Serious Play
Chicago-based comedian and juggler Payel Gupta finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a one-night stand with a mime. She has no time to panic – her hours are limited as she runs from massage work to fire juggling performances to stand-up gigs. When she’s confronted with this new discovery, she evaluates whether or not she has room in her life to be a mother and if she’d want to involve the father she’s never even heard speak. As she looks around the communities where she’s carved out a place, not an easy feat for an Indian-American woman from a traditional background, she wonders if they can provide the support she needs in return. Serious Play is a hybrid film that explores the communities of humor and play (with a fitting measure of comedy!) while navigating the fine line between sacrifice and surrender.
Starring: Sonal Aggarwal
Directed by: Kate Mason & Lindsey Phillips
Produced by: Liz Beeson, Kate Mason, Lindsey Phillips
Story Producer: Swetha Regunthan
Premiered at Brooklyn Film Festival 2023 - Winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative Short
New Orleans Film Festival 2023
SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2023
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