A RIVETING AND RARE ASIAN AMERICAN SOCIAL JUSTICE STORY
THAT RESONATES ACROSS ALL CULTURES
"Unquestionably the best docudrama that illustrates the most heinous hate crime in the 20th century against a Chinese American on the eve of his wedding.”
Corky Lee, Photojournalist (Vincent Chin Case)
ABOUT THE FILM
A brutal case of bloodshed, a mother’s gut-wrenching loss, and a community’s outrage, Justice for Vincent (JFV) is a disturbing and moving modern story about hate told from a rarely seen Asian American perspective. Written and produced by Lawrence Chau and directed by Andy Palmer, the award-winning and Oscar-qualifying short film is inspired by the historic Vincent Chin case that sparked the largest nationwide Pan-Asian civil rights movement in America.
Allegedly mistaken for being Japanese, Chin, a Chinese American citizen, was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat days before his wedding by two Caucasian autoworkers during the so-called “Japanese Auto Invasion” in Detroit 1982 — a crime that saw the killers walk away with a mere $3000 fine and three-year probation.
Archival images from the real-life Chin case featured in the film are graciously provided by activists Helen Zia, Stewart Kwoh, and award-winning photojournalist and photo laureate Corky Lee.
Disclaimer: JFV is inspired by true events. Certain names, events, dialogue and sequences have been fictionalized and dramatized for storytelling purposes.
Duration: 17 min 22 sec
This film has not been rated, but contains violence and coarse language not suitable for children.
ACCOLADES
IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
Asian World Film Festival 2018
Los Angeles, October 24 - November 1
Top 5 Young Filmmaker Showcase
Young Filmmaker Award
Cinema WorldFest Awards 2018
Ottawa, September - November Autumn Selection
Award of Merit Human Interest Short (Winner)
Asians On Film Festival of Shorts 2019
Los Angeles, January 19-20
Official Selection
Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival 2019
Los Angeles, February 13-22
Best Dramatic Short Film (Winner)
Oregon Short Film Festival 2019
Portland, February 22-24
Best Picture (Winner)
DisOrient Asian American Film Festival 2019
Eugene, March 14-17
Audience Choice Short Film (Winner)
World Premiere Film Awards 2019
Ottawa, January to March Winter Selection
Best Actor - Lawrence Chau (Winner)
Best Supporting Actress - Lee Chen (Winner)
Philadelphia Independent Film Festival 2019
Philadelphia, May 8-11
Best Short Film (Winner)
Best Actor - Lawrence Chau (Nomination)
Best Actress - Lee Chen (Nomination)
American Asian Latino Film Festival NYC
New York City, May 17-19
Best Script - Lawrence Chau (Winner)
Best Cinematography - Justin Janowitz (Winner)
The Telly Awards
New York City, May 2019
Silver Winner for Creative Excellence
General Social Issues
DC Asian Pacific International Film Festival 2019
Washington DC, May 31-Jun 2
Official Selection
Los Angeles Film Awards
Los Angeles, May 2019
Best Narrative Short - Lawrence Chau & Andy Palmer (Winners)
Annual Best of Fest Best Narrative Short - Lawrence Chau & Andy Palmer (Nomination)
Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival
HAAPIFEST 2019 in conjunction with OCA Greater Houston
Houston, June 20-28
Official Selection
Stage 32: 4th Annual Short Film Contest
Los Angeles, June 2019
Screenwriter - Lawrence Chau (Finalist)
Hong Kong Film Art International Film Festival 2019
Hong Kong, July 4-7
Official Selection
Olympus Film Festival 2019
Los Angeles, July 2019
Best Narrative Short (Finalist)
Best Actor - Lawrence Chau (Finalist)
Oregon Cinema Arts Film Festival 2019
Portland, August 10-11
Best Actor - Peter Adrian Sudarso (Winner)
New York Film Awards
New York City, July 2019
Best Narrative Film - Lawrence Chau & Andy Palmer (Winners)
Best Original Story - Lawrence Chau & Andy Palmer (Winners)
Annual Best of Fest Best Narrative Short - Lawrence Chau & Andy Palmer (Nomination)
Boston Asian American Film Festival 2019
Boston, October 24-27
Official Selection
Innovasian Film, Screenplay & Music Contest 2019
Los Angeles, November 8
Finalist
Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2019
Vancouver, November 7-10
Official Selection
Canada Shorts Film Festival
Canada, December 2019
Finalist
92nd Academy Awards
Los Angeles, February 9, 2020
Live Action Short Film - Oscar-Qualified
Best Shorts Competition
Palm Springs, June 2019
Award of Excellence Special Mention Film Short - Andy Palmer & Lawrence Chau (Winners)
Award of Excellence Asian Film - Andy Palmer & Lawrence Chau (Winners)
Award of Merit Leading Actress - Lee Chen (Winner)
Humanitarian Award Outstanding Achievement - Andy Palmer & Lawrence Chau (Winners)
Golden State Film Festival 2020
Los Angeles, February 21 - March 1
Best Drama Short (Winner)
Top Shorts Film Festival
Los Angeles, April 2020
Director - Andy Palmer (Honorable Mention)
Actor - Lawrence Chau (Honorable Mention)
Festigious International Film Festival
Los Angeles, April 2020
Best Inspirational Film - Lawrence Chau & Andy Palmer (Winners)
Filmcon Awards
Los Angeles, April 2020
Best Narrative Film - Lawrence Chau & Andy Palmer (Winners)
Best Actor Award New York
New York, March - April 2020
Best Actress in a Drama - Lee Chen (Platinum Winner)
Best Actor in a Drama - Peter Adrian Sudardso (Bronze Winner)
Best Ensemble - Lee Chen, Lawrence Chau, Peter Adrian Sudarso, William McNamara,
Zach Scheerer & Rachelle DiMaria (Platinum Winner)
The Actors Awards
Los Angeles, May 2020
Best Actress - Lee Chen (Winner)
Best Ensemble - Lee Chen, Lawrence Chau, Peter Adrian Sudarso, William McNamara,
Zach Scheerer & Rachelle DiMaria (Winner)
Best Actor Award New York
New York, May - Jun 2020
Best Supporting Actor - Lawrence Chau (Silver Winner)
Toronto Film Magazine Awards
Toronto, December 2020
Filmmakers - Andy Palmer & Lawrence Chau (Honorable Mention)
Vegas Movie Awards
Las Vegas - Jan 2021
Best Inspirational Film - Award of Excellence (Winner)
Best Ensemble - Lee Chen, Lawrence Chau, Peter Adrian Sudarso, William McNamara, Zach Scheerer & Rachelle DiMaria (Award of Merit)
Best Director - Andy Palmer (Semi-Finalist)
27th Annual Communicator Awards
The Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts
New York, May 2021
Award of Distinction (Winner)
Film/Video
Social Issues/Responsibility
Team JFV
Director
Producer
Writer
Co-Writer
Executive Producer
Director of Photography
Stunt Coordinators
LEAD CAST
Lily Chin
Vincent Chin Henry Lee Roger Evans Mickey Stevens Patricia Ashwood
SUPPORTING CAST
Judge
Kevin
Johnny
Officer Williams Officer Santiago
Vincent’s Fiance
Mrs. Evans
Mickey’s Girlfriend
Casting By
Background Casting By
Production Manager
Production Coordinator
1st Assistant Director
2nd Assistant Director
Editor
Assistant Editor Mix Editor
Visual Effects Producer
Music Composer
Costume Designer
Key Set Costumer
Production Designer
Set Decorator
Art P.A.
Hair & Makeup/Special Effects
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Key Set P.A. Background P.A.
Craft Services P.A.
1st Assistant Camera
2nd Assistant Camera
2nd Assistant Camera/DIT
Steadicam Operator
Drone Operator
Gaffer
Best Boy Electric
Key Grip
Sound Mixer
Stills Photographer
Graphic Designer
Set Medic
Filmed At
Insurance Services
Payroll Services
Craft Services
Camera Equipment
Lighting
Car Rental
Andy Palmer
Lawrence Chau
Lawrence Chau
Andy Palmer
Lawrence Chau
Justin Janowitz
Steve Brown
Yoshi Sudarso
Lee Chen
Peter Adrian Sudarso
Lawrence Chau
William McNamara
Zach Scheerer
Rachelle DiMaria
Lon J. Fiala
Eric Henry
RoShawn Briscoe
Andre Boyer
Michael Milford
Ell (Rachel) Lee
Nancy Harding
Kristina Nikols
Lawrence Chau
Morgue N. Marcus/
Little Bird Casting
Elliott Barker
Daniel Edelman
Marcos Bargellini
Benjamin Pinaire
Andy Palmer
Marcos R. Perezcarro
David F. Murray
Kris Millsap
Frank Lead
Franzy Staedter
Hannah Runkle
Taylor Jean
Lara Bedrossian
Joo-Young Kim
Victoria Arias
Robert Bravo
Rebecca Demeter
Jackson Todd
Claire Dew
Alex Robinson
Jenna Hoffman
Peter Lau
Travis Shannon
Matthew Parchen
Kurt Nolen S.O.C.
Jon Zuber
Walter Lin
John Fisher
Olivia Riportella
JJ Flores
Anthony Kozlowski
Kegan Lambert
Marcos R. Perezcarro
Adam Lem
DC Stages & Sets
Kelly Co.
Media Services
Forward Processing
Food Fetish
Keslow Camera
Spitfire Lighting & Grip
Legends Car Rentals
Archival Images Graciously Provided By
Corky Lee
Helen Zia
Stewart Kwoh
Karen Zhou
Photography
Allison Joyce/Getty Images
Bettmann/Getty Images
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images
Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images
Media Sources
American Citizens for Justice
Chicago Tribune
Detroit Free Press
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The Honolulu Advertiser
NBCNews.com
Production Counsel By
Ramo Law
Chad Russo
Clearance Counsel By
Donaldson + Callif
Dale Nelson
© On Air Entertainment 2018
Trailer
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Museum of the Moving Image NYC
Activist Filmmaking: JFV Screening & Guest Panel Speaker
New York City, May 24, 2019
Curated by Warrington Hudlin, Vice Chair - MoMI
Moderated by Rashid Shabazz, Chief Marketing & Storytelling Officer - Color of Change
Lawrence Chau, Actor & Filmmaker - Justice for Vincent
Nadhege Ptah, Actress & Filmmaker - Paris Blues in Harlem
Gallery
Publicity
ZWTV Interview
[Lawrence Chau speaks English in this Mandarin TV program]
PRV Interview
Thanks
From Lawrence Chau - JFV Filmmaker
ANDY PALMER
Director
Embarking on an independent short film entails pulling a lot of friend favors. Coaxing Andy Palmer, a feature film director known for his award-winning work in horror films (The Funhouse Massacre, Camp Cold Brook, Find Me) to helm a dramatic short took a bit of nudging, but like everyone involved, he was drawn to the power of the script. Andy understands discrimination for he and his wife of Asian American Pacific Islander lineage have experienced much of it throughout their lives. The rise in hate across the country after the 2016 election was another motivating factor for his participation. Andy assembled a top-notch, diverse crew to bring JFV to life, which in itself was symbolic for it demonstrated that people from all walks of life embraced the film’s universal anti-hate message. Personable, professional, and blessed with an acute creative eye, we are indebted to Andy for captaining the production of JFV. We pulled off a miracle from pooling together name talent to navigating an intense regimen of round-the-clock pre-production meetings (whilst juggling other jobs) to remarkably filming JFV over two, long, hot summer days in June 2018 – coincidentally 36 years to the date of Vincent Chin’s death.
STEVE BROWN
Stunt Coordinator
Moving mountains to make JFV is no understatement. Having A-list stunt coordinator Steve Brown on-board JFV lives up to that adage. This, after all, is a man whose credits include Wonder Woman, Deadpool 2, Logan, X-Men, Transformers and The Equalizer. Not only that, Steve made time amid his busy schedule of filming the Avatar sequels to help meticulously choreograph the difficult murder scene in which Vincent Chin was bludgeoned with a baseball bat. As with many of the cast and crew aboard JFV, doing a short film was below their pay grade. However, the common thread that drew everyone together was the message and the power of the script. As a biracial Korean-American scarred by the difficulties he faced growing up, Steve knows all too well what the bitter sting of racism feels like. JFV owes a great amount of gratitude to Steve, and his ace stunt sidekick Yoshi Sudarso, for their time, talent and work on JFV.
CORKY LEE
Photojournalist
Award-winning photojournalist Corky Lee devoted his life to changing negative stereotypes of Asian Americans portrayed in the media through the power of his lens. From covering the Vincent Chin case to championing social and political issues that affect the rights and lives of Asian Americans to ensuring Asian American history is a part of American history, Corky became an activist in his own right. However, the acclaimed photo laureate was by no means easy to court with JFV. After a thorough interrogation and moved from having watched the rough-cut of JFV, he was gracious with allowing us to include his photos from the Chin case in our film. Sadly, Corky passed away in January 2021 from COVID-19 complications at age 73. It was an honor to stand alongside Corky at various film festivals and cultural events across the U.S. as he championed our powerful little film throughout 2019. I am forever grateful for the friendship, the memories, his support, and for his lifetime of work benefiting the Asian American community. Corky is truly a one-of-a-kind talent and inspiration. Rest in power, dear friend.
ELIZABETH SUNG
Actress/Filmmaker
Unbeknown to most, the late great Elizabeth Sung (The Joy Luck Club, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Young and the Restless) was the first person to join the cast of JFV. Elizabeth had lived through the Vincent Chin case, and like everyone, was mortified by both the tragedy of the murder and the travesty of the justice system. Her signing on to portray Lily Chin was needless to say a "big get." She, like the rest of the cast and crew, did so because she understood the historical significance of the story and the importance of sharing it with a new generation of audiences, particularly younger Asian Americans not familiar with the case. Having Elizabeth on-board inspired us to raise the bar even higher. Sadly, weeks before the cameras were to roll, Elizabeth fell ill and had to opt out. Committed to seeing JFV through, she helped us find her replacement, which came by way of Lee Chen. Lee carried the spirit of Elizabeth with her, and delivered a searing performance that would make her friend gleam with pride from above. I will always remember what Elizabeth said to me at our first encounter when I pointedly asked, "It's a powerful project, but are you sure someone of your stature would be interested in an independent short?" She read into my concerned dollar-dilated pupils and replied, "Lawrence, I'm a filmmaker, too. Not every project is about money." Words worth cherishing. From all of us at JFV, thank you and rest in peace, dear Elizabeth.
STEWART KWOH
Attorney/Activist
Attorney and lifelong activist Stewart Kwoh was another blessing. When Stewart heard about the Vincent Chin case in Los Angeles, he picked up the phone, rang Lily Chin in Detroit and simply asked: "How can I help?" When I approached him about JFV, he echoed that mantra, graciously granting me access to his legal and photo archives. Henry Lee, the civil rights activist portrayed in JFV, is a fictional composite character inspired by all the real life activists -- Liza Chan, the iconic Helen Zia, and the many lesser known male figures like Roland Hwang, James Shimoura, Kin Yee, and, of course Kwoh. Tireless in his commitment to helping the under-served, Kwoh continues to advocate for civil rights, provide legal and education services for the under-privileged from all walks of life, and builds coalitions to positively impact the Asian American Pacific Islander community through Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the non-profit organization he helped establish. AAAJ's mission is simple: to create a more equitable and harmonious society for all.
CHRISTINE CHOY
Filmmaker/Professor
I had met the inimitable Christine Choy decades ago when she showcased her Oscar-nominated documentary Who Killed Vincent Chin? in Toronto. I was a student then. I sat there for 90 minutes, frozen with a lump in my throat, eyes welled with tears, and a jaw clenched in shock and anger. I carried that documentary with me for decades, and yes, I confess I always thought it would make a great film. So, to have Christine join me at a film festival in New York to watch JFV was more than a full-circle moment. Granted JFV is just a short film and not the feature I had long dreamt of making, but still: a moment is a moment. From the red carpet and screening to dinners laced with insightful, fiery conversations to evening strolls back to her home on the East Side, I have come to know what others have long known about Christine: she is a force to be reckoned with. Sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, Christine sizzles like a firecracker. Always has, always will. Thank you, Christine, for your work in activist filmmaking, for being a mentor of the arts, for your wisdom and courage, and for being a pioneer and inspiration.
Message
When your childhood is afflicted with altercations with racist neighbors; when, at age 7, you see your old brother bullied on the playground; when, from out of the blue, you get called “chink” whilst crossing the street; when you transition from a culturally diverse high school to a predominately white journalism school where your peers don't speak to or sit near you; when you learn and come to appreciate the hardships your parents endured as immigrants; and when you see a riveting documentary like Who Killed Vincent Chin?, you can’t help but become race conscious.
Learning about the racial injustice of the Vincent Chin case affected me in a profoundly personal way; like many, I was pained and haunted by it. Moreover, in seeing Vincent's mother Lily, I saw my own mother. Both were Chinese immigrants from the same small village in the province of Guangdong; both came to North America to marry with the simple aspirations of raising a family in working class Chinatown; and, with their broken Kaiping-accented English, both even sounded alike. Not to draw a false equivalency in any way, but my mother, also had to navigate an intensely stressful legal battle in a confusing new land where she had sacrificed so much to call "home."
Throughout my accomplishments in show business in Asia and North America, the Vincent Chin story had always churned in my gut. For decades, I had always thought it would make a great feature film. I know I'm not the only one.
Justice for Vincent (JFV) may not be the feature I had long dreamt of making; however, it might very well be one of the few -- if not -- first cinematic adaptions to emerge since the historic case took place 40 years ago. With our short film, I make no qualms in admitting it is an adaptation “inspired by” true events.
When it comes to adaptations, creative embellishments are always undertaken to tell a story, often for dramatic effect. We've seen this happen with projects about The Kennedys, The Royal Family, Marilyn Monroe, and numerous rock stars, for instance. In doing so, filmmakers agonize over a myriad of details: plotlines, points of view, characters, dialogue, elements of fiction, which scenes make the final cut, and which scenes get left on the cutting room floor. It is truly an excruciating process.
I make a point of explaining this because the Asian American Pacific Islander community does not bear the good fortune of having many (if any) major Hollywood social justice films in comparison to, say, our Jewish and African American counterparts. As such, some members of the AAPI community might understandably be guarded about the Chin story, and not accustomed to seeing it adapted for the silver screen with creative modifications.
I can only say in making JFV our intention was pure. Everyone who came on board to make JFV in 2018 gravitated to the power of the story and recognized its relevance (yes, pre-Covid). It is a solid, high-caliber production from top to bottom that hits the heart, provokes the mind, and stirs the soul. I am humbled at how well it has been received by film festival audiences from across the country and abroad. I was also motivated to re-edit the film in 2021 to incorporate the disturbing uptick in Asian hate crimes in America sparked by the pandemic.
More importantly, the message of JFV is clear: a mother's loss is a mother's loss; hate is hate; injustice is injustice. As a first-time filmmaker, and with a project like JFV, my wish is simply to enlighten viewers and to inspire compassion and understanding in people from all walks of life. Only by standing together, shoulder-to-shoulder, can we successfully combat the divisive forces of hate that threaten our collective safety, security, and civility.
Lawrence Chau
JFV Filmmaker
