Event

DisOrient 2010: 'WHY AM I DOING THIS?'

WHY AM I DOING THIS?

TOM HUANG | COMEDY | 105 MIN | USA| HDCAM | 2009

DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER/EDITOR: Tom Huang

CAST: Anthony Montgomery, Tom Huang, Sheetal Sheth, Lynn Chen, Emma Caulfield, Dion Basco, Valerie Perriford, Joe Torry, Obba Babatunde, Gerry Bednob, Fernanda Andrade, Tamlyn Tomita, Clyde Kusatsu, Camille Mana, James Kyson Lee

PRODUCER: Brian Roberts

Tony and Lester both dream of making it big in Hollywood, but can't escape being pigeonholed. Actor/director/writer/producer/editor Tom Huang's second feature WHY AM I DOING THIS? is a true labor-of-love in independent filmmaking, featuring a stellar Asian-American ensemble cast.

Tony Chang (Tom Huang), a struggling Asian American actor, is bored with auditions for sushi chefs with bad accents. He works multiple jobs, including being Spider-Man at kids' parties. Tony falls for a girl, Katie (Lynn Chen, WHITE ON RICE), in a Pink Bear costume at one party. His best friend, Lester Niles (Anthony Montgomery), a struggling African-American stand-up comedian, prefers straight-up, observational humor, but everyone wants him to be "edgier." Lester can't deny his love for Indian-American Nira (Sheetal Sheth), who seems to like him too, but gets flack from her conservative father (Gerry Bednob). Tony has to deal with his younger brother, Danny (Dion Basco), a wanna-be Asian hip-hop thug, and his nagging older sister, Donna (Tamlyn Tomita). Lester has his own problems with his manic-depressive fashion model mom, Natalie (Valerie Pettiford), who's divorcing his tired senior citizen Dad, Cliff (Obba Bobatunde). ~ Laura Fong

Director Tom Huang will be in attendance. Presented by the University of Oregon Asian Pacific
American Student Union

To be preceded by:

RACE WARS | 4 MIN. | JUSTIN CHEUNG & TRI TRAN | USA | DV | 2009

Who's better? Asians or Caucasians? Two boys engage in competition to decide all.