Film Lab Announces the Top Ten Films of the 72 Hour Shootout

MANHATTAN, N.Y. - July 29, 2017 - PRLog -- The Asian American Film Lab ("Film Lab") announced the top ten winning films of the 13^th annual 72 Hour Shootout ("Shootout") – WELCOME TO THE NEW NORMAL - filmmaking competition to a packed theatre at the Asian American International Film Festival this afternoon.  Film Lab President, actor Jennifer Betit Yen, and Shootout Co-Coordinators Cici Chu and Renee Lasher welcomed the audience to a screening of "provocative portrays of the normalization of sexism and racism through entertainment."  The premiere was followed by a red carpet awards ceremony at Gossip Bar NYC, where the winning filmmakers received awards and accolades.  Other sponsors and donors were on hand at the wrap party, including Bakerly and Bruce Cost Ginger Ale.  The wrap party also included silent auctions, raffles and giveaways, with all proceeds going to diversity initiatives in entertainment.

The Top Ten of the 2017 72 Hour Shootout:

The Loving Dead, by Chimera Entertainment (Chris Caccioppoli, NY)

The Perfect Donor, by Team Iggy (Jatin Chhugani, NY)

Unwelcome, by Team Aberrasian  (Eddie Yu, CA)

Hey, by Team Jack in the Crack (Jack Hernandez, CA)

Normal, by Team MFAs (Edmund Kwan, CA)

Noise, by Team Restless Pictures (Michael Grantland, NY)

Well, Actually, by Team Chitamber (Haley Chitambar, NY)

Reality Check, by Team Rising Glory (Tanya Huston, NY)

Norma, by Team Distopian Dreams (Jeremy Rishe, NY)

Breaking the Ice, by Team Lessons in Sonar (Katherine Chou, NY)

Individual Award Category Winners of the 2017 72 Hour Shootout:

Grand Prize:  The Loving Dead by Team Chimera Entertainment

1^st Runner Up:  The Perfect Donor by Team Iggy

2nd Runner Up:  Unwelcome by Team Aberrasian

Most Original Use of Theme:  Team DTX Pictures lead by team captain Andrew Hsu of NY.

Best Screenwriter:  Haley Chitamber for the film "Well, Actually."

Best Director:  Kaycee Ross of Team AberrAsian for the film "Unwelcome."

Best Cinematography:  Michael "Beau" Grantland of Team Restless Pictures for the film "Noise."

Best Editor:  Jeremy Rishe of Team Distopian Dream for the film "Norma."

Best Actress:  A tie between Rachel Yong of Team Jen Kim CREATIVE, for the film "To Be Determined," and Sienna Chew of "Parental Guidance Suggested" by Team Inspirasian, led by Kevin Chew, both NY teams.

Best Actor:  BRANDON JONATHAN WONG in role of "Kevin" in Just Say It by Team Even Odds, led by team captain Edmund Chua of CA.

The top 40 72 Hour Shootout films will be available on the Film Lab's online channel AAFLTV (subscribe for free at YouTube.com/asamfilmlab) and many will also be featured on the Film Lab's TV series, "Film Lab Presents."  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. Teams promote gender and ethnic diversity in media and compete for cash and prizes and the chance to have their films screened at the prestigious Asian American International Film Festival, the only festival of its kind on the East Coast, as well as at the Asians on Film Festival in Los Angeles, California.  Judges include ABC Executive Director of Casting Marci Phillips, talent agent David Elliott of Don Buchwald & Associates, AAARI-CUNY Program Coordinator Antony Wong, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment Executive Director Michelle Sugihara, and 2016 72 Hour Shootout Grand Prize winning filmmaker Girard Tecson.  Several of the judges were in attendance at the premiere and awards ceremony and congratulated the filmmakers.

Sponsors, partners and benefactors include ABC, NBC, Asian CineVision, the Asian American International Film Festival, CrossingsTV, Face Off Unlimited, Bruce Cost Ginger Ale, Bakerly, Julie Azuma, Suntory Whisky, Gossip Bar NYC, Hypnoheart & Jikiden Reiki, Edwin Wong, Insa, Bridging Cultures 101, The Collagen Bar, B Spa Salon, MyJennyBook, The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, the NYC Cultural Development Fund and Department of Cultural Affairs, John Day, Time Warner's APEX group, AAARI-CUNY, and many others.  More details and coverage will be available on AAFLTV at youtube.com/asamfilmlab and on the Film Lab website at www.film-lab.org, along with a complete list of Shootout sponsors.

About the Asian American Film Lab

The Film Lab is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that promotes ethnic and gender diversity through outreach, education and production.  The Film Lab provides free or low cost programming ranging from screenwriting workshops to panels to seminars to screenings.  The Film Lab produces the television series "Film Lab Presents" and a wide variety of online content on AAFL TV. The Film Lab management team consists of Jennifer Betit Yen (President and Board Member, founder of AAFL TV Production Arm), Renee Lasher (Treasurer and Volunteer), Daryl King (Advisory Board Member), Cici Chu (Shootout and Social Media), Jodi Lin (Social Media), Ray Lanuza (AAFLTV Sound Design), Chloe Jenkins (Press and Media Relations), and Georges Bridges (Outreach and Marketing), along with a dedicated Board, interns and event volunteers. Board members include James Kyson, and Aaron Woolfolk, among others.