Mandarins (2022)
A short film exploring intergenerational trauma, love, and forgiveness set in DC's Chinatown
My roles: associate producer, assistant director, social media manager
Log line: After crashing her mother's funeral, a black sheep attempts to honor both the good and bad of her mother’s life against the wishes of her dutiful, older siblings.
My Involvement
I joined the Mandarins team in January 2022 after connecting with director/writer Chelsie through an Asian American filmmakers group on Facebook. I was inspired by her excitement for telling this story and was really moved by her script! I especially loved the story’s concept and how it explores the relationships between 3 siblings and their Chinese mother and all the ways that love and pain can coexist in those relationships.
As a producer I attended weekly pre-production meetings with the director and the rest of the production team. I participated in the casting process and table reads, and I helped with production research and managing bookings for the cast’s travel and lodging accommodations in DC.
On the social media front, I created posts, stories, and reels for our Instagram account (@mandarinsfilm). I helped create graphics for the campaign site and maintained an active Instagram presence for our 400 followers. The team raised over $18,000 through crowdfunding on Seed & Spark, making this one of the bigger indie film projects I’ve been a part of.
The shoot took place in DC’s Chinatown over the course of 5 days. While on set, I took on the role of assistant director and provided time updates to the camera and lighting team to keep us on track. I became very familiar with the shot list and shooting schedule as I always had my production binder on hand.
During filming, I also took behind the scenes photos and posted Instagram story updates of the filming process.
During filming, I also took behind the scenes photos and posted Instagram story updates of the filming process.
Mandarins completed its festival run at the end of 2023! Some of our highlights include the following:
ACADEMY AWARD® QUALIFYING CineQuest 2023 World Premiere
New Hampshire Film Festival 2023 Official Selection
Boston Asian American Film Festival 2023 Official Selection
I was lucky enough to the New Hampshire Film Festival screening, where the film won the award for Best Short Drama!
For more festival updates and upcoming screenings, check out the film's website below.