Alienasian (2011)

In this quirky comedy, a Caucasian boy Des (Sean Patrick Murray) was adopted by an Asian couple (Toy Lei) and raised with Asian cultural influences. When he is suddenly moved to the United States, he has a rough culture shock and finds comfort in a support group for people who believe they had been abducted by extraterrestrials.

With a core cast that was nearly 80% Asian, this was a great opportunity to explore themes of Asian tradition and identity in suburban America.

Cutting Kiki (Short Film)

Cutting Kiki was a short film I wrote, directed, and produced as my junior year fiction project at Harvard University. Shot on 16mm and edited on vintage steenbeck flatbed editors, the film explores melodrama in a New England town. I partnered with local business, Faran Salon to shoot it in a sleek modern setting that reflects the strong, guarded women in this story. It screened at the Carpenter Center in spring 2010.