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CURTAIN UP! (2020) - Virtual Access


The collaboration between Hui Tong and Kelly Ng (his first documentary feature and her filmmaking debut) dives into the lives of an elementary school theater club at New York City’s Chinatown as the young students practice to put on a production of the musical FROZEN. What emerges is a candid and charming look into the lives of Asian American kids as they navigate through their multifaceted lives, balancing their American culture at school and their Chinese culture at home along with their parents’ doubts and their own emerging passion for acting. Spurred on by dedicated theater teachers at the school, the children learn not only how to find confidence in face of adversity but also teach their parents that there is more to the arts than just conventional immigrant stereotypes. - Yuxi Lai, Shorts Programmer

*Single-film ticket purchases begin June 4. Virtual film screenings are only available for Texas viewers.

DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS: Hui Tong, Kelly Ng 

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Carlos Sandoval

MUSIC: Wu Jin

LENGTH: 69 min

LANGUAGES: English

COUNTRY: U.S.

GENRE: Documentary

ACCOLADES / FESTIVALS

2020 Asian American International Festival | Audience Choice Award

2020 CAAMFest Forward

2020 San Diego Asian Film Festival

2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival | Emerging Filmmaker Award

2020 Vancouver Asian Film Festival

2020 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

2020 Doc NYC

2020 DC Chinese Film Festival

2021 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival | Best Feature Documentary

March On 2021, Singapore

2021 New York International Children’s Film Festival

2021 Seattle Asian American Film Festival | Audience Choice Award