WASHINGTON, DC—AARP announced today that its first feature length film, CARE TO LAUGH, is available across all major VOD platforms for rental or purchase. The documentary film from AARP Studios features Jesus Trejo, a rising star in the comedy world who is pursuing his dream of becoming a successful comedian while caring for his aging parents. The film was previously featured at film festivals across the country, where it won a number of awards, including the Audience Award at the Austin Film Festival and Best Feature Film and Best Director at the Chicago Comedy Film Festival.

AARP Studios created and produced CARE TO LAUGH as a way to raise awareness of the issues associated with caregiving. Caregiving is a core issue for AARP because its effects are complex and widespread. More than one in five Americans (21.3%) are caregivers, having provided care to an adult or child with special needs at some time in the past 12 months. This totals an estimated 53.0 million adults in the United States, up from the estimated 43.5 million caregivers in 2015. The film also puts the spotlight on a growing issue around millennial caregivers, who represent 23 percent of unpaid family caregivers.

In CARE TO LAUGH, Jesus’ world is flipped upside down when his mother, Adelaida, undergoes emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor. Although most aspiring comedians build their careers on the road, Jesus juggles his responsibilities at home in Long Beach with open mics and auditions in the Los Angeles area, often driving more than two hours each way every day. As the pressure of his budding career mounts, the family receives more devastating news: Jesus’ father, Antonio, is diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer.

Transforming adversity into comedy, he uses his life experience as material for his routine. He continues to reach for his dream while taking over his father’s landscaping business to keep the family afloat. When his set catches the eye of producers at The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jesus may have scored the big break he’s been banking on.

Jesus Trejo is one of the fastest rising names in the stand-up comedy scene. Born and raised in Long Beach, Trejo recently debuted his first hour stand-up special STAY AT HOME SON that premiered on Showtime in May 2020. He can be seen recurring as the role of Mr. Trujillo on the Netflix series MR. IGLESIAS, and in roles on ALONE TOGETHER (Freeform) and TEACHERS (TV Land). Jesus is also the host of Tacos Con Todo, the newest web series from Complex/First We Feast (HOT ONES) in which he navigates the LA taco scene with celebrity guests. Jesus was named a Variety Top 10 Comic to watch at the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal in 2017, and is a paid regular at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

AARP is committed to developing, producing, financing and distributing compelling content that entertains and educates audiences while aligning with AARP’s social mission by bringing awareness of issues such as caregiving to a varied audience through its entertainment platforms and programs.

CARE TO LAUGH is available to buy or rent on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, VUDU, Google Play, YouTube, Microsoft and more. The film is also available to rent through a variety of cable providers, including Comcast, Cox, Dish Network, Verizon Fios, Frontier, SuddenLink, Mediacom, Armstrong and Telus. For more information about CARE TO LAUGH visit aarp.org/caretolaugh.

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About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.