Photo courtesy of Rude Cat Productions
The series premieres Nov. 17 at Denver Film's Sie FilmCenter with bites from Little Kitsune; the grassroots campaign to fund the first season goes live that same night. Episodes will stream on YouTube beginning November 25.
DENVER (Oct. 15, 2026) — Ni and Anna Nguyen, the husband-and-wife team behind Denver's acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant sắp sửa, have joined forces with Ni's brother, filmmaker Oliver Nguyen of Rude Cat Productions, to launch About to Be, a new docuseries executive produced by Ni and Anna. Ni hosts, Oliver directs, and Woody Roseland serves as showrunner. The series premieres Nov. 17 at Denver Film's Sie FilmCenter, where the team will also launch a kickstarter campaign to fund the first season.
sắp sửa translates to "about to be," a philosophy that Anna and Ni built their restaurant around and now that intention is brought to the screen. Each episode tells the story of an underdog: a visionary at the edge of the next stage of their career, whether in the kitchen, the arts, or public life. Guests range from chefs and artists to a first-time congressional candidate, and every conversation centers on a shared meal, using food as the pathway into each guest's background, culture and craft.
For Ni, the series began at a professional crossroads. He and Anna were named James Beard Award semifinalists for Emerging Chef in 2025, and sắp sửa was a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2024. But after years spent building that reputation, Ni chose a different path.
"We were about to be solidified in the James Beard Foundation circuit. That was the path we were about to be on, until we had to let the ego die of institutional acceptance and come to understand that awards, at the end of the day, won't save us,” says Ni. “The thing that will save us is this constant drive to create art."
About to Be is the Nguyens' answer: a platform built alongside traditional institutions rather than through them, and a blueprint for people of color to build their own paths, on their own terms.
The series also marks a reunion. The brothers spent nearly a decade apart, with Ni working in kitchens and Oliver building a career as a writer, director, editor and producer across documentary and scripted work. They found their way back to each other through their crafts. As Oliver sees it, restaurants and filmmaking are lateral: both run on chaos, and both demand the same juggling of finances, marketing and promotion. Their first collaboration, the culinary docuseries Chit Chats, drew attention for its fresh take on the food genre in a vertical, phone-first format. About to Be is the next step: a horizontal, YouTube-centered series built on the trust that Chit Chats created.
Visually, Oliver and showrunner Woody oversee every stage of production, from concept to final cut, pairing professional-grade production with a post-production style that blends social media energy with a cinematic look and strong emotional storytelling. The goal is to make viewers feel like they’re on set and tasting the food themselves. Oliver credits that feeling less to technique than to the brothers’ history.
"It just comes out naturally because we grew up together,” says Oliver. “We have that shorthand, and I know how to make Ni’s personality come through better than if someone else were to do it. Even if I'm not in the show on camera, I'm still in the show, because I'm inserting myself as editor at the right moments. We both have things to prove still and this show is a great way to showcase that.”
About to Be Premiere Night
The premiere screens the first episode of About to Be on the big screen, followed by a celebration with the cast and crew. The episode features Little Kitsune, an intimate ramen omakase experience celebrating Colorado’s offerings and third-culture cooking. After the screening, guests can stay for a Q&A, an after party with a photo booth, and light bites from Little Kitsune. The night also marks the launch of the series’ Kickstarter campaign.
When: Tuesday, November 17 at 6:30 p.m. Guests should arrive early to park and find a seat.
Where: Sie FilmCenter (2510 E. Colfax Ave.)
Parking: Street parking, plus a complimentary garage shared with Tattered Cover Bookstore
Tickets: $45 and open to the public. Food and beverages are included. All sales are final. Tickets can be purchased here.
Where to Watch
Following the Sie FilmCenter premiere, the first episode of About to Be will debut on YouTube on November 25, with new episodes dropping throughout the season.
Help Bring About to Be to Life
About to Be is a grassroots campaign by design. By staying selective about sponsors, the team keeps its creative vision intact and its storytelling unapologetic, with no one above them deciding what can or can't be said. That makes every backer part of the project.
“We’ll never be driven by ego or monetization,” says Oliver. “We want to tell the stories that need to be told, and inspire others to create for themselves.”
Back the Kickstarter: The Kickstarter goes live Nov. 17; the link will be shared at @abouttobe_tv on Instagram and YouTube
Subscribe on YouTube: @abouttobe_tv
Follow along on Instagram: @abouttobe_tv
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About About to Be
About to Be is a food-centered docuseries about underdogs and visionaries on the edge of the next stage of their careers. Created by creatives for creatives, the series aims to inspire the next generation to set aside fear and doubt and take the leap into their own journeys. About to Be is a Rude Cat production, executive produced by Chefs Ni and Anna Nguyen of sắp sửa. The series is hosted by Ni, with Oliver Nguyen as producing and creative director, Woody Roseland as showrunner and Khoran Horn as sales lead. Follow along on Instagram at @abouttobe_tv.
About sắp sửa
sắp sửa is a Vietnamese restaurant in Denver’s East Colfax neighborhood from husband-and-wife chefs Ni and Anna Nguyen. Born as a beloved Colorado pop-up and opened in June 2023, the restaurant is a culinary memoir of the Vietnamese American experience, honoring the integrity of Vietnamese classics through Ni’s childhood food memories and the couple’s careers in acclaimed kitchens. Its name translates to “about to be” or “almost.” sắp sửa has been named one of the best new restaurants in America by Esquire (2023) and Bon Appétit (2024), and its Trứng Và Trứng was named one of the best dishes in the country by The New York Times. Just as central to its identity is how it treats its people, with fair wages, dignity and a real voice for its staff. Learn more at sapsua.com and on Instagram.
About Rude Cat Productions
Founded by Oliver Nguyen and Steven Hoang, Rude Cat Productions develops innovative, thought-provoking digital media projects. With a focus on cinematic storytelling, Rude Cat aims to reshape modern storytelling by blending avant-garde visual language with experimental editing techniques. For more information, visit rudecatproductions.com.