Yung-Jen Yang
Filmmaker
Director / Writer / Cinematographer
SWEET SIXTEEN (2014)
Director: Yung-Jen Yang
Writer: Yung Jen Yang
Genre: Thriller/ Horror, 9 minutes, color, HD, Manhattan NY
Stars: Alison Chi, Lucy Zhou, Joelene Wolfe, Larry Shagawat
Her only wish on her sixteenth birthday quickly turns into a nightmare. Haley, an adopted Chinese American girl wants to find out about her biological family in China. In searching for her loved ones, she uncovers a 16-year old secret.
This film is currently applying for film festivals. Will release soon.
Official Trailer:
Story Synopsis:
Her only wish on her sixteenth birthday quickly turns into a nightmare. Haley, an adopted Chinese American girl wants to find out about her biological family in China. In searching for her loved ones, she uncovers a 16-year old secret.
Story Inspiration:
“The story inspiration came from documentaries about American adopted Chinese children and their disturbed childhood. I was touched by their anxiety and insecurity when they returned to their home country. I could easily feel their fear inside - identity crisis. During script writing, I tried very hard to deliver this fear and anxiety to the audience, and transformed it into a nice short thriller within my budgetary limits.
Since coming to the US, I am always looking for new movie ideas, especially how to compile a story about life here from an Asian’s point of view. One day in Dunkin Donuts, I saw a little girl, who has the same skin color as mine, calling a Caucasian couple "mom" and "dad". This scene stayed in my mind for long and eventually became my original inspiration for this project.
Some people say that horror movies are nothing but using bloody scenes and sound effects to scare the audience. My dream is to prove those ideas wrong. More than just scaring people, horror movies can portray humanity and social issues.”
——Yung-Jen Yang
Writer, Director and Editor of Sweet Sixteen
Updates:
In the CityVisions Film Festival Premiere and Award Ceremony hosted on May 30, 2014 in Directors Guild of America, New York, SWEET SIXTEEN won Best Editing Award; Yung-Jen Yang won Best Value Person Award.
The film is currently being considered for many other film festivals.
Key Crew & Cast:
Yung-Jen Yang (Writer/Director) :
Originally from Taiwan, Yung-Jen Yang is a narrative filmmaker, with a love for making horror and thriller films. After receiving his Bachelors of Art from Shih Hsin University in Taipei, he worked in many facets of productions, before coming to America to pursue his MFA from City College. He has traveled all around the United States and Mexico embracing new cultures and people since being in school. He looks forward to making feature films!!!
Felicia Harden-Bradford (Producer):
Originally from Motown, Detroit Michigan, Felicia has always been drawn to the arts. Playing multiple instruments as child, studying acting, voice and dance as a young adult and now making films as a 44 year-old woman. Felicia wants to make films that give more opportunities to people of color and women both in front of and behind the camera in the spirit of Oscar Micheaux, Haile Gerima and Spike Lee. Winner of the prestigious Bert Saperstein Award, Felicia is elated to be living in New York City with her husband and two sons.
Profile: http://offtheshoulderproductions.com
Warut Snidvongs (Director of Photography):
A Bangkok native who now resides in Woodside, New York. Warut’s short film projects include 2012 Paul Robertson Awards: Best Short Documentary, First & 4ever (directed by Samein Priester) and director Ougie Pak’s National Board of Review Student Film Grant winner Railroad & Bedford. His recent projects range from a documentary about a non-profit organization Engineer Without Boarders in Honduras to a cyberpunk fashion flick, Margarita.
Warut’s personal projects explore the theme of revenge, disillusion, and karma. During his off time, Warut enjoy street photography and aquatic gardening.
Profile: http://www.warutsnidvongs.com/
Julianne Irene (Production Designer):
Brooklyn based designer, Julianne Irene, graduated with a BFA in Communication Design and Illustration from Pratt Institute. She has studied 2D and 3D communications, prop mastery, and set design. Julianne has worked in music and film creating elaborate and whimsical sets.
With homegrown and found objects, Julianne fabricates classical and enchanting structures, sensory and cerebral spaces, creative constructives, lighting, and wonderland.
Profile: http://www.julianneirenedesign.com/
Sue Lee (Makeup Artist):
Sue has gone on to work with AMC on a Walking Dead Promo, which was filled with zombies styled with her signature urban-pop flare. A huge success, it gained a lot of press and 20+ million views on Youtube. Soon enough, her work was on subsequent viral videos, such as the Pepsi Kyrie Irving disguise video and the Last Exorcism II promo. Sue now owns and operates Sue Lee Studios. The studio focuses on fine arts and special effects fabrication.
Profile: http://sueleesfx.wix.com/home
Alison T. Chi (Haley):
Currently residing in NYC, Alison was last seen on stage inThe 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee(Marcy Park). Her other stage credits includeA Chorus Line (Connie),Reasons to Be Pretty (Carly),Pippin, andMerrily We Roll Along. She is a company member ofOnce Upon A Time Theatre Company, whose repertoire includesPeter Pan,Pinocchio,A Christmas Carol,Cinderella,Ballet Highlights, etc. Alison's choreography work ranges from full-scale musicals to jazz and contemporary pieces, includingGypsy,The King and I,My Fair Lady, and the Chinese folktaleLiang Zhu.
Her most recent directing work is Music in the Airat the Paramount Grand Theatre in Hefei, China.
Profile: http://www.alisontchi.com/
Joelene Wolfe (Michelle):
Joelene Wolfe, playing the part of Michelle, has appeared in various short films including "Smile", Don't Forget the Corsage" and "Fate". She has also been featured on several television shows and pilots including Elder Skelter, Stalked, Taking ENY and Math Warriors. When she is not filming or pounding the pavement, Joelene can be found enjoying time with her husband and children.
Profile: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6146974/?ref_=rvi_nm
Still Photos:
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Campaign Videos:
Indiegogo Campaign Video: Director's Pitch
Offline Event: Ghost On The Street
Indiegogo Campaign Video: DP's Talk
SWEET SIXTEEN post-production cost was partially funded from Indiegogo. We hereby thank all of our Indiegogo family members for the valuable donation, support and all the help you provided. Without any of you, this film will not be so wonderful as it is today.
Credits:
Cast:
Alison Chi
Haley
Joelene Wolfe
Michelle
Lucy Zhou
Pei-ning
Larry Shagawat
Edward
Ray Sheen
Shao-an/Official
Crew:
Yung-Jen Yang
Writer/Director
Felicia Bradford
Producer
Fan He
Co-Producer
Sarah Kim
Assistant Director
Warut Snidvongs
Director of Photography
Jeanette Sears
1st Assistant Camera
Kanchalee Wijakpaisarn
Script Supervisor
Cathy Jiang; Ying-Chih Chang
Production Assistant
Jesse Deganis Librera; Xaisongkham Induangchanthy
Gaffer
Julianne Irene
Production Designer
Sabrina Colie; Hye-Young Choi
Assistant of Art Dept
Sue Lee; Ariel Ruiz
Makeup artist
Natasha Soto
Wardrobe
Sungting Yang
Sound Recorder
Youngki Jin; Ai Li
Boom Operator
Kjerstin Rossi
Still Photographer
Yung-Jen Yang
Editor
Extras:
Bai-Cheng Chen
Little Haley
Eric Yu
Official
Ricardo A. Aguirre Jr.; Ariel Ruiz; Jesse Deganis Librera; Kjerstin Rossi; Molly Beauchemin; Divine Element
Party Crowd
Special Thanks:
Priuz Alemi, Kevin Bradford, Xiao Lu, Ting-Lin Hou, Heo Jin, Lucia Haung, Benjamin Liu, Chih-Ting Yang
Antonio Tibaldi Chantal Akerman Melissa Hacker David Briggs Andrzej Krakowski
You-Er Kindergarten Teachers Yo Yo & Mindy
My Parents Pi-Jung Lin & Kuei-Lin Yang
My Lovely family
Anyone Who Helps This Film