From the Film Forum's official announcement:
THE MOTEL, Acclaimed Debut Drama by Michael Kang,
Has US Theatrical Premiere at Film Forum, Wednesday, June 28
Film Forum is proud to present the US theatrical premiere of THE MOTEL, Michael Kang’s debut feature, which, in the words of Variety, “signals the arrival of a singularly promising filmmaker.” With extraordinary subtlety of feeling, THE MOTEL tells a coming-of-age tale of chubby, 13-year-old Ernest (Jeffrey Chyau), a second generation Chinese-American, who harbors dreams of becoming a writer, but who spends most of his time helping his mother run a sleazy rent-by-the-hour motel. His life is brightened by a friendship with Christine (Samantha Futerman, who played the luminous young lead in MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA), a teenager who works at her family’s Chinese restaurant. Things change with the arrival of a charismatic stranger (Sung Kang, from BETTER LUCK TOMORROW), a sexy Korean-American ne’er-do-well, using the motel for trysts with prostitutes. Jade Wu plays Ernest’s hard-working and hard-bitten single mother and Alexis Kapp Chang is his pesky younger sister. These six actors make up a superb and seamless ensemble cast. Kang uses the specific realities of these Asian-American lives to create a believable, nuanced universe not strictly defined by ethnicity ???????-- a world recognizable to anyone who has survived adolescence.
THE MOTEL will have a two-week engagement, June 28 - July 11, at Film Forum, West Houston Street, W. of 6th Avenue, with screenings daily at 1:00, 2:50, 4:30, 6:00, 8:00 and 10:00.
Michael Kang is a first-time Korean-American director, whose film premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, having first been developed through the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. At 36 years of age, he has been a resident of the prestigious MacDowell Colony and has won grants and awards for both his screenwriting and directing. The son of a Brown University physics professor, Kang studied playwriting at NYU, and has worked as a second unit director for Wayne Wang’s 2005 film BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE. He is currently co-writing a feature called KOREATOWN, conceived as an homage to SERPICO and DOG DAY AFTERNOON.
“A momentous achievement. Heartfelt (and) hilarious.” – The San Francisco Chronicle
“A fresh take on characters and conventions. Shrewd, sympathy-inspiring storytelling.” – Variety
THE MOTEL (2006, 76 mins.) Written and directed by Michael Kang. Based on the novel, “Waylaid,” by Ed Lin. Produced by Matthew Greenfield, Miguel Arteta, Gina Kwon, Karin Chien. Director of Photography: Lisa Leone. Principal cast: Jeffrey Chyau (Ernest), Sung Kang (Sam), Jade Wu (Ahma), Samantha Futerman (Christine), Alexis Kapp Chang (Katie). In English and Chinese with English subtitles. USA. Released by Palm Pictures.
