Film Lab's "Unfinished Works" Screenplay Reading & Workshop with Kevin Tran
Event Information
About this event
This fall, the Film Lab will be rolling out three fabulous screenplay readings and workshops as part of our "Unfinished Works" program in which YOU - the audience member - get to become a part of the writer's creative process! In September, we'll explore "A Vietnamese Ghost Story," by Kevin Tran. Join us via AAFLTV on YouTube (YouTube.com/AsAmFilmLab) to watch the reading and then move to a private Zoom room to workshop the piece with the writer.
"Ghost Story," a feature-length script is set in California's Little Saigon and is about a family of Vietnamese refugees that become haunted by ghosts after the death of a beloved grandmother. The author, Kevin Tran, is a Vietnamese-American filmmaker based out of Brooklyn, NY. He graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and has worked in film distribution and marketing in New York City for over ten years and co-founded a film marketing agency called Crater. In 2020, his feature film debut, "The Dark End of Street," starring Brooke Bloom, Jim Parrack, and Lindsay Burdge, premiered at the D.C. Independent Film Festival and was released by Gravitas Ventures.
Unfinished Works is a program for writers, directors, actors and constitutes the Film Lab’s longest running program. Unfinished Works has assisted screenwriters for 20+ years, providing an avenue for filmmakers, screenwriters, and actors to share and workshop their work at any stage of development for honest feedback. The feedback process includes a reading of the piece by professional Film Lab actors and is carefully structured to provide assistance with drafting, editing, outlining, and more.
All writers selected for unfinished Works cast from the Film Lab Actor Directory, a core group of talented and dedicated artists who have demonstrated commitment both to their craft and to diversity in film and television. To link to our ACTOR DIRECTORY, visit https://www.asianamericanfilmlab.com/programs/actor-directory/.
Some basic rules and guidelines all artists participating in the Unfinished Works program agree to adhere to are below. For complete program guidelines and requirements, please visit www.film-lab.org.
1. Respect People. The program is only as strong as the people who make it up, and every single person in the Film Lab is donating their time and their talent to help make great art and advance underrepresented artists. We expect everyone to treat one another with kindness, courtesy and compassion throughout the entire UW process.
2. Respect the Film Lab Community. The Film Lab’s Unfinished Works (“UW”) program aims to create and promote a supportive community for artists in which everyone from the artists to the members of the audience feel welcome and safe. During virtual event introductions and feedback, we ask you to turn on your camera so we can all be present for the work. During readings, we ask you to turn off your camera so the community can focus on the actors. We love debate and dialogue. That’s why we’re here! However, inappropriate or hostile verbiage will not be permitted and it goes without saying that racist or sexist comments have no place in our feedback sessions.
3. Respect the Writers. The writers selected for the UW program are allowing the actors and audience to view a work in progress, not a completed screenplay. It is the actor and audience member’s job to help guide them to improve and complete their work. Therefore, when giving feedback, remember that the goal is always to give the writer something that inspires them to keep writing. Whether your feedback is complimentary or critical, focus on what will help the writer rather than center yourself as the feedback giver. Be efficient, helpful and compassionate.
Questions? Email Melissa@film-lab.org.
Organizer Film Lab
Organizer of Film Lab's "Unfinished Works" Screenplay Reading & Workshop with Kevin Tran
The Film Lab The Film Lab is a 501(c)(3) not for profit that has been dedicated to the promotion and support of gender and ethnic parity in entertainment media since 1998. The Film Lab accomplishes that goal in three ways: (1) education; (2) outreach and support; and (3) production. Education – The Film Lab runs monthly events that are open to the public ranging from screenings to seminars to Q&As, all designed to increase awareness of the current state of diversity in media and to provide audiences with the tools and motivation to effectuate positive social change through entertainment. Outreach-Support – The Film Lab runs various programs ranging from the famous 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition to filmmaking how-to workshops to networking parties, all of which work to connect people of color, particularly Asian Americans, and mainstream media executives and to create mentorship and distribution opportunities for people creating diverse works. The 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition is arguably the Film Lab’s most important annual event; bringing together A-list judges and established and aspiring filmmakers across the globe. People of all colors, backgrounds, religions, and cultures with a common goal: to battle inequality through creativity; to promote gender and ethnic diversity through entertainment; and to challenge stereotypical mainstream constructions of race, gender and sexuality. Top Shootout films have screened at the Asian American International Film Festival and the Time Warner Theatre in New York City and aired on CrossingsTV. The screenings typically sell out. Production – The Film Lab produces media with positive and prolific perceptions of women and people of color. The TV series, Film Lab Presents currently airs on CrossingsTV (Time Warner Cable & Xfinity). We also have an online channel, AAFL TV, to which viewers can subscribe to for free at youtube.com/asamfilmlab. Film Lab’s Numbers in a Nutshell The Film Lab has approximately 8,000+ members across the globe and attracts hundreds of filmmakers annually to compete in its 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking competition, resulting in a staggering body of bold, innovative and diverse entertainment. The first seasons of Film Lab Presents, the television show, that aired on the municipal channel, NYCLife, had a strong following of primarily Caucasian viewers, with top shows getting over 1 million viewers. The Film Lab has a strong social media presence from their website – www.film-lab.org - to Facebook pages, Twitter (@asamfilmlab), Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest, with hundreds of thousands of clicks on a weekly basis. Film Lab’s Partners and Sponsors From executives at ABC, CBS and NBC to companies like Final Draft and MasterClass, a multitude of high-level entertainment companies and professionals have recognized Film Lab's incredible work to support gender and ethnic parity in entertainment media. The Mayor of New York City has recognized Film Lab's President for her acting and activism work (see an excerpt here) and officially welcomed the Film Lab's 72 Hour Shootout filmmakers in 2020. Film Lab’s Partners and Sponsors From executives at ABC, CBS and NBC to companies like Final Draft and MasterClass, a multitude of high-level entertainment companies and professionals have recognized Film Lab's incredible work to support gender and ethnic parity in entertainment media. The Mayor of New York City has recognized Film Lab's President for her acting and activism work (see an excerpt here) and officially welcomed the Film Lab's 72 Hour Shootout filmmakers in 2020.