (Weight), Kelly Kozakevich, Vin Scialla (The Deuce, Blindspot), and Michael Seth Huntsman.

In a world filled with a lot of unrest, JOE brings a splash of joy in this 20min short/pilot about learning to be yourself. The goal for JOE is travel the festival circuit and the means to make the series, and find it a home.

JOE premiered at Sedona International Film Festival in March, and will also be playing Hang onto Your Shorts Film Festival in Asbury Park NJ on April 22nd.

Celebrating its 19th year, the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) has established itself as one of the top film festivals in the U.S, bringing the best in domestic and international filmmaking to Southern California. Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program, a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, the NBFF focuses on showcasing a diverse collection of films. https://newportbeachfilmfest.com/event/not-short-on-romance/

A trailer for JOE is available here: www.ThePlatformGroup.org