The Houseguest/Very Merry Mahusay

This Filipino-American comedy follows the Mahusay family when a mistaken identity brings about ongoing misadventures

  • Francis Abbey
    Director
    The Black Friday Games, The Broken Continent, 6 Nonsmokers
  • Francis Abbey
    Writer
    Extraction, Of Dice and Men, Lizard Man
  • Lee Perna
    Producer
    Kringle Time, Bombshell
  • Francis Abbey
    Producer
    Taking the Plunge, A Man Walks Into a Bar, Chris & Carol
  • Al Sotto
    Key Cast
    "Jun (aka the other C.T.)"
    House of Cards, Veep, What Death Leaves Behind
  • Ian Ampoyo
    Key Cast
    "Pedro Mahusay"
    Passage, Burnt Toast
  • Elaine Espinola-Keltz
    Key Cast
    "Marites Mahusay"
    The Girl Who Left Home, Voices in the Vineyard
  • Jannah Bilker
    Key Cast
    "Mariped Mahusay"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 19, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Francis Abbey

Francis Manuel Abbey is an award-winning filmmaker who has been active for more than 20 years. He wrote, directed, and produced the feature comedies Boxing Day and Six Nonsmokers, as well as the fantasy series The Broken Continent. Since 2014, he has been a multi-skilled producer for TEGNA Media, working in marketing and news content and winning five National Capital Emmy awards. Francis’ Filipino mythology-inspired script Say Boo has won several awards and ranks in the top 1% of 94,000 projects on the screenwriting website Coverfly. In 2022, Francis formed Barkada DMV, a Filipino-led group of filmmakers and actors dedicated to increasing Filipino representation on screen and behind the camera. Francis is currently working on a graphic novel adaptation of Say Boo and developing new projects with Barkada DMV.

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Director Statement

The Mahusays are a product of a decades-long dream of honoring my Filipino heritage by bringing together Filipino actors and crew and producing Filipino-led films. That group, Barkada DMV, initially came together to compete in the DC 48 Hour Film Project. Our cast members had never worked together before and were all taking a chance to participate in something centered on their Filipino heritage. The required elements for the competition lent for a story that fit our actors perfectly, and the Mahusays were born. I didn't realize at that time how much creating an essentially Filipino American sitcom would mean to the cast, crew, and FilAms who have seen it. The experience of working with other Filipinos has been everything I hoped for and more.