Aren’t we all a little Audrey navigating parents as adults?
I look forward to seeing the short You Go Girl! I find the poster eye-catching and the story about a woman navigating parental relationships when you don’t live up to their expectations very relatable. Really the fact that she has to go from the Big City aka NYC to Oregon in my wheelhouse since I’ve always wanted to move to the Pacific Northwest. Am I Audrey??? I’ll have to wait to watch You Go Girl! starting January 20th on the Sundance site.
This film began as a love letter to my mom – all her passion, quirks, and resilience. Throughout the Pandemic, it has morphed into therapy. Black women are fierce. We care for each other deeply. We belong everywhere. Amid such trying times, YOU GO GIRL! is an affirmation for us – less an escape into the outdoors and more a spiritual journey to celebrate our Black mothers. My hope is that everyone may use Audrey’s humor as medicine. Relish the peace and beauty of Nature. Embrace joy through heartbreak. Let this film be an elixir of healing
SHARIFFA ALI, DIRECTOR & CO-WRITER
SYNOPSIS – YOU GO GIRL!
Audrey Jenkins is a New York City comedian eager to get her big break. Impressing club managers is no joke, but comedy helps Audrey navigate a difficult relationship with her distant, disapproving “outdoor enthusiast” of a mother. That all changes when Audrey receives devastating news and travels to an isolated mountain range in Oregon. There she must rise above her fears and make peace with the world her mother has come to love. And in the process, embrace her whole self.
SCREENINGS AT SUNDANCE 2022 ONLINE
Available from Thursday, January 20 at 11:00 AM EST until Sunday, January 30 at 1:59 AM EST
Online: https://festival.sundance.org/program/#film-info/61ae18a114aef750191c2cea
Tickets: https://festival.sundance.org/tickets/#
About the Director:
Shariffa Chelimo Ali is an international creative leader committed to working with an open heart at the intersection of the performing arts and humanitarianism. Originally from Kenya and raised in South Africa, Shariffa has been a New York resident since 2013, working primarily as a director, community organizer, and administrator at The Public Theater and The New Group, among others. Her debut virtual reality short ATOMU is part of the official selection at the Sundance Festival 2020. She’s lectured and directed at NYU, Brooklyn College, Yale University, and Princeton University, where her productions include Eclipsed, Detroit ’67, Intimate Apparel, We Are Proud to Present, and an original new musical We Were Everywhere. Shariffa served as an assistant director to her mentor Cynthia Nixon for Rasheeda Speaking, Steve (The New Group), and Motherstruck! (Culture Project). For more information please visit www.shariffa.com.
About Tiffany Mann (Audrey):
Hailing from Fort Worth, TX, the multi-hyphenate talent Tiffany Mann is no stranger to the spotlight. Tiffany Mann began her classical vocal training with the Texas Girls Choir, The Singing Girls of Texas, and went on to study Opera at Oklahoma City University. The combination of her homegrown gospel sound and the tools she gleaned from classical music has created a “Powerhouse” according to The New York Times. After moving to New York City, Tiffany began to make her mark on the big apple. She has appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway shows such as, “Jerry Springer-The Opera” (Lucille Lortel Award for Best Female Actress), “Waitress” the Musical, and the Original Broadway Cast of “Be More Chill”. She has also staked her claim on television shows including Orange is the New Black, New Amsterdam, and the NBC series RISE. Tiffany comes from a long line of performers including her parents, David Mann of Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns fame and Grammy Award Winning Gospel Artist Tamela Mann. She is looking forward to sharing her talents on the big screen in the short film “You Go Girl” which will premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. For more information please visit: www.iamtiffanymann.com
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
YOU GO GIRL! directed by Shariffa Ali, starring Tiffany Mann, an AliAlea & The Black Whole Inc. Production, in association with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Travel Oregon, and Oregon Made Creative Foundation, produced by Adrian Alea, Kamilah Long, and Courtney Williams.
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