July 4, 2016
For Immediate Release
Internet celebrity dog, PITHUAHUA (the half Pit Bull, half Chihuahua sensation), stars in a new web series of the same name
LOS ANGELES, CA – Imagine celebrity dog life — sponsors, public appearances and millions of social media followers. Think of world-famous dogs like Boo or Tuna (of TunaMeltsMyHeart). Pithuahua was one of them. He was quickly climbing the superstar-dog ranks when something went terribly wrong; on a live-streamed doggy meet-and-greet with another famous dog, Pithuahua, the family-friendly, four-legged cash cow was accused of… “rape”?!?
That’s the set up for the new hilarious and bizarre web series, Pithuahua, created by graduate students from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts graduate program and hitting computer screens near you. The project is the brain child of Pithuauha’s real-life owner, Katherine Sweetman, but each episode is written and directed by someone new.
“The story is constantly evolving, and new voices are being added with each episode,” Sweetman said in an interview with Broken Crutch Productions.
In the first episode, we meet Pithuahua’s owner Chase Stewart (played by USC Theater Alum Deane Sullivan) as he’s re-living the nightmare of Pithuahua’s indiscretions on YouTube. The video has over 3 million hits and the dog’s social media stats are also taking a hit. They are falling fast. Chase is being evicted from his apartment, and he ends up at his mom’s home (Mom’s played by the always entertaining, Dian Van Patten) who is not exactly winning any “mother of the year” awards. The only solace Chase finds is in the arms of his internet hook-ups.
The series deals with many contemporary themes such as the fleetingness of internet celebrity-life, on and off-line personas, and the world of online dating.
This fun-filled series of 6-minute episodes begins July 4th, and will continue to air each Monday.
The real Pithuahua, can be found publicizing the web series around the Los Angeles area. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instgram for show updates.
About the series creators:
Katherine Sweetman is a nationally and internationally exhibited artist in the fields of new media art and documentary video. She has taught courses on Visual Culture, Media, and Art at The University of California San Diego, San Diego State University, California State University, San Marcos, and Southwestern College. She is the former director of the alternative art space, Lui Velazquez, in Tijuana. She worked in 3D film and television production at Passmore Lab (2009-2014) and is a contributing arts editor for Reviewer Magazine. She has an MFA from the University of California, San Diego, a BA in Arts and Technology from California State University, San Marcos, and a certificate from the New School University, New York, and she is currently pursuing her second MFA in film at the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California.
Abie Troen was born in Southern Israel and studied at the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Arts where he specialized in history and photography. Following his studies, he enlisted to the IDF (Israeli Army) where he served as a combat paramedic, and was awarded a certificate of. He studied in the Sam Spiegel school for Film and Television in Jerusalem, where he worked on projects filmed in the West Bank, and worked as a photojournalist. Abie studied in Brandeis University in Boston where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He’s been involved in projects filmed in Kenya and India, promoting the Kenyan Street Vendor’s Union and Jan Sahas, an organization fighting for Untouchable women’s rights. He is currently getting his MFA at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Jayjit DasGupta started out as an actor and director in Theater. He subsequently rose to the ranks of Artistic Director and Executive Producer of the Generic Theatre Co. in Washington DC. He was also awarded the 2001 Lannan Fellowship at the Folger Shakespeare Library. He studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and Film Theory at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, England. He took a hiatus from the world of the arts and studied medicine at University of Tennessee. He was trained in cardiothoracic transplant surgery at University of Pennsylvania and served on the Heart & Lung Transplant team at Vanderbilt University. He is happy to be back in the world of art and film at The University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Mercedes San Roman is a writer and cultural journalist from Mexico City. She likes stories involving surrealism and the absurd. She has worked as a writer at Malinche Magazine. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Latin American Literature from Universidad Iberoamericana. She studied filmmaking and cinematography at the New York Film Academy, and she is currently completing her MFA in film The University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Media Contact:
Katherine Sweetman, [email protected]
Pithuahua Official site: http://pithuahua.com
twitter @thepithuahua
Instagram @thepithuahua
Facebook.com/thepithuahua
