Sundance Film Festival Panel: How Crazy Rich Asians Changes the Game for Asian Talent

Panelists

The panelists (from L to R): Janet Yang, Lulu Wang, Justin Chon, Richie Mehta, and Anita Guo. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Margaret and Jonathan

Margaret Conley (left), Executive Director for Asia Society Northern California and Jonathan Karp (right), Executive Director for Asia Society Southern California, kick off the program. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Panelists sitting

Janet Yang (far left), Senior Advisor at Asia Society Southern California, recaps the success of Asian-Americans at Sundance Film Festival. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

logo shot

The Filmmaker Lodge was packed for Asia Society's partner panel with the Elkes Foundation. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Lulu Wang

Lulu Wang (right), writer and director of The Farewell, discusses the story and how she started to write the script. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Richie

Richie Mehta, writer and director of Delhi Crime Story, details how he spent several months researching for the series (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Anita

Anita Guo, producer for Honey Boy and The Farewell, talks about how she became a film producer and her professional journey. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Justin Chon

Justin Chon's details his latest film, Ms. Purple, and writing from the lead character's female perspective. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

crowd

The audience right before the Q&A. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Janet

Janet Yang responds to a question from the audience. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

Anita jokes

Anita (far right) cracks a joke during the panel discussion. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

panelists and staff

Josh Elkes (Elkes Foundation) and Jack Wadsworth (Asia Society Northern California Honorary Chair) pose with the panelists and Asia Society staff. (Caitlin Lockhart/Asia Society)

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Asia Society Southern and Northern California hosted a high-level panel with Asian filmmakers whose works premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Moderated by Janet Yang, writer/directors Lulu Wang (The Farewell), Justin Chon (Ms. Purple) and Richie Mehta (Delhi Crime Story), and producer Anita Gou (Honey Boy and The Farewell) talk about their determination to tell stories their way -- in multiple languages, fully representing Asian cultures -- and how their specific, uncompromising tales resonated with broader, non-Asian audiences.