Prime Video held its first fan event aimed directly at the young adult audience that has driven several of its recent hits. Obsessed Fest took place at nya Studios in Los Angeles and brought together casts and creators from across the streamer's growing library of romance, coming-of-age, and book-adaptation titles.
According to Deadline, Overcompensating creator, writer, and star Benito Skinner opened the event. He made a brief introduction before joining a panel for his show, which has a second season in development. His costars Mary Beth Barone, Wally Baram, and Owen Thiele were on the panel with him.
Skinner set the tone early. "We can embrace our talent, and it is a talent of watching eight to 12 episodes in one sitting," he said in his opening remarks. "Did y'all watch Overcompensating in one sitting? Good. And you can wear a diaper if necessary, I think that's cool. We've all been there."
During a later panel called Over It, Into It, Skinner reflected on a scene from season one in which his character comes out to Carmen, played by Baram. "I wrote Carmen as an ode to the women that have created safe spaces for queer people until they can relly find people like the character of George," he said, adding that he named the character after his godmother, Carmen, who died in college before he could come out to her. "That day on set, I just had this feeling of, we've nailed something, which is a first heartbreak and a friend that's there for you. Women have created such amazing safe spaces for queer people forever."
The event also featured panels and appearances tied to Off Campus, Every Year After, and Maxton Hall. Upcoming projects were represented as well, including Elle, a Legally Blonde prequel developed through Hello Sunshine, and The Devil's Mouth, a survival thriller directed by Jeff Wadlow. That film stars Gavin Casalegno, Lana Condor, and Kathryn Newton and is a co-production with Lionsgate. It is one of the few projects at the event not based on a book.
The gathering happened one day after Amazon executives publicly highlighted the performance of the platform's YA content. Peter Friedlander, Head of TV at Amazon MGM Studios, noted the momentum between titles. "One success begets another," he said, describing a halo effect from Off Campus onto Every Year After.
The event was divided into three areas: film and television panels, book adaptation programming with author signings, and musical experiences tied to Amazon Music. A red carpet brought out most of the talent in attendance. Your Fault: London star Asha Banks, whose song Too Busy Missing You appears in season one of Off Campus, performed at the event and described it as a chance to "meet all of the other casts and cross pollinate and say hi in the multiverse of Prime Video."
