MONICA SOTTO & Drunk History

Explicit content warning

09/17/20 • 29 min

With 15 years in the entertainment business, Monica Sotto is just beginning her path as a full-time Production Designer. Monica is a first generation Filipina-American who grew up in Pasadena, CA. Earlier this year, Monica won an Art Directors Guild Award for her Production Design work on the hit Comedy Central TV series, “Drunk History.” Additionally, she and the Drunk History Art team recently nabbed a Primetime Emmy nomination in the 72nd annual awards. While we just found out she and the Drunk History team lost the Emmy to SNL, we’re still so excited for Monica and, as she says, ‘the honor of being nominated.’ In addition to Drunk History, Monica’s credits and clients include the shows RuPaul’s Drag Race (World of Wonder), American Horror Story, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Bones (FX/FoxTelevision), Miss 2059 (Go90) and Rizzoli & Isles (TNT).

Previous Episode

JESSIE BARR & Sophie Jones

Back at the beginning of quarantine, we chatted Jessie Barr. Jessie is a filmmaker and 2020 Sundance Fellow based in Los, Angeles. She is an actor, writer, director and producer with a background in independent film, digital storytelling and theater. She makes her feature film directorial debut with Sophie Jones, from executive producer Nicole Holofcener. Sophie Jones will have its world premiere in competition at the 2020 Deauville American Film Festival in France today, Sept 10th. Jessie is one of the seven first-time directors screening in competition. Additionally, eight of the 15 films in competition are directed by women. Stay tuned for upcoming festival announcements that will include virtual offerings, and in the meantime, enjoy our conversation with Jessie!

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ISABEL SANDOVAL & Lingua Franca

An emerging auteur recognized by the Museum of Modern Art as a “rarity among the young generation of Filipino filmmakers for her muted, serene aesthetic", Isabel Sandoval is a US-based filmmaker who has written and directed three features. Isabel's third feature LINGUA FRANCA (2019), co-starring Eamon Farren (Twin Peaks: The Return), premiered at the Venice IFF, where she become the first trans woman director to compete at the festival. LINGUA FRANCA follows an undocumented Filipina trans woman Olivia (Isabel Sandoval) after she has secured a job as a live-in caregiver for Olga (Lynn Cohen), an elderly Russian woman in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood. Olivia’s main priority is to secure a green card to stay in America. But when she unexpectedly becomes romantically involved with Olga’s adult grandson Alex (Eamon Farren), issues around identity, civil rights and immigration threatens her very existence. Distributed by ARRAY, the film is now available to stream on Netflix.