By Valerie Milano
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/7/24 – Honest/Fluff is the hilarious romantic comedy debut from budding Writer/Director Sherean Jones that centers on the journey of Vela Shaw, an aspiring tech designer who is constantly accommodating others. The talented Bria Henderson brings the lead character to life as she grapples with her unfulfilled ambitions after missing out on a promotion due to her appearance and being disregarded by her casual lover for seemingly the same reason. Confronting the impact of her own choices in allowing others to undermine her self-worth, Shaw decides to take control of her life. The film features Thundercat’s Dragonball Durag, adding a playful musical touch to Shaw’s path to self-acceptance. Brought to audiences by Super Special Productions, led by Amy Aniobi (Executive Producer: Insecure), Honest/Fluff invites viewers to reflect on their own value with humor, urging them to stand up against unappreciative bosses, enjoy life to its fullest, and never accept less than what we deserve.
Audiences will come for the hilarious, deliciously executed dialogue by Jones, and they will likely stay for the beautifully relatable story that many of us have experienced in the game of life and dating. Jones recalls the once bitter, and now very sweet inspiration for Honest/Fluff, “At the time of writing the short film I was at a dead-end job at a call center-I was trying to elevate in the company and it was not working. During this time, I was also seeing someone who treated me like the way the male lead treated Vella. Honest/Fluff was based on my feelings at the time, what I wanted to say to the guy I used to date, as well as what I wanted to say to my boss. I eventually left that relationship and that job and enrolled in film school at USC, and I am currently in my last year of my master’s program for writing and directing!” As far as ‘glow ups’ go, this is the recipe!
Click below to see our exclusive interview:
Most people have been in Vella’s shoes before: when needs change, you’re faced with a simple question of ‘should I stay, or should I go?’ The leading lady is faced with this question from both her job and her lover, and eventually makes the most ideal decision for herself; she reclaims her time, her worth, and overall sense of self! The cunning and beautiful director Sherean Jones expounds, “For Vella, a part of being with the lead character is casual, but exploring something more than casual and wanting to expand their relationship was a curiosity of hers. When she sees him in the coffee shop, she learns more than what she expected, as she understands that: they’re casual, he is dating other women and taking them out, meanwhile Vella has never been out in public with him. I believe the complex feelings of Vela’s came from only being able to have a certain level of access to him, why he did not want to expand their causal relationship, and what that meant to her and her identity.”
While there are issues with confidence that Vella experiences, we must not assume that the leading lady also had issues seeing her worth, or her own potential for that matter. Jones declares further, “Vela’s plight was never about not seeing her own potential, it was about her doing that extra push to make sure people around her saw her potential. We don’t meet Vela as this person who wants a better job and partner but doesn’t know how to get it; she’s making those strides. On some level, she does see that in herself, but confidence does not exist in a vacuum; we must create that reality around us. That means making bold choices that would totally uproot your world. Vela needed to gain the confidence to say no to the things that were given to her so that she could make room for the things and people she deserved. If Vela were a real person, she would be doing really well at her new job, she got her app off the ground and is a tech tycoon and is probably dating someone who wouldn’t mind taking her to a thunder cat concert!” And hopefully she is dating someone who will not just eat her Beetroot pasta, but someone that will bring pasta to the table as well! This director’s debut should not be missed; spread the word!
Stay up to date with current and future projects from Sherean Jones via instagram @andthewinnerissherean
