Private Project

ASIAN PERSUASION

Following a poorly negotiated divorce settlement, Mickey is saddled with alimony payments that he simply cannot afford. To avoid paying, he comes up with a scheme, with the help of his best friend Caspian, to get his ex-wife Avery remarried by creating a fake online dating profile for her. He finds Lee, a potential suitor from the dating site, and coaches Lee on how to make Avery fall for him.

Everything goes smoothly until Mickey's plot backfires on him. He rushes to clean up his act to win Avery back. He might be too late.

  • Jhett Tolentino
    Director
    Life Is What You Make It (short)
  • Mike Ang
    Writer
  • Jhett Tolentino
    Producer
    Lingua Franca
  • Mike Ang
    Producer
    Life Is What You Make It (short)
  • Dante Basco
    Key Cast
    "Micky De Los Santos"
    Hook, Hang Loose, Take the Lead, But I'm a Cheerleader
  • KC Concepcion
    Key Cast
    "Avery Chua"
    Boy Golden, Forever and a Day, When I Met U, For the First Time
  • Kevin Kreider
    Key Cast
    "Caspian Jang"
    Bling Empire, The Ugly Model,
  • Paolo Montalban
    Key Cast
    "Lee-Kwan Prince"
    Cinderella, Just Wright, The Great Raid, Mortal Kombat: Conquest
  • Geneva Carr
    Key Cast
    "Helene Dubois"
    Wonder Wheel, Ava's Possessions, Love & Other Drugs, It's Complicated
  • Celia Au
    Key Cast
    "Lisa Tran"
    Wu Assassins, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Lodge 49, Revenge of the Green Dragons
  • Scarlett Sher
    Key Cast
    "Sam "
    Hustlers
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Romance, Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 33 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 21, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • SOHO International Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    September 16, 2023
    World Premiere
    Audience Award
  • Richmond International Film Festival
    Richmond
    United States
    September 28, 2023
    Mid-Atlantic Premiere
Director Biography - Jhett Tolentino

A Filipino entertainment producer and filmmaker based in NYC. Has produced 19 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in 7 years.

He has won three Tony Awards since his Broadway debut in 2013 and earned his Grammy Award in 2017 for "The Color Purple: New Broadway Cast Recording".

He wrote and directed his autobiographical short documents "Life Is What You Make It". In 2019, he produced Isabel Sandoval's feature film "Lingua Franca" which premiered at the 76th Venice Film Festival.

Jhett makes his feature directorial debut in "Asian Persuasion".

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Director Statement

Finally, an Asian (-American) romance-drama that's all about the culture. We build true community when we celebrate the common ground that we share across all cultures and invite the world to sit and break bread at the same table. We are not as different as we seem and are far more similar than we realize.

At its core, this film is a loving homage to the wonderful phenomenon that is New York City - celebrating some of its most iconic landmarks and highlighting some of its lesser-known, less frequented cultural enclaves. For those of us who love this amazing town, we know all too well the unexpected magic that can only happen here.

As minorities, we understand how important it is to be the ones telling our own stories. Our team of over 400+ crew, cast, staff, vendors, collaborators, and investors is 90% women, Asian American, POC, and/or LGBTQIA+. In total, 21 Asian countries are represented in this production.

We are beyond excited and can't wait to share this film with the world.