Culver City, CA, October 24, 2019 – Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced today that it has acquired all worldwide rights, excluding the Philippines, to the film Yellow Rose, directed by Diane Paragas in her narrative feature debut.
Yellow Rose is a timely story about a Filipino teen from a small Texas town who fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while facing the threat of deportation. The film stars two-time Tony Award Nominee Eva Noblezada (Hadestown, Miss Saigon) in her feature film debut, Tony Award Winner Lea Salonga (Once on this Island, Miss Saigon), Princess Punzalan (Mula Sa Puso), Dale Watson (Friday Night Lights), Gustavo Gomez (“The Walking Dead”), Libby Villari (Boyhood), and Liam Booth (Ghosts Never Sleep).
Eva Noblezada received her most recent Tony nomination for her portrayal of Eurydice in Hadestown, which won 8 Tony awards including Best Musical. She received her first nomination for portraying Kim in the revival of Miss Saigon. Lea Salonga won the Tony Award for her portrayal of the same role in the original production of Miss Saigon.
“Yellow Rose has been a labor of passion for over 15 years and I’m thrilled that we can now share this very relevant story with the world,” says Paragas. “We have the added honor of representing the real experiences of Filipino Americans, Asian Americans, and all immigrants seeking a better life in America.”
Yellow Rose features original songs developed for the film, written and composed by Watson, Paragas, Noblezada, and Thia Megia. The film is written by Diane Paragas, Annie Howell, and Celena Cipriaso, based on a story written by Paragas and Andy Bienen. The film’s producers include Lead Producer Cecilia R. Mejia, Rey Cuerdo, Orian Williams and Paragas. Executive Producers include Carlo Katigbak, Olivia De Jesus, John D. Lazatin, and Juan Miguel Sevilla from ABS-CBN Global and Cinematografo Originals, Karen Elizaga, Gail Alvarez, Victor Alvarez, and Dale Watson. Co-Producers include Jeremiah Abraham, Courtney Jones, and Thea Kerman.
The film premiered at this year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival where it received the Grand Jury Award and the Breakout Performance Award for Noblezada’s outstanding performance.
Already having won a total of five Grand Jury Awards, the film is the closing night selection of the Boston Asian American Film Festival on Sunday, October 27 at 6:00PM; a marquee presentation of the Austin Film Festival on Monday, October 28 at 7:40PM; an official selection of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival on Friday, November 8 at 8:00PM; an official selection of the San Diego Asian Film Festival on Saturday, November 9 at 3:45PM; the closing night selection of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival on Sunday, November 10 at 7:30PM; the closing night selection of the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival on November 15 at 7:00PM., an official selection of the Houston Cinema Arts Festival on November 15 at 7:30PM, and is an official selection of the Hawaii International Film Festival in Oahu on November 16 at 6:00PM and in Kauai on November 21 at 7:30 PM.
Yellow Rose will be distributed in theaters in the Philippines by ABS-CBN.
Diane Paragas is managed by LBI Entertainment and is represented by Morris Yorn Barnes & Levine.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. www.sonypictures.com
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
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