ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE LA ARRIVAL - Aug 2019 - Susan Hornik - Gleeful film buffs and indie filmmakers came together Thursday for the grand-opening bash for Alamo Drafthouse’s new theater in downtown Los Angeles’ the Bloc shopping center. During the downtown party, movie-themed tiki cocktails with titles such as Naked in New York, the Harder They Fall and L.A. Confidential were served. There were activations to experience as well, including a scavenger hunt for which guests could collect a set of collectible lapel pins as prizes; a balloon artist; and a spot for face paint, nail art, glitter and airbrush tattoos. Comedians Gavin Matts, Ayo Edebiri, Lizzy Cooperman, Neil Hamburger, Todd Glass and Open Mike Eagle also performed.

MEET EMAN ESFANDI & ISAAC GARZA - Mar 2020 -An absurdist dramedy about a mother who wants to hold on to the image of her little boy, even though he’s all grown up. One day, while visiting his mother, Pepito is forced to go to confession. On their way there they argue, they have run-ins with quirky church-goer personalities, nuns, and eventually, Pepito enters the confessional where he has a panic attack. This mother-son relationship is going through an identity crisis. Pepito must confront his mother, and his mother must say goodbye to her little boy. This universal story is a love letter to mothers everywhere, told through the lens of the Latino experience.

REVIEW OF MAGIC FOR HUMANS SEASON 2 - Dec 2019 - So the longer the show runs (hopefully for far longer than the dozen installments to date), the more it becomes about those reactions: what we’re willing to accept and what we love to reject. “Magic for Humans” is also a subtle LA travelogue, going from Atwater Village hangouts to NFL practice facilities to any number of parks and public transportation stops in between. It might not have the density of an investigative docuseries about the human psyche, but it still manages to say plenty about people and a city amidst the card apparitions and the tossed slices of meat. True to form, it’s a pretty good misdirect. Grade: A-

IN CONVERSATION WITH SHANNON CLOUD - Aug 2015 - Kristian Lin - Shannon Cloud was 13 years old when her mother signed her up for Kamp Hollywood, a filmmaking and acting summer camp in Dallas. “Everybody else wanted to write and direct,” she remembered. “But I realized producing was for me.” Before that, she had been interested in movies and TV only as a fan, but that experience started the Fort Worth native and Grapevine High School graduate on a path toward entertainment...

COVERED BY LOCAL COMEDY FAN - Mar 2016 - Spencer Beghtol - What’s the best way to get to a hip and cool stand­up comedy night? Taxi? Bicycle? How about a Chortle Portal? That’s the name of the weekly show produced by current UT students Andrew Clarkston, Andrew Dismukes, and Shannon Cloud. The entrance to Chortle Portal is in the back of the Taos Co­-op...

IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTINA PARRISH - Apr 2018 - Sean L. Malin - Christina Parrish is an actor, comedian, and writer based in Austin. Her interview parody series, The Chip Show, which she created and hosts, showcases some of Austin’s best known comics. Parrish is also the screenwriter and star of Call Me Brother, the David Howe-directed feature which will have its World Premiere at the Florida Film Festival. Produced by David Bukstein, Call Me Brother co-stars Saturday Night Live writer Andrew Dismukes, Funniest Person in Austin winner...

INTERVIEW WITH COLLEGE MAGAZINE - Mar 2017 - Local filmmakers met in a special projects class at the University of Texas at Austin’s Radio-Television-Film department. Now they are breaking out of the Austin bubble and moving into the world of professional filmmaking by screening their short experimental film, “Last Night," at Park City, Utah’s Slamdance Film Festival. Juliff and Cloud sat down with ORANGE to talk about their recent festival experience and how standup comedy influences their creative process...