Michaela Watkins Stars In Sanders' Improvised LA Comedy
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- Michaela Watkins (Hacks) stars as the lead in Jessica Sanders' "I Want to Feel Fun," an entirely improvised ensemble comedy now in post-production at Wavelength's L.A. campus.
- Jessica Sanders directs and produces the film — her first narrative feature after documentary work including Oscar-nominated "Sing!" and Sundance Special Jury Prize winner "After Innocence" — adapted from her short that premiered at Tribeca last year.
- The ensemble cast blends professional actors with everyday people, adding Avi Rothman, Lilah Pate, Vivian Bang, Dave Merheje, Kiran Deol, Zainne Saleh, Finn Harry, Andrew Key, and Gene Kang alongside Watkins.
- Sanders described the film as "an entirely improvised comedy weaving intersecting stories of love and connection" and "an unexpected, emotional adventure across L.A.'s diverse neighborhoods and ultimately a love letter to the city."
- Reboot Studios and Wavelength executive produced alongside Patricia Seely; Mary Pat Bentel, David Katznelson and Noam Dromi are EPs via Reboot Studios, while Joe Plummer and Stacey Reiss are EPs via Wavelength.
Why it matters: For Sanders, the Oscar-nominated documentarian, "I Want to Feel Fun" marks her transition to narrative features — a career-defining pivot backed by indie studios Wavelength and Reboot Studios. The hybrid casting of professional actors alongside non-actors positions the film within the growing appetite for documentary-meets-fiction experiments in indie comedy.
