KNOW ME
James Q. Chan 陳偉權, Corey Tong, Penelope Wong, Chinatown Shorts: You Are Here, 2022
Launched in Fall 2020, Chinatown Shorts: You Are Here is a short form film series highlighting the human pillars from SanFrancisco’s historic neighborhood and beyond. Each film portrait is a specific entry point into historic Chinatown through the lens of a community member and their inspiring contributions that have shaped their neighborhood and city.
Spring/summer 2022 installment of shorts opens with Dorothy Quock 郭 周 金 杏 and Victor Tung, followed by a live fashion show of their dynamic designs, inviting community members to be the models. The series is created by James Q. Chan 陳偉權, presented by CAAM, with a directing debut from Corey Tong and Penelope Wong.
CURIOSITY MAN: The World of Victor Tung (2022) * sneak preview *
Dir. Corey Tong, Penelope Wong
With an emerging international following, Chinatown’s colorful artist and preeminent couture designer infuses a lifetime of memories into his creations: paintings, photographs, sculptures, and one-of-a-kind wearable pieces of art – inspiring endless creativity for all who experience his dynamic work.
Becoming Polka Dot (2022) * sneak preview *
Dir. James Q. Chan 陳偉權
No longer just clothing, Dorothy Quock’s 郭 周 金 杏 hand-made wardrobe are her personal artifacts that embody the singular and extraordinary life of this 88-year-old colorful fashionista, social justice activist, and community treasure.
About James Q Chan
James Q. Chan 陳偉權 is an Emmy-nominated producer and director based in San Francisco. Recent producing credits include Plague at the Golden Gate (American Experience, 2022) and Chinatown Rising (America ReFramed, 2022). Recent directing projects include Bloodline (screening now on KQED’s Truly CA), large-format 360° films for Disney, and launching the doc web series Chinatown Shorts. His film Forever, Chinatown (Emmy® Nominee) received multiple festival awards and screened globally with American Film Showcase, where James also serves as a filmmaker envoy. James received a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for his work highlighting stories from the AAPI community. The sensibilities throughout his projects are shaped by his refugee and working-class background, love for nature shows, and memories of his mother’s cooking. He is currently adapting Laurence Yep’s acclaimed book Child of the Owl into a magical realism series for television. Prior to filmmaking, James worked as a SAG/AFTRA talent agent in San Francisco. James is a member of both New Day Films, a filmmaker-run distribution co-operative, and the Directors Guild of America.
About Corey Tong
Based in San Francisco and Hawai’i, Corey Tong is an Emmy-nominated film producer, director, writer and creative consultant for festivals, exhibitions, curatorial programming, and public relations. Such work includes presenting film programs in the U.S. and Asia. Notably, Tong is a producer of the Emmy-nominated Forever, Chinatown (USA, 2016), executive producer of the Oscar®-nominated, Emmy-winning Last Day of Freedom (USA, 2015) and producer of the feature drama The Land Has Eyes (Fiji-USA, 2005). He has been a consulting producer on documentary Defender (2017), Point of No Return (2018) and numerous other film projects. Tong serves as an international cultural envoy for the U.S. State Department American Film Showcase global film series. He is the former director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (CAAMFest) and IFFCON (special projects) respectively.
About Penelope Wong
Penelope Wong has always been a storyteller. At age ten, she transformed Alcott’s Little Women into a Chinese-American tale. Today, her filmmaking aims to tell stories beyond stereotypes. Recent credits include executive producer of the anti-gun violence music video Too Many Bodies, Jeannette about a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, and Found about a Korean-American adoptee. She was associate producer of Academy Award-nominated Last Day of Freedom and Emmy-nominated Forever, Chinatown. Wong is the screenwriter of award-winning The Shanghai Café and Buddha Baby Cha Cha Cha. She is currently developing a narrative short about the night her mother met The Other Wife of her father. Previously, Wong enjoyed a career in advertising and branding where she co-founded Wong Wong Boyack and served as Senior Vice President and Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather Direct. An author on everything from fitness to fashion, food to film, and problem-solving to cultural diversity, she contributed a chapter to Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island. Wong has lectured at UC Berkeley Extension, University of Hawaii, and Stanford’s Publishing Course for 15 years. She serves on the board of SFFILM, Oakland Museum of California, and California Humanities. Wong lives in San Francisco and Santa Barbara.
(BECOMING POLKA DOT) Models:
CAVALLEIRO, Ramon || CHAN, Ming Quan || FONG, Erin || FONG, Ruby || GARTON, Kellita || LAW, Shirley || LI, Jennifer || LO, Andria || LUU, Valerie || McCARTHY, Syra || SHIA, Jing Jing || STANECK, Veronica || SENG, Helen || WU, Chloe || WU, Kristen Lee || XU, Yinghuan || XU, Yingyi || YUEN, Christina || YUNG, Anita || ZENG, Li Chang
Talent & Model Manager: PIERCE, Charleston
Models: CAMILLE, Tayler || DONAVILLE, Victoria || HONORE, Georgie || JANNALI, Meka || ROSALINDA, Angelee || TAYLOR, Jenny || GAO, Jenny || LI, Yaner || MCKAY, Jennifer || SUN, Joyce || WANG, Sue ||
Chinatown Shorts: You are Here Production Team: Corey Tong, Event Producer || Maguire Mount, Event Associate Producer || Britta Erich, Event Associate Producer || Rachel Yang + Rose Qi, Back of House Managers || The Great Star Theater || Roger Pincombe, Executive Director || Alice Chu, Director of Community Relations || Mad-Dog Madigan, Creative Director || Lish Lash, Technical Director || Michael Gerard, Lighting Design