Jennifer Betit Yen, President, Asian American Film Lab
There are testimonials that you inspire up-and-coming filmmakers. Besides responsibilities for Film Lab Inc., what’s going on in your film career. “I wrote my first feature film, a horror called Monsters Among Us, which invites the viewer to re-examine the definitions of good and evil. I’m excited to be working with, not just the Film Lab, but also with Joe Tex of Face Off Unlimited and Stephen Conca of Eras of Terror to create an amazing and unique horror film. We start shooting some of the film this very month and we’re still looking for one or two more investors / producers.”
How did the 72 Hour Shootout Come About? “The original idea for the 72 Hour Shootout was dreamed up by the Film Lab team around 2004. That was before my time. Back in ’04, the competition was a small, regional one for New York City filmmakers only and the goal was to amplify Asian American stories in film. Since then, we’ve grown tremendously and are now a global competition with sponsors and judges representing ABC, the Sundance Institute, Backstage and many more. We use our platform to empower and join together all underrepresented faces, voices and stories and to connect filmmakers with mentorships to help their careers.”
Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE may have been the top-grossing film of 2023, but women are still dramatically underrepresented behind the camera in Hollywood, according to two major studies of the industry: Hollywood Diversity Report 2023 and the Director’s Chair.
At the same time, major studios that pledged to re-examine their diversity and inclusion practices in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 still fail to produce many films from people of color, according to USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. The Director’s Chair called the entertainment industry’s pledges to promote inclusion “performatve acts” and “not real steps towards fostering change.”
Asian Americans make up roughly 7 percent of the U.S. population but are underrepresented at all levels in front of and behind the camera, according to Hollywood Diversity Report. On the acting side, they made up just 2.3% of leads and 6.5 percent of roles for movies released in theaters in 2022. Behind the cameras, Asian Americans made up 5.6 percent of directors and 4.5 percent of writers for movies released in theaters last year.
The Asian America Film Lab, Inc. decided years ago, enough was enough! Film Lab(TM) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization devoted to the promotion and support of gender and racial parity in film and television programming. Through our public programming, 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition and in-house entertainment production arm, AAFL-TV, we ensure that stories and voices too often silenced in mainstream media are heard, not just as whispers, but as shouts to the world.
The Shootout is an annual, global filmmaking competition celebrating diversity in front of and behind the camera. Teams compete for access to a year of free educational and networking events, mentorships with executives at major networks like ABC, cash, prizes and the chance to have their films screened at film festivals, both nationally and internationally, and on television. The top 50 films from the Shootout will air across the country. Join the revolution, make an amazing film and take your career to the next level!
Click Here to register for 2024, 72 Hour Shootout
Shootout Coordinator Francis Chin will walk you through everything you need to know about the competition – from pre-competition preparation to the final hour. You’ll be able to ask questions and exchange insights with past and fellow competitors. RSVP required.
Click here for Part 2
Editor, Publisher Gregg W. Morris @ gregghc@comcast.net, profgreggwmorris@gmail.com