Reading of AAIFF Screenplay Competition Winner HELEN EVER AFTER

Jul 20

Leviathan Lab, in association with Asian Cinevision and SAG-AFTRA's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity, presents a staged reading of the 2017 Asian American International Film Festival Screenplay Competition Winner "Helen Ever After (a transgender story)" by Helen Wong, directed by Leviathan artistic director Flordelino Lagundino.

"Helen Ever After (a transgender story)" follows the story of a transgender woman who, after a series of embarrassing events caused by her hallucinations, must embark on an 'epic' coming out journey along with her imaginary friends and guardian angel.

ABOUT HELEN WONG
Helen graduated in Fine Arts from University of Southern California in the year 2000. Her favorite subjects were feminist theories and performance art, which led her to performing in front of the camera after graduation. She's done some acting and modeling in Los Angeles where she resides, and she is a SAG-AFTRA member.

HELEN EVER AFTER is Helen's first screenplay. She started writing the transgender comedy because she didn't see anything she strongly identified with in movies or on television, not Trans America, not Transparent, not Orange Is the New Black! She felt compelled to fill the void by writing a story that was original, funny, vulgar, Asian American and didn't take itself too seriously.

Helen lives with her black/brindle french bulldog King Kong (but everyone calls him KK). She has a day job and is a vegan.

ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Every year, Asian Cinevision's NY Asian American International Film Festival proudly hosts the Asian American International Screenplay Competition and embraces the influx of great writing talents. The winner of the competition gets a reading by local NYC actors during AAIFF in New York City. Past winners of the Asian American International Screenplay Competition include Michael Kang’s THE MOTEL, Mora Stephens’ GEORGIA HEAT and Isaac Ho's THE CHINESE DELIVERY MAN. https://www.withoutabox.com/03film/03t_fin/03t_fin_fest_01over.php?festival_id=5751

ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), presented by Asian CineVision, is the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to films by and about Asians and Asian Americans. The 40th annual festival is taking place in New York City from July 25 to August 5th, 2017. Screenings will be held at Village East Cinema (181-189 2nd Avenue), Asia Society New York (725 Park Avenue), and Flushing Town Hall(13735 Northern Boulevard, Flushing). http://aaiff.org/2017/

ABOUT ASIAN CINEVISION
Asian Cinevision (ACV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media arts organization devoted to the development, exhibition, promotion, and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video. Since 1978, ACV has presented the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), the first and longest running festival in the U.S. to showcase the best in independent Asian and Asian American cinema. http://www.asiancinevision.org/

Ariel Estrada

Actor | Producer | Graphic Designer | Grant Writer Ariel is an actor, singer, producer, and Executive Director of Leviathan Lab, a creative studio for Asian American performing artists. Under Leviathan Lab, he has produced acting and writing salons, cabarets, fundraising events, staged readings, showcase productions, and short films – including a critically acclaimed 2011 production of TWELFTH NIGHT, starring Obie-award winning actor Jojo Gonzalez, and directed by Nelson T. Eusebio III (Assistant Director under Daniel Sullivan, The Public/NYSF 2011; Lincoln Center Directors Lab), with music by Jason Ma (Broadway: MISS SAIGON, THE SLY FOX, SHOGUN THE MUSICAL). In 2012, Ariel served as Executive Producer for Leviathan Lab’s multiple-award winning short film TWO WEEKS (Featured Film, 2013 Screen Actors Guild Shorts Showcase; Winner, 2013 Film Festival Flix Short Film Competition; Winner, Best Ensemble, 2013 Asians on Film Festival; Award of Merit: Asian American, Best Shorts Competition (December 2013); and Official Selection, 20th Annual Filipino American Cine Festival, (December 2013). As Executive Director, Ariel has secured two consecutive grants (2012, 2013) from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council for his work with Leviathan Lab, as well as for the international award-winning men’s barbershop chorus Voices of Gotham (2013) and for Empire City Men’s Chorus (2013). Ariel served as both a performer and Executive Producer of Leviathan Lab's first LMCC-supported project, MIGRATION NATION, which took ten new short plays inspired by the experiences of Filipina overseas contract workers, and assembled them into a three day, site-specific, immersive theatre event at the Tribeca brownstone/artists collective Space on White. For Leviathan's second LMCC-supported project in 2013, Ariel served as Executive Producer, Assistant Teaching Artist, and Performer for their Chinatown Kids' Playbuilding Project (JOURNEY TO THE WORLD OF PLAYWRITING), which took plays created through a 10-week workshop with the 5th grade students of P.S. 124, and produced them using the adult professional actors and directors of Leviathan Lab. Leviathan was also a 2011 resident artist at Space on White, and was recently selected for the 2013 Artists-in Residence program at University Settlement. As an actor and singer, Ariel has performed on television, film, commercials, industrials, new media, and on, Off, and Off-Off Broadway. You can visit his IMDB page here. Ariel is also an accomplished, Fortune 500 level graphic designer. To view his design portfolio, please visit arielestradadesign.com.

Reading of AAIFF Screenplay Competition Winner HELEN EVER AFTER

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