High school isn’t always the easiest experience, and things get a whole lot more complicated when high school politics, crushes, and even more drama are brought into the mix. Keily: Homecoming Dweeb follows Keily as she attempts to start fresh at an elite prep school after facing humiliation at her old school. But things aren’t smooth sailing for Keily, and the one thing she can count on when the going gets tough and high school antics become too much is her music and songwriting. Keily: Homecoming Dweeb is a captivating film that brings together the themes of love, girlhood, and finding oneself.
Inside the Keily: Homecoming Dweeb Premiere
CandyJar held a spectacular homecoming-themed premiere for Keily: Homecoming Dweeb on June 5 at The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California. The wonderful event transported attendees into the halls of high school, with tons of magnificent activities including a prom queen/prom king photo opportunity, an interactive graffiti wall, a mini arcade where guests could even pick out prizes, and so much more.
There was also a fabulous station for making your own charm bracelets and necklaces, more photo areas where guests could immerse themselves in Keily’s world, and plenty of mouth-watering food and candy. And, of course, homecoming isn’t complete without some spiked punch, right?! Guests also enjoyed specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. The event was truly one of a kind and the perfect way to celebrate an outstanding film.
Then, it was time to watch the movie! Attendees had the chance to watch the amazing film, followed by a fantastic Q&A with the cast and crew of Keily: Homecoming Dweeb.
The Keily: Homecoming Dweeb Cast Celebrate the Big Day
Keily: Homecoming Dweeb stars Shannon Austin-Goodin and David Kopriva. The marvelous film also features the talents of Callahan Teceno, Ella Fraley, Jolene Andersen, Elyse Mirto, and former Love Island stars Johnny Middlebrook and Kyra Green. Keily: Homecoming Dweeb is directed by Emily Elizabeth Thomas and written by Thomas, Manjari, and Daniel Moya.
The Power of Female Directors
During the Q&A, director Emily Elizabeth Thomas talked about the work of female directors.
“It’s collaborative. It’s intuitive, you have to be incredibly organized, [and] able to sort of think on many levels at once,” said Thomas. “You have to be able to manage a lot of departments. You have to not only be a really large and creative mind, but you also have to be a producorial mind. I mean, you kind of have to wear every hat… I think it’s partially just sort of the way our society is organized and how it’s always been organized. The world at large doesn’t want women to know how powerful they are when they’re in the driver’s seat, but I think directing is an inherently female job.”
CandyJar Turns the Page
Keily isn’t the only one starting a new chapter, so is CandyJar! Formerly known as GalateaTV, the rebrand to CandyJar marks an exciting new beginning for the vertical, short-form video platform. CandyJar is bringing to life the content that millions of people enjoy reading, now on our screens.
Inkitt and its sister platforms, Galatea and CandyJar, are creating opportunities for emerging talent, authors, producers, directors, and others in the film and book publishing world. According to the press release, “a remarkable 1 in 2 novels discovered on Inkitt becomes a bestseller, gets published on Galatea, and is often adapted into a series on CandyJar.”
Jesse Metcalfe Brings Extra Excitement to the Keily: Homecoming Dweeb Premiere
Fan-favorite actor Jesse Metcalfe hosted the phenomenal premiere and showed his support for bringing creatives’ visions to life and onto the screen. His key advice to Keily on how to survive high school? Staying true to yourself.
“Much like Keily, I think you really have to stay true to yourself,” Metcalfe said in our interview. “And even though it’s very easy to feel like you’re alone and lost sometimes in high school, if you don’t have a lot of positive reinforcement and you’re not really in the popular crowd, I think that you just have to stay true to who you believe you are, who you want to be, what you’re interested in, and find what you’re passionate about early in life and commit yourself to it. That’s how you become great at something.”
Once you start watching Keily: Homecoming Dweeb, you’re definitely going to want to see more from the Keily universe, and more short-form content from CandyJar as a whole. It’s time to get your binge-watching on and head over to the CandyJar app to get your sweet treat!
Check out my interview with Jesse Metcalfe at the Keily: Homecoming Dweeb premiere below, and take a look at my recap video from the event. Plus, get a glimpse of some photos from the stellar celebration.
Follow CandyJar on social media: @WatchCandyJar and download the CandyJar app here.
Photo Credits: John Sciulli / Getty Images for CandyJar
