EAST OF ENCINO is a cinematic puppet-human sketch comedy series that lovingly skewers film tropes with surprising visual sophistication. In this pilot episode, "The Unusual Suspects," a puppet and their human counterpart navigate a series of meticulously crafted parodies—from noir detective stories to prestige drama moments—all grounded in mundane suburban reality.

Shot with genuine cinematic technique, the show subverts the low-budget puppet comedy expectation by committing fully to the filmmaking craft while embracing total absurdity. Each sketch operates as a miniature genre film, complete with dramatic lighting, considered compositions, and deadpan performances that honor the source material while also dismantling it. Each is essentially a small, perfect world built from the bones of the films we've seen a thousand times and loved fiercely.

EAST OF ENCINO proves that puppets and humans can create something both ridiculous and remarkably well-made. A love letter to cinema.

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WORLD PREMIERE

DATE: SATURDAY MARCH 28

TIME: SHORT PROGRAM

RUNTIME: 24 MIN.

DIRECTOR: Roy Huang

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