There is no shortage of stories about fathers and their kids, specifically sons. But in Justin Chon’s film, “Jamojaya,” the relationship becomes bogged down with the added aspect of career and ambition. There’s the duty that a father feels toward his son and a son’s desire to take care of himself and fly away from his father. But amidst all that, the relationship that drives the story can become a bit muddled in the imagery and silences in the film at times.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated Movies At The 2023 Sundance Film Festival
The movie focuses on James (Brian Imanuel), a rapper from Indonesia with growing popularity in the States.
Continue reading ‘Jamojaya’ Review: Justin Chon’s Showcases A Complex Father/Son Relationship In Drama With Momentum Issues [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Read More: 25 Most Anticipated Movies At The 2023 Sundance Film Festival
The movie focuses on James (Brian Imanuel), a rapper from Indonesia with growing popularity in the States.
Continue reading ‘Jamojaya’ Review: Justin Chon’s Showcases A Complex Father/Son Relationship In Drama With Momentum Issues [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/25/2023
- by Alani Vargas
- The Playlist
Justin Chon has signed on to direct and executive produce the upcoming Jason Momoa Apple series “Chief of War,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The show was first reported as being set up at Apple earlier in April. Chon was in negotiations to join the series at that time, with his deal now officially closed. It is said to follow the epic telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.
Chon will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the series. It marks his latest directing venture with Apple, as Chon helmed and executive produced multiple episodes of the critically-acclaimed Apple series “Pachinko.” Chon most recently wrote, directed, and starred in the feature “Blue Bayou,” which also starred Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham, and Emory Cohen. The film sold to Focus Features and made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
The show was first reported as being set up at Apple earlier in April. Chon was in negotiations to join the series at that time, with his deal now officially closed. It is said to follow the epic telling of the unification and colonization of Hawaii from an indigenous point of view.
Chon will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the series. It marks his latest directing venture with Apple, as Chon helmed and executive produced multiple episodes of the critically-acclaimed Apple series “Pachinko.” Chon most recently wrote, directed, and starred in the feature “Blue Bayou,” which also starred Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham, and Emory Cohen. The film sold to Focus Features and made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
- 4/14/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Details are emerging about Justin Chon’s (Blue Bayou) under-the-radar music drama Jamojaya, starring rapper Rich Brian. Recently wrapped in Hawaii, the film’s producing team includes Peter Luo (Crazy Rich Asians) and former Columbia/TriStar head Chris Lee.
Chon wrote, directed, and produced the English-language feature, which sees rising Indonesian rapper Brian make his acting debut.
Chon, whose Blue Bayou recently debuted at Cannes, has previously said the project is a “break-up story” of a father and son. The film charts the fallout after the son, whose career as a rapper is about to take off, hires a U.S manager and label to take over his career from his father who has steered it to date.
LA-based Stars Collective financed and is co-producing the project, which in addition to Chon, is produced by Alan Pao (Under The Silver Lake) and executive-produced by Chris Lee (Superman Returns), Peter...
Chon wrote, directed, and produced the English-language feature, which sees rising Indonesian rapper Brian make his acting debut.
Chon, whose Blue Bayou recently debuted at Cannes, has previously said the project is a “break-up story” of a father and son. The film charts the fallout after the son, whose career as a rapper is about to take off, hires a U.S manager and label to take over his career from his father who has steered it to date.
LA-based Stars Collective financed and is co-producing the project, which in addition to Chon, is produced by Alan Pao (Under The Silver Lake) and executive-produced by Chris Lee (Superman Returns), Peter...
- 10/12/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Justin Chon’s Southern-set immigration drama “Blue Bayou” has the raw feel of a ’70s movie — a freewheeling 16mm camera, intimately scaled, in-your-face human drama a la John Cassevetes — but it’s a film that could likely only be made now. That’s even in spite of the film’s exploration of longstanding, trenchant issues of immigration and deportation in the United States.
Korean-American filmmaker Chon writes and directs himself as Antonio LeBlanc, a tattoo artist and father living in the Louisiana bayou with his wife, Kathy (Alicia Vikander), and her small daughter, Jessie (Sydney Kowalske). Kathy has another baby on the way. Despite being an adoptee from Korea, Antonio is as American a citizen as anyone, as he’s now lived in the U.S. for 30 years. But after a misunderstanding with police turns brutal, he ends up in jail, and ultimately in the bureaucratic hands of Ice. Suddenly,...
Korean-American filmmaker Chon writes and directs himself as Antonio LeBlanc, a tattoo artist and father living in the Louisiana bayou with his wife, Kathy (Alicia Vikander), and her small daughter, Jessie (Sydney Kowalske). Kathy has another baby on the way. Despite being an adoptee from Korea, Antonio is as American a citizen as anyone, as he’s now lived in the U.S. for 30 years. But after a misunderstanding with police turns brutal, he ends up in jail, and ultimately in the bureaucratic hands of Ice. Suddenly,...
- 9/18/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
After Antonio (Justin Chon) is wrongfully arrested in front of his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and step-daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske), he’s surprised to learn he’s been flagged for deportation. Due to his adoptive parent’s oversight, Antonio, who was born in Korea but has lived in Louisiana since he was a toddler, doesn’t have citizenship. Justin Chon’s Blue Bayou is an amalgam of real stories like Antonio’s, among which there are thousands.
Blue Bayou is a successor to the elegiac modes of Moonlight (2016) and The Florida Project (2017) that aestheticized life on the margins in the American south. This style—naturalistic performances, handheld cameras, and soft focus—is intimate, touching, and completely familiar. But as Antoni’s life unravels through the second half, Chon slips from a delivery that is customarily moody to something almost overwrought, closer to melodrama. This is also when the film gets better.
Blue Bayou is a successor to the elegiac modes of Moonlight (2016) and The Florida Project (2017) that aestheticized life on the margins in the American south. This style—naturalistic performances, handheld cameras, and soft focus—is intimate, touching, and completely familiar. But as Antoni’s life unravels through the second half, Chon slips from a delivery that is customarily moody to something almost overwrought, closer to melodrama. This is also when the film gets better.
- 9/16/2021
- by Gabrielle Marceau
- The Film Stage
Justin Chon has come a long way since he wowed Sundance audiences with his 2017 film "Gook." The writer and director of "Blue Bayou" is many years removed from being "that funny Asian guy" from "Twilight" who directed and starred in the provocative black-and-white drama about two Korean-American brothers on the first day of the 1992 L.A. race riots. It wasn't long until Chon had firmly established himself as one of the exciting Asian-American indie filmmakers to watch, following up with the 2019 family drama "Ms. Purple," which probed the generational tensions (and traumas) between Korean first and second-generation immigrants.
Now,...
The post Justin Chon and Alicia Vikander Search for the Definition of Home in Blue Bayou [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
Now,...
The post Justin Chon and Alicia Vikander Search for the Definition of Home in Blue Bayou [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 9/14/2021
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
The lovechild of passion and talent, Justin Chon’s “Blue Bayou” — a lyrical and emotional portrait of identity and family — is a piece that drums up lots of support within the film community, general audiences, and the Academy Awards in various branches. Leaving you in a puddle of tears by the end credits, the Cannes Film Festival selection could be a slam dunk for distributor Focus Features across all eligible categories, including best picture.
“Blue Bayou” tells the moving and timely story of Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee who is raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou. There, he’s married to his wife Kathy (played by Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander) and is a step-dad to her daughter Jessie (played by newcomer Sydney Kowalske). Struggling to make a better life for his family, Antonio must confront his complicated past when he faces possible deportation from the only country he’s ever known.
“Blue Bayou” tells the moving and timely story of Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee who is raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou. There, he’s married to his wife Kathy (played by Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander) and is a step-dad to her daughter Jessie (played by newcomer Sydney Kowalske). Struggling to make a better life for his family, Antonio must confront his complicated past when he faces possible deportation from the only country he’s ever known.
- 7/15/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
To New Orleans family man Antonio LeBlanc (Justin Chon) and everyone close to him, he’s as American as the tattooed eagle spreading its wings defiantly across his throat, down to his lived-in Southern drawl acquired over more than three decades. To Ice authorities, however, he’s nothing more than a Korean immigrant with a criminal record and faulty paperwork, and they want him out.
Never mind that he has scarcely any memories of his motherland, having been brought out to the U.S. for adoption at the age of three, or that his all-American wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander) is carrying their second child: The system is the system, and its rules and loopholes exist to punish more than they protect. “Blue Bayou” holds little back as it rails against the cruelties and hypocrisies of American immigration law to stirring effect — though this emotional pile-driver of a film could stand...
Never mind that he has scarcely any memories of his motherland, having been brought out to the U.S. for adoption at the age of three, or that his all-American wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander) is carrying their second child: The system is the system, and its rules and loopholes exist to punish more than they protect. “Blue Bayou” holds little back as it rails against the cruelties and hypocrisies of American immigration law to stirring effect — though this emotional pile-driver of a film could stand...
- 7/14/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
"Are we getting kicked out?" "Nah, baby girl, I ain't going nowhere..." Focus Features has unveiled the first official trailer for Blue Bayou, the latest film from acclaimed Korean-American filmmaker Justin Chon, known for his other award-winning films Gook and Ms. Purple previously. This time around, Blue Bayou is premiering at the prestigious 2021 Cannes Film Festival playing in the Un Certain Regard category (his last two films premiered at Sundance instead). It's currently set for a limited release starting in September later this year. As a Korean-American man raised in the Louisiana bayou works hard to make a life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past as he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home. Justin Chon stars with Alicia Vikander, Mark O'Brien, and Sydney Kowalske as Jessie. This is an impressive first look at this film, and...
- 7/13/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Korean-American actor and filmmaker Justin Chon crafts a partly autobiographical tale with his latest film, “Blue Bayou.” Scooped by Focus Features out of the 2020 Cannes virtual market, “Blue Bayou” is Chon’s fourth feature after acclaimed festival favorites “Ms. Purple,” “Gook,” and “Man Up,” and he stars in his film alongside Alicia Vikander. As the film premieres at Cannes this week, watch the trailer below.
Here’s the official synopsis from Focus Features: “From award-winning writer/director Justin Chon, Blue Bayou is the moving and timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future. Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou, is married to the love of his life Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and stepdad to their beloved daughter Jessie. Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past when he discovers...
Here’s the official synopsis from Focus Features: “From award-winning writer/director Justin Chon, Blue Bayou is the moving and timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future. Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou, is married to the love of his life Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and stepdad to their beloved daughter Jessie. Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past when he discovers...
- 7/13/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to “Blue Bayou,” the latest film from indie writer and director Justin Chon, the distributor announced Thursday.
The latest film from the director of “Ms. Purple” and “Gook” was acquired out of the Cannes Virtual Market from MacRo and Entertainment One, who financed “Blue Bayou.” Focus will distribute the film in the U.S., while Universal Pictures International will release it abroad.
Chon also co-stars in “Blue Bayou,” which he wrote and directed, along with Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham and Emory Cohen.
Also Read: Edgar Wright's 'Last Night in Soho' Gets New 2021 Release and First Look Image (Photo)
“Blue Bayou” tells the heartbreaking story of Antonio LeBlanc, a Korean adoptee raised in the United States who is forced to confront his distant past and what it means for his own future and his family’s when he unexpectedly faces deportation.
The latest film from the director of “Ms. Purple” and “Gook” was acquired out of the Cannes Virtual Market from MacRo and Entertainment One, who financed “Blue Bayou.” Focus will distribute the film in the U.S., while Universal Pictures International will release it abroad.
Chon also co-stars in “Blue Bayou,” which he wrote and directed, along with Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham and Emory Cohen.
Also Read: Edgar Wright's 'Last Night in Soho' Gets New 2021 Release and First Look Image (Photo)
“Blue Bayou” tells the heartbreaking story of Antonio LeBlanc, a Korean adoptee raised in the United States who is forced to confront his distant past and what it means for his own future and his family’s when he unexpectedly faces deportation.
- 7/2/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Editors’ Note: With full acknowledgment of the big-picture implications of a pandemic that has already claimed thousands of lives, cratered global economies and closed international borders, Deadline’s Coping With Covid-19 Crisis series is a forum for those in the entertainment space grappling with myriad consequences of seeing a great industry screech to a halt. The hope is for an exchange of ideas and experiences, and suggestions on how businesses and individuals can best ride out a crisis that doesn’t look like it will abate any time soon. If you have a story, email mike@deadline.com.
The month of May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and three of the biggest Asian film festivals in the country — Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Center For Asian American Media’s CAAMFest in San Francisco, and San Diego Asian Film Festival — were revving up to showcase films and projects from...
The month of May marks Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and three of the biggest Asian film festivals in the country — Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Center For Asian American Media’s CAAMFest in San Francisco, and San Diego Asian Film Festival — were revving up to showcase films and projects from...
- 4/13/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Hulu is out with its list of all the content that’s coming and going to the streaming service in February.
Highlights include the series premiere of Zoë Kravitz’s “High Fidelity” reboot, coming on Valentine’s Day, in which she stars as a record store owner in a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood, revisiting past relationships through music and trying to get over her one true love. Her character was played by John Cusack in the 2000 film, and both are based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel of the same name.
There is also a new episode of “Into the Dark” titled “My Valentine,” which will be released on Feb. 7, in which a pop singer’s ex-boyfriend and manager steals her songs and gives them to his new protégé.
Also Read: Why Hulu Programming Chief Is Ok Sharing Classic Content Like 'Svu' With Rival Streamers
Season 1 of Hulu Original “Utopia Falls” comes out Feb.
Highlights include the series premiere of Zoë Kravitz’s “High Fidelity” reboot, coming on Valentine’s Day, in which she stars as a record store owner in a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood, revisiting past relationships through music and trying to get over her one true love. Her character was played by John Cusack in the 2000 film, and both are based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel of the same name.
There is also a new episode of “Into the Dark” titled “My Valentine,” which will be released on Feb. 7, in which a pop singer’s ex-boyfriend and manager steals her songs and gives them to his new protégé.
Also Read: Why Hulu Programming Chief Is Ok Sharing Classic Content Like 'Svu' With Rival Streamers
Season 1 of Hulu Original “Utopia Falls” comes out Feb.
- 1/21/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix unveiled the premiere dates for its upcoming holiday programming and the CW renewed “The Outpost.”
Dates
Netflix has announced the release dates for all of its upcoming holiday series and films. Beginning Nov. 1, the streaming service will kick off the holiday season with “Holiday in the Wild” starring Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe. Other Netflix original titles include “Let it Snow” starring Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Kiernan Shipka, Odeya Rush, Jacob Batalon, Miles Robbins, Mitchell Hope, Liv Hewson, Anna Akana and Joan Cusack, premiering Nov. 8; “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2″ premiering Nov. 8; “Klaus “ starring J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, Norm Macdonald and Will Sasso, premiering Nov. 15; “The Knight Before Christmas” starring Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Harry Jarvis, Mimi Gianopulos and Ella Kenion, premiering Nov. 21; “Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2” premiering Nov. 22; “Super Monsters Save Christmas” premiering Nov.
Dates
Netflix has announced the release dates for all of its upcoming holiday series and films. Beginning Nov. 1, the streaming service will kick off the holiday season with “Holiday in the Wild” starring Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe. Other Netflix original titles include “Let it Snow” starring Isabela Merced, Shameik Moore, Kiernan Shipka, Odeya Rush, Jacob Batalon, Miles Robbins, Mitchell Hope, Liv Hewson, Anna Akana and Joan Cusack, premiering Nov. 8; “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 2″ premiering Nov. 8; “Klaus “ starring J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, Norm Macdonald and Will Sasso, premiering Nov. 15; “The Knight Before Christmas” starring Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Whitehouse, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Harry Jarvis, Mimi Gianopulos and Ella Kenion, premiering Nov. 21; “Nailed It! Holiday!: Season 2” premiering Nov. 22; “Super Monsters Save Christmas” premiering Nov.
- 10/15/2019
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
In what is normally down time among specialized films, a few bright spots show that even off weeks can have their highlights. With three limited openings this week, the best came from the three-city debut of “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” (Greenwich), another documentary with a musician tie that tapped into the same audience that appreciated “Echo in the Canyon.” Meanwhile, “Ms. Purple” (Oscilloscope) had a strong single theater in Los Angeles to start. And a revival, the Alain Delon-starring 1970s “Mr. Klein” (Rialto) has one of the best classic reissue results of the year.
Meantime “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (Roadside Attractions) and “Brittany Runs a Marathon” (Amazon) both continue to find interest, rare this year among narrative features. With so many similar showing at festivals right now, this is a positive sign in a troubled market.
Opening
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich) – Metacritic: 76; Festivals include: Tribeca,...
Meantime “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (Roadside Attractions) and “Brittany Runs a Marathon” (Amazon) both continue to find interest, rare this year among narrative features. With so many similar showing at festivals right now, this is a positive sign in a troubled market.
Opening
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich) – Metacritic: 76; Festivals include: Tribeca,...
- 9/8/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Though you will see them swaying above a slight layer of haze from atop almost every La rooftop, palm trees are not native to sunny, beach-side California, and neither is a strong portion of the city’s population. Korean American filmmaker Justin Chon, director/co-writer of the phenomenal film, “Ms. Purple,” is not indigenous to Los Angeles either; he was born in Orange County. The expressly assured way in which he shoots the La city lights – or lack thereof – that color Koreatown, visually compress an insular life experience inside the confines of a larger cultural landscape, one that’s shaped the very identity of a person, planted seeds of unconscious emotional kernels, and defined who they are based on where they come from and what is expected of them.
Continue reading ‘Ms. Purple’ Compresses A Cultural Experience Of Domestic Duty & L.A. Night Life Into A Color Palette Of Vital Essence [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Ms. Purple’ Compresses A Cultural Experience Of Domestic Duty & L.A. Night Life Into A Color Palette Of Vital Essence [Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/6/2019
- by Andrew Bundy
- The Playlist
Loss is at the heart of Justin Chon’s searing new film, “Ms. Purple.” We fear it, dread it, don’t want to imagine our lives with it, and a number of us will fight like hell so not to lose the ones we love. But, as the long-suffering siblings of “Ms. Purple” learn, loss is every bit a part of living.
Kasie (Tiffany Chu) is the more responsible of the two. She’s trying to look after her terminally ill dad (James Kang), but after health aide after health aide quits, they tell her to make her peace with putting him in a hospice, where he can get better care. She refuses, eventually leaning on her wayward brother Carey (Teddy Lee) to come back home and help care for his estranged dad.
At nights, Kasie steps away from the domestic drama of her family to face another soul-crushing reality:...
Kasie (Tiffany Chu) is the more responsible of the two. She’s trying to look after her terminally ill dad (James Kang), but after health aide after health aide quits, they tell her to make her peace with putting him in a hospice, where he can get better care. She refuses, eventually leaning on her wayward brother Carey (Teddy Lee) to come back home and help care for his estranged dad.
At nights, Kasie steps away from the domestic drama of her family to face another soul-crushing reality:...
- 9/5/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
Korean-American director Justin Chon, whose 2017 breakout drama “Gook” won the Best of Next! Audience Award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, returns with another poignant family drama, “Ms. Purple.” The film, which vied for the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2019, will be released by Oscilloscope Laboratories on September 6.
“Ms. Purple” centers on a sister and brother, Kasie (Tiffany Chu) and Carey (Teddy Lee), raised and still living in the bustling Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. Still reeling from being abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the estranged siblings are forced to reunite in the wake of their father’s looming death. With each of them grappling with impending tragedy in their own ways, Kasie must turn to sex work in order to support her father. Meanwhile, Carey, who ran away at 15, still resents his ailing father.
Out of Sundance, Indiewire’s Jude Dry called the film a “vivid,...
“Ms. Purple” centers on a sister and brother, Kasie (Tiffany Chu) and Carey (Teddy Lee), raised and still living in the bustling Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles. Still reeling from being abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the estranged siblings are forced to reunite in the wake of their father’s looming death. With each of them grappling with impending tragedy in their own ways, Kasie must turn to sex work in order to support her father. Meanwhile, Carey, who ran away at 15, still resents his ailing father.
Out of Sundance, Indiewire’s Jude Dry called the film a “vivid,...
- 7/25/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
It feels fitting that as “The Farewell” dominates the limited release box office, focusing on a story about an Asian American dealing with her unique family dynamic and struggles that filmmaker Justin Chon is readying the release of his latest feature, “Ms. Purple,” which also focuses on an Asian American woman working out her family issues.
However, the simplistic description of the premise doesn’t do “Ms.
Continue reading ‘Ms. Purple’ Trailer: Filmmaker Justin Chon Returns With A New Family Drama at The Playlist.
However, the simplistic description of the premise doesn’t do “Ms.
Continue reading ‘Ms. Purple’ Trailer: Filmmaker Justin Chon Returns With A New Family Drama at The Playlist.
- 7/25/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
"My beautiful daughter. You're the only thing I have in this world." Oscilloscope Labs has debuted the first official trailer for an indie set in Koreatown, Los Angeles titled Ms. Purple, the latest film from acclaimed Korean-American filmmaker Justin Chon (of the films Man Up and Gook before this). This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and it also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Dallas Film Festival this spring. Ms. Purple stars Tiffany Chu as Kasie, a young woman who works a deadend job as a karaoke hostess in Koreatown. She reconnects with her estranged brother Carey in the final days of their father's life, struggling to make ends meet. The small cast includes Teddy Lee, Octavio Pizano, James Kang, and Jake Choi. An intimate character study about taking care of family and how tough life can be. Have a look. Here's the first official...
- 7/25/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Daniel Dae Kim, best known recently for ABC’s “The Good Doctor,” will join Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette in Joe Penna’s sci-fi thriller “Stowaway.” The movie marks the second feature from Penna and Ryan Morrison, the duo behind the Cannes Official Selection film “Arctic,” which released earlier this year.
Xyz Films and CAA Media Finance are arranging financing for the film, and handling worldwide sales at Cannes.
The pic’s action takes place on a mission to Mars, where a stowaway (Anderson) accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially grim outcome, a medical researcher (Kendrick) emerges as the only dissenting voice against the clinical logic of both her commander (Collette) and the ship’s biologist (Kim).
“Stowaway” will be co-written by Penna and Morrison, who will also serve as executive producer and editor.
Xyz will produce alongside Augenschein Filmproduktion,...
Xyz Films and CAA Media Finance are arranging financing for the film, and handling worldwide sales at Cannes.
The pic’s action takes place on a mission to Mars, where a stowaway (Anderson) accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially grim outcome, a medical researcher (Kendrick) emerges as the only dissenting voice against the clinical logic of both her commander (Collette) and the ship’s biologist (Kim).
“Stowaway” will be co-written by Penna and Morrison, who will also serve as executive producer and editor.
Xyz will produce alongside Augenschein Filmproduktion,...
- 5/22/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
“Yellow Rose,” written, directed, and produced by Diane Paragas, was awarded the Grand Jury Award for outstanding North American narrative feature at the 35th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, which ran May 2-10.
Special Jury Awards for cinematography, actress and breakthrough performance went, respectively, to Ante Cheng for “Ms. Purple”; Maya Erskine for “Plus One”; and Eva Noblezada for “Yellow Rose.”
“Seadrift,” directed by Tim Tsai, took home the Grand Jury Award for North American documentary feature, while the jury-panelists gave Special Jury Awards to “Jaddoland,” directed by Nadia Shihab, and “Origin Story,” directed by Kulap Vilaysack.
The Grand Jury Award for international narrative feature went to “House of Hummingbird,” directed by Bora Kim. Jury Awards went to Leon Le for “Song Lang,” and to the directors ensemble of “Vai”: ‘Ofa-Ki-Levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki, Amberley Jo Aumua, Becs Arahanga, Dianna Fuemana, Marina Alofagia McCartney, Matasila Freshwater, Mīria George, Nicole Whippy.
Special Jury Awards for cinematography, actress and breakthrough performance went, respectively, to Ante Cheng for “Ms. Purple”; Maya Erskine for “Plus One”; and Eva Noblezada for “Yellow Rose.”
“Seadrift,” directed by Tim Tsai, took home the Grand Jury Award for North American documentary feature, while the jury-panelists gave Special Jury Awards to “Jaddoland,” directed by Nadia Shihab, and “Origin Story,” directed by Kulap Vilaysack.
The Grand Jury Award for international narrative feature went to “House of Hummingbird,” directed by Bora Kim. Jury Awards went to Leon Le for “Song Lang,” and to the directors ensemble of “Vai”: ‘Ofa-Ki-Levuka Guttenbeil-Likiliki, Amberley Jo Aumua, Becs Arahanga, Dianna Fuemana, Marina Alofagia McCartney, Matasila Freshwater, Mīria George, Nicole Whippy.
- 5/11/2019
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Film Independent is looking to enrich and inspire the industry with its latest lineup of keynotes, films and panelists for its 14th annual Film Independent Forum. Keynotes will be delivered by Late Night filmmaker Nisha Ganatra and Len Amato President of HBO Films. The Forum will kick off with a screening of Olivia Wilde’s comedy Booksmart and will also feature Justin Chon’s drama Ms. Purple. The event, which continues to champion inclusive storytelling in film, takes place April 26 – 28 at the Lmu Playa Vista Campus and Harmony Gold Theater.
“Once again, I am thrilled to congregate our community to explore the work of the most interesting creators this year,” said Maria Raquel Bozzi, Senior Director of Education and International Initiatives. “From our screenings of Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and Justin Chon’s Ms. Purple to our Keynotes by acclaimed writer-director Nisha Ganatra and HBO Films President Len Amato,...
“Once again, I am thrilled to congregate our community to explore the work of the most interesting creators this year,” said Maria Raquel Bozzi, Senior Director of Education and International Initiatives. “From our screenings of Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and Justin Chon’s Ms. Purple to our Keynotes by acclaimed writer-director Nisha Ganatra and HBO Films President Len Amato,...
- 4/9/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The 35th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, running May 2 to May 10, will screen 200 films, including eight world premieres and a number of works by women filmmakers. For the first time in its history, the fest will open and close with feature films written and directed by Asian Pacific American women.
The festival, presented by Visual Communications, will be held at a number of venues in Los Angeles.
Opening night will be the world premiere of “Yellow Rose,” written and directed by Diane Paragas, and starring Lea Salonga and Eva Noblezada. The fest will close with “Empty by Design,” written and directed by Andrea A. Walter, and starring Rhian Ramos and Osric Chau.
Special programs include Spotlight on Taiwan, featuring Golden Horse Award winners “Long Time No Sea” and “Cities of Last Things,” and a 25th-anniversary salute to the 1994 TV series “All-American Girl,” with Margaret Cho and other cast members in discussion.
The festival, presented by Visual Communications, will be held at a number of venues in Los Angeles.
Opening night will be the world premiere of “Yellow Rose,” written and directed by Diane Paragas, and starring Lea Salonga and Eva Noblezada. The fest will close with “Empty by Design,” written and directed by Andrea A. Walter, and starring Rhian Ramos and Osric Chau.
Special programs include Spotlight on Taiwan, featuring Golden Horse Award winners “Long Time No Sea” and “Cities of Last Things,” and a 25th-anniversary salute to the 1994 TV series “All-American Girl,” with Margaret Cho and other cast members in discussion.
- 4/2/2019
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: After the warm reception it received at its world premiere at Sundance in January, Justin Chon’s sibling drama Ms. Purple has found a home. Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired North American rights to Ms. Purple which features breakout performances from Tiffany Chu and Teddy Lee. Oscilloscope, which was founded by the late great Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch, will release the film in theaters later this year.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Oscilloscope for the release of Ms. Purple,” said Chon. “Their independent ideology has always been in line with what we envisioned for this film so we are excited to work together in its release. Oscilloscope is punk rock in an industry where punk rock no longer exists.”
Ms. Purple follows an Asian American sister and brother, Kasie (Chu) and Carey (Lee), who were raised and are now seemingly stuck in Koreatown,...
“I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Oscilloscope for the release of Ms. Purple,” said Chon. “Their independent ideology has always been in line with what we envisioned for this film so we are excited to work together in its release. Oscilloscope is punk rock in an industry where punk rock no longer exists.”
Ms. Purple follows an Asian American sister and brother, Kasie (Chu) and Carey (Lee), who were raised and are now seemingly stuck in Koreatown,...
- 3/20/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The new “New York Undercover” pilot in the works at ABC is rounding out its cast.
Otmara Marrero, Toby Sandeman, Anna Enger, Mc Lyte, and Octavio Pizano have all been cast in the drama pilot, which picks up 20 years after the end of the original series, “New York Undercover” will follow detectives Nat Gilmore (Sandeman) and Melissa Ortiz (Marrero) as they investigate the city’s most dangerous criminals from Harlem to Battery Park. This time around, Williams is overseeing the unit and the next generation of detectives.
They join previously announced cast members Malik Yoba and Luna Lauren Velez, who will reprise their roles from the original show.
Ortiz is described as a fiery young detective who blends well undercover, while Gilmore is said to be charismatic with an easy smile and a quick fuse. Enger will play Lisa Kim, an ambitious climber. Pizano will play Moses Hernandez, an eager beaver with a hero complex.
Otmara Marrero, Toby Sandeman, Anna Enger, Mc Lyte, and Octavio Pizano have all been cast in the drama pilot, which picks up 20 years after the end of the original series, “New York Undercover” will follow detectives Nat Gilmore (Sandeman) and Melissa Ortiz (Marrero) as they investigate the city’s most dangerous criminals from Harlem to Battery Park. This time around, Williams is overseeing the unit and the next generation of detectives.
They join previously announced cast members Malik Yoba and Luna Lauren Velez, who will reprise their roles from the original show.
Ortiz is described as a fiery young detective who blends well undercover, while Gilmore is said to be charismatic with an easy smile and a quick fuse. Enger will play Lisa Kim, an ambitious climber. Pizano will play Moses Hernandez, an eager beaver with a hero complex.
- 3/12/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
We should be past the point of excessive praise for a male filmmaker who actually sees women characters as whole people, Justin Chon has — along with his co-screenwriter Chris Dinh — endowed his latest protagonist with so many uniquely human complexities that he does deserve some praise. The rest of it belongs to actress Tiffany Chu, who enriches “Ms. Purple” with a performance that is both vulnerable and fearsome, softhearted and severe all at once. Chu is the heart of “Ms. Purple,” a deeply felt and gorgeously framed portrait of the personal cost of fulfilling one’s filial duty. Through relationships with her dying father, estranged brother, and the men who pay for her company, Kasie (Chu) is forced to reckon with where her loyalties lie — with the men around her or with herself?
“Ms. Purple” opens on a flashback: Young Kasie (Abigail Kim) is being dressed up by her father...
“Ms. Purple” opens on a flashback: Young Kasie (Abigail Kim) is being dressed up by her father...
- 2/2/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
In the lead up to this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Mindy Kaling noted that “Late Night,” the story of an aspiring writer who endures a “Devil Wears Prada”-like initiation into the world of comedy, is a familiar story about breaking into the entertainment business. But, the Indian-American Kaling noted, her version has one key difference.
“So much of this movie is about being a fan and being on the outside of the entertainment business,” Kaling told Variety. “That story has been told many, many, many times by 52-year-old white men, and I love all those movies. And as a comedy nerd I’ve always identified with them because it was the closest thing that I could identify with. There was no one like me making those kind of films.”
“Late Night,” which scored a record $13 million domestic distribution deal following its premiere last week, isn’t the only...
“So much of this movie is about being a fan and being on the outside of the entertainment business,” Kaling told Variety. “That story has been told many, many, many times by 52-year-old white men, and I love all those movies. And as a comedy nerd I’ve always identified with them because it was the closest thing that I could identify with. There was no one like me making those kind of films.”
“Late Night,” which scored a record $13 million domestic distribution deal following its premiere last week, isn’t the only...
- 1/31/2019
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
A sharp detour from the deliberately raw feel of his well-received prior “Gook,” which won the Next audience award at Sundance two years ago, Justin Chon’s “Ms. Purple” is a character study-cum-mood piece of dolorous style and saturated color. Some may find it a little too mood-driven, with perhaps a few too many dialogue-free, plot-lite interludes of characters looking glamorously angst-ful. But there’s enough substance here to reward the patient in this tale of two disparately isolated siblings reuniting during their father’s last weeks in L.A.’s Koreatown.
Childhood flashbacks scattered throughout gradually clue us to the key event of Kasie (Tiffany Chu) and Carey’s (Teddy Lee) lives: When they were little, their mother walked out on the family, dismissing their father Young-il (James King) as a “loser.” She soon found a more financially advantageous second husband — whom she left in the dark about her prior one,...
Childhood flashbacks scattered throughout gradually clue us to the key event of Kasie (Tiffany Chu) and Carey’s (Teddy Lee) lives: When they were little, their mother walked out on the family, dismissing their father Young-il (James King) as a “loser.” She soon found a more financially advantageous second husband — whom she left in the dark about her prior one,...
- 1/28/2019
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Whether you’re going to the festival or just keeping tabs, here are my six picks—five features plus a short film bonus—from the many films I look forward to seeing at Sundance 2019. Other intriguing early prospects include Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Minhal Baig’s Hala, Rachel Lears’ Knock Down the House, Joe Talbot’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Nisha Ganatra’s Late Night, Justin Chon’s Ms. Purple, and Tayarisha Poe’s Selah and the Spades.
#5. Velvet Buzzsaw – Dan Gilroy — Premieres
Oh, Netflix, you tease us so. After Velvet Buzzsaw’s Sundance premiere—and even before the 2019 festival is over—this film will begin streaming for all to see.…...
#5. Velvet Buzzsaw – Dan Gilroy — Premieres
Oh, Netflix, you tease us so. After Velvet Buzzsaw’s Sundance premiere—and even before the 2019 festival is over—this film will begin streaming for all to see.…...
- 1/24/2019
- by Dylan Kai Dempsey
- IONCINEMA.com
Imagine the scenario: A grandmother is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. What would her family do next? Maybe for many Americans, relatives would gather to say their goodbyes and discuss her final arrangements together. In Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell,” a Chinese family does it their own way: they keep the diagnosis secret from the grandmother and instead arrange a wedding as an excuse for everyone to (furtively) convene and give their last farewells to their matriarch.
The central conflict of the film hinges on anger from Billi (Awkwafina), who was raised in New York for most of her life, at a plan that she believes strips her grandmother’s individual rights. But from an Eastern perspective, it’s thought this strategy protects the sick from the burden of the news. After all, as Billi’s dad says, it’s not cancer that kills them. It’s fear.
“[My producer] has friends...
The central conflict of the film hinges on anger from Billi (Awkwafina), who was raised in New York for most of her life, at a plan that she believes strips her grandmother’s individual rights. But from an Eastern perspective, it’s thought this strategy protects the sick from the burden of the news. After all, as Billi’s dad says, it’s not cancer that kills them. It’s fear.
“[My producer] has friends...
- 1/23/2019
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
Alec Bojalad Jan 16, 2020
We have a list of the new Hulu movies and shows arriving in February 2020.
February is a month for love and Hulu knows exactly what to do with it. For its February 2020 new releases, Hulu is introducing an original series fit for Valentine's Day. High Fidelity premieres on Valentine's Day and this modern adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel and Stephen Frears film will bring some love and music to the mid-February doldrums.
Hulu's only $5.99/month now, grab the deal here!
Another original arriving in February is Utopia Falls (also premiering on February 14), which looks to be teenage-oriented series combining Harry Potter, The Expanse, and music. That sound like something that might interest you?
February 1 sees the arrival of plenty of films to enjoy like 300, When Harry Met Sally, The Fugitive, and 28 Days Later. That's about as diverse an array of genre films as you'll get.
We have a list of the new Hulu movies and shows arriving in February 2020.
February is a month for love and Hulu knows exactly what to do with it. For its February 2020 new releases, Hulu is introducing an original series fit for Valentine's Day. High Fidelity premieres on Valentine's Day and this modern adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel and Stephen Frears film will bring some love and music to the mid-February doldrums.
Hulu's only $5.99/month now, grab the deal here!
Another original arriving in February is Utopia Falls (also premiering on February 14), which looks to be teenage-oriented series combining Harry Potter, The Expanse, and music. That sound like something that might interest you?
February 1 sees the arrival of plenty of films to enjoy like 300, When Harry Met Sally, The Fugitive, and 28 Days Later. That's about as diverse an array of genre films as you'll get.
- 1/21/2016
- Den of Geek
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.