The filmmakers behind paper children, a film based on the chinese exclusion act, take a stand for di

The filmmakers behind Paper Children, a film based on the Chinese Exclusion Act, take a stand for diversity in Hollywood.

Aminocat Entertainment has announced the release of their short film, Paper Children, to raise diversity awareness and shed light on the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was passed in 1882 and had a devastating impact on Chinese immigrants until it was finally repealed in 1943.

Paper Children is produced by Jeff Gadigan (Saving Face, Red Sleep), Jeff Locker (Marvel's Agent Carter, Chinglish), Danni Dandan Gadigan (Safe, Saving Face), and written and directed by Paden Burger (VagaBond, Love at First Take). The film was entered into YOMYOMF’s Interpretations competition (sponsored by Comcast and NBCUniversal) created by top Asian-American Film maker Justin Lin (The Fast and the Furious, Star Trek Beyond) with script by Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang (M Butterfly, Chinglish.)

Paper Children is based on the a story of the immigrants behind the wall carvings of

Angel Island, a prison-like detention center where countless Chinese immigrants were detained due to the Chinese Exclusion Act.

“To me, one of the most important aspects of Paper Children is the poetry carved into the walls that beautifully expressed these immigrants' mental and emotional turmoil.

All these people, past and present, ever wanted was to feel an ounce of sanctuary without discrimination. And we as the melting pot of the world should never turn people away who just want and need a little help." said Paden Burger.

“It’s humbling, the positive reaction we’ve received on the short already, I am ecstatic that I was able to round up all of my close friends to help me produce this amazing piece. In addition to the idea and story itself attracting the talents of my beloved cast and crew, I’m excited to see where this film will take us particularly in feature form. Like the people in Angel Island banded together through many years to create the beautiful poetry on the walls, the short version of this film is the by product of the relationships I have been blessed with over my 10 plus years in this industry. " said Jeff Gadigan "This is one of the most powerful and rewarding artistic experiences I've ever had," producer Jeff Locker explained. "My senior thesis at Yale was on the history of Chinese film, and after over ten years in Taiwan and China, my dream, upon returning to the U.S., was to tell diverse stories, and certainly those related to the region. We've wanted to tell this particular story for quite a while, and though we're very moved by the reaction to the short, we're quite surprised how few people have even heard of Angel Island. We feel enormously honored to have the opportunity to tell this story, and with this dedicated and passionate cast and crew, and can't wait to go into production on the feature. I was particularly thrilled to include my costars from the East West Players staging of Chinglish, especially given that David Henry Hwang wrote the contest script. I really wanted to make him proud!"

“The fact that our passionate cast and crew members are from different countries, cities, and backgrounds, yet were united to tell this story of diversity in the United States, is an incredibly powerful story in and of itself. Not only is the story incredibly moving, the film is visually moving, as Michael Shu of Onyx Cinema brought our vision to life in the most spectacular way.” said Danni Gadigan.

The film stars Ben Wang, Tom Chou, Garrett Replogle, Matt Sammartine, Eric Barnard, Leann Lei, Cici Lau, Kara Wang, Irene Hsin-Hsin Blerkom, Ewan Chung, Joy Yao, Dylan Huang, Eliana Wang, Chris Shen, Ellen Yuen, Iris Paras, RJ Castaneda, Raymond Dong, Jing Ge, Therese Faith, Elijah Justice, Tony Hui, Angelica Kam, Yifan Luo, Yumi Mitamura, Nadina Wu, Jeff Locker, Jeff Gadigan, and Danni Gadigan. The film was shot at Moon Shadow Entertainment Studios in Upland, CA. Aminocat Entertainment produces films, pilots, and commercials with a mission to produce meaningful stories and pieces that engage the audience in a dialogue about diversity and truth while inspiring others to pursue their passions.

For more information, visit: https://www.yomyomf.com/contests/interpretations2/paper-children/ MEDIA CONTACT

Aminocat Entertainment Contact@aminocatentertainment.com (818)285-8588