The feature film 3RD STREET BLACKOUT will screen at the Napa Valley Film Festival on Nov. 12th, Nov. 13th, and Nov. 15th, 2015.
3RD STREET BLACKOUT is a romantic comedy set in the blackout after Hurricane Sandy when an internet savvy couple is forced to deal with their flailing relationship in an analogue world.
How far would you go to deliver a note in a blackout?
Starring: Ed Weeks (The Mindy Project), Janeane Garofalo, John Hodgman (Daily Show), Jordan Carlos (Nightly Show), Phyllis Somerville (House of Cards), Negin Farsad (The Muslims Are Coming on Netflix), Jeremy Redleaf (Sesame Street).
3RD STREET BLACKOUT is written/directed by Negin Farsad & Jeremy Redleaf who bring their own hurricane stories to the big screen in a quirky comedy, with a salty aftertaste, lit almost entirely by candles… and gooey love.
For these two filmmakers, the blackout seemed to reset the city. “We were struck by how the blackout transformed neighborhoods overnight. I made actual eye contact with my neighbors for the first time in YEARS,” says Farsad. She noted 3rd Street’s peculiar mix of multi-million dollar condos and project housing on the same block and that “yet, the hurricane hit us all uniformly.” For her, the blackout was not only a ripe setting for comedy but for a message about community building.
As an Iranian-American Farsad plays a TEDFellow neuroscientist in her role as “Mina.” But in real life, Farsad was also selected as a TEDFellow for her work in social justice comedy. She was named one of the 50 Funniest Women by the Huffington Post and one of the 10 best Feminist Comedians by Paper Magazine. She has written for and/or appeared on various shows like Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show,” BBC’s “Pop Quiz”, IFC’s “IFC News” and more. Her last film, THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING! won various awards on the festival circuit before being released theatrically and finding a digital home on Netflix.
Redleaf saw both sides of the coin during the blackout as he lived on the “electricity border.” “Looking uptown, I saw an anonymous city. Looking downtown, a tight knit community. Turns out five days without power is recipe for the kindest Manhattan I’ve ever seen.”The Emmy Award winning Redleaf is a regular fixture on Sesame Street, has consulted on Fuse network’s “Billy on the Street” and has created award winning content for television and digital platforms.
Casting is a major element in the film. As Farsad points out “the lead in 3rd Street Blackout an Iranian-American Muslim female, you know, like most rom-coms.” Breaking the mold for the type of characters that women of color can play and showcasing the diversity that actual New Yorkers experience everyday was a priority. “As an ethnic lady director, I’m very sensitive about casting – I want to be able to present the Iranian community – or other communities of color – without the story having to revolve around that.”
But both agree that the highlight was working with comedy pros. “Between Ed Weeks from “The Mindy Project,” Janeane Garofalo, and John Hodgman, the comedic possibilities were kind of mind-blowing” admits Redleaf. Farsad added “When you’re on set for such long hours, you need people around you who can really elevate the dick and fart joke to another level.”
Rest assured, you’ve never laughed this hard in dim lighting. Trailer: http://bit.ly/1cZi5tc