Almost Asian

Almost Asian is a short-form scripted comedy series about perpetual outsider, Katie, as she stumbles through life in Los Angeles as a half-Asian millennial mix.

Los Angeles, CA - "Almost Asian" is a short-scripted digital comedy series about a mixed-raced millennial on the verge of a biracial identity crisis. For half-Asian Angeleno, Katie, being mixed-race means never being enough - all she wants is to belong, but for her to feel fully accepted, she must first love and accept the one thing she fears the most: her whole self.

Each episode explores the ethnic dichotomies and racial diversities prevalent in youth culture today and polaroids Katie's personal and professional struggles as she awkwardly attempts to maneuver through life as a half-Asian mix. From stereotypes to expectations to identity and acceptance, "Almost Asian" not only wants to create an open forum and dialogue for other millennial "halfers" but also celebrate their success and strife with a wink. The writing is unapologetic and voice, brash, as Katie half-sheds the quiet and submissive Japanese female stereotype and elbows her way to a seat at society's set table. New episodes are released every month and both directed and edited by award-winning creatives.

Seven episodes out of twelve from the first season are in the submission. The first episode in this screener is unreleased.

All episodes can be viewed on AlmostAsian.com

FROM THE CREATOR
"Growing up half-Asian was very confusing. From filling out ethnicity sections in college applications to introducing lunch trades with pre-trending Japanese food on the grade school playground, before the United Colors of Benetton effect took hold, being the byproduct of an interracial couple was new. Nobody was talking about it, especially in suburban America. Before Obama and yes, Keanu came along, there was no half-anything to admire as a role model, particularly a female one. So it's really no surprise that my best friend growing up was also half-Japanese due to our similar childhood experiences. And by expanding on these shared experiences, my intention with "Almost Asian" is to celebrate the nuanced mixed-ethnic identity while challenging our social conventions regarding race, nationality, and culture through a comedic lens. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that more than half of the nation's children are expected to be part of a minority race or ethnic group by 2020, referring to all kids under the age of 18. So yeah. We're not goin' anywhere."

ABOUT THE CREATOR
Katie Malia is an "ethnically-ambiguous." performer and writer in Los Angeles. She writes and performs sketch, improv and stand up around Los Angeles and produced the short film, "VARMiNT," which won the Grand Jury Prize at Dances with Films Festival in Hollywood, the Audience Award at New Orleans Film Festival in 2013, and was a Vimeo "Staff Pick" in 2014. Her short-form digital series “Almost Asian” has been featured on PRI's "The World" on NPR, Washington Post, and Huffington Post. “Almost Asian” is also an official selection to multiple film festivals including the 2016 Raindance Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival and Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in 2017. Katie was a performer and writer in the 2016 CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase.

As an actress, she has been in over 100 national commercials with numerous acclaimed directors like Mike Mills, Marc Forster, Jon Watts, Fredrik Bond, Rupert Sanders, Todd Haynes and more, and her TV credits include "The Mindy Project," "How I Met Your Mother," HBO’s "Hello Ladies" with a recent Guest Star on "Hawaii Five-O" and FOX’s "Sleepy Hollow." She is also a successful dancer and choreographer and has performed at the Walt Disney Hall’s Red Cat Theater and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in downtown Los Angeles. Her work with choreographers include Fatima Robinson, Michael Rooney, Michelle Johnston, Rich & Tone Talauega, Hi-Hat, Marty Kudelka and Ryan Heffington to name a few.

Before returning to her Southern California roots, Katie studied dance and English literature at Barnard College at Columbia University in New York with a summer Shakespearean study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. She lives in Silver Lake and continues to study at The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Oh yeah, and she hates the term, "ethnically-ambiguous."

ALMOST ASIAN IS HALF-JAPANESE. HALF-GERMAN. 100% CONFUSED.