October 21st, 2025

 

Tribeca Films to Release Independent Comedy 'Serious People' from Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson

(Photo courtesy of SERIOUS PEOPLE.)

 

NEW YORK – (October 21, 2025) – Tribeca Films, the distribution label from Tribeca Enterprises and Giant Pictures, today announced the upcoming release of SERIOUS PEOPLE, an experimental independent comedy from filmmakers Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson. The film first premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and will open theatrically on November 14 through MEMORY, the independent, artist-driven production and distribution company, followed by a digital release via Tribeca Films on December 16.

 

“SERIOUS PEOPLE was first and foremost a labor of love shared amongst lifelong friends, and for Ben and me, it was something we had talked about since we were post-grad roommates,” said writer and director Pasqual Gutierrez. “It is the kind of filmmaking you dream about when you’re a kid.”

 

SERIOUS PEOPLE follows Pasqual, a successful music video director and expectant father, who pushes his work–life balance to the extreme when he can't pass up the job of a lifetime and hires a doppelgänger to work in his stead. The film is a fresh and authentic comedy that explores what it means to be a "director" and a parent — and the replaceability of people in clout-heavy Los Angeles.

 

“SERIOUS PEOPLE embodies the inventive, fearless spirit of independent filmmaking that Tribeca Films was built to champion,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of Tribeca Enterprises. “Pasqual and Ben’s collaboration reflects the creativity, humor, and heart that make audiences fall in love with indie film—and it’s a perfect finale to a year that celebrates bold voices and new perspectives.”

 

Partially based on true events, SERIOUS PEOPLE is written and directed by Pasqual Gutierrez and Ben Mullinkosson and stars Gutierrez, his real-life partner Christine Yuan, his directing partner RJ Sanchez, and Miguel Huerta. The film is produced by Ryan Hahn for HPLA, Laurel Thomson for Long Holiday, and Teddy Lee. Executive Producers include Jerad Anderson and Natasha Atalla Seubert for Florence, and Christine D’Souza Gelb and Julia Nelson for 2AM, who also brokered the sale of the film.

 

The title concludes a standout 2025 for Tribeca Films, which continues to spotlight emerging voices and bold, independent storytelling. Other 2025 releases include Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons’ WE CAN BE HEROES; Christopher Bouckoms and Sam Pezzullo’s THE PREMIERE; Hugo Ruíz’s ONE NIGHT WITH ADELA; Sadie Bones’ IF THAT MOCKINGBIRD DON’T SING; Jill Campbell’s BEYOND THE GAZE: JULE CAMPBELL’S SWIMSUIT ISSUE; Patrick Moreau’s THE BRITTO DOC; and Chazz Palminteri’s A BRONX TALE: ONE MAN SHOW.

 

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About Tribeca Films
Tribeca Films is a distribution label from Tribeca Enterprises and Giant Pictures that brings independent films from top film festivals to streaming platforms and creates revenue-generating opportunities for filmmakers. Tribeca Films presents these films to new audiences across a wide distribution infrastructure and on the Tribeca Channel. Learn more at tribecafilm.com/tribecafilms.

 

Press Contacts
Annie Davis, adavis@tribecafilm.com

Mia Ogle, mogle@tribecafilm.com

Emma Griffiths, emma@eg-pr.com