Fresno has a complicated relationship with its name being used in film and television.
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Seeing “Fresno” in quotes conjures memories of Carol Burnett’s 1986 mini-series; a hokey soap-opera satire that followed a fictional Central Valley raisin dynasty, and aired under the tag line “the power … the passion … the produce.”
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From the opening scene, the five-part series put the Central Valley at the butt of a joke, at one point having co-star Charles Grodin dangle from downtown water tower, as proof the TV crew actually spent time in town. Beloved as it may be in some circles now, it wasn’t the best look for the city, even as it brought in attention from Hollywood (”Fresno’s Raisin Lots of Good Times,” read one Los Angeles Times story from the time).
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So, KP1 Studios took a swing when it titled its latest project “Fresno.”
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That anyone would associate the two is sort of funny, says Khetphet “KP” Phagnasay, who is directing and producing the 12-minute short for inclusion in this year’s 168 Film Festival. But, social media being what it is, Phagnasay has to be clear, “this is not a remake.”
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There are similarities, in that Phagnasay’s “Fresno” is also about a family building its legacy through the rich soil of the Central Valley landscape.
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But there’s no satire here.
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The script, written by James Lee Beeler, is loosely based on the screenwriter’s own family history in the Central Valley in the late 1890s. This is a historical period piece, that follows a Danish immigrant as he settles in the area, alongside a burgeoning Armenian community and the indigenous Yokuts.
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“It’s the story of what Fresno is,” Phagnasay says.
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“It’s my story, too.”
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Phagnasay came to the Central Valley in the late 1980s as a Laotian refugee. He graduated from Clovis High School and Fresno State and was active in the area’s theater scene (with Center Stage in Clovis and the now defunct Theater Three in downtown Fresno) before parlaying that into television work.
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Along with his current directing and production gigs, Phagnasay is a SAG actor who recently landed roles on some high-profile shows; Netflix’ “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” and AMC’s “Interview With The Vampire” (he was in six of eight episodes of season two). He also stared alongside actor Michelle Yeoh in the action comedy “The Brothers Sun.”
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“People think I have to live in Los Angeles,” he says. “I’m here. I’m from the Central Valley.”
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And his co-workers in Hollywood know it. He’s always wearing a Fresno State hat, or some other piece of gear to show people where he’s from. It’s become a running joke and a kind of nickname with certain showrunners. “They’ll say, ‘Hey, Fresno.’ ”
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“I’m going to own it,” Phagnasay says.
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‘Fresno’ in pre-production
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Phagnasay is currently working through storyboards and scouting locations for “Fresno,” with his producing partner George Ohan (a Syrian immigrant, Army vet and Madera High School graduate).
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They’ve already landed on a few spots, like the 100-plus-year-old Bethany Lutheran Church in Kerman.
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The film will shoot over a period of three days starting July 11, with a cast and crew of locals, or those with close ties to the area. That includes its just-announced star, Jacob Wilson, who grew up in Visalia and acted on stage in Fresno before moving to Los Angeles. He also fronted the Fresno metal band Centerpath, as a sidenote.
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Former KSEE and KMJ reporter Matt Otstot was also cast in the film.
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That community of people is important in making things like “Fresno” happen, Ohan says. It is core to the production philosophy at KP1 Studios. There is this “army of crazy hippy creatives,” Ohan says, that he and Phagnasay want to connect. The team just moved into a new warehouse space, which it uses to mentor aspiring filmmakers, host workshops, build sets and otherwise create new production opportunities for locals.
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“We have to cultivate the next generation,” Phagnasay says.
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“Of artists and audiences.”
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