Carly Usdin

{{short description|American director, writer, and producer (born 1982)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Carly Usdin

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1982}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = American

| alma mater = University of Central Florida{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Tre'vell |title=Drag goes big (think Broadway) in 'Le Bal' extravaganza at the Theatre at Ace Hotel |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-le-bal-drag-show-20160725-snap-story.html |website=www.latimes.com |date=28 July 2016 |accessdate=15 June 2019}}

| other_names =

| occupation = Filmmaker, writer

| years_active = 2016–present

| known_for =

| notable_works = {{ubl|Suicide Kale|Heavy Vinyl}}

| website = [http://carlyusdin.com carlyusdin.com]

}}

Carly Usdin (born 1982){{cite web |last1=Farris |first1=Annalise |title=Interview: Talking Hi-Fi Fight Club with Writer Carly Usdin |url=http://www.roguesportal.com/interview-talking-hi-fi-fight-club-writer-carly-usdin/ |website=Rogues Portal |accessdate=12 June 2019}} is an American director, writer, and producer. Usdin is best known for directing the 2016 film Suicide Kale and co-creating the comic book series Heavy Vinyl with Nina Vakueva. In 2019, they received the Jury Prize for Best Director for the short film Misdirection at the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival.{{Cite web|last1=Hogan|first1=Heather|url=https://www.autostraddle.com/carly-usdin-is-making-hollywood-gayer-every-day-and-you-can-help-412822/|title=Carly Usdin Is Making Hollywood Gayer Every Day (And You Can Help)|website=Autostraddle|date=March 2, 2018|accessdate=2019-06-12}}

Early life and education

Usdin was raised in Monmouth County, New Jersey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/05/exclusive-boom-announces-new-comic-about-vinyl-lov.html|title=Exclusive: BOOM! Announces Comic About Vinyl-Loving Teen Vigilantes, Hi-Fi Fight Club by Carly Usdin & Nina Vakueva|website=pastemagazine.com|date=17 May 2017|language=en|access-date=2019-06-14}} They are Jewish. Usdin began to identify as a lesbian at age 16 and came out at age 20.{{Cite web|last=Usdin|first=Carly|date=2019-10-11|title=I came out as a lesbian 20 years ago (lol) but my identity in constantly in flux.|url=https://twitter.com/carlytron/status/1182716700585676800|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011210005/https://twitter.com/carlytron/status/1182716700585676800 |archive-date=2019-10-11 |access-date=2020-11-24|website=Twitter|language=en}} They attended the University of Central Florida and received their bachelor's degree in film.{{Cite web|last=Hamersly|first=Mike|date=2019-05-14|title=At Reel Minds Miami film festival, a search for healing and answers|url=https://www.artburstmiami.com/film-theater-articles/at-reel-minds-miami-film-festival-a-search-for-healing-and-answers|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-26|website=Artburst|language=en-US}}

Career

= Film =

Usdin's feature film directorial debut, Suicide Kale, was released in 2016. Written by and starring Brittani Nichols, it also starred Jasika Nicole, Brianna Baker, and Lindsay Hicks. Usdin received the Audience Award for Best First Dramatic Feature at 2016 Outfest.{{Cite web|author=Staff|url=http://www.curvemag.com/Cinema/Dark-Comedy-Suicide-Kale-Is-The-Must-See-Indie-Film--1550/|title=Dark Comedy 'Suicide Kale' Is A Must See Indie Film|website=Curve|date=October 24, 2016|accessdate=12 June 2019|archive-date=27 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827114228/http://www.curvemag.com/Cinema/Dark-Comedy-Suicide-Kale-Is-The-Must-See-Indie-Film--1550/|url-status=dead}}

In 2017, they were the showrunner and director for a digital web series called Threads, which was distributed through Verizon's Go90 platform. The show was an anthology series that dramatized stories "inspired by real events." It was hosted by Milana Vayntrub and ran for 20 episodes.{{cite web |last1=Gutelle |first1=Sam |title=New Form's Newest Addition To Go90 Catalog Explores The Mysteries Of The Internet |url=https://www.tubefilter.com/2017/07/25/new-form-go90-threads/ |website=Tubefilter |date=25 July 2017 |accessdate=12 June 2019}}

They were accepted into AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women's class of 2019 cohort, through which they wrote, produced, and directed the short film Misdirection starring Vico Ortiz.{{Cite web|last1=N'Duka|first1=Amanda|url=https://deadline.com/2018/02/afi-directing-workshop-for-women-eight-new-trainees-1202287313/|title=AFI Directing Workshop for Women Unveils Eight New Trainees|date=February 13, 2018|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=12 June 2019}}{{Cite web|last1=Rebecca|first1=Down|url=https://www.glaad.org/blog/glaad-wrap-vida-trailer-love-simon-sneak-peek-take-my-wife-itunes-and-more|title=The GLAAD Wrap: 'Vida' trailer, 'Love, Simon' sneak peek, 'Take My Wife' on iTunes and more!|website=GLAAD|date=March 9, 2018|accessdate=12 June 2019}} The film tells the story of Cam, a college freshman struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and a crush on their straight college roommate, who becomes interested in close-up magic. Usdin drew on their personal experience with OCD to portray the protagonist's symptoms of counting. It was accepted as a 2019 Official Short Film Selection at the Bentonville Film Festival.{{Cite web|last1=Ramos|first1=Dino-Ray|url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/netflixs-good-sam-world-premiere-bentonville-film-festival-blinded-by-the-light-1202609867/|title=Netflix's 'Good Sam' To Make World Premiere At Bentonville Film Festival; 'Blinded By The Light' Added To Lineup|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 8, 2019|accessdate=12 June 2019}}

In 2021 Usdin partnered with Reese Witherspoon's media company Hello Sunshine to produce a film sponsored by Bailey's and the social media site Bumble. The short film, First Date, starred Shalita Grant and Shannon Woodward.{{Cite web|last=Haring|first=Bruce|date=2021-08-31|title=Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Teams With Baileys Irish Cream And Bumble For "Meet Cute" Short Films|url=https://deadline.com/2021/08/hello-sunshine-meet-cute-short-films-baileys-irish-cream-bumble-1234823678/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Deadline|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831141523/https://deadline.com/2021/08/hello-sunshine-meet-cute-short-films-baileys-irish-cream-bumble-1234823678/ |archive-date=2021-08-31 }}

= Comic books =

Usdin co-created and wrote the comic book series Hi-Fi Fight Club in August 2017, published by Boom! Studios and illustrated by Nina Vakueva.{{Cite web|last1=Arrant|first1=Chris|url=https://www.newsarama.com/37262-behind-hi-fi-fight-club-s-name-change-to-heavy-inyl.html|title=Behind HI-FI FIGHT CLUB's Name Change to HEAVY VINYL|website=Newsarama|date=November 8, 2017|accessdate=12 June 2019}} The series centers on a queer teenage girl who begins working at a record store where the employees have a clandestine, all-female vigilante fight club. In November 2017, it was announced that the series' name had been changed to Heavy Vinyl. Thrillist named it one of the 25 best comic books of 2018;{{Cite web|url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/best-comics-graphic-novels-2018|title=The 25 Best Comic Books and Graphic Novels of 2018|last=Khan|first=Joshua|date=2019-01-03|website=Thrillist|access-date=2019-06-14}} SyfyWire selected Usdin as one of the 30 best writers for comics in September 2017 for her work on Heavy Vinyl.{{Cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/power-report-the-30-best-comic-book-writers-for-september-2017|title=Power Report: The 30 best comic book writers for September 2017|last=Dorville|first=Matt|date=2017-09-01|website=SYFY WIRE|language=en|access-date=2019-06-14|archive-date=2019-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701100902/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/power-report-the-30-best-comic-book-writers-for-september-2017|url-status=dead}} The series was nominated for a 2018 Prism Award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prismcomics.org/2018-prism-award-winners-announced/|title=2018 PRISM AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED|website=Prism Comics|date=July 21, 2018|accessdate=12 June 2019}} A follow-up called Heavy Vinyl:Y-2KO was released in March 2020.{{cite web |last1=Hogan |first1=Heather |title=Exclusive: Carly Usdin's "Heavy Vinyl" Is Getting a New Original Graphic Novel! |url=https://www.autostraddle.com/exclusive-announcement-carly-usdins-heavy-vinyl-is-getting-a-new-original-graphic-novel/ |website=www.autostraddle.com |date=5 July 2019 |accessdate=5 July 2019}}

The first issue of Usdin's second comic book series, The Avant-Guards, was released in January 2019.{{Cite web|last1=Pulliam-Moore|first1=Charles|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/twins-are-demonic-and-jocks-are-theater-geeks-in-this-w-1832021454|title=Twins Are Demonic and Jocks Are Theater Geeks in This Week's Best New Comics|website=io9|date=January 25, 2019|accessdate=12 June 2019}} The series had 12 issues in total. Written by Usdin and illustrated by Noah Hayes, it tells the story of a transfer student at an all-girls performing arts college who joins the school's fledgling basketball team.{{Cite web|last1=Foxe|first1=Steve|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/09/exclusive-boom-studios-hits-the-basketball-court-i.html|title=Exclusive: BOOM! Studios Hits the Basketball Court in The Avant-Guards|website=Paste|date=September 28, 2018|accessdate=12 June 2019}}

Personal life

In 2012, Usdin married photographer and producer Robin Roemer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.autostraddle.com/carly-and-robins-wedding-was-in-fact-too-adorable-for-words-15198/|title=Carly and Robin's Wedding Was, In Fact, Too Adorable For Words|author=Carmen|date=December 17, 2012|website=Autostraddle|accessdate=12 June 2019}} Usdin is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.{{cite web |url=http://carlyusdin.com/about#:~:text=Carly%20Usdin%20(pronouns%3A%20she%2F,filmmaker%20based%20in%20Los%20Angeles. |title=About |website=CARLY USDIN COMEDY DIRECTOR & WRITER |access-date=February 24, 2021}}

Filmography

class="wikitable"
style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"\|Year ! rowspan="2" \|Title ! colspan="3" \|Credited as ! rowspan="2" \|Notes
width="65"\| Director ! width="65"\| Writer ! width="65"\| Producer
2016 \| Suicide Kale \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes\|Executive}} \|Received Best First Dramatic Feature at LA Outfest 2016
2017 \| Threads \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{yes\|Executive}} \| Web series, directed 10 episodes
2019 \| Misdirection \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| {{yes}} \| Short film
2019 \| Wizard School Dropout{{cite web \|last1=Haring \|first1=Bruce \|title=Jovanka Vuckovic & Carly Usdin Sign With CAA; Aisling Chin-Yee Inks With WME \|url=https://deadline.com/2019/11/jovanka-vuckovic-carly-usdin-caa-aising-chin-yee-wme-sign-agencies-1202781926/ \|website=Deadline \|date=9 November 2019 \|access-date=31 December 2020}} \| {{yes}} \| {{no}} \| {{no}} \| Web series
2021 \|First Date \|{{yes}} \|{{yes}} \|{{no}} \|Short film sponsored by Bailey's and Bumble

class="wikitable"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

! rowspan="2" style="width:33px;"|Year

! rowspan="2" |Title

! colspan="3" |Credited as

! rowspan="2" |Notes

width="65"| Director

! width="65"| Writer

! width="65"| Producer

2016

| Suicide Kale

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes|Executive}}

|Received Best First Dramatic Feature at LA Outfest 2016

2017

| Threads

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| {{yes|Executive}}

| Web series, directed 10 episodes

2019

| Misdirection

| {{yes}}

| Short film

2019

| Wizard School Dropout{{cite web |last1=Haring |first1=Bruce |title=Jovanka Vuckovic & Carly Usdin Sign With CAA; Aisling Chin-Yee Inks With WME |url=https://deadline.com/2019/11/jovanka-vuckovic-carly-usdin-caa-aising-chin-yee-wme-sign-agencies-1202781926/ |website=Deadline |date=9 November 2019 |access-date=31 December 2020}}

| {{yes}}

| {{no}}

| Web series

2021

|First Date

|{{yes}}

|{{no}}

|Short film sponsored by Bailey's and Bumble