"Blindspotting," back for season 2, sets an example of diverse storytelling

SCREEN CAPTURE / INSTAGRAM

Filipino American actor Dante Basco, en garde! appears on "Blindspotting."

One of the most innovative and courageous sitcoms is back for Season 2 after a long hiatus due to the pandemic.

Blindspotting is set in Oakland, California but its creators want to spotlight the Bay Area and its diverse communities. The Bay Area is home to a large Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island community.

The premium cable outlet Starz debuted the critically acclaimed series from Starz parent Lionsgate TV and creators Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs and based on their 2018 film of the same title.

Casal also said on the podcast that he sees no limits for how big the world of Blindspotting can grow: “Every character we wrote on the show is worthy of their own show. Every character we hope to write on the show could be that way about a specific region that doesn’t have any TV shows.

This week's episode will feature Filipino American actress April Absynth who plays Jacque, the street-smart best friend Trish, one of the central characters, who is always on the lookout for economic opportunities. 

The plotline allows the episode to bring in new Filipino American characters. One of them is Dante Basco, who grew up in the East Bay.

We don't know much about the episode but an instagram post I couldn't help but smile as we see that Basco using a spatula like a sword, perhaps an homage to his groundbreaking character of Rufio, leader of the Lost Boys in Hook, which starred the late Robin Williams.

"Look at the amount of universes New York has been afforded," says Casal. "Let’s do that with this: a whole show about the Filipino community in Daly City, Latinos in San Jose or Asians in Oakland or any other city.”

Jasmine Cephas Jones reprises her role from the movie as Ashley, who’s trying to keep things together with her racially mixed family while her partner Miles (Casal) serves a jail sentence.

Along with Jones, the Blindspotting cast includes Benjamin Earl Turner, Atticus Woodward, Jaylen Barron, Candace Nicholas-Lippman and Helen Hunt.

If you didn't catch the first season when it debuted in 2021, the first season of Blindspotting is available on the Starz streaming network, or you can read the original synopsis:

Blindspotting centers on Ashley, who is nipping at the heels of a middle-class life in Oakland until Miles, her partner of 12 years and father of their son, is suddenly incarcerated, leaving her to navigate a chaotic and humorous existential crisis when she is forced to move in with Miles’ mother and half-sister. The series stars Jasmine Cephas Jones (#freerayshawn) as “Ashley”; Benjamin Turner (recording artist) as “Earl,” who is fresh out of prison, wearing an ankle monitor and just trying to kill time and lay low; Candace Nicholas-Lippman (Good Trouble) as “Janelle,” Ashley’s close friend who’s just returned to the neighborhood after spending many years in Bali; Jaylen Barron (Free Reign) as “Trish,” Miles’ half-sister, who might be wilder than he is; Atticus Woodward (Shameless) as “Sean,” Ashley and Miles’ sweet, smart and energetic son; Helen Hunt (Mad About You) as “Rainey,” Miles’ mother who has strong opinions and holds family above all else; and Rafael Casal who reprises his role as “Miles,” Ashley’s ride-or-die partner of 12 years and father of their son.

Starz president and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch said, “The series deservedly garnered critical acclaim and is a wonderful example of our programming mandate focused on unique, authentic stories by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

In 2022, Hollywood doors creak open for Asian American content

The commercial and artistic success of 2018's 'Crazy Rich Asians' is credited with opening Hollywood's eyes and doors to the rich potential of Asian and Asian American talent and stories.

2022 could be a landmark year for AAPI representation in the history of filmmaking and TV production.

There are signs that Hollywood* is turning the corner in recognition of the changing demographics of the movie-going audience with a handful of Asian American theme movies in various stages of production.

The surprise hit of the winter season is Fox series The Cleaning Lady. The strong audience ratings and critical acclaim may be opening some eyes and minds of Hollywood's decision makers that the US audience may be more accepting of diverse fare and actors than previously assumed.

Whether this apparent willingness to tell AAPI stories and star AAPI characters is a permanent trend or just a merely a fad is something only time will tell.

The list might appear to be a lot of shows but when you consider Hollywood churns out hundreds of projects, many of them clunkers, the recommendations below represent just a small, small fraction of the productions. Reports about Hollywood diversity by USC and UCLA still say the vast majority of Hollywood's products are still directed at a  white audience starring white leads and AAPI representation is still lacking.

Still, what we have now is a vast improvement from just four years ago when Asian August, which premiered Crazy Rich Asians, the Every Boy I Ever Loved franchise and the John Cho starrer Searching, broke open the proverbial dam for AAPI talent in front and behind the camera. With over two dozen features and series, 2022 has the potential to be a historic year in terms of Asian representation in North American pop culture.

Have AANHPI arrived in Hollywood, the world's entertainment production capitol? Well, not quite, but the studio door is creaking open.

What's noteworthy is that many of the productions are driven by AAPI creators, from Dwayne Johnson, Daniel Dae Kim, Mindy Kaling, Miranda Kwok, Dean Devlin, Dan Lin to Awkwafina. Instead of waiting around for handouts from Hollywood studios, these writers, producers and directors are taking the bull by the horns and launching their own productions.

The problem is, despite the unprecedented output by AAPI artists, we're still at the stage where projects with AAPI themes and actors can't afford any clunkers. One bad showing and Hollywood could quickly back off on their tepid effort to diversify their output.

For those AAPI viewers looking for movies or TV series that you can identify with, here are some of the current and upcoming projects** (in no particular order) that might be of interest:

Pachinko: Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, Pachinko follows four generations of a Korean immigrant family through Korea, Japan, and the U.S. during the Japanese Occupation, World War II, and after. The saga presents a harrowing take on racism, imperialism, and immigration wrapped in a forbidden love story. Told in Korean, Japanese and English, the first three episodes will debut March 25, on Apple TV+ followed by weekly releases until April 29. Production company is Steven Spielberg's Amblin' Studios.

Kung Fu (Season 2): Kung Fu (not the David Carradine-led version) returns for another season. Set in present day San Francisco, it features an attractive cast, including Olivia Liang, Shannon Dang, Eddie Liu and the Tzi Ma as the father of the Shen family. As the title suggests: lots of martial arts featured and smart contemporary banter between the characters. The Shen's and allies continue to seek the magical artifacts that give great power to whoever possesses them. Season 2 premieres March 9, 9 p.m. on the CW network.

The Cleaning Lady: Fox got one of its highest-rated shows in this production with creator Miranda Kwok as executive producer along with Filipino Canadian Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars). Launched in January, the series stars Cambodian French actress Elodie Yung as a doctor who leaves her medical practice in the Philippines to seek treatment for her son who suffers from an auto-immune disease. Along the way, she seeks employment as a cleaning lady but gets involved with the Las Vegas underworld. The Cleaning Lady is precedent-setting by telling stories from the POV of the undocumented immigrants and starring Southeast Asian actors. The series airs Mondays on Fox, 9 p.m., but past episodes can be streamed on Hulu. 

Tokyo Vice: HBO Max announced that the new crime drama miniseries will debut April 7 with 2 episodes on the network. The series, a co-production with Endeavor Content and Japanese broadcaster Wowow, is based on the 2009 memoir of the same name by Jake Adelstein, an American journalist who moved to Japan to cover the Tokyo police force. Ansel Elgort stars as Adelstein, with Ken Watanabe, Rinko Kikuchi, Rachel Keller, Ella Rumpf, Hideaki Ito, Show Kasamatsu and Tomohisa Yamashita rounding out the ensemble.

Turning Red: An animated feature from Pixar Studios directed by Domine Shi (Bao), tells the rare story of growing up from the viewpoint of 13-year old Asian Canadian, brash, self-confident, who dares to pursue her own ambition of establishing girl band but still retaining the love for her elders and heritage. Some of the voice actors include veteran actors Sandra Oh and James Hong and introduces Roslie Chiang as the central character.  Turning Red premieres March 11 after which it is can be streamed  on Disney+.

Easter Sunday: Stand-up comedian Jo Koy plays a man returning home for an Easter celebration with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family in this love letter to his Filipino American community. Starring in Easter Sunday are Jimmy O. Yang, Tia Carrere, Brandon Wardell, Tony nominee Eva Noblezada, Lydia Gaston, Asif Ali, Rodney To, Eugene Cordero, Jay Chandrasekhar, Tiffany Haddish and Lou Diamond Phillips. The release date was originally going to be around the Easter holiday but has been moved to August 5.

The Fabulous Filipino Brothers: This film starring the four Basco brothers and their sister has been kicking around the film festivals for over a year. The comedy gives a rare peek at the sometimes complicated and not-so-subtle (but always loving) relationships in a Filipino American family as they prepare for an upcoming wedding. The Basco siblings, Dante, Derek, Dion, Darion and Arianna, star in the fictional movie about a rollicking, raucous and loving family. It also features Liza Lapira (The Equalizer) and introduces Philippine star Solenn Hausaff to Western audiences. The feature just started streaming on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Youtube, and Apple+.

Ms. Marvel: Ms. Marvel is an upcoming American web television series, based on the Marvel Comics superheroine of the same name, not to be confused with Captain Marvel, a different superheroine altogether. It is the 20th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It stars newcomer, Indian American actress Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan and Ms. Marvel. With a strong Indian American influene, it also stars Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, Rish Shah, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Matt Lintz, Yasmeen Fletcher, Laith Naki, Azher Usman, Travina Springer and Nimra Bucha. The series is produced by Marvel Studios and will be released on Disney+ this summer.

Josep: A half-hour sitcom starring the busiest Asian American comedian in Hollywood, Jo Koy (See "Easter Sunday" above.) Koy will play a divorced single-father nurse navigating the dating the world with the assistance of his wacky Filipino American family and friends. The series has deep AAPI roots: The sitcom will be penned by Steve Joe (Doogie Kamealoha M.D.,Young Sheldon), while Kourtney Kang (Fresh Off The Boat), Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar (Jumanji: The Next Level), and actor Randall Park (WandaVision) will executive produce alongside Koy. Set to premiere on ABC sometimes later this year.

Concepción: FilAm actor Reggie Lee (Grimm) is one of the first "name" actors signed onto this underworld crime series that takes place in Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown over a 28-year span, 1992-2020. It seeks to examine the world of an Asian American "godfather"-like figure, a world of drugs and money, but also heritage and pride, viewed through origins, history, choices and consequences. Filipino American fingerprints all over this series, still in pre-production, with Yellow Rose and Lingua Franca co-producer Jeremiah Abraham and ABS-CBN and from creator Craig Obligación Wilson. No debut date announced yet.

Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (Season 2): Starring the now acclaimed actress Awkwafina, aka Nora Lum, the sitcom is loosely based on the actress' real live in Queens, NYC before she became famous and an in-demand. Besides Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell), the series cast includes the rest of her TV family, SNL's Bowen Yang, Broadway's BD Wong and Lori Tan Chinn, who as the grandmother, is a scene stealer. The series has also been an opportunity for AAPI guest stars including Margaret Cho, Simu Liu, Harry Shum, Jr., and Ross Butler. A third season has not. been announced but, in the meantime, the first two seasons of the highly rated series is available on Comedy Central.

Everything, Everywhere All At Once: Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the feature film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman played by Michelle Yeoh, who can't seem to finish her taxes while being hurtled through multiple dimensions, some dominated by Asians. Cast includes Harry Shum Jr. (“Shadowhunters”), Stephanie Hsu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), Ke Huy Quan (“The Goonies”) and James Hong (“Blade Runner” and a host of other films). The film is set to debut on March 25.

Almost Paradise (Season 2): FilAm producer Dean Devlin announced that his fledgling crime series has been picked up for a second season. Shot entirely in Cebu, Philippines, Almost Paradise follows Alex Walker (Christian Kane), a former U.S. DEA agent who, after his partner’s betrayal and a life-threatening battle with hypertension, is forced into early retirement and relocates to a Cebu, Philippines. Besides its exotic locale, the series also stars Filipino talent Samantha Richelle and Arthur Acuña, as his partners in crime0fighting. After production halts because of COVID-19, the series' return to Amazon (Prime) has not been announced.

Sour. Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u: Can we get enough of Olivia Rodrigo? The Filipino American singer, songwriter is featured in a documentary about the making of her debut album "Sour." Olivia takes audiences on a familiar road trip from Salt Lake City, where she began writing her triple-platinum Geffen Records debut album “SOUR,” to Los Angeles. Along the way, Rodrigo recounts the memories of writing and creating her record-breaking debut album and shares her feelings as a young woman navigating a specific time in her life. Through new live arrangements of her songs, intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage, audiences will follow her along on a cinematic journey exploring the story of “SOUR.” The doc debuts March 25 on Disney+.

Fistful of Vengeance: The movie released this month is the followup to the 2020 TV series Wu Assassins. Iko Uwais returns as Kai Jin, the last Wu Assassin. He is joined by Lewis Tan and Jason Tobin. The locale moves from San Francisco to Bangkok as the trio of crime fighters battle the Chinese Triad for the pursuit of ancient powers. Lots of martial arts, spectacular fight choreography. The movie is currently available on Netflix.

Umma: If you're a Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, The Chair) fan (OK, I confess.) or into the horror genre, this is one film you can't miss. "Umma" is Korean for mother. Amanda (Sandra Oh) and her daughter are living a quiet life on an American farm, but when the remains of her estranged mother arrive from Korea, Amanda becomes haunted by the fear of turning into her own mother. Written and directed by Iris Shim. The movie is distributed by Sony and release is slated for March 18.

Nope: A horror/science fiction flick starring Steven Yuen (Minari, The Walking Dead), along with Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer. Caretakers at a California horse ranch encounter a mysterious force that affects human and animal behaviour. Written and directed by Jordan Peele (Get Out). Nope is set to be released in theaters July 22 from Universal Pictures.

Moonshot: Lana Condor (To All The Boys I Ever Loved) leads the cast of this romantic comedy with a sci-fi twist, is set in a future where Mars is terraformed and colonized by the best humanity has to offer two very different college students wind up joining forces and sneak onboard a space shuttle to the red planet in order to be united with their significant others. Condor's co-star is Riverdale's Cole Sprouse. Release date is March 31 on HBO Max.

Bridgerton will be more colorful in Season 2.

Bridgerton (Season 2): The surprise hit of 2020, Bridgerton is a romantic period piece with a change of focus. Jonathan Bailey, who plays Anthony Bridgerton will take the lead alongside potential love interest Kate Sharma, played by Simone Ashley. The Sharma's is an Indian Brit family that shakes up London high society, thus fulfilling Shonda Rhimes' vow to diversify casting. Bridgerton returns March 25 on Netflix.

Mythic Quest (Season 2): I include this Apple+ series in its second season solely on the sterling performance of lead actress Charlotte Nicdao, a Filipino Austrialian who steals every scene she's in. She's proving to be an outstanding comedic actress in a well-written series that doesn't get enough attention and credit from the AAPI entertainment establishment because the series is not on a broadcast network. Her racial heritage is not a central focus of the series but when she sings a Tagalog lullaby in Episode 8, well I almost fell out of my seat. Seasons 1 & 2 are available for binging on Apple+.

Killing Eve (Season 4): This will be the final season for  the critically acclaimed Killing Eve, which has garnered Emmy nominations for its stars, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. Comer won the Best Actress Emmy in 2020. Oh was nominated (and should have won) in 2019. The cat-and-mouse game and complicated relationship between the driven British Inspector Eve Polastri (Oh) and the mentally unbalanced Russian assassin Villanelle  (Comer) has captivated audiences for four years. The series premieres Feb. 27 on BBC America and available for streaming on AMC+.

PEN15: The coming-of-age storyline is about two friends played by Anna Konkle and Emma Erskine, who also the serie's creators and writers. The actresses play two middle-school students who maneuver their way through the pitfalls that befall students at that awkward age. Even though they are much older than the characters they play, they are able to pull it off. A lot of Asian Americans will recognize the touchy issues faced by the lead teen characters. Some of the episodes confront the racism directed at Erskine's Japanese American character. Unfortunately, this is the last season for the series. It is bingeable on Hulu.

Young Rock (Season 2). The NBC sitcom follows the adventures of a young Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a Samoan Black American and one of the most popular stars in the world. It follows the young Rock as a pre-teen, a teenager and a young adult during his time as a professional football player. One of the most fun aspects of the show is bringing in stories about some of WWF's old guard including Andre the Giant, The Iron Sheik and Randy Savage. As of Feb. 22, NBC announced the third season will premiere in January, 2023. The first two seasons can be streamed on Amazon Prime.

NCIS: Hawaii: The TV series stars a host of AAPI actors including lead, Filipino American Vanessa Manillo Lachkey, Yasmine al-bustami, Alex Tarrant, Jason Antoon and Noah Mills. As the title suggests, the setting is Hawaii with strong references to the local culture and the racial origins of each of the characters. Lachkey plays team leader Jane Tennant, who is also a single mom of two hapa children, who she helps navigate through the current era of anti-Asianism. The first season airs on Mondays, 9 p.m. on CBS; also available on Paramount for you bingers. Although it has performed strongly in its time slot, a second season has not been announced. Binge on Paramount.

Never Have I Ever (Season 3), Netflix renewed the sitcom  created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher and why not? It is one of Netflix's most successful series around the world. The series is loosely based on the experiences that Kaling had in her own youth. Will Devi pick hapa jock Paxton Hall-Yoshida played. by Darren Barnet or brainy white guy Ben Gross played by Jaren Lewison? Oh, the tribulations of high school from an AAPI POV. Filming Season 3 just wrapped this month. Netflix hopes to launch the hit show's third season in late Spring or early Fall of 2022.

Doogie Kamealoha, MD: A fresh take on the old Doogie Howser, MD series. Lahela "Doogie" Kamealoha is a teenaged wunderkind juggling her high school life with an early medical career. There are strong bones to this series.The sit-com was created by Kourtney Kang, who executive produced Fresh Off the Boat. It stars Disney veteran Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack), who plays the title character, who struggles being a normal teenager and a super-smart physician. Some of the AAPI supporting cast include Comedy Central's Ronnie Chieng, Randall Park, and Jason Scott Lee and a host of cameo appearances of veteran actors, including Amy Hill and Margaret Cho. Doogie is available on Disney+.

Squid Games (Season 2): The second season of Netflix's most watched series, the science fiction/horror story about the deadly game of paying off huge debts hasn't even begun taping yet and was originally scheduled for a 2023 release. However, with its recently won three SAG acting awards, pressure may be on to hurry up production for a late 2022 release.

* I use "Hollywood" as a generic term for entertainment production, which could originate in London, Toronto, Vancouver, New York or Atlanta)

**In compiling this list, I stuck to those projects premiering or underway in 2022, staying away from productions set in 2023 or finished in 2021. I also stayed away from products where AAPI actors are secondary characters. I tried to stay away fro foreign productions, but Bridgerton and Squid Games are just too big to ignore. It is not meant to be a complete list. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: On Feb. 25, added 'Killing Eve,' and "Umma" to the list. On March 7, added "Kung Fu" and "Turning Red." On March 22, "Moonshot" waa added. For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd. on Twitter 

SF film festival offering drive-in experience and virtual presentations in celebrating Asian and AAPI films, artists

A scene from 'Try Harder!', a documentary about Lowell High School in San Francisco.

A documentary film about San Francisco's highly competitive Lowell High School and its predominantly Asian American students opens the CAAMFest celebration of Asian American films Thursday night.

The film festival, presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) . kicks off with opening night presentations of Try Harder! at the makeshift Fort Mason Flix drive-in. 

Due to the OVID-19 restrictions and a cautionary concern about the health of film fans and filmmakers, the movie was shown in an outdoor drive-in format at Fort Mason.

 “The current COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis of unprecedented scope, one that presents unique challenges to the Asian American community,” says Stephen Gong, executive director of CAAM. “Now, more than ever, the power of storytelling is vital to the health and happiness of our diverse communities.” 

Try Harder!, the acclaimed documentary by local filmmaker Debbie Lum looks at the highly competitive atmosphere at San Francisco’s Lowell High School, where many students are Asian American. The heat is on for these students as they work hard at school while also experiencing the incredibly stressful process of applying to elite colleges and universities where only a few open spots exist for the flood of applications the campuses will receive. 

Try Harder! screens at the Fort Mason Flix drive-in at 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

Several spotlighted films will be exhibited at the makeshift drive-int as CAAM welcomes back fans after resorting to an all-virtual format last year. To enrich the experience, film festival organizers is bringing in food trucks featuring Asian cuisine for festival-goers.

Scene from "Lumpia With A Vengeance," will be shown on Day 2 of CAAMFest.

CAAMFest 2021  offers two films in the special drive-in program, “Celebration Of Filipino American Stories” -- The Fabulous Filipino Brothers and Lumpia With A Vengeance) -- on Friday, May 14, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. (Sold out.)

The drive-in portion of CAAMFest 2021 wraps up on Saturday, May 15, 2021, with the “Hong Kong Cinema Showcase” featuring films by Hong Kong movie makers at 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.

CAAM continues the virtual format with a schedule of over 50 events, including screenings, panels, and live performances. 

One of Basco's earlier films, The Debut, is being made available as one of CAAMFest's virtual screenings. The feature, made in 2001, is perhaps the first movie featuring Filipino American lead characters.

CAAMFest 2021 has offerings for everyone from media makers to film lovers to those interested in Asian and Asian American representation, conveyed through unique voices highlighting the intersections of community - an apt marking of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month during this year when Asian Americans have been targeted for widespread violence.

Comedian and actress Margaret Cho will be present at the screening for 'Korean Ghost Story.'

 Many more virtual programs continue through Sunday, May 23, 2021, with CAAMFest 2021’s eclectic schedule of online screenings.

“The world may have paused due to the pandemic, but our filmmakers didn’t,” says Masashi Niwano, festival and exhibitions director at CAAM. “The vibrancy and energy of this year’s programming is unmatched with our filmmakers bravely telling their unique and vital stories." 

While some screenings are ticketed, CAAMFest also offers free events. Ticket options include $8 to $10 for individual virtual screenings, $12 to $15 for special screening events, $44 to $50 for the CAAMFest On Demand Pass, $44 to $50 per vehicle for single drive-in screenings, and $84 to $90 per vehicle for drive-in double features.

* * *

For a complete list of the CAAMFest film offerings, panels, showcases and celebrations, click here.

To register for the live events and to receive access to the virtual films, click here.

CORRECTION, May 13, 11 a.m.: Earlier version of this post had the wrong film for Day 2. Thursday, May 14, 'Lumpia With A Vengeance' will play alongside 'The Fabulous Filipino Brothers.'

Dante Basco talks the importance of sharing Asian American stories with his directorial debut

The brothers in 'The Fabulous Filipino Brothers' are real-life brothers

By Agnes ConstantePRISM

After 35 years in Hollywood as an actor and producer, Dante Basco is making his directorial debut with The Fabulous Filipino Brothers. The indie film made its worldwide premiere on March 16 at the virtual SXSW film festival. 

The Fabulous Filipino Brothers is centered around a Filipino wedding and tells the stories of four Filipino brothers through four vignettes. Basco stars in the film alongside his three brothers Derek, Darion, and Dion. It’s a family affair with appearances from their sister, parents, and other family members.

March 16 is a serendipitous date, Basco said. Twenty years ago on March 16, 2001, The Debut, the first Filipino American film released in theaters nationwide, which he also starred in, premiered at the Asian and Asian American film festival CAAMFest.

Basco is an important figure in the Asian American and Filipino American entertainment community, well known for his iconic role as Rufio in the 1991 film Hook and as Zuko in the 2005 animated TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Although Asian Americans constitute 6% of the U.S. population, a 2016 report found that their representation as lead characters on screen and behind the camera is less than their share of the population. 

Long underrepresented in the film industry, the Asian American and Filipino American community’s visibility in Hollywood is something Basco is constantly working to elevate. Several years ago, he co-founded an Asian American arts collective that aimed to get creatives in the community create their own films outside of Hollywood. The collective has since come to an end, but Basco’s commitment to spotlighting Asian American stories remains. 

“I’m always a big supporter of all artists continuing to make more art and get it out there, especially the Asian community, especially Southeast Asian community,” Basco said. 

Basco called his directorial debut a love letter to his family and to the Filipino American community in his hometown of Pittsburgh, California, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area where most of the movie was filmed.

“For me, to shoot in the Philippines and reconnect to the homeland, the movie is special to me in a lot of ways,” he said.

The influence of Basco’s family is represented throughout the film. The brothers in the movie are named after his uncles, and one of the vignettes was based on his parents’ love story. He also created characters for his brothers that showcase their strengths as actors. Basco and his brother Darion wrote the original screenplay together, and were later joined by their siblings Dion and Arianna, who both rewrote certain parts of the film. Arianna, the youngest of the siblings, contributed to the development of the script by adding more depth and nuance to each female character. For the single pregnant character, she was able to draw from her experience as a single mother.

“A lot of what she says in her vignette about being pregnant and the judgments was very much trying to key into what that’s like and what that character would say; the things that I thought of during that time of pregnancy,” she said.

Arianna said working on the project with family was an emotional experience that reflected their journey of moving from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles in the ’80s where they were able to begin building their careers in entertainment. Part of that involved a seven-year period when she and her brothers did not speak to each other due to an industry-related feud.

“This film was such a marker of, there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” she said. “We can get through these tough times. And we can love each other and be vulnerable with each other … All of us taking our seat at the table, myself as a sister, a woman, being able to look at the script and being like, ‘Yo, we need to rework this.’ Everything kind of came full circle.”

Basco said his directorial debut comes at a meaningful time when the profile of Asian filmmakers in Hollywood is at its highest, particularly following the success of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018 and the acclaim that films like The Farewell, Parasite, and Minari have received. Yet many of those stories feature East Asian narratives, which Hollywood tends to highlight to represent Asian Americans. South and Southeast Asians are often absent. Even with Disney’s first Southeast Asian princess in Raya and the Last Dragon, the film’s voice cast is dominated by East Asian actors.

“But those stories don’t tell the whole story,” Basco said. “They’re not supposed to. But if we just leave it up to only those films being made, then it does.”

That’s why it’s important for Southeast Asian American filmmakers to continue creating films and putting their stories out there, he said. Some films that have come from the community in recent years include Filipino American filmmaker Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca, which tells the story of an undocumented Filipina trans caretaker in Brooklyn who is seeking legal status. Another is The Long Walk, a thriller by Laotian American director Mattie Do, who is Laos’ first and only female director.

Basco said he didn’t set out to make the definitive Filipino American film with The Fabulous Filipino Brothers—it represents his and his family’s experiences, which are just one story among many.

“All our voices are important, and I look forward to more stories being told, whether it be Filipino or Vietnamese or Cambodian or Chamorro. Even though we have so many, there’s so many more stories to be told out there,” he said.

For people who watch his film, Basco hopes they enjoy the project he and his family worked on together.

“I think there’s some fun stuff in the film. And I’m just so proud of my brothers and my sister,” he said. “I think they made some really wonderful performances and I can’t wait to share that with the world.”

***

Reprinted by permission. Prism is a BIPOC-led nonprofit news outlet that centers the people, places and issues currently underreported by national media. For more information link to: www.prismreports.org.

Filipino American spoof 'Ang Drama Mo' touts the US Census

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Dante Basco, left, and Princess Punzalan, right, star in 'Ang Drama Mo.'

Filipino American actors spoofed the popular Filipino soap operas (teleserye) offered up on TV networks offering Filipino shows from the Philippines, to urge Filipinos living in the US to take part in the #Census2020.

The first episode, "The Wedding," in what apparently will be a series, features all the hallmarks of favorite teleseryes-- drama, betrayal, a guy with an eyepatch! -- but the overly dramatic soap opera is being used to spread the word to the Filipino American community to participate in #Census2020. 

The Asian American & Pacific Islander communities, in particularly, the Filipino American community, has been proven difficult to count in the past. This year, the Census is making a greater effort to reach out by partnering with community groups.

Nonprofit agencies serving their local communities have been working with the US Census Bureau to ensure a better count.

Ang Drama Mo was created in conjunction with the Pilipino Workers Center and the Filipino Complete Count Committee of Los Angeles County.

It features Dante Basco (Hook, The Last Airbender) and Princess Punzalan (Yellow Rose) with Carlin James, Francisco "Pepe" San Martin, and Sean Michael Afable.

Since March 14, the Census has been sending out reminders to every household to fill out the Census questionnaire online.

The data collected by the data is confidential and won't be shared with any other government agency or private business.

The data will be used to determine your political representation and the following:

NOTE: The US Census Bureau continues to carefully monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and follow the guidance of federal, state, and local health authorities. The bureau is adjusting some operations with two key principles in mind: protecting the health and safety of our staff and the public, and fulfilling our statutory requirement to deliver the 2020 Census counts to the President on schedule.

In support of guidance on what it can all do to help slow the spread of coronavirus, 2020 Census field operations will be suspended for two weeks until April 1, 2020.

TGIF Feature: 'Rufio' directs film 'The Fabulous Filipino Brothers'

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Dante Basco in a scene from The Fabulous Filipino Brothers' with actress Solenn Heussaff.

Dante Basco broke a lot of barriers when he was cat as Lost Boy leader Rufio opposite Robin Williams' Peter Pan in Steven Sielberg's classic Hook.

For a generation of Asian Americans, Basco's Rufio was a role model -- the leader, the risk-taker, the rebel -- that was everything the typical Asian stereotype wasn't.

He's now taking on a new role but this time it will be behind the camera as the director of The Fabulous Filipino Brothers based on a script that he wrote with his brothers Darion and Dionysio Basco.

Directing and starring in the movie was more difficult than he anticipated. Switching hats in the same scene and being objective about his performance was the hardest part of the dual roles.

The film recently wrapped filming in the Philippines and production now moves to the US.

The feature is set in the brothers’ hometown of Pittsburg, Calif., a working class suburb of Oakland. Starring Basco and his three brothers (including Derek Basco), the dark romantic comedy weaves together four vignettes, narrated by their sister, Arianna Basco.

The story follows the brothers and their shenanigans, according to Deadline. One of the brothers ventures off to a cockfight for reciprocity. Another brother flies to old Manila where an old flame is rekindled. A third brother delves into the hidden sensuality of Filipino cuisine, while the last brother, struggles to heal deep wounds and finds love in an unexpected package. All this, leading to a shotgun wedding in the backyard of the family house.

Dante Basco, 2nd from right, and his brothers.

This marks the first time the Basco brothers have been in a film together since the Asian American family drama The Debut which was released in 2000. The debut is a coming of age event for young Filipinas akin to the Mexican quinceaneras. The film has become a cult classic because most of its roles were cast with Asian Americans at a time when Asian American films were a rarity.

After Rufio, Dante Basco's next best-known role is that of Prince Zuko which he voiced for iAvatar:The Last Airbender. Inbetween Rufio and Zuko, his films and TV series including But I’m a Cheerleader, Biker Boyz, The Legend of Korra, A Million Little Things, Star Wars Rebels and Empty By Design.

Basco's memoir, "From Rufio to Zuko" will be released Nov. 4.

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Will Batgirl be an Asian American?

Ella Jay Basco will play Cassandra Cain, who eventually become Batgirl, right.

NEWCOMER ELLA JAY BASCO has nabbed the pivotal role of Cassandra Cain in the upcoming production of Birds of Prey.

The superhero movie stars Margot Robbie, who is also executive producer, reprising her role of bat-wielding Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad.

For those of you unfamiliar with the DC mythology, Cassandra Cain is the alter ego of Batgirl and exists in the same D.C. universe as Batman, the Joker, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman.

Cassandra is the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva. They raise their daughter in their own image, keeping human contact to a bare minimum and deprive her of speech so that she may become hone her skills as an extremely skilled assassin.

Margot Robbie plays Harley Quinn.

Without speech, Cassandra develops the unique ability to anticipate someone's movements by reading their body language. This gives her an advantage against any assailants.

In the comics, she eventually meets Batman and that leads her on the path to becoming Batgirl. 

Birds of Prey occurs before Cassandra's transformation into a bad-ass when she was only 12-years old. 

There is a Batgirl movie in development and it hasn't been cast. There might be a time jump between Birds of Prey and the grown-up Batgirl. If so, Ella might not be cast as the more mature Batgirld. But if Ella can pull off Cassanddra convincingly, ... well, by the time Batgirls starts filming, she'll be a teenager. Anything can can happen.

Cassandra Cain would be the biggest role for for the Filipina-Korean-American actress. Previously, she has had roles in Grey’s Anatomy, Happyland, Veep, and Superior Donuts. She is the niece of Dante Basco, who played  the iconic role of leader of the Lost Boys, Rufio, in the classic movie Hook opposite Robin Williams.


Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) is directing the movie, the first female Asian director to helm a superhero film,. She recently confirmed that Birds of Prey will be an R-Rated movie scheduled to be released in 2020.

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Ella Jay Basco with her huncle, Dante Basco.

In Birds of Prey, she'll be too young to make an appearance as the super hero. We assume that Batgirl will make her debut in a followup film.

The addition of the Cassandra Cain version of Batgirl is a pretty interesting choice. In the comics, the character has a speech disability, which heightens her sight. Cain is able to anticipate movements from assailants by expertly reading body language. 

The cast of Birds of Prey keeps on growing. We now have word that newcomer Ella Jay Basco is in negotiations to play Cassandra Cain in the upcoming live-action DC Comics adaptation. It's not only a major break for an up-and-coming actress, but it could mean very big things for the on-screen DC universe, as Cassandra Cain is one of the characters who eventually becomes Batgirl.

She is the niece of Dante Basco.

According to a new report, Ella Jay Basco is only expected to be playing Cassandra Cain in Birds of Prey, so this doesn't mean that Batgirl is going to show up. And the previous indication was that the hero would appear at a later date, as Warner Bros. also has a Batgirl movie in development, which Joss Whedon was attached to write and possibly direct at one point. Other cast members confirmed up to this point include Margot Robbie, reprising her role as Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress and Jurnee Smollett-bell as Black Canary, With Ewan McGregor set to portray the villain Black Mask.

For those who may not be familiar, Cassandra Cain, in the world of DC Comics, is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, both accomplished assassins. They raise her without much human contact and deprive her of speech so that she may become a great assassin. Eventually, she meets Bruce Wayne and that leads her on a path to becoming Batgirl. Barbara Gordon, daughter of Jim Gordon is the other, probably more well-known Batgirl. This report also comes with some new plot details. Apparently, Cassandra Cain stumbles across a diamond that belongs to Black Mask, a nefarious kingpin in Gotham City's criminal underworld. It's then up to Harley, Huntress and Black Canary to protect her. It was previously reported that this version of Gotham City won't have Batman around to protect it, so don't expect to see Batfleck show up to back them up. Ella Jay Basco is only twelve years old, so this version of Cassandra Cain will be very young.

Related: Every DC Comics Movie in Development

This will be the next DC movie to enter production. It's just one of several spin-offs centered on Harley Quinn that entered development after the success of Suicide Squad. It also, somewhat surprisingly, will enter production before Suicide Squad 2, which looked like it was going to begin filming early next year before the studio decided to move forward with this instead. Currently, Wonder Woman 1984and the Joker origin movie, not connected to the current live-action DC movies, are filming

Prior to this, Ella Jay Basco only had minor roles in shows like Grey's Anatomy, Veep and Superior Donuts. Needless to say, this is a big step up. Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) is in the director's chair, working from a script by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee), who is also working on the Batgirl movie. Bird of Prey is currently scheduled to hit theaters on February 7, 2020. 

Congrats to “newcomer” Ella Jay Basco who is in negotiations to star as Cassandra Cain (AKA the future Batgirl) in Warner Bros’ Harley Quinn spin-off BIRDS OF PREY! Basco is of Korean and Filipina descent. From Variety:

Margot Robbie is back as Quinn with Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell on board as Huntress and Black Canary, respectively. Ewan McGregor will play the film’s villain and Rosie Perez will portray Gotham City police detective Renee Montoya.

Cathy Yan is directing the pic with Robbie producing, along with Sue Kroll and Bryan Unkeless.

In the new film, Robbie, Winstead, and Smollett-Bell team up to protect Cain’s character when she comes across a diamond belonging to McGregor’s Black Mask, a kingpin in Gotham City’s criminal underworld.

In DC Comics, Cain is the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, and is deprived of speech and human contact during her childhood as conditioning to become the world’s greatest assassin. She eventually befriends Bruce Wayne and goes on to become Batgirl. It is unknown whether the Batgirl element will be included in this storyline as WB is already developing a “Batgirl” movie.