Lainnie Contreras Felán

Lainnie Contreras Felán is a Mexican American writer/creative from rural South Texas, currently living in Los Angeles. She is best known for her award winning Latinx Sci-Fi Comedy web series Couch Potato Chronicles. Lainnie is a member of the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative, a Read Latinx Writers Initiative Alumnus (2020-2021) and a Semi-Finalist for NBC Writers on the Verge (2019). Lainnie weaves offbeat tales with Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Supernatural elements, grounding them in the vibrant, authentic voices of her beloved, hardworking Latinx community.

Director Statement

Have you ever felt boxed in, excluded, or underestimated? This story features three completely different character archetypes – an ancient, battle-scarred Lechuza, a syrupy sweet witchy ingenue, and an anonymous victim on the Lechuza’s food run. Each character proves she is more than what the world has labeled her. This story is a tribute to the scrappy underdogs, the unconventional heroes, and the offbeat weirdos who navigate life’s challenges by subverting expectations daily (nightly, if you’re a Lechuza).

I first encountered this spooky tale growing up in my predominantly Mexican American hometown in South Texas. The people there, reflected in the spirit of these characters, refuse to be confined by societal norms and stereotypes. Like Primitiva, Chello, and Fern, they defy ALL the boxes.