Why We Need Your Help
Creating a short film is no small endeavor. We have assembled an incredibly talented crew, but we're still searching for incredibly talented donors. And that is where you come into the picture. Your donations will go directly towards production costs, which are outlined in the chart below. Our goal is the bare minimum required to make this film happen, and every dollar goes a long way.
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Check out our awesome perks if you need more convincing!
The Impact
This film touches on a story that resonates with many of the cast and crew involved, who are closely connected to the immigration process. Growing up in Hong Kong, the director herself saw many friends and family leaving for the U.S. and Canada. We strongly believe that every immigrant story strikes a universal chord - opportunity.
In the political climate today, this story is an even more important one to tell. Our hope is for the film to go to American and international festivals.
Cast & Crew
Kristie Ko - Writer/Director
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Kristie Ko's passion for directing stemmed from her early love of art and theatre, and later influences include the Hong Kong indie films of Pang Ho Cheung and the swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Quickly realizing that film was the perfect hybrid of the two art forms, she uprooted herself and moved to Los Angeles to pursue film at USC. Luckily for her, Hollywood is now only 20 minutes away, without traffic. On set, you can find her lingering around the crafty table. Off set, she likes to draw storyboards and sing in the car.
Joseph Yao - Director of Photography
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Joseph is a second-generation Taiwanese-American from Seattle who started making short films with his siblings when he was 13. Eventually, he began receiving attention for these films, including the Grand Jury Prize in the 2011 SIFF Futurewave Division. He recently graduated from USC's School of Cinematic Arts and works as a freelance director/cinematographer based in Los Angeles. Check out his reel here!
George Chang - Producer
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George is a filmmaker born in Atlanta, raised in Taiwan, and currently based in Los Angeles. In his pubescent years, late night Steven Chow and Jackie Chan film reruns foreshadowed his future interest for cinema and became responsible for his odd sense of humor. At USC, he initially pursued a degree in Public Relations, but quickly picked up a Cinematic Arts minor after gravitating towards the rare filmmaking assignments in his journalism classes. What started out as a hobby became a serious study when he realized visual storytelling was a powerful medium that could be used to elicit the truths of human nature and in the process spread mindfulness. He believes Anchor Baby is an important film that discourages prejudice and encourages empathy towards the immigrant population.
Steph Wu - Producer
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Born and raised in San Francisco, Steph discovered her love for movies and passion for storytelling at an early age. Steph's grandmother would sit her down, with pint of coffee ice cream in hand, and let her watch cinematic heroes like Indiana Jones and James Bond. From that moment on, young Steph was hooked on movies and coffee ice cream. She continued pursuing that passion while at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, graduating this last May. Steph is incredibly excited to work alongside such a talented cast and crew. She cannot wait for everyone to see the final product and to execute writer/director Kristie's vision to the fullest. But more importantly, as a first generation American Born Chinese, she feels strongly connected to the story and message and hopes that others will feel the same way.
Avery Xie - Editor
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Avery Xie is a recent graduate of the Film Production program at USC. He was born in Texas, but grew up mostly in Singapore and Shanghai, where he spent most of his youth contemplating his existence as a third culture kid. His interest in filmmaking started in the 6th grade when he made his friends teleport around with his then indestructible Nokia phone. From that moment on, he was attracted to the art of editing and post production and is now pursuing a career in that field.
Terrence Leung - Casting Director
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Terrence’s love for acting stemmed from his teenage years in Hong Kong singing with his friends and his high school chorus. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Arts at USC. Terrence now produces films and pursues a career in acting. His life revolves around people, art, and food.
Terrence hopes that everyone would fall in love with Anchor Baby like he did. He continues to fight for opportunities as an Asian American actor in LA everyday.
Other Ways You Can Help
Every bit counts. Please share this Indiegogo page with your friends, family, coworkers, and your neighborhood baristas! Help us get the word out there! Any buzz is good buzz.
Thank you for your support!