Chosen Fam (2020)

Donna Mae Foronda has asked me to review the first episode of her new project: Chosen Fam, a web series following members of a QTPOC indie band in the Bay Area.

Today’s review is extra special. Donna Mae Foronda, the screenwriter for such charming works as Where the Socks Go (2013), has asked me to review the first episode of her new project: Chosen Fam (2020), a web series following members of a QTPOC indie band in the Bay Area. The series opens with Cody (played by creator Kyle Casey Chu) and his roommate Evie (played by Emily Chau) getting dressed for a night out. When Cody remarks how Evie looks like “if Steve Jobs and R.L. Stine had a baby, who wrote really bad teen fiction,” I knew I was in for a treat. Like Where the Socks Go, Chosen Fam has very clever writing. Later on, when Evie’s at the bar, she brings Appletinis to her coworker and boss—a clear nod to the previous Jobs reference. Moreover, this series is visually stunning: the cast is lit by soft, almost dreamlike lighting during the day, such as at a baby shower, and playful pinks and blues at the various nightlife venues. The first episode lays the groundwork for what storylines are to come for the queer couples and friends who make up this indie rock band. Watch Chosen Fam on 9/26 at 7:15pm on Frameline.