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Director’s Statement

The world loves Thai food but Thai immigrants, especially restaurant workers, aren’t thought of much beyond that. When I was young, my grandma, without knowing a lick of English, traveled to Napa, San Francisco, and Houston in her fifties to work various kitchen jobs so she could save money for her family. My gratitude and compassion for her grey-haired sweat and exhaustion, and respect for service workers who labor for their loved ones, are part of why I want to make this film.

As a Thai-American child, I grew up spending every Sunday at the Thai temple in North Hollywood, where I learned traditional dance, music, and how to read and write in Thai. This film would revisit those roots and spotlight my Thai community in Los Angeles and give an opportunity for fellow Southeast Asian creatives to showcase their skills and cultures in a fresh, unique way. Drawing inspiration from Jordan Peele’s work and zombie adventure classics such as “Shaun of The Dead,” the film sets out to use horror as a vehicle for comedy, magic, and social commentary. It blends the supernatural with the lived experience of a Thai-American kid.

What makes “Lukee the Undead” different from other immigrant narratives is that it steers away from the very real, harrowing, and depressing struggle of trying to establish a livelihood where racist encounters and hostile political policies flourish. While these issues are never minimized and never invalidated, my film defiantly chooses to highlight the grit, persistence, optimism, and sense of humor required to build a better life.

This film rests at the intersection of family, dreams, and the American experience. Personally, it encapsulates the dreams of two generations – those of my parents’ and the ones they’ve granted me access to. Because of their hard work and tireless devotion, I get to pursue my dreams. I get to make art. The desire to do something meaningful with the privilege they’ve given me is the second reason I want to make this film.

Ultimately, I want people who can relate to Aunt Lukee’s struggle to be able to look in the mirror and rejoice – to celebrate their triumphs and observe their grace in face of immeasurable obstacle; and I want to humanize her to an audience that may see her as “other” or undeserving. Within our current political climate, my film holds immense social relevance and urgency. It is a rebuke to the current administration and a testament to life worth living. “Lukee The Undead” offers spiritual uplift during some of the toughest times immigrants and people of color in the US have ever known, and therefore, needs to be made.

Aunt Lukee

Jal

Anna

Tai

Undead Lukee

Cinematography

Tone Shift

Lukee’s Thai Restaurant

Lighting & Color

Montage & Music

$530 of $20K

2% progress

Aug 31 Deadline

Anonymous has donated $10.

Arkira has donated $20.

Parida has donated $500.

PERKS & REWARDS

Executive Producer $10K

Associate Producer $5K

$1,000

$500

$100

Any amount

$10K. Make our dreams happen in a jiffy and get credited as Executive Producer on the film. Your name comes up before anyone else's in the credits and you are recognized as the god-like reason the film gets made. In addition to: link to first cut, set visit; cameo, free tickets and invitation to our Los Angeles premiere; script preview; signed copy of script & poster; festival t-shirt; your name next to the word "angel" on my bedpost.

$5K. Credit as a mighty Associate Producer – a major reason the film gets made. Set visit; free tickets and invite to our Los Angeles premiere; script preview; signed copy of script & poster; festival t-shirt; tattoo of your face on my arm (just kidding).

$1K. Set visit, full script preview; free tickets and invite to our Los Angeles premiere; special thanks in the film's credits.

$500. Free tickets to our Los Angeles premiere & special thanks in the film's credits.

$100 Special thanks in the film's credits.

Any amount gets your name listed in the "Thank you to our donors" section of the film's credits!

There isn't really any life-altering perk I can offer you. The chances of profiting from a short are low. So what do you get in return? The knowledge that you were one of the reasons a group of artist got to come together to do what they truly love; that you have give them a chance to reach for the stars once more; and that you took part in a venture that tried to do something good and meaningful in the world. That's it. That's the juicy cookie. Which is why we would be eternally grateful for your donation: you'd be doing something selfless.

Where does All My Money Go?

FAQ

Why are films so expensive?

Imagine 20 people on a basic crew and 4 actors. If I pay them all minimum wage for a 12 hour day, that's $6K a day. Then add in location, gear rental, insurance, permit, worker's comp and food.

Can't you do it for cheaper?

Yes. I could cut people out. Serve bad food. But the production will be understaffed and everyone will be overworked. We have to shoot 12 pages in 3 days, which means we have to do it quickly. Cutting costs would hurt everyone in the long run and increase the chance of accidents and mistakes that may end up costing us more.

Can't you just grab a camera and shoot it with your friends?

Yes, but it's not really that type of project. I want it to look like a TV show and that high-level of visuals requires a substantial production with a full crew. One day I will go back to making things that are 2 people in a room that costs nothing and looks like "Frances Ha," but that set-up is for another one of my films (my next one).

What ARE you doing to save cost?

I'm self-producing this with my lead actress Arkira along. We're saving costs in every single place we can. Our colorist is doing this in kind. We're hiring our friends and borrowing what we can. We're bargaining rates for locations and up and down the line. This film would cost $133K by Hollywood standards if we had money to light on fire (Sam made an A budget just for fun, which was not so fun for me, but insightful. Definitely insightful.)

What else is my money going towards?

It's also going to post-production, which is the longest time frame of any filmmaking process. In post, a film is edited, sound mixed, colored, captioned, and exported as a DCP for festivals. Post-production starts the day after shooting and lasts until the film is completed. Funds will also be used to power us through those three difficult months. Those talented creatives including the editor, sound mixer, dialogue editor, sound designer, colorist, credits designer, and subtitle/audio description writer will also have to be paid.

Can't you shoot outside of LA?

With all the discounted gear, labor, and connections we have, it would actually cost us more to fly people over and shoot somewhere else. It's true that shooting in LA is expensive (a permit cost $936 + $600 if you want to shoot on a sidewalk + a $230 mandatory neighborhood "notification fee" for each location [for us it's 2, a restaurant and house]), which is why a chunk of the industry has left to the UK, Canada, and Europe. But LA is still the place to be – it's where where the most talented people I know are, and it is the home of this story. So we will proudly be shooting in LA.

What about grants, fellowships, labs?

I've applied to everything under the sun I could possibly qualify for for the last year and a half to no avail. I've struggled the idea of fundraising an asking people for money. But waiting is no longer an option. The thing with purpose is that you die a small death when you don't get to exercise yours. So many friends and family have been encouraging of the film and telling me they'd like to donate, so I've decided to officially fundraise.

Additional Questions? Shoot and I'll answer them + add it here!