Smile… The Worst is Yet to Come - Director Chloe Lenihan & Writer / Lead actor Joseph Mancuso

SMILE…the Worst is Yet to Come tells the story of Elder Millenial’s, BEN and BIRDIE, who are feeling the pressure of time. After closing his bar and suffering a heart attack-ish incident, Ben is struggling to find his purpose. Birdie put her photography ambitions on hold to be the financially “stable one” as a nurse, but is secretly exploring creative pursuits. Several failed IVF attempts have driven a wedge between them. They retreat to Big Bear Lake to reignite romantic sparks, but their efforts fail every time. Things get further upended when they meet JANUARY and JEREK, early-20s, Gen-Z influencers looking for content. Joining us is the Director Chloe Lenihan, as well as the writer and co-lead actor Joseph Mancuso.

About the filmmaker - Chloe Lenihan is a writer, director, producer, and actor based in Los Angeles. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Producing from Columbia University. Her thesis film, How Far She Went, garnered many accolades including “Best Female Student Filmmaker” by DGAEast and “Best Student Film” at BendFilm Festival before its broadcast premiere on KQED’s “Film School Shorts” series, hosted by PBS. Chloe co-wrote, directed, and starred in the dark comedy All-American Sex Offender, which won “Best Web Series” at HollyShorts Film Festival and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. She has participated in Stowe Story Lab, and Cine Qua Non’s Storylines and Revision Labs with her feature script Metanoia.

About the filmmaker - Writer/ Lead Actor “Ben”/ Executive Producer Joseph Mancuso is a Los Angeles based actor, writer, and editor. He spent 20 years in theater, performing on renowned NYC stages like The Cherry Lane and The Public, starring in Hanoch Levin’s American debut, Retzach. His TV and film credits include The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Shades of Blue, and Pee Wee’s Big Holiday. As a producer and editor, Joseph has worked on projects for A&E, National Geographic, and Netflix, including the docuseries Against the Odds, which has 8 million YouTube views.