Jennifer Arnold’s “Fat Camp” has found a home just days before its world premiere at the LA Film Festival (LAFF). A press release announced that the comedy has been acquired by BET with plans for the network to air the feature in July.
The plot centers on Hutch (Chris Redd, “Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping”), a superficial twenty-something who “fronts like a baller and is too spoiled to get a job,” the film’s official synopsis details. “But when his mom kicks him out of the house, and he’s forced to work at his uncle’s fat camp, he finds himself supervising an offbeat group of husky boys, who ultimately help him grow up.”
Vivica A. Fox (“Empire”), Anabelle Acosta (“Quantico”), and Mel Rodriguez (“Getting On”) co-star.
The film will premiere at LAFF on June 21.
When we asked Arnold what she wants people to think about after they watch “Fat Camp,” she said, “There’s some real stuff in this movie — body issue stuff, gender stuff, self-hatred and self-love stuff, and sexuality stuff. We tried to break stereotypes and expectations with this project. I hope people think about all that at some point.”
“But when people are leaving the theater I just want them to have a smile on their faces,” she explained in a soon-to-be published interview. “I want people to have laughed.”
“As the premier destination for lovers of African American culture, BET Networks is committed to supporting independent filmmakers and engaging our viewers worldwide,” commented Maureen Guthman, Senior Vice President, Content Strategy, BET Networks. “We are thrilled to give this film a home.”
“Fat Camp” marks Emmy nominee Arnold’s fiction feature directorial debut. Her previous credits include doc “A Small Act” and episodes of “Biz Kid$” and “TableTop.”
