A Young Man’s Game
“Screw business!” you might say, but the reality is that filmmaking is a collision between art and commerce (even the cheapest of films will cost more than your average Mercedes). And within the context of Asian American films, the big elephant in the room has always been its business viability. “It’s a young man’s game,” a filmmaker once told me about Asian American films, “it’s fun to talk about representin’ and stuff until you get a mortgage.” And as a business it definitely makes no sense.
Justin Lin asks “Am I ‘retarded’ for making Asian American films?”
Unfortunately, Asian American (and independent) films aren’t quite driving audiences to theaters. Considering the economy, who would want to invest into something that has not proven profitable? Although this is the case, it’s admirable that there are filmmakers making sacrifices for their craft, as well as those looking for other ways to reach audiences. On that note, audiences need to show some support (and money)!
Apologies for being lazy and just linking to the posts, they are worth reading though.
