The Theme of the 14th 72 Hour Shootout is "NO MORE"

MANHATTAN, N.Y. - June 7, 2018 - PRLog -- In the heart of midtown Manhattan, at a Launch Party hosted in New York's Gossip Bar, cheery volunteers handed out gift bags and gourmet chocolate from a company called "Antidote."  Singer Kash performed two sets and Film Lab President, actor Jennifer Betit Yen, and 72 Hour Shootout Coordinator, editor Jatin Chhugani, gave welcoming remarks.  Filmmakers and actors attended either in-person or via livestream from around the world, waiting with baited breath for an announcement at 8pm.

At 8pm EST, the Film Lab announced 'No More' is the theme the 14th Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout ("Shootout").  All the films in the competition must be based upon that theme.  The Shootout is a worldwide filmmaking competition, designed to promote gender and ethnic diversity in media and empower emerging female filmmakers and filmmakers of color.  Judges include Marci Phillips (Executive Director of Casting for ABC Primetime), Daniel Sakaya (President of CrossingsTV), Antony Wong (Program Coordinator at the Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI), of The City University of New York (CUNY)), influential blogger and actor Erin Quill, and award-winning filmmaker Eric Lau.  NBC executives Grace Moss, Director of Entertainment Diversity Initiatives for NBC, and Jandiz Cardoso, from NBCUniversal's Talent Development & Inclusion Department, will be offering one-on-one mentorships to winners of this year's Shootout.

The top films will screen at the Asian American International Film Festival on July 28, 2018, and will be televised on the TV series "Film Lab Presents," hosted by Jennifer Betit Yen, and will enjoy online release on AAFL TV.  The Shootout creates opportunities for filmmakers of color and women, particularly Asian Americans, to demonstrate their talent, gain exposure in the entertainment industry and create positive significant impact on the visibility of Asian and Asian American stories and characters in film and television. The competition is also a perfect way for filmmakers, actors, writers, directors, editors, and "newbies" to learn, test their abilities and teamwork without any significant financial or time commitment.

The 2018 Shootout management team includes the Shootout Coordinator, award-winning editor and director, Jatin Chhugani (Mirror Mirror, Perfect Donor), SAG-AFTRA actor Anna Lisa Hill, producer and director Kazuki Akiba (Viacom, AMC Networks), filmmaker, podcast producer and comic performer Ed Lee, and recent Barnard graduate, Kadaja Brown who worked as assistant director on the AAFL TV production Mirror Mirror.  This program was made possible, in part, due to the generous support of the City of New York Cultural Development Fund, the Nielsen Foundation, and the Asian Women's Giving Circle.

About the Asian American Film Lab

The Film Lab is a non-profit 501(c)(3) headquartered in New York City that has been dedicated to the promotion and support of gender and ethnic diversity in media since 1998.  The Film Lab accomplishes that goal in three ways:  (1) education; (2) outreach and support; and (3) film, television and online entertainment production.

Education – The Film Lab runs monthly events that are open to the public ranging from screenings to seminars to Q&As, all designed to increase awareness of the current state of diversity in media and to provide audiences with the tools and motivation to effectuate positive social change through entertainment.

Outreach-Support – The Film Lab runs various programs ranging from the famous 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition to filmmaking how-to workshops to networking parties, all of which work to connect people of color, particularly Asian Americans, and mainstream media executives and to create mentorship and distribution opportunities for people creating diverse works.  The 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition is arguably the Film Lab's most important annual event; bringing together A-list judges and established and aspiring filmmakers across the globe.  People of all colors, backgrounds, religions, and cultures with a common goal: to battle inequality through creativity; to promote gender and ethnic diversity through entertainment; and to challenge stereotypical mainstream constructions of race, gender and sexuality.  Top Shootout films screen at the Asian American International Film Festival and the Time Warner Theatre in New York City and more.  The screenings typically sell out.

Production – The Film Lab produces media with positive and prolific perceptions of women and people of color.  The TV series, Film Lab Presents, hosted by Jennifer Betit Yen, currently airs on CrossingsTV (Time Warner Cable & Xfinity).  We also have an online channel, AAFL TV, to which viewers can subscribe to for free at youtube.com/asamfilmlab.

The Film Lab management team consists of Jennifer Betit Yen (President and Board Member, founder of AAFL TV Production Arm), Daryl King (Secretary and Advisory Board Member), Alex Ong (Treasurer), Lil Rhee (Communications and Outreach), Georges Bridges (Unfinished Works co-coordinator and Film Lab Productions/AAFL TV), and Ray Lanuza (Unfinished Works co-coordinator and Film Lab Productions/AAFL TV), along with the dedicated Shootout team, Jatin Chhugani, Ed Lee, Anna Lisa Hill, Kadaja Brown, and Kazuki Akiba. Board members include James Kyson and Aaron Woolfolk, among others.  For more information, please visit the Film Lab's website at film-lab.org.