CHECK PLEASE is a stylish martial arts action comedy about two Korean-Americans dueling in the Asian art of fighting to pay for the bill.

Director's Statement

As a kid, I witnessed firsthand the quickness with which friends can turn on each other whenever my parents took me to dinner with their pals. It was all smiles until it came time to pay for the bill - then the fangs came out. "I got it!" "Don't be ridiculous, it's my treat!" "You can get me next time!" It got so serious for no reason. Arguing, subterfuge... it was killing with kindness taken to another level. I wondered how far someone could take fighting to pay for the bill. Inspired by my love of goofy slapstick action comedies like DRUNKEN MASTER and EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, I thought: what if they literally fought each other? I challenged myself to write a ten-minute long action scene where two Korean-Americans fought each other with chopsticks, grill coverings, and credit cards... and CHECK PLEASE was born.

The film also addresses themes of multiculturality, identity and belonging. Though I am Korean-American, I didn't live in either country until after I graduated high school, and adjusting to the culture in both places have made me feel like a perpetual foreigner in the world. The film asks the questions: what is "Koreanness"? Is is innate? If you feel like you lack it, can an you gain more of it by paying for dinner? I wanted to portray Asian Americans in film that go a dimension beyond an immigrant or discrimination storyline by highlighting the internal struggle of being caught between two worlds: being too Korean for America, but being too American for Korea.

Beyond making a film that's a blast to watch, I wanted to represent the Asian American experience on screen as authentically as I could by involving AAPI people both in front of and behind the camera. I hope this theme resonates with many and while I can't promise any answers, I can promise some comfort in knowing you're not alone in this feeling... and some damn good fights.

Read the script here!

Why fundraise?

Making a movie is expensive. Though we have received a small grant from Northwestern University, we'll need your support to see our ambitious production all the way through. Our production is teeny-tiny, so any donation has an impact on our film! We'll need moolah for:

• Food & Transportation: It takes a village to make a film. Much of our talented crew are students donating their time and labor, and making sure they are safe, well-fed and cared for is priority number one.
• Casting & Location: My commitment to representing authentic Korean-Americans on screen is total - but that does complicate our search for actors and location, since we need specificities like Chicagoland Korean-speaking actors and a Korean restaurant. Your donations will bolster our efforts and help properly compensate the crew we do find.
• Production Design: Like any good action comedy, props play a huge role in this film's fight - our characters fight with everything from tongs to broken soju bottles to brooms! Acquiring these (and extras in case they break - for safety) are essential to making this film work, and extra funds here would be a huge help for our budget.
• Fight Choreography: Though we already have talented taekwondo student choreographers attached to the project, supporting them with needed rehearsals and local experts would make the quality of our fights shine that much more!
• And Many More: post-production, festival submissions, insurance, gear...!

Any little bit helps BUT - if you aren't able to donate at the moment, no worries at all! We always welcome help by spreading the word about our film to anyone you know and following us on Instagram (@checkplease_film). Share this page on your social media using the share tools in our header, and get the words out to your friends/family!

Meet the Team

Shane Chung (Director)

Hi, I'm Shane! I'm a Northwestern University RTVF senior and have been on sets since my freshman year, crewing on 15+ sets as roles ranging from Assistant Editor to Gaffer to Director of Photography - and I'm excited to finally tackle directing! I'm obsessed with imagemaking in all forms and as a Korean-American filmmaker, am passionate about uplifting unique multicultural voices in film, a mission I pursued as a Publicity Chair on NU’s Multicultural Filmmaker’s Collective board and later as a board member on Studio 22. I champion diversity, inclusion, and wackiness and hope to further that mission on an industry level.

Anna Castagnaro (Producer)

Hey everyone! I'm Anna and I'm a Radio/TV/Film and Music Composition dual degree senior at Northwestern University. I've produced a couple of times, but I love hopping around different roles on set and throughout all stages of film and music video production. I fell in love with the intersection of film and audio, and I hope to tell important stories about identity and culture as a creative who is mixed race Korean, Puerto Rican, and Italian.

Nick Leahy (Producer)

Nick Leahy is a senior at Northwestern majoring in Radio/Television/Film and minoring in both Political Science & Business Institutions. He’s previously been the Live Show Producer for The Blackout, Northwestern’s own late-night variety show, and the Finance Chair for Applause for a Cause, a student organization that films a feature film for charity. He currently is in pre-production for his short film, LIVE FROM THE GENEVA!, which he wrote and will direct later this November. He’s super excited to be a co-producer alongside Anna for Shane’s film because they are his close friends (and because the film combines his love for good food and crazy fight sequences in film!)

Thanks for perusing our campaign... we hope you can help us bring our vision to life! 아자아자, 화이팅!