Sideways Smile
New York City, New York | Series
Comedy
A comedy series about Alex, a sheltered Asian-American woman who reluctantly enrolls in a class to learn how to have an orgasm. With the help of her eccentric roommate and her new class, Alex embarks on a journey of self-discovery!
Sideways Smile
New York City, New York | Series
Comedy
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $14,793 for distribution. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
258 supporters | followers
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A comedy series about Alex, a sheltered Asian-American woman who reluctantly enrolls in a class to learn how to have an orgasm. With the help of her eccentric roommate and her new class, Alex embarks on a journey of self-discovery!
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
Let's be honest, when we first meet Alex, she's kind of basic. She's the kind of girl who puts up with mediocre sex because she doesn't know any better. Naive, introverted, awkward and a bit of a wet blanket, she gets away with being so damn boring by being so endearing that you can't help but root for her.
When her roommate Dara--who's as queer as her medieval weaponry collection is pointy--finds out that she's never had an orgasm, she recommends Alex take a workshop on sex and sexuality. With help from Dara and her new classmates, Alex begins to question her career, relationships, and sexuality, and whether the choices that she's made were truly hers to begin with. Meanwhile, Dara’s on her own journey… one that may or may not involve espionage and buttplugs.
.
The Themes
The first season of Sideways Smile consists of six episodes, each ~10 minutes long. With the workshop as its backbone, the series explores many themes at the core of modern intersectional feminism: racism and sexism in dating and in the workplace, the model minority myth, sexuality, sex work, kink, and more. It’s equal parts educational, hilarious, and sexy. (We dare you to find another show equally comfortable throwing around eggs, dildos, and references to the Asian Exclusion Act.) We were inspired by everything from Broad City to Get Out to Bojack Horseman, and we think the end result is something special.
The Money
The pilot, which was filmed in summer of 2018, premiered at the 2019 Asian-American International Film Festival, among many other comedy festivals. The pilot won Sideways Smile an inaugural grant from the Made in New York Women’s Fund for Film, Theatre, and Television. Thanks to that support, we were able to film the remaining five episodes of the first season this summer.
We’re hoping to raise another $15,000 to market, distribute, and screen our show. We believe this series deserves to be seen widely, especially in the Asian-American community and on college campuses so we will be using this money to set up local community screenings, submit to festivals, and ensure that people around the world hear about our show! You support will go a long way in helping us bring this educational, sexy, and hilarious show to the Asian American community.
The People
Our crew was super hot (literally and figuratively), and queer, femme, nonbinary, and women of color. Representation matters and we wanted to ensure that we had diversity in and behind the camera. #bestsetvibes
FAQs
What is a Sideways Smile?
In her first class with the workshop, Alex is asked for her favorite word for her genitals. This is ours!
You’re offering sex toys as incentives? Are they … used?
Yes! And... not in the way you’re probably worried about! We received a number of sex toys from our amazing partners, Primal Hardwere and Lelo. These were used as props to decorate the set for the series. They have been handled by the cast and crew, but they have never been used for their, ahem, intended purpose. These items retail for $85-250. Please note that these generally will not come in the original packaging, but they will include any necessary accessories (specifically, chargers for the Lelo vibrators).
What sex toys are available? Can I pick which one I get?
The complete list of sex toys available follows. You can indicate preference and we will try our best to send you your first choice. The earlier you donate, the larger the selection! Please note that the Primal Hardwere toys have very minor manufacturing defects (i.e. slight color change, small dent in the base) that should not affect usability.
Primal Hardwere Toys
G'lorp, Shokushu, Krubera, Squick, Blip, Growler inflatable, Petunia.
Lelo Toys
Gigi 2 (G-spot vibrator), Soraya (dual-massager for both internal and external use)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
SCREENINGS
Costs $3,000
We want to partner with community spaces to set up screenings around the country.
FESTIVALS
Costs $7,000
We want to submit and be able to bring our team to festivals around the country.
MARKETING & PUBLICITY
Costs $5,000
We want to work with a publicist to help us reach as wide an audience as possible!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Hang Nguyen (Writer, Director, Producer)
Hang (she/her) is an educator, filmmaker, and project manager. She is the founder of Femsex Boston, an organization that runs a community workshop on female sexuality and identity. She is a member of the improv troupe Not Quite NASA and most recently starred in their sketch musical, Kung Fu Nuns. When she’s not working in film, Hang is helping to create engaging learning experiences and teaching data science to adult learners.
Diane Chen (Producer, Actor)
Diane Chen (they/them) is a multidisciplinary filmmaker and theater artist, and co-founder of Multihyphenate Productions. Their award-winning series Here We Wait racked up over 30 nominations on the festival circuit, including a win for Diane as Best Supporting Actress at Brooklyn Webfest. They’ve been seen on screen on HBO’s High Maintenance, Sundance, and TIFF, and onstage at The PIT, Corkscrew Theater Festival, Dixon Place, and more. They strive for their artistry to reflect an awareness of social responsibility and intersectionality of representation.
Jackie Schwartz (Producer)
Jackie (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and activist. Her mission is to create content about marginalized communities and underrepresented voices. She’s produced web series and short films that have premiered and won awards at festivals throughout the country. She previously worked as an associate producer at Fully Branded Media, collaborating on films such as: The Romantics, Margin Call, and Kill Your Darlings. Jackie is a proud advocate of self-love and a board member of Realize Your Beauty.
Harry Aspinwall (Producer, Editor)
Harry (he/him or they/them) is a co-founder of Dark Tower Films, a production company specializing in horror and historical narratives and their intersections with queerness and mental health. His fantasy satire "Orcs of New York" created a cult following of over 80,000 and was featured in The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, and this year two of his screenplays are finalists in ScreenCraft and WeScreenplay's Diversity Voices. Harry is an upcoming resident writer at ArtFarm.
Iya Megre (Producer)
Iya (she/her or they/them) is a writer, attorney, and producer for film and theater. She has worked on immersive theater experiences in collaboration with Broken Ghost Immersives and The Megagame Society. Iya honed her editorial skills as Editorial Director for Let’s Go, the premier student travel guide company. As an attorney, her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, media law, and asylum law.
Katherine Castro (Director of Photography)
Katherine (she/her) is a NYC-based cinematographer. After studying architecture and photography in the Dominican Republic, Katherine returned to the U.S. to work in film and TV. Applying her design and photo background along with the invaluable lessons she has acquired over the years working in production, Katherine brings a unique style to her work. She was recently selected for the American Film Institute Cinematography Intensive for Women.
Besties Make Movies (Producers)
Founded by Marzy Hart and Stacey Maltin, Besties Make Movies is an independent content creation studio developing film & television content that is immodest, unfiltered, and provocative. Besties Makes Movies tells the compelling stories of those that the mainstream has left behind, in creative ways. As part of their mission, Besties projects employ inclusively on both sides of the camera. Besties Makes Movies also work tirelessly to bring sustainability to film production.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The Story
Let's be honest, when we first meet Alex, she's kind of basic. She's the kind of girl who puts up with mediocre sex because she doesn't know any better. Naive, introverted, awkward and a bit of a wet blanket, she gets away with being so damn boring by being so endearing that you can't help but root for her.
When her roommate Dara--who's as queer as her medieval weaponry collection is pointy--finds out that she's never had an orgasm, she recommends Alex take a workshop on sex and sexuality. With help from Dara and her new classmates, Alex begins to question her career, relationships, and sexuality, and whether the choices that she's made were truly hers to begin with. Meanwhile, Dara’s on her own journey… one that may or may not involve espionage and buttplugs.
.
The Themes
The first season of Sideways Smile consists of six episodes, each ~10 minutes long. With the workshop as its backbone, the series explores many themes at the core of modern intersectional feminism: racism and sexism in dating and in the workplace, the model minority myth, sexuality, sex work, kink, and more. It’s equal parts educational, hilarious, and sexy. (We dare you to find another show equally comfortable throwing around eggs, dildos, and references to the Asian Exclusion Act.) We were inspired by everything from Broad City to Get Out to Bojack Horseman, and we think the end result is something special.
The Money
The pilot, which was filmed in summer of 2018, premiered at the 2019 Asian-American International Film Festival, among many other comedy festivals. The pilot won Sideways Smile an inaugural grant from the Made in New York Women’s Fund for Film, Theatre, and Television. Thanks to that support, we were able to film the remaining five episodes of the first season this summer.
We’re hoping to raise another $15,000 to market, distribute, and screen our show. We believe this series deserves to be seen widely, especially in the Asian-American community and on college campuses so we will be using this money to set up local community screenings, submit to festivals, and ensure that people around the world hear about our show! You support will go a long way in helping us bring this educational, sexy, and hilarious show to the Asian American community.
The People
Our crew was super hot (literally and figuratively), and queer, femme, nonbinary, and women of color. Representation matters and we wanted to ensure that we had diversity in and behind the camera. #bestsetvibes
FAQs
What is a Sideways Smile?
In her first class with the workshop, Alex is asked for her favorite word for her genitals. This is ours!
You’re offering sex toys as incentives? Are they … used?
Yes! And... not in the way you’re probably worried about! We received a number of sex toys from our amazing partners, Primal Hardwere and Lelo. These were used as props to decorate the set for the series. They have been handled by the cast and crew, but they have never been used for their, ahem, intended purpose. These items retail for $85-250. Please note that these generally will not come in the original packaging, but they will include any necessary accessories (specifically, chargers for the Lelo vibrators).
What sex toys are available? Can I pick which one I get?
The complete list of sex toys available follows. You can indicate preference and we will try our best to send you your first choice. The earlier you donate, the larger the selection! Please note that the Primal Hardwere toys have very minor manufacturing defects (i.e. slight color change, small dent in the base) that should not affect usability.
Primal Hardwere Toys
G'lorp, Shokushu, Krubera, Squick, Blip, Growler inflatable, Petunia.
Lelo Toys
Gigi 2 (G-spot vibrator), Soraya (dual-massager for both internal and external use)
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
SCREENINGS
Costs $3,000
We want to partner with community spaces to set up screenings around the country.
FESTIVALS
Costs $7,000
We want to submit and be able to bring our team to festivals around the country.
MARKETING & PUBLICITY
Costs $5,000
We want to work with a publicist to help us reach as wide an audience as possible!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Hang Nguyen (Writer, Director, Producer)
Hang (she/her) is an educator, filmmaker, and project manager. She is the founder of Femsex Boston, an organization that runs a community workshop on female sexuality and identity. She is a member of the improv troupe Not Quite NASA and most recently starred in their sketch musical, Kung Fu Nuns. When she’s not working in film, Hang is helping to create engaging learning experiences and teaching data science to adult learners.
Diane Chen (Producer, Actor)
Diane Chen (they/them) is a multidisciplinary filmmaker and theater artist, and co-founder of Multihyphenate Productions. Their award-winning series Here We Wait racked up over 30 nominations on the festival circuit, including a win for Diane as Best Supporting Actress at Brooklyn Webfest. They’ve been seen on screen on HBO’s High Maintenance, Sundance, and TIFF, and onstage at The PIT, Corkscrew Theater Festival, Dixon Place, and more. They strive for their artistry to reflect an awareness of social responsibility and intersectionality of representation.
Jackie Schwartz (Producer)
Jackie (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and activist. Her mission is to create content about marginalized communities and underrepresented voices. She’s produced web series and short films that have premiered and won awards at festivals throughout the country. She previously worked as an associate producer at Fully Branded Media, collaborating on films such as: The Romantics, Margin Call, and Kill Your Darlings. Jackie is a proud advocate of self-love and a board member of Realize Your Beauty.
Harry Aspinwall (Producer, Editor)
Harry (he/him or they/them) is a co-founder of Dark Tower Films, a production company specializing in horror and historical narratives and their intersections with queerness and mental health. His fantasy satire "Orcs of New York" created a cult following of over 80,000 and was featured in The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, and this year two of his screenplays are finalists in ScreenCraft and WeScreenplay's Diversity Voices. Harry is an upcoming resident writer at ArtFarm.
Iya Megre (Producer)
Iya (she/her or they/them) is a writer, attorney, and producer for film and theater. She has worked on immersive theater experiences in collaboration with Broken Ghost Immersives and The Megagame Society. Iya honed her editorial skills as Editorial Director for Let’s Go, the premier student travel guide company. As an attorney, her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, media law, and asylum law.
Katherine Castro (Director of Photography)
Katherine (she/her) is a NYC-based cinematographer. After studying architecture and photography in the Dominican Republic, Katherine returned to the U.S. to work in film and TV. Applying her design and photo background along with the invaluable lessons she has acquired over the years working in production, Katherine brings a unique style to her work. She was recently selected for the American Film Institute Cinematography Intensive for Women.
Besties Make Movies (Producers)
Founded by Marzy Hart and Stacey Maltin, Besties Make Movies is an independent content creation studio developing film & television content that is immodest, unfiltered, and provocative. Besties Makes Movies tells the compelling stories of those that the mainstream has left behind, in creative ways. As part of their mission, Besties projects employ inclusively on both sides of the camera. Besties Makes Movies also work tirelessly to bring sustainability to film production.