Prime Video’s inaugural Obsessed Fest, which was held Saturday, June 27th, at Nya Studios in Los Angeles, California, was a day for readers who devour all things YA. The Festival was filled with panels, meet-and-greets, and author signings. The day showcased some of Prime’s most popular series, such as Your Fault: London and Off Campus.
Fans were also treated to some exclusives from upcoming films like The Love Hypothesis and The Last Sunrise. As a fan myself, I had to check it out and find out just what Obsessed Fest was all about. And with tickets only being $25 in this economy, I couldn’t pass it up.
Here’s what I saw during my time there.
More: The Love Hypothesis Finally Has A Release Date
11:30 am
Check in for the event.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Welcome Assembly featuring the day’s host, Social Media Personality Tiffany Baira. She introduced the first panel, Over It/Into It, which featured the cast of Overcompensating. Benito Skinner, creator and star, along with Wally Baram, Mary Beth Barone, and Owen Thiele. I haven’t seen the show yet. Everyone onstage was such a delight. Their energy and camaraderie made me add it to my ever-growing TBW (To Be Watched) list. There were a few teases for season two. Including an appearance by Zedd, who will be in an episode reminiscent of Fyre Festival. If you’re familiar with Fyre Festival, you know comedy will ensue. We also learned that Thiele’s character, George, may be getting himself into some interesting situations.
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Next up was The Chemistry You Can(t) Fake panel featuring Lili Reinhart and Tom Bateman, stars of The Love Hypothesis. This was one I was looking forward to. Author Ali Hazelwood, who couldn’t make it, sent a message letting fans know how excited she was for us to see everything. During the panel moderated by Lauren Puckett-Pope, Lili and Tom spoke about having to do chemistry reads over Zoom. Tom shared that he could feel chemistry from Lili even through a tiny box. He enjoyed himself so much that he wished he could do that all day. Lili made sure to highlight the deep love everyone involved in the project has for Ali’s book. And they hope the audience can see that when the film is released.
Based on the reactions to the official teaser, which was shared, fans are in for a treat. I’m already a fan of Lili’s work, and I enjoy Tom as well. As someone who has read The Love Hypothesis, I think the casting is perfect, and I can’t wait to watch.
More: Is Anna Todd’s ‘The Last Sunrise’ Film Getting A Sequel?
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
The Passport Stamped panel, which featured the cast of Your Fault: London, Drawn Together, Maxton Hall, and The Last Sunrise, was another panel I was excited about. Moderated by Jeremy Franco, this panel focused on finding love overseas. Because we all love a Romance in a locale other than the United States, right? Joining the panel were stars Asha Banks, Matthew Broome, Maia Reficco, Fernando Lindez, Ester Expósito, and Damian Hardung. The cast spoke about what it’s like being “so hot,” and how incredibly comical it is to shoot a love scene. We even got some exclusives.
Fans were shown a clip from Drawn Together based on the adaptation by Mercedes Ron, author of Your Fault: London. In the clip, we see Marfil (Expósito) dancing around to Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover” as her bodyguard Sebastian watches. It was the perfect tease of what’s to come. And we learned that Expósito herself even chose the song Marfil dances to. You can never go wrong with Stevie. Never.
During the panel, we also got a first look at new stills for The Last Sunrise, based on the book by Anna Todd. And we found out the film is set to premiere on August 26th. Stars Maia and Fernando also talked about having a rocky start to their friendship initially. Jeremy asked Asha and Matthew, stars of Your Fault: London, if they had any advice for them. They had the perfect solution: use music. As it turns out, that is what ultimately brought Maia and Fernando together: listening to the same song every day.
2:45 pm – 5:15 pm
One of the surprises of Obsessed Fest was the opportunity to participate in a Meet and Greet free of charge. A few days before the event, a link was sent out, and all you had to do was select the cast members you wanted to see.
Naturally, I chose Maia and Fernando from The Last Sunrise. After the panel, I headed over to join the line, which moved quickly and was very organized. I got in, said my hellos, got my book signed, my picture taken, and boom! Done.
With the Meet and Greet finished, I headed over to the merch table to pick up my complimentary tote bag. I learned it could be customized with specific patches. Inside the bag was eyeliner and an Elle Woods-style pink writing pen, along with other things. Then it was time for food. I headed over to the food trucks to redeem my complimentary food voucher from Prime good for one meal.
I went with TK Burgers and had a grilled chicken sandwich with fries. It was pretty good and didn’t leave me feeling stuffed, which was good because there were still more activities to participate in.
After eating, I checked out the cute photo stations, which featured a bleacher setup and a locker room for Off Campus. The line was crazy, so I headed over to the one featuring a vintage car from the upcoming series Elle. It was a fun setup with a professional photographer taking photos. Fans could then email themselves to have copies.
5:15 pm – 6:00 pm
After food and photos, I headed to the Book Club for a break from the heat. Inside the Book Club, you could do things like customize a book. The line for that was busy. So I just grabbed an Obsession Cold Brew (also complimentary) and waited for Inked Out Loud. Authors Mercedes Ron and Casey McQuiston read excerpts from their books Drawn Together and Red, White & Royal Blue: The Private Correspondence. Both participated in a signing where I was able to get copies of their books.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Finally, the main event had arrived! Seeing the cast of Off Campus. But before this, fans were in for the shock of a lifetime (It’s me. I’m fans) when Jennifer “JLO” Lopez took the stage to perform her new song “Everything’s Fine (PM)” and then her classic “On The Floor.” Honestly, I’m still in shock and cannot even believe it happened.
I’ve been a fan since I was a teenager listening to “On the 6.” This will forever be a memorable moment for me.
Once Jennifer’s performance was complete, the cast of Off Campus, Ella Bright, Belmont Cameli, Mika Abdalla, Stephen Kalyn, Antonio Cipriano, Jalen Thomas Brooks, and Josh Heuston all took to the stage alongside Creator Louisa Levy. The cast spoke about becoming a found family and how that naturally translates onscreen.
They also played a fun game of “Never Been Asked,” in which moderator Jessica Radloff asked a series of questions they may not have been asked before. Some of those questions included whether they had ever dreamed in character.
More: Jennifer Lopez Declares Herself an Off Campus Fan
Before closing out the night, we were treated to a performance by The Beaches, whose song “Edge of the Earth” is featured on Off Campus. The band also played some more crowd favorites like “Blame Brett.” It was a great way to end such an amazing day. Fans left the building feeling well fed in every way possible.
Obsessed Fest was a day to appreciate the fans. The ones who make these shows popular with their engagement. There was a lot to offer, and there wasn’t a moment when you couldn’t think of something to do. It felt like a gift to the fans for sure. The staff were pleasant and kept the whole day running smoothly. Whether you were a fan or not, you left wanting to read a new book or discover a new series.
I will say that if this event continues to run, I would love to see more diversity in the books represented.
As a Black fan and reader of all things YA, I saw so many fans who looked like me walking around. I didn’t feel that it translated to what was represented onscreen. It reminded me that everyone loves a good love story. And if you create it and the demand is there, folks will show up.
I hope this will be the catalyst to help those involved realize there is a market out there. They just must be willing to explore it. That being said, I would say that Obsessed Fest was $25 well spent, and I would certainly go again.
