Hollywood indie film ‘Asian Persuasion’ gives a glimpse of the Filipino-American life

With this film as her first SAG-AFTRA-approved project, Concepcion shared that she couldn't have chosen a much better way to get her acting career back on track and experience an international stint. Working with seasoned actors Dante Basco (Hook, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Fabulous Filipino Brothers), Paolo Montalban (Cinderella, Mortal Kombat: Conquest, and currently on the Broadway revival of Funny Girl), and Kevin Kreider (Bling Empire), among many others, Concepcion’s excitement was undeniable.

Asian Persuasion was shot in New York City in Spring 2022. It prioritised hiring Asians, female department heads, LGBTQIA+ crew and filmmakers. In total, 21 Asian countries were represented in this production: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, The Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam.

Expect to see in the film Tony-nominee Geneva Karr, Hong Kong-American actress and filmmaker Celia Au, Scarlett Sherr, Filipino restaurateur Jax Bacani, Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.Ap, and other distinguished actors such as Yam Concepcion, Tony Labrusca, Rachel Alejandro, Fe de los Reyes, Rex Navarrete, Janice Sonia Lee, Devin Ilaw, Ami Sheth, Joyce Keokham, Imani Hanson, and Renee Rogoff.

The film’s screenwriter, Ang, is a creative writer, producer and serial entrepreneur in the lifestyle and entertainment industry. Trained as a civil engineer, He never gave up pursuing his dreams on the journey of self-discovery and limitless creativity. He is the founder of Planet X, a multimedia production and product marketing agency. 

An engineer by trade, Ang spent much of his life travelling back and forth to the Philippines for vacations and then, later, business. These formative experiences instilled in him a true love of Filipino culture at an early age and a unique perspective of “being Filipino” from the lens of the American experience. On top of that, the characters Mickey and Avery are close to his heart as he himself recently went through a divorce.

“It was a catharsis for me to put all those feelings and thoughts down on paper,” Ang said. 

At its core, this film is a loving homage to the wonderful phenomenon that is New York City—celebrating some of its most iconic landmarks and highlighting some of its lesser-known, less frequented cultural enclaves.

At the heart of this city, chef Mickey de Los Santos cooks up a crazy scheme to marry off his ex-wife, Avery Chua. He sets up a fake internet dating profile for her in an attempt to find a suitor (Paolo Montalban) to re-marry. In this way, Mickey can easily avoid his substantial alimony obligations. With the help of his trusted wingman (Kevin Kreider), Mickey gets off to a hot start—until he realises he wants a second chance with Avery. 

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Kreider, who became popular internationally for starring in the reality TV show Bling Empire, embarks for the first time in film acting through Asian Persuasion. “I studied acting a very long time ago, and I love to pursue it again,” he recalled his answer to Tolentino’s invitation to play the role of Caspian. The Korean-American celebrity shared that he knew Concepcion from years back when the actress used to stay in Los Angeles. The four main actors clicked instantly after going out before filming. “The fact that this film has an all-Asian cast, it’s just right up my alley. . .I’ve always wanted more Asian stories like these to be told. It’s an honour to be part of this,” Kreider said.

The role of Avery Chua for Concepcion reflects many aspects of a woman’s life—married, mother, career-driven—in the context of going through a divorce. This complexity in the character made Concepcion motivated to portray it in the best way she could.

“This film is for all the women out there who risked falling in love, gave it all, tried to balance their lives no matter how difficult, and still take care of the people they love,“ Concepcion shared. “Avery was quite successful at that until the divorce. . .Somehow, the film is very American. But it also centres on the life of an Asian-American family—and my gosh, 4.6 million Filipinos live in North America. And although they consider themselves a whole different breed of Filipinos, with their own culture, values, and lifestyle there, they all want to reconnect to the Philippines in ways like this.”

Concepcion also felt proud that aside from her, other homegrown artists from the Philippines joined in this project. “Working with these seasoned Filipino-American actors was a blessing. But there was also a sense of pride that we [homegrown artists] could keep up with them on this international platform. . .It was a very fulfilling feeling to know that you are an artist in your own right, and when you step on the international scene, know that you have all the right to be there,” she said. 

The film will have its world premiere at the SOHO International Film Festival in New York City on September 16 to 17. It will also be screened at the Richmond International Film Festival, which is happening from September 26 to October 1; and in San Diego, California on October 8. It will be theatrically released in the Philippines nationwide, premiering on November 27 at SM Megamall (Cinemas 1 and 2), on November 29 in Cebu, and on December 1 in Iloilo.

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