‘Fanny Pack’: An Indian American Woman Pursues Her Dreams in Woman-Directed Short Film

Directed by Uttera Singh, “traditional values and modern dreams collide in this comedy about a young Indian-American woman who attempts to elude her fanny pack-clad father and board a plane in pursuit of a less conventional future. The film was inspired by the filmmaker’s own experiences of traveling in the U.S. as a recent citizen.”

Fanny Pack short film

Fanny Pack short film

Fanny Pack is a short film directed by Uttera Singh, which she made at USC. It’s also one of the premiere short films for the fifth season of Film School Shorts. The principal cast includes Dorothy Blue, Jerilyn Clayton, and Brian George.

ABOUT FANNY PACK:
“Traditional values and modern dreams collide in this comedy about a young Indian-American woman who attempts to elude her fanny pack-clad father and board a plane in pursuit of a less conventional future. The film was inspired by the filmmaker’s own experiences of traveling in the U.S. as a recent citizen.”

“When you’re brown, airports are a fun family activity,” says Singh, “My family has been stopped at airports more frequently than I can remember.”

ABOUT UTTERA SINGH:
“Drama has always been a part of Uttera Singh’s life. On the day she was born, her mother, who was nine months pregnant, was hit by a firecracker, and her father rescued her and rushed her to the hospital to deliver the baby. That’s how Uttera — a real life firecracker — was born and that same fiery spirit is still very much alive in her. Uttera is a 2016 MFA graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She is a recipient of one of the first ever Ryan Murphy Diversity Fellowships and just finished directing her thesis film, Fanny Pack starring Brian George (Big Bang Theory, Seinfeld), a proof of concept for a half-hour TV show. Her one-woman show “Indian Lady Shakespeare wears Underwear” is set to premiere in Los Angeles in the fall of 2016. While still attending USC, Uttera was chosen as one of the directors on the USC/James Franco feature film Mad Whale starring Camilla Belle, Dominic Rains, Summer Phoenix, and James Franco. Uttera lives in Los Angeles. She spends her time going on adventures and then writing about them.”

You can follow Uttera Singh on Twitter @uttera. Filmmaker bio and film description courtesy of Film School Shorts.


ABOUT FILM SCHOOL SHORTS AND KQED:

Film School Shorts is a national half-hour weekly series that showcases short student films from across the country. Each week, viewers can watch well-crafted films with high production values, strong dialogue and riveting drama. Grouped together around a central theme or topic, and featuring production values that rival their indie film counterparts, KQED is proud to present award winning entertainment to a national audience. Featured are the best short films from major institutions like NYU, Columbia University, UCLA, USC, and University of Texas that have wowed audiences at Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Telluride, and SXSW.”

KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas.”