Appiness will be available to rent or own on January 28th on streaming services (including Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Google Play and Vudu) and Comcast, Verizon, DirecTV, and Dish in the United States.
How often have you sat at your desk at work and wondered what happened to all the creative dreams you once had? These dreams often seem to slip through our fingers at every turn but haunt our every waking moment as we realise that life is often disappointing. Written by, directed and starring Eli Batalion, the creator of the acclaimed web series Yidlife Crisis, Appiness offers us a warm-hearted and engaging buddy comedy that explores the confidence and determination needed to go it alone.
Batalion’s debut feature is confident and assured, combining personal and social development themes with moments of laugh-out-loud comedy. Our film opens with the downtrodden and lost Eric Newman being handed his notice, but far from being sad, Eric greets the news with quiet optimism as he is freed from the 9 to 5 cage. But it is a random encounter with an old school friend Raj (Varun Saranga), that truly sparks Eric’s creativity and thoughts as he sits in a local bar. The enthusiastic and puppy-like Raj is full of business ideas relating to the world of tech. Both men bounce ideas around, their unstructured visions held back by a lack of money. However, when the boys find structure and a possible direction in fellow coffee shop tech wizard Jeanine Genet (Amber Goldfarb), the group decide to bring their tech dreams to life no matter the hurdles.
Appiness isn’t interested in the creation of tech gods who earn millions. Instead, it focuses on personal and social development and the need to own your dreams. Many heartwarming and tender components in Batalion’s film are rooted in the deep understanding of personal success and failure, exploring our need to try even if it doesn’t lead to material success. While Appiness never fully explores broader themes in its narrative around the tech industry itself, it offers us a joyous and well-crafted comedy debut feature.
Director: Eli Batalion
Cast: Eli Batalion, Varun Saranga, Amber Goldfarb
