A fresh, fun, and sexy narrative!
Pot Luck is a fresh, fun, and sexy narrative web-series that explores the lives of three Wellington friends when they make a pact which turns their weekly Pot Luck dinners into a search for love. Or not.
Ness Simons, the writer and director, is a graduate of the NZ Film School and Whitirea's Creative Writing Programme. The series was inspired by many enjoyable nights Ness has had sharing pot luck dinners with her friends, and she says “there's so much scope for story when you bring a group of women together, so it seemed like a good idea to build a series around friendship and food and the different dynamics around the table”.
Set in Wellington, the storyline revolves around the friendship of Mel, Debs and Beth. Mel, played by Nikki Si'ulepa, is charismatic, free and easy. Her mate Debs (Anji Kreft), is a shy butch whose heart was broken six years ago, so there's a softer, complex side to this staunch woman. Beth, (Tess Jamieson-Karaha), is the third part of the trio, she's also Mel's ex-girlfriend. The weekly dinner format allows for a range of guest characters, and Beth's mother Eileen (Kate Ward) will also make a regular appearance.
There are queer characters on screen, but portrayals are still limited, and there's very little content coming out of New Zealand. Pot Luck's characters are in their late 30s and early 40s and the challenges they put to each other will test the depth of their friendships.
The pilot episode has been funded by the Emerging Artists Trust which Ness says has been "a huge vote of support and really helpful in getting the momentum for the series underway". The pilot episode is now in post production and will be released on line in early December.
With the first episode in hand, the Pot Luck team is looking for further funding to complete the series, including running a crowd funding campaign on the Arts Foundation website, Boosted which runs until the 17th December.
Pot Luck is also on Facebook