Message from the director

This is David Ren, writer/director of Shanghai Kiss. It's come to my attention that a DVD Screener copy has leaked onto the internet, which is unfortunate because we are still a month away from release. Since the leak just a few days ago, tens of thousands of people have already downloaded it, which is almost unheard of for a fairly small indie film. While I'm happy that so many people are seeking out the film and enjoying it, I'd like to share my thoughts on the situation.

Shanghai Kiss is an autobiographical story and a film that is very personal to me. Some of you have commented on the lack of Asian male leads in American films that are not in the action/martial arts genre. This is especially true for love stories. This is because Hollywood doesn't think America is ready to accept an Asian male as a romantic lead.

This film was not financed by a major studio. It wasn't even financed by an independent financing company. A large portion of the film was financed by a single investor, who put her life savings into the movie. She even sold her house, which she had owned for twenty years. This investor has never made more than five figures a year, but still put in in excess of seven figures. She did this because she felt that this was a story that had to be told and it would be a huge step forward in the way that Asian Americans are portrayed in the media.

Our deal is a royalties deal, meaning the investor gets a percentage of every DVD sold. If this film is a success, Hollywood will take notice and realize that a love story with an Asian male lead could be profitable. If it fails, we could see another twenty years without another film like this. So if you enjoyed it and want more films like it to be made, please support it by purchasing the DVD. You can preorder it here:

http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?userid=99365913688966&item_id=1361580&searchID=3009588

Or you can preorder it at whatever retailer you'd like (Amazon, etc.).

This is not a film produced to make a lot of money. This is a passion project for, not just me, but everyone involved. The cast worked for almost nothing. Hayden Panettiere's fee was probably her lowest since she was four years old. She did it because she believed in the movie and knew it was time a story like this was told.

I want to make clear that I'm not asking people to support the film just because of the Asian American cause nor am I trying to guilt people into sales. I'm only asking the people who truly enjoyed it to show Hollywood their support. Movies are greenlit based on the kinds of movies that have been financially successful in the past. I also want them to understand that, in this case, when they are pirating or illegally downloading the movie, they are not taking money from a large faceless corporation, but from a middle class worker like many of us.

Respectfully,
David Ren