Utopia by Otessa Ghadar

Otessa Ghadar

      

A DC native, Otessa has fond memories of its grunge-era. Her teen years were spent serenaded by Morrissey, with much singing into her hairbrush and creating new and marvelous mischief with her best friend. She remembers mix-tapes and Sassy magazines… missing the last Metro, and getting stuck miles from payphones. Her youth was full of teen magic. …and she remembers it as though in Super 8: warm and soft… and potentially set to Donovan music. These are the things she tries to express in her writing and filmmaking.

And now for the more "professional stuff":
Otessa Ghadar is the creator and director of web series "Orange Juice in Bishop's Garden," which follows the lives of D.C. teens growing up and getting down in the 1990's. Ghadar completed her Graduate Film studies, at Columbia University’s Film school in NYC. "Orange Juice in Bishop's Garden" started as her MFA Thesis, and grew from there.
Returning to her D.C. roots, the series is an example of "writing what you know." It is inspired by memories of Ghadar’s own teenage years in D.C. — part recollection, part urban legend, and part pure fiction. Ghadar continued "Orange Juice in Bishop's Garden" in 2008 to focus on the other side of our nation's capital: the culture, the fashion and the indie lore.

Currently in its sixth season, the series has been named an Official Honoree of the 2012 Webby Awards, and has won a 2011 Telly Award, one 2012 LA Web Fest award, two 2011 LA Web Series Festival Awards (for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Cinematography in a Drama Series), and received a 2010 Indie Intertube Ensemble Drama Award nomination, in addition to a nomination for "Outstanding Ensemble" in the 2nd annual Indie Soap awards.

The story has also received media buzz and a cult following for its positive representation of LGBT youth.