New Orleans filmmaking collective DumbSmart Industries will showcase some of its short films at the Broad Theater on Friday, March 24. The group—which recently earned a Best of the Beat Award for that infectious Juan LaFonta commercial with Big Freedia—is comprised of Nicholas Manuel Pino, Alejandro de los Rios, Matthew Zarba and Derrick Freeman.

DumbSmart Industries works with a variety of New Orleans musicians, actors and performers, and all four of its principals have deep ties to the local entertainment scene. Pino is a Best of the Beat Award winning filmmaker who DJs under the name Jermaine Quiz, while de los Rios is a former sports and entertainment writer for ESPN, Deadspin, Gambit and VICE. Zarba is Director of Operations for the Upbeat Academy Foundation, and Freeman is an actor, WWOZ DJ and leader of the Soul Brass Band.

The group will screen the films when it take over the Broad Theater on Friday. Jalapeno Andretti is a comedy about  “the Spanish Quarter’s best driver and the fastest man in all of New Orleans” that debuted last month at Lafayette’s Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival. Richie Broke is a darker comedic experience that stars Freeman as a chef who’s life spin out of control following his wife’s death. Finally, Joe & Josie is a romantic comedy the chronicles its titular characters’ journey from New Orleans to Vietnam and Thailand. All three productions were directed by Pino and de los Rios. 

The screenings will kick off at 7pm and will be followed by a Q&A session. There will then be a cocktail happy hour with a surprise musical guest.

Tickets for the showcase are still on sale.