We can exclusively debut the first clip from Nicol Paone’s directorial debut ‘Friendsgiving’ today.
The R-rated comedy stars Malin Akerman, Kat Dennings, Aisha Tyler, Chelsea Peretti, Christine Taylor, Jane Seymour, Deon Cole, Wanda Sykes and Ryan Hansen.
Releasing on October 23 in select theaters, on demand & digital, ‘Friendsgiving’ follows Abby who is looking forward to a laid-back Thanksgiving with her best friend Molly. But the friends’ plans for a quiet turkey dinner go up in smoke when they’re joined by Molly’s new boyfriend and her flamboyant mother. Throw in some party crashers including Molly’s old flame, a wannabe shaman, and a trio of Fairy Gay Mothers, and it’s a recipe for a comically chaotic holiday no one will ever forget—even if they wanted to!
In a director’s statement, Nicol Paone notes that the film evolves bringing LGBTQ+ characters into movies:
“Watch this movie because we got it made when no one wanted to. Because it’s about the evolving normalcy of gay characters in movies leading everyday lives. Because it’s about a gay lady character as the lead in a movie without the movie being labeled a ‘gay movie’. Because it’s has a gay lady as the lead in a movie without having a tantalizing female on female sex scene.”
As a writer/director, Nicol Paone got her start at Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Funny or Die. In her brief time there, she won a Webby Award for Best Comedic Episode and was nominated for an Environmental Media Award for her work with The Obama Administration.
Watch the full first clip from her directorial debut here: