The Theme of the 15th Annual 72 Hour Shootout Announced

NEW YORK - June 6, 2019 - PRLog -- The theme of the Asian American Film Lab ("Film Lab")'s Fifteenth Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout ("Shootout") was announced at the June 6, 2019, Launch Party held virtually so participants could join from around the globe. The Shootout is a worldwide filmmaking competition celebrating gender and ethnic diversity in film in which filmmaking teams are given a common theme at the start and have 72 hours to write, shoot, edit, and complete short films up to five minutes in length.

72 Hour Shootout Co-Coordinators Kadaja Brown and Nicky Khor, accompanied by Film Lab President, actor Jennifer Betit Yen and Film Lab management team members announced the theme promptly at 8pm EST, starting the clock ticking on the 72 hours within which filmmakers had to complete their films.  At just minutes to 8:00 pm EST, the Film Lab team ripped open the announcement envelope and read, "The theme of this year's Shootout is BALANCING ACT." Filmmakers immediately began to write their scripts and brainstorm ideas for their Shootout films.

President Jennifer Betit Yen explained, "[T]his year, we are playing with ideas of cultural appropriation, negative stereotyping and so-called "blind spots."  We are very much looking forward to seeing what our filmmakers do with the theme this year!"

Judges, among them ABC's Marci Phillips, writers Aaron Ho and Kelli Johnson, producers Daniel Sakaya and Eric Lau, and CUNY's Antony Wong, will select the top ten films, which will enjoy their world premiere at The Asian American International Film Festival on July 27, 2019, in New York City.  The top 50 will roll out on Film Lab's online channel, AAFL TV, and a select number will be televised on Film Lab's series, "Film Lab Presents."  For more, please visit http://www.film-lab.org.

About the Asian American Film Lab

The Film Lab is a non-profit 501(c)(3) headquartered in New York City that provides free or low cost programming to promote and support ethnic and gender diversity in film and television, as well as entertainment production focused on faces, voices and stories too often silenced or stereotyped by mainstream entertainment media. The membership has grown to comprise professionals, artists and other talented individuals who all share the common goal of creating great film and promoting Asian American filmmakers and other filmmakers of color, and the visibility of their stories and characters in film and television.