STRETCH Goal: $40K! 

___________________________________________________________________________________

HELLO FROM TAIWAN is a story of a Taiwanese American family in the late 1980s who struggles to reunite across cultural and language divides. This is a family story, a unification story, an immigrant story, a child's story, and a belonging story. It’s about family identity, minority struggle, the illusion of the American dream. It's about experiencing life as an Asian American, and Taiwanese American in the late 80's.

HELLO

I grew up as the youngest of 3 sisters in San Jose, CA. My parents, recent immigrants from Taiwan, had separated when I was a toddler, and my dad decided to return to Taiwan taking my older sisters with him. After about a year or so, he came back, dropped off my sisters with my mom, and flew back to Taiwan.

One of my most vivid memories as a child was re-meeting my sisters at the airport. I knew they were my sisters, but at 4 years old, I was confused why we had been separated in the first place. There was a shift in culture between us, a rift. The significance of the transformation my family went through hit me only recently. Writing this script was a way for me to look back in reflection of the sacrifices and hardships we faced yet overcame.

THE FAMILY

And that’s where my film HELLO FROM TAIWAN begins. We open with the scene of a Taiwanese American family reuniting at the airport. It then goes on to explore the following few weeks, as the family struggles to reconnect, the sisters clash within themselves and with the outside world, and the mom takes on raising 3 girls instead of one. The story is told from the point of view of the little girl at age 4, stemming from her innocence and desire to understand how the world around her works.

THE GIRL

Tiffany Frances is a Taiwanese American director and writer working in music videos, branded content and narrative film. She participated in SHOOT Magazine's 2018 New Directors Showcase with her short film, WHAT I WISH YOU SAID, while her National Geographic film MOVEMENT garnered over 1 million views on Facebook the same year. Tiffany’s film A COOL DARK PLACE and many others have also screened at multiple festivals around the US and the globe, and her photography has been featured in various national publications.. Tiffany has directed multiple campaigns for National Geographic, Dia & Co, Tanya Taylor, Citibank, Acura, Montiel and Jonesy, among others. Through her work, Tiffany Frances gives voice to women and the under-represented, specifically focusing on the Asian American community.

tiffanyfrances.com

THE TIME

My dad, a wonderful man I wish I spent more time with, passed away a couple of years ago. Since then, I’ve been exploring themes of family relationships and why it’s so complex and complicated with immigrants and their children in America. As I navigated my childhood, I wish there were any coming of age, authentic Asian American stories on my TV screen or films I could relate to. Fully multi-dimensional, fleshed out humans. Many years later I’m still frustrated with the industry and want to create change. This film is an opportunity to give a voice to minorities and immigrants in the US, and also help others feel they aren’t alone.

THE PLACE

Per USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative 2019 report, of the 1200 top films (1335 total directors) from 2007 to 2018, only 4% had female directors; just 5 of the 80 black or African American directors were female; and 3 of the 42 Asian or Asian American directors were female. ONLY 3 OUT OF 1335 DIRECTORS THAT WERE ASIAN WERE WOMEN, or, in other terms, Asian American women have directed only 0.2% of American films. Not even 1%! Not even close.

HELLO FROM TAIWAN is about a Taiwanese American family and shows them as real, authentic characters, instead of the usual stereotypes we see in popular media.

Representation matters. We aim to create a female-fronted and person-of-color-supported cast and crew. Stories brought to life are powerful when they are personal to those behind the scenes. We are doing our best to fight these statistics because it’s known that when we put more women, and especially women of color, in power, it really starts to change the way stories are told IN FRONT of and BEHIND the camera.

Supporting this campaign means you’ll be helping diversify representation in media. Not just for women, but for all underrepresented individuals also. Lead the revolution!

AFI DIRECTING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN

HELLO FROM TAIWAN is being made because Tiffany is 1 of 8 selected filmmakers, out of 280 that applied, in the prestigious American Film institute's Directing Workshop for Women, a program specifically designed to increase the numbers of female directors working professionally in narrative film and television. Throughout the program, she’s provided with immersive training, guidance, mentorship, and inroads to the industry - all showcased through a short film that jumpstarts her directing careers.

Some notable fellows of AFI DWW include:

Lesli Linka-Glatter, Director on HOMELAND, MAD MEN, GILMORE GIRLS
Victoria Hochberg, Director on SEX IN THE CITY, ALLY MCBEAL, MELROSE PLACE, and one of Tiffany’s most treasured and influential film professors
Mia Lidofsky, Director + Creator of STRANGERS (Refinery 29)
Pippa Bianco, Director of SHARE acquired by HBO, based on her DWW short
Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, Director + Creator of UnREAL on Lifetime, based on her DWW short

MY AMERICAN DREAM

HELLO FROM TAIWAN will have its showcase in April 2020 in Hollywood at a prestigious theater, like the Directors’ Guild of America or Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A-list producers and executives will be in attendance, along with major media coverage. A strong film festival run is our short-term goal; the long-term strife is seeing this story on TV and theater screens everywhere!

CONTRIBUTIONS CAN BE TAX DEDUCTIBLE!

AFI is a 501(c)(3) organization, a non-profit,which means your donation can be TAX DEDUCTIBLE to the extent of the law; donors should consult with a tax preparer regarding donation eligibility. It’s a win win!

The money raised for this film will go to: a full 5 days of our shoot, rad locations including an airport, production designing every possible thing to look like it belongs in the late 80s, an industry standard camera and lighting package, a studio teacher for our child actors, fees for an amazing cast and crew, etc. etc. etc. Yes we are aiming to tell our story in the best way possible!

SERVICES

If you can offer a matching grant, or any in-kind services such as location rentals, equipment, or food, please reach out to us separately at [email protected]!

REACHING THE GOAL AND WISHING BEYOND

The only way we will receive the raised funds is by reaching the goal we set to achieve. We believe in the story, we believe in our vision, and we will bring it to life with your support. Don’t be shy, contribute, share, and become part of the family!

And if we exceed our goal, the money raised will help us cover expenses that we are only dreaming about now, like color correction, score, and sound design! Because the world of 1980s looked and sounded different from today. So, let’s do this together and let’s make HELLO FROM TAIWAN a reality.

Thank you!