Patrick Chen’s A FATHER’S SON, Starring Tzi Ma, Ronny Chieng, Perry Yung and Kathleen Kwan, wins 2023 ‘Audience Choice Award’ for Best Short Film at Katra Film Series

Patrick Chen’s Chinatown noir thriller A Father’s Son, a short film/pilot based on characters from Henry Chang’s 90’s NYPD Detective Jack Yu crime series novels, has won the ‘Audience Choice Award’ for Best Short Film from Katra Film Series.

Photo by Lia Chang

Katra Film Series’ screening of Patrick Chen’s A Father’s Son played to a sold-out house at Regal Essex Crossing in New York on April 26, 2023.

KATRA Film Series Founder Geoffrey Guerrero at Regal Essex Crossing in New York on April 26, 2023. Photo by Adam Lim

Filmmakers during the Q & A after the KATRA Film Series screening at Regal Essex Crossing in New York  on April 26, 2023. Photo by Adam Lim

Wing Lee, Henry Chang, Patrick Chen. Photo by Adam Lim

Row 1: Vera Chow, Jinny Chung. Row 2: Yixin Cen, Kathleen Kwan, Perry Yung, William Hsieh. Row 3: Wing Lee, Adam Lim, Shuhei Kinoshita, Joey Orlando, Tim Liu, Henry Chang, Sean Lau, Karen Tsen Lee, Patrick Chen, Jason Chew, Joe Chan, Evan Lam, Dave Chan. Photo by Nano Leon

Henry Chang, Perry Yung, Wing Lee, Patrick Chen. Photo by Adam Lim

Jinny Chung, Karen Tsen Lee, Kathleen Kwan, Vera Chow. Photo by Nano Leon

Henry Chang shared, “Winning the ‘Audience Choice Award’ for BEST SHORT FILM demonstrates that viewers appreciate the efforts of cast and crew to portray not only an engrossing story but the culture and language of Chinatown as well. It means that audiences are ready for honest in-depth stories beyond the usual stereotypical fare that is offered. Everyone involved should be most proud. Thank you all!”

Henry Chang. Photo by Patrick Chen

Filmmaker Patrick Chen and Henry Chang. Photo by Shuhei Kinoshita

Photo by Patrick Chen

Special thanks to the entire KATRA TEAM from A FATHER’S SON. Photo by Nanon Leon

A Father’s Son stars Tzi Ma (Rush Hour, The Farewell, Mulan) as Krang Li, Ronny Chieng (Crazy Rich Asians, “The Daily Show,” Netflix’s “Asian Comedian Destroys America”) as Detective Jack Yu, Perry Yung (“The Knick,” “Warrior,” “Boogie”) as Jack’s father, Wang Kei Yu and Kathleen Kwan as Lai Jean Li.

Perry Yung and Ronny Chieng in A FATHER’S SON. Photo by Lia Chang

The cast also features Christopher Randolph as Captain Salvatore Marino, Wai Ching Ho as Soo Hing Li, Cathy Salvodon as Crystal Jones, Adam Lim as Billy Bo, Tim Liu as Officer Dennis Wong.

Ronny Chieng, Wai Ching Ho, Tzi Ma, Kathleen Kwan and Madelyn Bae.  Photo by Lia Chang

Set in the early ’90s when local street gangs terrorized Manhattan’s Chinatown, the story centers on Detective Jack Yu –  torn between his identity of his community and the NYPD, Detective Jack Yu delivers news of a son’s murder to the victim’s parents at the height of a gang turf war in Manhattan’s Chinatown.

The latest awards tally for A Father’s Son include the 2022 Canada China International Film Festival Best Supporting Actor Award for A Father’s Son’s star Tzi Ma, a 2022 New York Shorts International Film Festival Special Mention Honors, A 2022 Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Filmfest Best Adaptation from a Book Award and a 2022 KAFFNY Infinite Cinema Short Film Audience Award.

Credits for teaser trailer include Patricia Ma (Editor),  Phil Choe (Colorist), William Hsieh (Sound Designer), David Bettencourt (Graphics Designer),  Mike J. Kelly (Music) and Film Composer  CHOPSmusic.

The creative  team includes music by Scott Chops Jung, Cinematography by Jason Chew, Film Editing by Xiaoya Ma, Production Design by Wing Lee, Costume Design by Vera Chow, Makeup Artists Glenda Remo Jinks and Jiamin Zhou, Belén Orsini (1^st Assistant Director), Yixin Cen (2^nd Assistant Director), Set Dresser Jinny Chung, Assistant Art Directors Melody Wong and Hu Yawen, Boom Operator and Sound Mixer Sebastian Hoist, Sound Designer/Supervisor William Hsieh, Fight Choreographer Lang Yip, Lia Chang (Still Photographer), Cindy Chen (1^st Assistant Camera), Derrick Chen (2^nd Assistant Camera), Arseniy Grobovnikov (Gaffer), Manoj Gurung (Gaffer), Brittany Jeffrey (Key Grip), Jason H. Kim (Key Grip), Bruna Lacerda (1^st Assistant Camera), Brandon Lee (2^nd Assistant Camera), Justine Onne (Key Grip), Samon (Grip), Chris Ungco (Steadicam Operator), Shannon Ko (Script Supervisor),  David Bettencourt (Campaign Manager), Joe Chan (Dialect Coach), Grayson Chin (Key Production Assistant) and Oliver Chiu (Production Assistant).

Colorwebmag.com: ‘A Father’s Son’: Chinatown Takes Center Stage In New Trailer Starring Ronny Chieng, Tzi Ma, and Perry Yung  A Father’s Son Kickstarter

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2023 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at backstagepasswithliachang@gmail.com.

Queens World Film Festival 2016: Patrick Chen’s ‘Underneath the Grey’ Screens on Mar. 19

Underneath the Grey

Patrick Chen’s short film Underneath the Grey starring Michael Rosete, Tia DeShazor, Brian Reisman and Joe Chan is an Official Selection of the 6th Annual Queens World Film Festival 2016, and will have its U.S. Premiere screening on March 19th at the Museum of the Moving Image at noon. The film is nominated for Best Narrative Short Film. Tickets are $12 and now on sale at here. Museum of the Moving Image is located at 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) Astoria, NY 11106.

Festival Schedule

Directed by Patrick Chen,  who also co-wrote the screenplay with Shannon Ko, Underneath the Grey features cinematography by  Gordon Yu  and original compositions by Mike Kelly. Chen and Bingqiao Zhou produced the film .

Synopsis:
Jessica is interested in Ethan a blind musician and as they discover they are kindred spirits.

Patrick Chen is a writer and director from Queens, New York. As a Chinese American filmmaker, surrounded by the immigrant lifestyle, he’s converted his estranged nationality into stories of art and pictures. His short film Love Express  has screened at various festivals, and was awarded with the Community Award for his dedicated contribution at the Queens World Film Festival. The film was praised by the Chinese community and described as heartfelt, nostalgic and a tribute to early Hong Kong cinema. His prior films were appointed as top finalists by the Asian American Film Lab’s 72 Hours Shootout competition. They were showcased at AAIFF, AOFF, SAG-AFTRA Showcase and NYC Media. He is currently producing his Chinatown based feature-length project.

A note from the filmmaker
The story came to me when I was learning techniques for film color grading. During this process I wanted to create a black and white picture with a blind person as the main protagonist. I was intrigued by the notion of their senses, e.g. touch, taste and smell, and how they adapt to their surroundings with the imagination that they have. Is the sky blue? What does green taste like? How does red smell? These questions came to mind that needed to be explored. The opportunity presented itself when my involvement with Asian American Film Lab’s annual competition. It challenges filmmakers to produce a 5-minute film with a designated theme spanning 3 days. I gathered up my research and team with the confidence of producing this unique perspective of a blind (Asian) man falling with a (Black) woman. I wanted to have a diverse cast and a story that doesn’t focus on the separation of race, religion or gender; and in this scenario, being handicapped. I wanted the world to see that we are not just one color but also a beautiful blend of lives. Underneath The Grey is the discovery of inner beauty through self-acceptance. The challenge was not only producing quality work in 72 hours but to also have characters that felt lifelike and inseparable. With the support from EnMaze Pictures and the opportunity given by the Asian Americans Film Lab, the production was given form. The 5-minute version was given praises by an audience of different ethnic groups. With this encouragement, I expanded the film to 15 mins with a small backstory and additional scenes of the characters’ relationship. I feel this story is now completed to further serve the audience’s fulfillment of these two wonderful characters.

QWFF16
The 6th Annual Queens World Film Festival (QWFF) returns to the Museum of the Moving Image, the Secret Theatre and PS 69 from March 15-20, 2016.
Turning six in 2016, QWFF includes an annual multi day/multi venue festival, youth-oriented educational initiatives and year round screening opportunities for QWFF filmmakers, past and present. The festival is programmed in thematic blocks with evocative titles, and each program is followed by a post-screening dialogue to engage audiences from the demographically diverse communities that comprise the borough of Queens. Each year the festival has a very robust submission session, with films coming from all over the globe, 54 nations to date, including Cuba, Spain, Korea, Bangladesh, China, Italy, the Ukraine, Iran, Belgium, Finland and the UK to name just a few.

Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an award-winning filmmaker, a Best Actress nominee, a photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. 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, which will screen at The Women’s Film Festival 2016 in Philadelphia on March 13th and the Disorient Film Festival in Eugene Oregon in April. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.

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All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2016 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@liachangphotography.com