2021 72 Hour Shootout Premiere Dedicated To Actor/Writer Howard Fong

NEW YORK - Aug. 14, 2021 - PRLog -- The Film Lab premiered the top ten films of the 17^th annual 72 Hour Shootout ("Shootout") filmmaking competition at the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City on August 11, 2021.  The premiere and awards ceremony remain available as VOD at the festival until August 22, 2021.  All the films are based on a common theme and the Film Lab's 2021 theme was BE A HERO.  The Shootout is Film Lab's annual global filmmaking competition that provides exhibition, exposure, mentorship, and more for all underrepresented filmmakers, with a focus on Asian Americans.

This year, for the first time in its history, the Film Lab dedicated the premiere to an individual – the late actor and writer Howard Fong.  Mr. Fong is known for THE JOY LUCK CLUB, among others.  He wrote the play YUT HO, which debuted at the David Henry Hwang Playhouse and starred now Film Lab President, actor Jennifer Betit Yen.  Mr. Fong was an active member of the AAPI community and the Film Lab staff felt he personified the theme of the 2021 Shootout:  Be a Hero.

The Film Lab's Shootout Coordinator, Shing Chung, hosted the first virtual After Party for the Shootout filmmakers on August 14^th.  At the party, Chung thanked and congratulated the filmmakers and Film Lab staff, noting what an accomplishment the films were, particularly in light of the hardships experienced by everyone this past year, particularly the AAPI community.  The winners this year included: Grand Prize: "Everyday Hero" Team Empower Video Production, Nuk Suwanchote; 1^st Runner Up: "Slurring" Team Stacy's Girls, Matilda Saell;  2^nd Runner Up:"A Hero's Duty" Team HIIT Show, David Choi; "Heroes in Training" Team Chew Tube, Kevin Chew;  "Self Tape" Team Two on the Nose, Alex Lee;  "If it were this easy" Team Beautiful People, Eileen Li; "A Hero's Journey" Team Agreitia; "Domicile" by Team Mafollma, Foster Manley;  "First Day Back" Team Bronze x Gold, Amanda Shi; and "So You Wanna Be A Hero" Team Miss Ash Productions, Ashleigh Coffelt.  Individual awards including  Outstanding LGBTQ Filmmaker are listed at film-lab.org.  The Film Lab will roll out the Top 50 films on their online channel – AAFL TV – for an online Audience Choice Awards and, this fall, in the television series Film Lab Presents.