An Asian American woman’s internalized racism stands between her and a steamy one-night stand.

Interview with Writer/Director Kim Marcelino

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Growing up, I’m what people would have called a banana — yellow on the outside and white on the inside. The innocuousness of this term hides its danger. I spent years wrestling with the pain of looking different than how I feel — and I have felt everything from embarrassed of who I am to outright self-loathing.

Recently, I’ve had to wrestle with what role society and the media have played in allowing me to finally accept who I am. Changes in representation in movies and television, conversations about diversity and inclusion, and the growing community engagement that came out of the highly publicized hate crimes during the covid-19 pandemic are all external factors that have played a role in my healing. While my experience speaks to the importance of representation in the media, it also brings up feelings of sadness and shame that it took events outside of myself to affirm my identity. In speaking with other Asian Americans my experience is not unique.

I wanted to write a film that unpacks some of this shame.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Bad Asian is a film about overcoming self-hatred and internalized racism told through the comical and cringe-inducing setting of a one-night stand.

My hope is that audiences will laugh, cringe, and see a little piece of themselves in these characters.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Unfortunately, I think many of us are familiar with the shame that arises from having to hide or suppress some aspect of who you are. While this film explores one character’s personal struggle with internalized racism, it’s also a universal story about learning to love yourself in the face of competing social messaging.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

This was my first short film as a director. Once I finished the script, part of me felt like I had to rush into production before I had a chance to second-guess myself. Because of this, the film stayed remarkably close to my initial vision from script to production. I was fortunate to work with such supportive and talented collaborators who were able to build out the world of this script and add such wonderful texture and specificity to the characters.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

I’ve received so many compliments on the casting of the film and nothing but high praise for Lee Hubilla’s and Rob Chen’s performances. They were both such a joy to work with. They brought so much compassion and nuance to their roles — I couldn’t have asked for a better cast!

I also hear from viewers that the film packs a lot of fairly complex social critique into a short and entertaining five minutes. Which is exactly what we were hoping for so that’s great news!

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

This might sound strange, but I’m always surprised when someone tells me how much they related to the Melody character. Obviously, that’s what I had hoped for when I wrote the film, but I am so insecure about my ability to speak to any sort of “Asian American experience.” In making this film I was able to wrestle with some of that insecurity. So, it’s both validating and surprising to hear from audiences the ways in which they connected to this story.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We are at the very beginning of our festival run. Dances With Films is our world premiere. So we’re definitely looking to grow our audience through more screenings and publicity. And then through this film, my goal has always been to expand my network and connect with other filmmakers, producers, and future collaborators.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Film festival directors looking to program a 5-minute comedic short about identity, please reach out! Also, more press coverage is definitely welcome.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope that people feel seen by this short and maybe even demonstrate an interest in seeing these characters live on in a half-hour TV series. I love TV shows like Woke, Dear White People, and Ramy that tackle issues of race and identity politics head-on. I want to see more stories that do this for Asian American identity. And if there are any producers out there who also want those kinds of stories, I would love to connect!

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

“What do you lose by trying to fit in?”

I think for an earlier generation of Asian immigrants, there was a great deal of pressure to assimilate and fit into American culture. So much of my struggle growing up was wanting to be seen as an American — and nothing else. But in the process of asserting my identity as American, I basically whitewashed a lot of myself.

I think generations younger than myself are doing a better job of holding onto the cultural traditions passed down to them and demonstrating pride in their ethnic heritage. But even now Asian Americans still have to fight against this stereotype of “perpetual foreigner.”

Ideally, there will come a time when being “American” and being “Asian” don’t have to feel like two conflicting things.

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you so much for the opportunity to share my work!

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I’m currently developing a half-hour TV pilot based on the themes and characters in this short. The show further explores Melody’s relationship to her Asian identity amidst a backdrop of art, gentrification, and dating in NYC. Think Fleabag meets Ramy.

I’m also working on a feature film. It’s an interracial and cross-cultural meet-the-parents style comedy/drama that speaks to our expectations of Asian Americans as perpetual foreigners and whiteness as inherently American.

Interview: June 2023

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Bad Asian

An Asian American woman’s internalized racism stands between her and a steamy one-night stand.

Length: 5:30

Director: Kim Marcelino

Producer: Emily Wirth

Writer: Kim Marcelino

About the writer, director and producer:

KIM MARCELINO is a Chinese- and Filipino-American writer, director, and one of MovieMaker magazine’s 25 screenwriters to watch in 2023. She writes lighthearted comedies about serious subjects centering on flawed women of color. Her screenwriting has placed at The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, ScreenCraft Fellowship, PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, and the Austin Film Festival.

EMILY WIRTH is an award-winning producer who began her career in locations working on projects such as Gotham, Fosse/Verdon, and The King of Staten Island, to name a few, before turning her attention to producing independent films. She is also currently on the New York board of the Junior Hollywood Radio & Television Society.

Key cast: Lee Hubilla (Melody), Rob Chen (Chris)

Looking for: film festival directors, journalists, producers

Instagram: @badasianfilm

Website: www.kimmarcelino.com

Other: www.badasianfilm.com

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Dances With Films | Sunday, June 25th - 5:00 PM | TCL Chinese Theatres