American coming-of-age comedies rarely beat with such uncomfortable verisimilitude. In the bilingual “Mustache” — the first feature from writer-director Imran J. Khan — 13-year-old Pakistani American high schooler Ilyas (Atharv Verma) undergoes an awkward adjustment from a private Islamic institution to a generic American high school. The story’s universality is born from its cultural specificity,
On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y., explains why it’s important to have an institution devoted to the study of comedy. Jamestown, which is the hometown of Lucille Ball, will be abuzz with laughs as the center hosts the annual Lucille Ball Comedy
CBS has given a pilot order to a comedy series titled “Hilda! (In Lights!)” about an elderly woman who moves to New York City to pursue her Broadway dreams. Three scripts for the single-camera project, from writer and executive producer Abbey Caldwell, were announced as being in development at the studio in April. The logline
Freestyle Digital Media has acquired the golf crime comedy “Mooch,” written, directed by and starring Jeff Ryan. “Mooch” will debut on digital platforms starting August 14. Ryan, who retains theatrical rights through First-Names Films, will premiere the film in a national tour of one-night screenings developed in association with Emo Nite, featuring live performances by
Jennifer Aniston will star in Olivia Wilde’s Universal comedy “Naughty,” playing a single mother named Mallory, whose “ex-trashbag” is Santa Claus. Peter Dinklage takes on the role of the King of Christmas. Wilde, fresh off the success of her latest directorial effort “The Invite,” directs “Naughty,” which centers on Mallory, whose “only hope of securing
Six men lie face down on the ground, licking a deserted Los Angeles street It’s a stomach-churning introduction, but “Sour Minnows” is not a conventional tale. It’s a movie about roommates Ricky (David Brown, “Jury Duty”) and Tepper (Chase Williamson, “The Guest”) who one day accidentally enter a different plane of existence while shopping. Soon,