Falling for Grace at the 2009 Delray Beach Film Festival

Gale Harold, left, and Fay Ann Lee in Falling for Grace.

Below is the review by Hap Erstein of "Falling for Grace" at the Delray Beach Film Festival (full schedule can be seen here):

* Falling for Grace: Under-appreciated Asian-American actress Fay Ann Lee jump-starts her career by writing, directing, producing and starring in an entertaining, if predictable cross-cultural romantic comedy about an ambitious New Yorker eager for acceptance.

Grace Tang (a name she chose for herself in admiration of WASPy Grace Kelly) wants in with the Metropolitan Opera Junior Committee so much that she never corrects them when they jump to the conclusion that she is the famous designer for the high-ticket Hong Kong couturier, Shanghai Tang.

That confusion of mistaken identity leads to Grace being pursued by monied bachelor Andrew Barrington Jr. (Gale Harold), a crusading lawyer trying to close down Chinatown’s sweatshops, but also Grace lying about her parents, passing them off as her personal immigrant charity cases. Yes, she atones for her transgressions and finds happiness, but there are enough fresh twists in Falling for Grace to make up for its clichés.

Lee is an assured director, even in filmmaking-unfriendly New York. As a performer, she is a natural audience empathy magnet. And as a producer, she somehow managed to lure the likes of Roger Rees, Christine Baranski and Margaret Cho to her calling-card project. (Friday, May 22, 7:00 p.m., Movies of Delray)

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Source:
http://www.pbartspaper.com/2009/05/delray-film-fest-part-2-look-at.html

Bigfoot Entertainment takes first bold steps into China

A scene from Hui Lu

MANILA, Philippines - Bigfoot Entertainment, through Bigfoot Films, made its first offering to Chinese movie audiences with the release of Hui Lu in over 700 theaters across China. The psychological thriller recently began screening in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu.

The release of Hui Lu is a milestone for Bigfoot, which hopes to create Asian films for international audiences. The movie was shot entirely in Hong Kong, and underwent post-production at Bigfoot Studios in Mactan, Cebu.

It follows the story of an overnight millionaire, Adam, and his wife Lynda. When Lynda finds evidence that suggests her brother was murdered by Adam, his reaction results in the perfect guilt.

Elliot Tong, one of the film’s producers, said,

“Hui Lu has an excellent new cast from across the region, including China’s hottest new actors Hawick Hau Wai Lau and Margaret Wang in the lead roles, and is unique as a psychological thriller in China, which is dominated by epics and urban comedies.”

“We are excited to present Hui Lu to the growing movie-going audience in China, and are aiming for more public screenings for our films. We would also like to work on more projects co-produced, or partnered with entertainment companies from other Asian nations,”

said Matt Lubetich, Bigfoot COO.

Bigfoot, with Chinese distribution partner Polybona, is embracing new distribution models for its films. Hui Lu is screening in digital theaters as well as standard film theaters.

The movie has two versions, with the same story portrayed by two different casts, maximizing its reach to the global audience. Hui Lu is produced in Mandarin with a Chinese cast; Irreversi, the English version, features actors Estella Warren (Planet of the Apes) and Philippine-born Mei Melancon (X-Men: The Last Stand).

Hui Lu Trailer

Behind the Scenes - Irreversi