Greensburg native’s directorial debut will premiere Jan. 21 on Netflix
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A few years ago, Sujata Day would likely have described her directorial debut, “Definition Please,” in terms of the number of theaters and cities where it would be opening.
And while the Greensburg native’s debut won’t be premiering in theaters, she could conceivably say it will be opening on 95 million screens in five countries.
That’s because “Definition Please” was bought by filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s company Array, and will debut Jan. 21 on Netflix in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
“I’m super-excited,” said Day, now a Los Angeles resident who also has a recurring role as Sarah on HBO’s “Insecure.”
“Definition Please” is about Day’s main character gaining some small measure of fame by winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee (recast here as the “Scribbs” spelling bee) and, later, coming to grips with her place in both her life and family as the film progresses.
And the film has more than one connection to Westmoreland County — in addition to Day’s roots in Greensburg, Murrysville native Esha Chundru, 9, was cast to play the childhood version of Day’s character.
Day said she and DuVernay follow one another on social media and had the occasion to meet at events and parties in L.A.
“I’d reached out to Array earlier in the year, and I think they saw the buzz from our in-person premiere at the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival,” Day said. “They reached out about a week after the festival.”
Array President Tilane Jones said she was excited when Day reached out.
“Her acting experience and time on set paid off in this heartwarming coming-of-age story that is not often seen through the lens of a South Asian woman,” Jones said.
Day said she felt like Array was a perfect match.
“I’ve been following Ava’s career for a long time,” Day said. “She’s done so many great things for female filmmakers in the industry, whether it’s their first TV directing gig, working on a set or just getting a more-diverse crew behind the scenes. It’s something I really believe in — diversity and inclusivity across the board.”
And while the film’s debut won’t necessarily have the hype of a traditional film premiere, the trade-off is that it will be instantly available to, literally, a potential audience of millions who can access it with a few clicks.
“I think this is the best-case scenario at this point,” she said. “A few years ago, it would have been ‘Oh, this movie is opening on so-and-so number of screens in a half-dozen cities.’ But I’m talking to friends in the UK, to friends in Canada and Australia, and they’re all really excited to see it, and that wouldn’t be possible in a more-traditional distribution setting. So I’m really excited that this is going to be available to millions of people around the world.”
Jones agreed.
“ ‘Definition Please’ is smart, funny and relatable,” she said. “I can’t wait for audiences to see it on Netflix, and I’m elated that Array is showcasing and amplifying Sujata’s feature film debut.”