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Magic Kingdom

The story is set in 1997 against the backdrop of the looming handover. Kit, a middle-aged single parent, brings his son from Hong Kong to California under the pretense of visiting Disneyland. The son, Chun, comes to realize the real intention of the trip is for his own adoption.

  • Nelson Ng Chak Hei
    Director
  • Nicholas Shay
    Writer
  • Nelson Ng Chak Hei
    Writer
  • Hillary Tzeng
    Producer
  • Paul Kwo
    Key Cast
    "Kit"
  • Trevis Zhang
    Key Cast
    "Chun"
  • Jim Lau
    Key Cast
    "Uncle So"
  • Leann Lei
    Key Cast
    "Auntie May"
  • Pauline Siu McNaughton
    Story
  • Cherry Wong
    Script Translation
  • Nicholas Shay
    Executive Producer
  • Pauline Siu McNaughton
    Executive Producer
  • Taylor Mcintosh
    Cinematographer
  • Alexah Acuña
    Production Designer
  • Nelson Ng Chak Hei
    Editor
  • Emmy Leung
    Editor
  • Olivier Cong
    Composer
  • Kara Sullivan
    Casting Director
  • Ragini Bhasin
    Assistant Director
  • Elaine Wong
    Script Supervisor
  • Melissa Baltierra
    1st AC
  • Efrain Pineda
    2nd AC
  • Isaac Sokol
    Gaffer
  • Mauricio Zambrano
    Key Grip
  • Julia Lambert
    Dolly Grip
  • Brandyn Johnson
    Sound Recordist
  • Aytana Ramirez
    Art Director
  • Eevi Rola
    Set Dresser
  • Mark Kubr
    Stunt Coordinator
  • Lena Liu
    Studio Tutor
  • Albert Barrientos
    Studio Tutor
  • Jeff Clark
    Location Scout
  • Daniel Lee
    Location Security
  • Daniel Han
    Production Assistant
  • Levi Jelks
    Production Assistant
  • Chu Wang Fung
    Visual Effect Artist
  • Chan Kwok Choi
    Colorist
  • Lo Che Leung
    Sound Mixer
  • Marqus Bobesich
    Cast
  • Theodore Mark Martinez
    Cast
  • Awbrey Madison
    Cast
  • Stacy Marie Turner
    Cast
  • Julian Bane
    Cast
  • Spencer B. Johnson
    Cast
  • Abigail Benshoof
    Cast
  • Karen Silbert
    Cast
  • Tiya Choi
    Cast
  • Stephanie Lim
    Cast
  • Martin Chan
    Cast
  • Bodhi Dell
    Cast (Uncredited)
  • Katherina Barnabe
    Cast (Uncredited)
  • Megan Riley
    Cast (Uncredited)
  • Nay K. Dorsey
    Cast (Uncredited)
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Narrative
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    45,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Hong Kong
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    Chinese, English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    5:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nelson Ng Chak Hei

Nelson Ng Chak Hei studied film at Emerson College and graduated from Boston University with a degree in International Relations. After returning to Hong Kong, he co-founded Stray Dogs, a production house specializing in advertising, while exploring personal stories to develop outside the commercial sphere.

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Director Statement

“Magic Kingdom” is a short film based upon the true stories of several Chinese-Americans who came to the US in the 1990s. Boiling down their experiences into one story, we follow a single father and his son to Los Angeles, where the father intends to have his son adopted by an American family friend.

Co-writer Nicholas Shay and I transfused our own cross-cultural experiences into this story. We wanted to explore the often misconstrued idea that “the grass is greener on the other side.” The concept of Disneyland, or the Magic Kingdom, stands as a symbol of the great American Dream that many immigrants seek, whether it may be true or a mere fantasy. Regardless of economic or political factors, these immigrants leave their homelands, believing they will find better lives in a new place, often short-sighted to the downsides of moving.

With the recent political uncertainties in Hong Kong, as well as the prevailing debate on race, immigration, and gun control in the US, the present situation makes it a ripe time to explore this story.