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Welcome to the World Nominated for Best Micro-Short »

Welcome to the World to Screen in Merced Queer Film Festival »

Welcome to the World to Screen in New Brunswick's Premier LGBTQIA+ Film Festival »

Welcome to the World to Screen in Mexico at Orchid International Queer Film Festival ROSARITO »

Welcome to the World Awarded 2nd Prize at Suicide Prevention Film Festival »

Welcome to the World to Raise Funds for Suicide Prevention Film Festival »

Welcome to the World to Screen at Boston University School of Public Health »

Welcome to the World Screens in Online Isolation Film Festival »

San Francisco Premiere for Welcome to the World at SF Queer Film Fest »

Welcome to the World to Screen in London at Queer Asia »

Welcome to the World Wins Golden Elephant for Best Mental Health Short Film »

Chicago Premiere for Welcome to the World at PrideArts Film Fest »

Welcome to the World to be Broadcast in October for World Mental Health Day »

Welcome to the World Fights Suicide with Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope) »

Welcome to the World Selected for Festival of Shorts and Mental Health in Spain »

Welcome to the World Selected for FilmÓptico Festival in Spain »

Welcome to the World Screens at Argentinian LGBT+ Film Festival »

Welcome to the World Part of Europe-Based Short Film Breaks' 2021 Lineup »

Welcome to the World Screens in Spain for World Suicide Prevention Day »

Welcome to the World Participates in Spanish Project El Grito de los Sin Voz »

Welcome to the World Actor Albert M. Chan Wins Acting Award in India »

French Distributor to Represent Welcome to the World For Commercial Distribution »

Welcome to the World Returns to Australia »

Welcome to the World Premieres in Mexico »

Argentinian Premiere of Welcome to the World »

Pakistani Premiere of Welcome to the World at iSmart Film Festival »

Welcome to the World Screens at Film Festival with Themes of Survival and Triumph Over Adversity »

British Premiere of Welcome to the World »

Spanish Premiere of Welcome to the World »

Welcome to the World Returns to New York City »

Welcome to the World Premieres in Peru »

Central American Premiere of Welcome to the World »

Albert M. Chan Wins the Award for Best Performance at OutlantaCon for Welcome to the World »

OutlantaCon Includes Welcome to the World in Lineup »

Welcome to the World Premieres in Ecuador »

Philadelphia Premiere for Welcome to the World »

Boston Cultural Council Awards Grant to Screen Welcome to the World »

Welcome to the World Premieres on Sixth Continent: South America »

Welcome to the World Nominated for Lead Actor and Smartphone Awards »

Italian Premiere of Welcome to the World at OMOVIES »

Brooklyn Screening of Welcome to the World at Williamsburg Independent Film Festival »

Welcome to the World Wins Award for Best LGBT Film »

European Premiere of Welcome to the World in Marseilles, France »

Brooklyn Screening of Welcome to the World at Crown Heights Film Festival »

Welcome to the World Wins Audience Award at New England's LGBTQ+ Film Festival »

World to the World to Screen at San Antonio QFest »

Welcome to the World Returns to Massachusetts for qFLIX Worcester »

Georgia Premiere of Welcome to the World at Atlanta's Out on Film »

Welcome to the World Returns to Oklahoma for Top Reviewed Festival »

African Premiere for Welcome to the World in Durban, South Africa »

Welcome to the World Premieres in New Mexico at Taos Pride »

Welcome to the World Picked Up by Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre »

Welcome to the World Screens at Asian American International Film Festival in NYC »

Welcome to the World Premieres in Oklahoma »

Long Island International Film Expo to Screen Welcome to the World »

Welcome to the World Selected as Finalist for Short Film Competition »

Welcome to the World Selected for Official NYC Pride Event »

Welcome to the World Screens in Home Province of Co-Director »

Hometown Premiere in Brooklyn for Welcome to the World »

NewFilmmakers New York to Screen Welcome to the World At Anthology Film Archives »

Houston to Host Texas Premiere of Welcome to the World »

Sacramento Premiere of Welcome to the World at California Museum »

Rhode Island Screening of Welcome to the World »

Northwest Premiere of Welcome to the World in Oregon »

Filmmaker Returns to Boston International Film Festival for Welcome to the World Screening »

Welcome to the World Returns to Missouri for Kansas City FilmFest »

Asian Premiere for Welcome to the World in India »

Australian Premiere for Welcome to the World »

Welcome to the World Wins Award in Alabama »

Welcome to the World to Premiere in the Southern US »

Midwest Premiere for Welcome to the World at QFest St. Louis »

Welcome to the World to Premiere in Ontario »

Welcome to the World Review: "Packs a Huge Punch" »

Welcome to the World Review: "Chan Gives a Gripping, Heartfelt and Sincere Performance" »

Canadian Premiere of Welcome to the World »

East Coast Premiere of Welcome to the World in Boston »

Welcome to the World to World Premiere in Palm Springs »

Richard Propes Calls Welcome to the World a "Riveting Piece of Human Drama" »

First Review Calls Welcome to the World "Intelligent, Inventive, and Inspired" »

Welcome to the World Wraps Principal Photography »

Anthony Grasso Signs on as Co-Director »

Mary Niederkorn Joins Cast »


News

Welcome to the World Nominated for Best Micro-Short

Welcome to the World Nominated for Best Micro-Short

September 7, 2023 — Welcome to the World has been nominated for Best Micro-Short (USA) at the Merced Queer Film Festival.

Welcome to the World will screen at the Merced Queer Film Festival on Saturday, September 9, 2023, 12:50pm, as part of Block 2 on Screen 2 at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center. Tickets are FREE and can be reserved here.

The Merced Queer Film Festival is presented by Central Valley Pride and Workshop 44.


Welcome to the World to Screen in Merced Queer Film Festival

Welcome to the World to Screen in Merced Queer Film Festival

July 25, 2023 — Welcome to the World will screen as part of the Merced Queer Film Festival on Saturday, September 9, 2023. The film screens as part of Block 2 on Screen 2 at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, starting at 12:50pm. Tickets are FREE and can be reserved here.

The Merced Queer Film Festival is presented by Central Valley Pride and Workshop 44.


Welcome to the World to Screen in New Brunswick's Premier LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

Welcome to the World to Screen in New Brunswick's Premier LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

March 15, 2023 — Welcome to the World will screen as part of the Pink Lobster Film Festival in the Local and Canadian Stars program, as part of the Opening Night Gala on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at 8pm at Monarch Night Club.

Pink Lobster Film Festival is New Brunswick's first and premier LGBTQIA+ film festival, presented by The University of New Brunswick Department of English, Frictive Pictures, and the New Brunswick Filmmakers' Cooperative.


Welcome to the World to Screen in Mexico at Orchid International Queer Film Festival ROSARITO

Welcome to the World to Screen in Mexico at Orchid International Queer Film Festival ROSARITO

January 31, 2023 — Welcome to the World will screen as part of the Orchid International Queer Film Festival ROSARITO, in partnership with Instituto Municipal del Arte y Cultura (IMAC) in Tijuana, Mexico. The film screens Friday, February 3, 2023, at Archivo Histórico Rosarito (984 Boulevard Benito Juárez, Plaza Comercial Ejido Mazatlan, Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico 22710).

Spanish subtitles provided by Marina Catalán.


Welcome to the World Awarded 2nd Prize at Suicide Prevention Film Festival

Welcome to the World Awarded 2nd Prize at Suicide Prevention Film Festival

January 10, 2023 — For the second year in a row, Welcome to the World screened in Spain during the December 9-11, 2022, weekend as part of the annual Rol Por La Esperanza, a role-playing marathon organized by the role-playing community Éxito Crítico which raised over 10,000 € for Agarra la vida (Grab Life) and Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope), a permanent toll-free telephone line for suicide prevention.

On the last day of the weekend, Welcome to the World was awarded 2nd prize out of all 20 films screened at Agarra la vida over the past 3 years. The special sculpture producer Albert M. Chan received in the mail represents a self-hug, which symbolizes the importance of emotional self-care.

For World Suicide Prevention Day in 2020, Welcome to the World was one of five films selected by a jury and a team of experts in psychology and psychiatry for Agarra la vida, a short film festival with a mission to prevent suicide and combat its stigma.

Founded in 1971, Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope) is an NGO with 29 centers in Spain for crisis intervention and the promotion of social-emotional health.


Welcome to the World to Raise Funds for Suicide Prevention Film Festival

Welcome to the World to Raise Funds for Suicide Prevention Film Festival

December 9, 2022 — This year, Welcome to the World will once again be screened during the December 9-11, 2022, weekend as part of the annual Rol Por La Esperanza, a role-playing marathon organized by the role-playing community Éxito Crítico to raise funds for the 2022 Agarra la vida and Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope), a permanent toll-free telephone line for suicide prevention. In the past two years, over 25,000 € was raised.

For World Suicide Prevention Day in 2020, Welcome to the World was one of five films selected by a jury and a team of experts in psychology and psychiatry for Agarra la vida (Grab Life) in Spain, a short film festival with a mission to prevent suicide and combat its stigma.

Founded in 1971, Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope) is an NGO with 29 centers in Spain for crisis intervention and the promotion of social-emotional health.


Welcome to the World to Screen at Boston University School of Public Health

Welcome to the World to Screen at Boston University School of Public Health

December 2, 2022 — Welcome to the World will screen as part of the Health in Focus Film Festival, a program of Population Health Exchange at Boston University School of Public Health. Co-director, writer, and actor Albert M. Chan will participate in a live virtual Q & A.

Welcome to the World screens on Friday, December 2, 2022, at 2pm, as part of the short film block Inequities, which focuses on marginalized populations, e.g. economic, gender, race, LGBTQIA+, transgender, immigrants, refugees. The screening takes place in the Auditorium (Room 101) of the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering (610 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, 02215).

The screening is free for current Boston University students, faculty, and staff. The Health in Focus Film Festival is pleased to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program by extending a 75% discount to EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders. Tickets, regularly $12, can be obtained here.

The Health in Focus Film Festival, which takes place December 1-3, 2022, strives to improve the health of populations by pairing compelling visual stories with thoughtful discussion. Programming consists of two invited feature-length films, a panel discussion, and three blocks of short films.


Welcome to the World Screens in Online Isolation Film Festival

Welcome to the World Screens in Online Isolation Film Festival

August 27, 2022 — Welcome to the World will screen as part of the 4th Annual Online Isolation Film Festival, an event dedicated to the fight against the global coronavirus situation. The main aim of the festival is to support people in their self-isolation during these difficult times. At the same time, the festival is also dedicated to human psychological isolation due to loneliness or betrayal. Selected videos must have some concrete message and tell some story of isolation, describing a way of life in the present-day situation.

The best three videos will not only be screened online, but will be screened live in a cinema theatre. The top ten films will be screened online on the website and on social media.


San Francisco Premiere for Welcome to the World at SF Queer Film Fest

San Francisco Premiere for Welcome to the World at SF Queer Film Fest

August 18, 2022 — Welcome to the World will premiere in San Francisco as part of the SF Queer Film Fest, running in-person August 26-28, 2022, at the Delancey Street Screening Room on the Embarcadero and online August 31-September 4, 2022.

The Delancey Street Screening Room is the venue for the Director's Guild monthly screenings, dailies of films produced in San Francisco, and Academy of Motion Pictures screenings. The screening room has been rented by film industry professionals including Sean Penn, Robin Williams, Dennis Quaid, Charlize Theron, Bonnie Raitt, Ron Howard, and Emilio Estevez.

The SF Queer Film Fest is a showcase for innovative and ground-breaking movies by queer filmmakers, offering an alternate platform for out-of-the-box thinkers and content creators. The festival is created by filmmakers to provide opportunities to queer filmmakers who are over-looked by the mainstream LGBTQI+ festivals.


Welcome to the World to Screen in London at Queer Asia

Welcome to the World to Screen in London at Queer Asia

June 16, 2022 — Welcome to the World will screen on Friday, June 17, at the University of Oxford from 12:30-2:30pm BST and at ONCA Gallery in Brighton, UK, from 7-9pm BST as part of Queer Asia Film Festival 2022, where this year's theme is Survival. Tickets are available for free here. The festival runs June 16-30, 2022, at venues including the British Museum, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of Warwick, and University of Oxford.

As an annual celebration of films from across Asia, including Asian diasporas, Queer Asia Film Festival has showcased a wide diversity of films from across Asia, including Azerbaijan, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Myanmar, The Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Viet Nam in Central London venues including The British Museum, SOAS, King's College London, and University College London. Queer Asia Film Festival has also collaborated with different organisations, including The British Museum, Club Kali, CINEMQ, SOAS, University of London, University of Warwick, and King's College London.

Queer Asia is a collective of early career researchers, doctoral researchers, and activists, striving to create a global platform to challenge dominant ideas, forms, and representations of gender and sexuality, while sharing, showcasing, promoting, and inspiring a plethora of voices from Asia and its vast diasporas.

During its existence, Queer Asia has also attracted extensive media coverage including BBC Impact and BBC World News, Rife Magazine, Gay Star News, CUNTemporary, The Guardian, and Attitude Magazine.


Welcome to the World Wins Golden Elephant for Best Mental Health Short Film

Welcome to the World Wins Golden Elephant for Best Mental Health Short Film

December 27, 2021 — Welcome to the World, which was part of the 2021 lineup for the Europe-based Short Film Breaks, has won the Golden Elephant for Best Mental Health Short Film, which comes with a cash prize. The Silver Elephant went to As a Fish Out of Water from Italy, and the Bronze Elephant went to Spoon from the United States.

Short Film Breaks is the only film festival taking place within private companies, public and non-profit organizations, in a bid to offer smart break opportunities while promoting the independent movie industry around the world. Created by filmmakers and human resources people, Short Film Breaks creates a bridge between hard to distribute films (especially independent short films) and hard to reach audiences (employees and beneficiaries from our partner companies and NGOs and people living in remote villages around the world).

For this edition, Short Film Breaks is taking place in the following organizations: UBIS Club, DXC Technology, Estuar Foundation, Fortuna, Casa Pariurilor, Total, IBM, Intelactsoft and DataDiggers. There will also be screenings in 19 rural communities from 7 countries (Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Romania, Senegal and Guatemala) with EduCab and their local partners. Finally, there will be a public Action. On Mental Health event for the Romanian mental health community, organized in partnership with Estuar Foundation and Mental Health Europe.


Chicago Premiere for Welcome to the World at PrideArts Film Fest

Chicago Premiere for Welcome to the World at PrideArts Film Fest

November 7, 2021 — Welcome to the World will stream the week of November 8-15, 2021, as part of PrideArts Film Fest in Chicago, featuring fresh stories that reflect on all the many complexities of the queer communities. The film screens in the package PrideArts Fall Film Fest Week 2 - International Shorts, and tickets can be purchased here.

PrideArts is a non-profit theater company founded in 2010 to change lives by improving the quality of LGBT theater and film, utilizing stories with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters or themes.


Welcome to the World to be Broadcast in October for World Mental Health Day

Welcome to the World to be Broadcast in October for World Mental Health Day

September 24, 2021 — Welcome to the World will be broadcast throughout the month of October by ASAENES Salud Mental Sevilla in Spain, to commemorate World Mental Health Day on October 10. The film will screen on ASAENES' YouTube channel.

Welcome to the World was originally selected in May 2021 for the fifth edition of Festival de Cortos y Salud Mental in Spain, an event to raise awareness and fight against the stigma related to mental health problems. Welcome to the World was among 17 works from France, Iran, India, Canada, Italy, the United States, Colombia, Cuba, and Brazil, among other countries, to be selected from a total of 393 submissions, the highest number since the festival was founded in 2014.

Festival de Cortos y Salud Mental is a program of ASAENES Salud Mental Sevilla, originally founded in 1987 as Asociación de Allegados de Enfermos Esquizofrénicos (Association of Relatives of the Schizophrenic Patients). The organziation is committed and dedicated to families, professionals, volunteers and people with mental illness, working to move from a reality marked by stigma, exclusion, and charity, to another where people with mental illness are accepted by society and have services and resources that are essential for their quality of life.

Festival de Cortos y Salud Mental is sponsored by los Hospitales Universitarios Virgen Macarena y Virgen del Rocío, AGS Sur Sevilla, la Universidad de Sevilla, FAISEM, la Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública y el Programa de Salud Mental de la Junta de Andalucía, among others.


Welcome to the World Fights Suicide with Telefono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope)

Welcome to the World Fights Suicide with Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope)

June 15, 2021 — Last year for World Suicide Prevention Day, Welcome to the World was one of five films selected by a jury and a team of experts in psychology and psychiatry for Agarra la vida (Grab Life) in Spain, a short film festival with a mission to prevent suicide and combat its stigma.

The screening of Welcome to the World was so successful that it will now be permanently streaming here for Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope).

World Suicide Prevention Day is an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). Observed on September 10th, every year, World Suicide Prevention Day provides the opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

Agarra la vida (Grab Life) is presented in association with Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope). Founded in 1971, Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope) is an NGO with 29 centers in Spain for crisis intervention and the promotion of social-emotional health.


Welcome to the World Selected for Festival of Shorts and Mental Health in Spain

Welcome to the World Selected for Festival of Shorts and Mental Health in Spain

May 19, 2021 — Welcome to the World has been selected for the fifth edition of Festival de Cortos y Salud Mental in Spain, an event to raise awareness and fight against the stigma related to mental health problems. The film screens alongside four other shorts on Thursday, May 20, 2021, from 11am-1pm local time (5-7am ET), and the session will include a post-screening discussion.

Welcome to the World is among 17 works from France, Iran, India, Canada, Italy, the United States, Colombia, Cuba, and Brazil, among other countries, to be selected from a total of 393 submissions, the highest number since the festival was founded in 2014. The selected works will stream from May 18-21, 2021, on the Association's YouTube channel.

Festival de Cortos y Salud Mental is a program of ASAENES Salud Mental Sevilla, originally founded in 1987 as Asociación de Allegados de Enfermos Esquizofrénicos (Association of Relatives of the Schizophrenic Patients). The organziation is committed and dedicated to families, professionals, volunteers and people with mental illness, working to move from a reality marked by stigma, exclusion, and charity, to another where people with mental illness are accepted by society and have services and resources that are essential for their quality of life.

Festival de Cortos y Salud Mental is sponsored by los Hospitales Universitarios Virgen Macarena y Virgen del Rocío, AGS Sur Sevilla, la Universidad de Sevilla, FAISEM, la Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública y el Programa de Salud Mental de la Junta de Andalucía, among others.


Welcome to the World Selected for FilmÓptico Festival in Spain

Welcome to the World Selected for FilmÓptico Festival in Spain

March 16, 2021 — Welcome to the World has been selected for the FilmÓptico Visual Art and Film Festival in Spain, which will take place April 23-May 2, 2021. The festival showcases films, short films, documentaries, and video-art works with an experimental, artistic and personal perspective outside of the commercial world. Styles include auteur, sci-fi, horror, gore, poetic, and found footage.


Welcome to the World Screens at Argentinian LGBT+ Film Festival

Welcome to the World Screens at Argentinian LGBT+ Film Festival

January 28, 2021 — Welcome to the World screens in Argentina at the "Amor es Amor" International LGBT+ Film Festival, which will take place February 17-20, 2021. In addition to an online component, the films in the Official Competition will be screened at Gran Rex Cinemas in the city of Córdoba.

Welcome to the World is one of eight films selected for the International Fiction Competition, which includes films from South Korea, Chile, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. There are a total of 36 films in the Fiction, Documentary, and Animation competitions.

"Amor es Amor" International LGBT+ Film Festival belongs to the Argentine Network of Festivals and Audiovisual Media.


Welcome to the World Part of Europe-Based Short Film Breaks' 2021 Lineup

Welcome to the World Part of Europe-Based Short Film Breaks' 2021 Lineup

January 6, 2021 — Welcome to the World is part of the 2021 lineup for Short Film Breaks in the Best Mental Health Short Film category.

Short Film Breaks is the only film festival taking place within private companies, public and non-profit organizations, in a bid to offer smart break opportunities while promoting the independent movie industry around the world. Created by filmmakers and human resources people, Short Film Breaks creates a bridge between hard to distribute films (especially independent short films) and hard to reach audiences (employees and beneficiaries from our partner companies and NGOs and people living in remote villages around the world).

For this edition, Short Film Breaks is taking place in the following organizations: UBIS Club, DXC Technology, Estuar Foundation, Fortuna, Casa Pariurilor, Total, IBM, Intelactsoft and DataDiggers. There will also be screenings in 19 rural communities from 7 countries (Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya, Tanzania, Romania, Senegal and Guatemala) with EduCab and their local partners. Finally, there will be a public Action. On Mental Health event for the Romanian mental health community, organized in partnership with Estuar Foundation and Mental Health Europe.

The 2021 Short Film Breaks awards will be announced during the month of December.


Welcome to the World Screens in Spain for World Suicide Prevention Day

Welcome to the World Screens in Spain for World Suicide Prevention Day

September 10, 2020 — Welcome to the World is one of five films that screens in Spain at Agarra la vida (Grab Life) for World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, 2020. Welcome to the World can be viewed here for the duration of the campaign, which closes on October 10, 2020.

Agarra la vida (Grab Life) is a short film festival with a mission to prevent suicide and combat its stigma. Five films were selected by a jury and a team of experts in psychology and psychiatry to encourage desperate, abandoned, or lonely people to continue fighting for life, renounce their suicide plans, and go to institutions that can support them.

World Suicide Prevention Day is an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). Observed on September 10th, every year, World Suicide Prevention Day provides the opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention.

Agarra la vida (Grab Life) is presented in association with Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope). Founded in 1971, Teléfono de la Esperanza (Telephone of Hope) is an NGO with 29 centers in Spain for crisis intervention and the promotion of social-emotional health.

Welcome to the World previously had its Spanish premiere at the 2019 Shorty Week Film Festival at the historic Castillo de Santa Catalina in Cádiz.


Welcome to the World Participates in Spanish Project El Grito de los Sin Voz

Welcome to the World Participates in Spanish Project El Grito de los Sin Voz

July 12, 2020 — Welcome to the World will participate in the Spanish project El Grito de los Sin Voz (The Cry of the Voiceless), which showcases social films that denounce hate crimes and discrimination against refugees, ethnic minorities, religion, and the LGBT community, and expose the consequences of racism, social exclusion, and human trafficking. Films are available for viewing on YouTube. The top ten films will screen in Madrid on December 2, 2020.

Welcome to the World previously had its Spanish premiere at the 2019 Shorty Week Film Festival at the historic Castillo de Santa Catalina in Cádiz.


Welcome to the World Actor Albert M. Chan Wins Acting Award in India

Welcome to the World Actor Albert M. Chan Wins Acting Award in India

June 6, 2020 — Welcome to the World actor Albert M. Chan has received an Outstanding Achievement Award in the category of Best Actor at the 12th monthly season of the Tagore International Film Festival.

Tagore International Film Festival is located in one of India's most important centers of modern art, Shantiniketan, Bolpur. The monthly live screenings take place at Gitanjali Cultural Complex.

Tagore International Film Festival is named after Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who wanted to create a space where people can interchange their ideas about art, culture and life.


French Distributor to Represent Welcome to the World For Commercial Distribution

French Distributor to Represent Welcome to the World For Commercial Distribution

May 8, 2020 — French distributor Gonella Productions has entered into an agreement to represent Welcome to the World for commercial distribution on TV, VOD, theaters, airlines and other platforms.

Founded by Cédric Gonella in 2009, Gonella Productions has distributed a wide variety of international short films all over the world and currently represents more than 500 short films.


Welcome to the World Returns to Australia

Welcome to the World Returns to Australia

January 13, 2020 — Welcome to the World returns to Australia for the 4th PRIDE Queer Film Festival in Perth on March 7, 2020, 6:30pm, at The Backlot Studios Perth. Welcome to the World screens in the session Shorts From Around the World alongside films from the United Kingdom, France, The Netherlands, Canada, Greece, Taiwan, Italy, and the United States.

Welcome to the World previously had its Australian premiere at the 2018 Short + Sweet Film Festival Queensland at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries.

The Commitment, also directed by Albert M. Chan, will also screen at the 4th PRIDE Queer Film Festival on March 7, 2020, 4pm, in the session Short Films Mixed Bag, marking its Australian premiere.


Welcome to the World Premieres in Mexico

Welcome to the World Premieres in Mexico

November 7, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Mexico at the 6th Festival Mundial de Cine de Veracruz (World Film Festival of Veracruz), running November 12-16, 2019. The film screens in Fiction Short Films Program 1 on Monday, November 11, 2019, 10am, at Instituto Tecnológico de Veracruz; Tuesday, November 12, 2019, 5pm, at both the Instituto Tecnológico de Boca del Rio and Casa Ejidal Zempoala; and Wednesday, November 13, 2019, 9pm, at La Moderna Xalapa.

The festival is presented in association with Fundación 500 años de la Vera Cruz A.C., a foundation commemorating the founding of the city of Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz by Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés when he arrived in Mexico on April 22, 1519. The foundation features commemorative activities that cover science, technology, fine arts, and popular culture.


Argentinian Premiere of Welcome to the World

Argentinian Premiere of Welcome to the World

November 1, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Argentina at the 3rd Short Long World Festival, running November 7-10, 2019. The festival takes place at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Corrientes and the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. The film screens alongside other LGBT+ short films from Puerto Rico, France, the Philippines, Brazil, and the United States.


Pakistani Premiere of Welcome to the World at iSmart Film Festival

Pakistani Premiere of Welcome to the World at iSmart Film Festival

October 26, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Pakistan on June 17, 2020, 7pm, in Karachi at the iSmart Film Festival, an international festival dedicated to celebrating work shot on smartphones.

iSmartfilms, Asia's first and the world's ninth smartphone filmmaking company, was created by Abid Beli in 2015 with the goal to discover, encourage, and accompany the talents of the world to share the stories they have captured on mobile devices and to provide smartphone filmmakers with a platform to exhibit these stories to a wider audience. iSmartfilms is committed to the democratization of cinema, supporting the use of the smartphone as an alternative means for an idea of quality to end on the screen.


Welcome to the World Screens at Film Festival with Themes of Survival and Triumph Over Adversity

Welcome to the World Screens at Film Festival with Themes of Survival and Triumph Over Adversity

October 23, 2019 — Welcome to the World has been selected for the 2019 Overcome Film Festival, running October 23-29, 2019. Films and trailers can be viewed during the festival here.

The Overcome Film Festival is the international event for all storytellers, filmmakers, and artists to tell the world their stories of survival and triumph over adversity. The Overcome Film Festival especially encourages and welcomes the entries of filmmakers all over the world who want to share their experiences in overcoming adversity or any other factor that has contributed to their growth as a person and motivated them to celebrate their existence. It is the focus of the film festival to give survivors a voice and a venue to share their life experiences and provide hope to others regardless of where they come from in the world.

Subtitles are requested of all selected films as the focus of the festival is to include everyone, including hearing and physically impaired audience members.


British Premiere of Welcome to the World

British Premiere of Welcome to the World

September 10, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Britain at the 2019 Last Frame Smartphone Film Festival. The film screens Sunday, September 29, 2019, at 3:45pm at Leytonstone Library in London as part of the Queer DIY Filmmaking with Industry Professionals programme. Welcome to the World, shot on an iPhone 6, will screen alongside Sean Baker's Spirit-winning modern classic Tangerine, shot entirely on an iPhone 5S. Following the screenings, there will be a panel discussion with queer filmmakers and programmers looking at the relationship between DIY and queer filmmaking.


Spanish Premiere of Welcome to the World

Spanish Premiere of Welcome to the World

June 28, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Spain at the 6th Annual Shorty Week Film Festival. The film screens Saturday, June 29, 2019, at 12:45pm at the historic Castillo de Santa Catalina in Cádiz as part of the Red de BARaderos programme.

In 1993, the Castillo de Santa Catalina in Cádiz was declared Bien de Interés Cultural, a category of the heritage register in Spain. Now an exhibition center, this star-shaped 16th-century fortress was built after the Anglo-Dutch sacking of the city in 1596. Within stands a tiny 1683 chapel, and outside are beautiful panoramas across Playa de la Caleta.


Welcome to the World Returns to New York City

Welcome to the World Returns to New York City

June 11, 2019 — After screening on six continents, Welcome to the World returns home to New York City for the 6th Annual The Americas Film Festival of New York, running June 13-22, 2019. Welcome to the World is one of nine fiction short films in competition and will be presented in a block of shorts films alongside ones from Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Panama, and Guatemala, on Saturday, June 15, 2019, at 3pm, at the Center for Worker Education (CWE), 7th Floor Auditorium, at The City College of New York. The screening is free.

Welcome to the World previously screening in New York at NewFilmmakers New York, Asian American International Film Festival, The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, My True Colors Festival, Crown Heights Film Festival, Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, and Long Island International Film Expo.

The Americas Film Festival of New York represents the rich diversity of the cultures, languages and stories of North America, Central America, and South America along with their associated islands. The festival is a project of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education (CWE) of The City College of New York (The City University of New York - CUNY), in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. The Americas Film Festival of New York aims to create a new culture of cinematography appreciation by providing a dynamic space for the public and artists to meet, reflect on multiculturalism and diversity in our society, while promoting the work of new and emerging filmmakers.


Welcome to the World Premieres in Peru

Welcome to the World Premieres in Peru

June 10, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Peru at Independientes Festival de Cortometrajes in Arequipa on Saturday, June 15, 2019, at 5pm, at the Casa Blanca Centro Cultural. Casa Blanca Centro Cultural is a space for an avant-garde art in the Peruvian south, with exhibitions, festivals, screenings, talks, workshops, contests as well as an artist residency program where Peruvian and foreign artists can participate.


Central American Premiere of Welcome to the World

Central American Premiere of Welcome to the World

May 28, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Central America at the 2nd Annual Espacio Seis Festival de Cultura LGBTIQ+ in Panama City, running June 1-6, 2019. The theme this year is "Abriendo Caminos", or "Opening Roads".

The educational framework of Espacio Seis consists of three main pillars: LGBTIQ+ cinema; LGBTIQ+ art, such as drawings, paintings and photographs, installations and performances; and cultural talks, workshops, and panels on topics of current interest for LGBTIQ people and the general population.


Albert M. Chan Wins the Award for Best Performance at OutlantaCon for Welcome to the World

Albert M. Chan Wins the Award for Best Performance at OutlantaCon for Welcome to the World

May 23, 2019 — OutlantaCon has awarded lead actor Albert M. Chan Best Performance for his portrayal of a troubled man in Welcome to the World. OutlantaCon, an Atlanta-based event for LGBTQIA geek audience, ran from May 10-12, 2019, at the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta. The award-winning films at this year's festival will have a special additional screening in the historic Plaza Theater, Atlanta's oldest operating cinema.

Now in its 11th year, OutlantaCon is Atlanta's LGBTQIA convention for sci-fi, pop-culture, multi-media, and gaming. The festival is for people who are not only coming to watch films but engage in discussion on issues relating to film, fandom and LGBTQIA issues around the globe.


OutlantaCon Includes Welcome to the World in Lineup

OutlantaCon Includes Welcome to the World in Lineup

May 9, 2019 — OutlantaCon has selected Welcome to the World as part of its lineup this year. OutlantaCon, an Atlanta-based event for LGBTQIA geek audience, will screen the film on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 9pm, at the Renaissance Concourse Atlanta in the Narratives Block. After the festival ends and the winners are announced, those films will have a special additional screening in the historic Plaza Theater, Atlanta's oldest operating cinema.

Now in its 11th year, OutlantaCon is Atlanta's LGBTQIA convention for sci-fi, pop-culture, multi-media, and gaming. The festival is for people who are not only coming to watch films but engage in discussion on issues relating to film, fandom and LGBTQIA issues around the globe.

Last October, Welcome to the World had its Georgia premiere at the 31st Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival.


Welcome to the World Premieres in Ecuador

Welcome to the World Premieres in Ecuador

March 16, 2019 — Welcome to the World will have its Ecuadorian premiere at FESCISA - Festival de Cine Independiente de San Antonio, running March 21-24, 2019. Welcome to the World is one of three short films in the social issue category, joining Bully from India and Dancing Without a House from Colombia. The festival takes place at Centro Cultural Daniel Reyes in San Antonio De Ibarra.

FESCISA - Festival de Cine Independiente de San Antonio presents films of diverse genres, where subjects of humanity, social, solidarity, childhood, women, among others predominate.


Philadelphia Premiere for Welcome to the World

Philadelphia Premiere for Welcome to the World

March 13, 2019 — Welcome to the World will screen Thursday, March 28th, 2019, at qFLIX Philadelphia. Welcome to the World will play at 7:30pm in the session of LGBTQ+ short films by local Philly filmmakers and adopted qFLIX Philly filmmakers, called Philly Phamily Philms, in Connelly Auditorium at The University of the Arts. Co-director and lead actor Albert M. Chan is scheduled to be in attendance for a talkback.

Last October, Welcome to the World won the Audience Award for Favorite Short Film at sister festival qFLIX Worcester. Albert M. Chan's interracial gay adoption film The Commitment also screened at qFLIX Philadelphia last year.

qFLIX Philadelphia is a production of qFLIX USA, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation, and is rooted in 24 years of LGBTQ+ film festival leadership. Film as an international language allows qFLIX USA to foster, support, and give access to independent filmmakers and to encourage and nurture younger ones in the art of filmmaking.


Boston Cultural Council Awards Grant to Screen Welcome to the World

Boston Cultural Council Awards Grant to Screen Welcome to the World

February 13, 2019 — The non-profit organization MAP for Health has received a grant from the Boston Cultural Council to screen Welcome to the World and have a discussion and talk-back with LGBTQ youth and young adults about mental health, coming out, and suicide. Now in its 25th year of service, MAP for Health is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes healthy outcomes for Asian and Pacific Islander (API) youth and their communities in the greater Boston area. In addition to being a key resource for building HIV/AIDS awareness and delivering HIV prevention and education in the Asian community, MAP for Health is focused on youth development and safety of API youth, especially LGBTQ youth, and the widespread epidemic of hepatitis B in the API community.

The Boston Cultural Council works under the umbrella of the Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture Boston and distributes funds annually from the City of Boston and Mass Cultural Council that support innovative arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences programming with the goal of enhancing the quality of life in Boston.


Welcome to the World Premieres on Sixth Continent: South America

Welcome to the World Premieres on Sixth Continent: South America

January 21, 2019 — Welcome to the World will premiere on its sixth continent, South America, at Festival Internacional de Cine del Mar Caribe (Caribbean Sea International Film Festival), on Saturday, January 26, 2019, 10am, on the island of Margarita in Venezuela. The film screens at Cines Unido Sambil Margarita in the LGBT Short Film category.


Welcome to the World Nominated for Lead Actor and Smartphone Awards

Welcome to the World Nominated for Lead Actor and Smartphone Awards

December 24, 2018 — Welcome to the World has been nominated for Best Lead Actor in an English Language Short for Albert M. Chan's performance and for Best Smartphone Film at the upcoming Southern States Indie FanFilmFest in Biloxi, Mississippi. The film screens January 2, 2019, at 1:15pm at the Palace Casino Resort. Winners will be announced at the red carpet dinner and awards ceremony.


Italian Premiere of Welcome to the World at OMOVIES

Italian Premiere of Welcome to the World at OMOVIES

December 7, 2018 — Welcome to the World premieres in Italy at the 11th annual OMOVIES Festival Internazionale di Cinema LGBT e Questioning. The film kicks off the afternoon screenings on Thursday, December 13, 2018, at 4pm, at Run Comunicazione in Naples. Free admission.

OMOVIES is the first LGBT festival in southern Italy, and is a program of the i Ken ONLUS LGBT Association founded by Carlo Cremona and Marco Taglialatela. OMOVIES is a founding member of the CFCC (Coordinamento dei Festival Cinematografici della Campania).


Brooklyn Screening of Welcome to the World at Williamsburg Independent Film Festival

Brooklyn Screening of Welcome to the World at Williamsburg Independent Film Festival

November 15, 2018 — Welcome to the World returns to Brooklyn, its shooting location, for at the 9th Annual Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, a festival in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The film screens November 16, 2018, at 6:45pm, at the historic Wythe Hotel Cinema in the shorts session It Runs in the Family. Co-director and actor Albert M. Chan will be in attendance.

Founded in 2010, the mission of the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival is to nurture and celebrate new and independent film makers in the mecca of hipster and progressive culture. Over the years, some of our participants have included Neil LaBute, Linda Hamilton, Jane Lynch, Carol Leifer, Michael Urie, Frank Whaley, Billie Joe Armstrong, Debra Messing, Julia Ormand, Fran Kranz, Cheyenne Jackson, Illeana Douglas, Skeet Ulrich, Cathy Moriarty, Keir Gilchrist, Chloe Dahl, Gail Lerner, Rene Balcer, Josh Hamilton, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Rob McClure, Aaron Lazar, Sean Young, Jordan Roth and Daryl Roth.


Welcome to the World Wins Award for Best LGBT Film

Welcome to the World Wins Award for Best LGBT Film

November 10, 2018 — Welcome to the World won the award for Best LGBT Film at this weekend's EyeCatcher Film Festival, a FilmFreeway Top 100 Best Reviewed Festival. The film screened at Great Balls of Fire Entertainment Center and the award was announced at Fat Mary's Lounge & Cabaret, southeast Oklahoma's only LGBT venue, in McAlester, Oklahoma.


European Premiere of Welcome to the World in Marseilles, France

European Premiere of Welcome to the World in Marseilles, France

October 20, 2018 — Welcome to the World premieres in its fifth continent, Europe, at the 11th annual ZeFestival - Festival du Film LGBT de Polychromes. The film screens in Marseilles, France, on Sunday, October 21, 2018, 11am, at Ciné Pathé Madeleine. Click here for more details.

ZeFestival is a program of Polychromes.


Brooklyn Screening of Welcome to the World at Crown Heights Film Festival

Brooklyn Screening of Welcome to the World at Crown Heights Film Festival

October 19, 2018 — Welcome to the World returns to Brooklyn, its shooting location, for at the 31st Crown Heights Film Festival, a festival in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The film screens on Friday, October 19, 2018, at 7pm, at FiveMyles an exhibition and performance space. The film screens in a collection of short films from Canada, USA, Iran, and Ireland. Co-director and actor Albert M. Chan will be in attendance. Admission is free.

The Crown Heights Film Festival (CHFF) brings exceptional local and international short films to the Brooklyn audience. Founded in 2009 to bring the community together as it was rapidly changing due to gentrification, the festival attracts large, enthusiastic audiences to Crown Heights, one of Brooklyn's most beautiful and diverse neighborhoods.


Welcome to the World Wins Audience Award at New England's LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Welcome to the World Wins Audience Award at New England's LGBTQ+ Film Festival

October 14, 2018 — Welcome to the World won the Audience Award for Favorite Short Film at qFLIX Worcester, New England's LGBTQ+ Film Festival, which was held October 11-14, 2018, at the historic 2,300-seat Hanover Theater, where co-director and lead actor Albert M. Chan was in attendance.

Last year, Albert M. Chan's film The Commitment also won the Audience Award at qFLIX Worcester for Best Men's Short.


Welcome to the World to Screen at San Antonio QFest

World to the World to Screen at San Antonio QFest

October 13, 2018 — Welcome to the World continues its festival run at San Antonio QFest, and will screen Saturday, October 13, 2018, at 7:15pm, at City Base Cinema in the short film session Special Topics Shorts Package. Previously, co-director Albert M. Chan's film The Commitment screened at San Antonio QFest in 2016, where it was also nominated for Best Drama Short Film, Best Male Performance (Albert M. Chan) and Best Portrayal of an LBGT Minority (Albert M. Chan).

San Antonio QFest is committed to bringing awareness of the LGBTQ community to the greater San Antonio region by featuring cinematic works recognizing and celebrating a multicultural world. Tickets are on sale here. San Antonio QFest operates under the umbrella organization of Pride: San Antonio which is a 501c3 organization. Originally established 7 years ago, this festival is held during LGBTQ History Month in order to promote the understanding and multicultural community that is the LGBTQ community.


Welcome to the World Returns to Massachusetts for qFLIX Worcester

Welcome to the World Returns to Massachusetts for qFLIX Worcester

October 12, 2018 — Welcome to the World will return to Massachusetts for qFLIX Worcester at the historic 2,300-seat Hanover Theater, in the Mixed Shorts Program on October 14, 2018, at 11am. Co-director and lead actor Albert M. Chan is scheduled to be in attendance.

Last year, Albert's film The Commitment won the Audience Award for Best Men's Short at qFLIX Worcester.


Georgia Premiere of Welcome to the World at Atlanta's Out on Film

Georgia Premiere of Welcome to the World at Atlanta's Out on Film

October 3, 2018 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Georgia at the 31st Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival, on Thursday, October 4, 2018, at 1:30pm, at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. The film anchors a collection of short films in a session Welcome to the World, named after Albert's film.

Founded in 1987, Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival is one of the oldest and leading LGBT film festivals in the United States. A non-profit, tax-exempt 501c3 organization, Out On Film was created to inform, entertain, educate, and enrich the regional LGBT community by recognizing the creative work of these artists and professionals, many with local connections. Out On Film's popularity is accomplished in part by offering multi-racial and multi-cultural films, and over the years has been recognized locally, nationally, and globally for showcasing films by, for, and about the LGBT community.


Welcome to the World Returns to Oklahoma for Top Reviewed Festival

Welcome to the World Returns to Oklahoma for Top Reviewed Festival

October 1, 2018 — Welcome to the World returns to Oklahoma for the EyeCatcher Film Festival, a FilmFreeway Top 100 Best Reviewed Festival. The film screens Thursday, November 8, 2018, at 10am, at Great Balls of Fire Entertainment Center in McAlester, Oklahoma.

Previously, Welcome to the World screened at GLITTER! Oklahoma LGBTQ Film Festival.


African Premiere for World to the World in Durban, South Africa

African Premiere for Welcome to the World in Durban, South Africa

September 22, 2018 — Welcome to the World will have its African premiere at the Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on Saturday, September 22, 2018, 12:30pm, in Durban, South Africa, in the session Queer Drama Short Film Mix. The session will repeat on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 5:30pm. Previously, co-director Albert M. Chan's film The Commitment screened at Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in 2013.

As an independent platform for filmmakers from South Africa and across the world to specifically deal with issues relating to the LGBTI community, the DGLFF will showcase new and innovative motion pictures, documentaries, shorts and related productions whilst conducting workshops, debates and talks on past LGBTI movies, productions processes, film writing and how the visual medium affects and is affected by the pink community across the world. Special emphasis is placed on Durban and KwaZulu-Natal filmmakers, especially those that deal with human rights and issues of human sexuality in their work. Proceeds from the festival will benefit both the KZNSA and the KwaZulu-Natal Gay & Lesbian Tourism Association (KZNGALTA).


Welcome to the World Premieres in New Mexico at Taos Pride

Welcome to the World Premieres in New Mexico at Taos Pride

August 8, 2018 — Welcome to the World will premiere in New Mexico at Taos Pride Film Festival, part of a series of pride parties, events and performances in a vibrant and internationally famous arts community. The film screens on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at 8pm as part of the shorts program at the Taos Community Auditorium at the Taos Center for the Arts. Tickets are $6.


Welcome to the World Picked Up by Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre

Welcome to the World Picked Up by Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre

August 2, 2018 — Produced and co-directed by Canadian Albert M. Chan, Welcome to the World has been picked up for distribution by the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC). The listing for Welcome to the World on CFMDC's website can be viewed here.

Established in 1967, CFMDC is a not-for-profit, artist-run centre that has since grown and evolved into a world-renowned distributor of independent media art. CFMDC serves as an ambassador for Canadian artists and their work, creating distribution networks and opportunities at the local, national and international levels. The centre honours the collective history of avant-garde art film, while playing a key-role in determining a more contemporary definition of distribution in the digital milieu. Now in our 50th year, with 3700+ films in their catalogue by over 1000 members, CFMDC is one of the most enduring, respected, forward thinking, and engaged, distribution centres in Canada. CFMDC is supported in part by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.


Welcome to the World Screens at Asian American International Film Festival in NYC

Welcome to the World Screens at Asian American International Film Festival in NYC

August 1, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen at the Asian American International Film Festival in NYC, the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to films by and about Asians and Asian Americans. The film screens on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, at 6pm as part of the shorts program Family Affairs, showcasing films that run the gamut of what it means to deal with family. The screening takes place at Village East Cinema, one of New York's last remaining Yiddish theatre buildings and a New York city designated landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Co-director and actor Albert M. Chan and actress Mary Niederkorn will be in attendance. Tickets are $12 for seniors and students and $16 for general admission, available here.

Chan's first film, Fate Scores, screened at the Asian American International Film Festival back in 2009.


Welcome to the World Premieres in Oklahoma

Welcome to the World Premieres in Oklahoma

July 26, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen at GLITTER! Oklahoma LGBTQ Film Festival on Friday, July 27, 2018, at 12pm, at Fat Mary's Lounge & Cabaret, southeast Oklahoma's only LGBT venue.

GLITTER! Oklahoma LGBTQ Film Festival provides a diverse outlet for art in southeastern Oklahoma, showcasing micro shorts, shorts, documentaries, features, music videos, screenwriting, and photography. A legendary awards show hosted by one of the best female impersonators in the state, along with other amazing performers caps four days of events.


Long Island International Film Expo to Screen Welcome to the World

Long Island International Film Expo to Screen Welcome to the World

July 14, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen at the 12th Annual Long Island International Film Expo on Sunday, July 15, 2018, at 3:45pm (Day 3, Screening Block 2), at the historic Bellmore Movies in Bellmore, New York. Co-director and actor Albert M. Chan and actress Mary Niederkorn are scheduled to be in attendance. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors/children/students and are available here.

Presented by the Long Island Film/TV Foundation and the Nassau County Film Commission, the Long Island International Film Expo has been named one of the Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World by MovieMaker Magazine. This year's festival will include over a hundred short and feature-length independent films from all over the world. Past guests include Ed Asner (Mary Tyler Moore Show), Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Billy Baldwin (Backdraft), Ed Burns (Saving Private Ryan), Danny Aiello (Moonstruck), Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie), Steve Guttenberg (Cocoon), Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid), Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Perfect Storm), Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years), Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray, Huge), Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club), and Robert Vaughn (Man from U.N.C.L.E.).


Welcome to the World Selected as Finalist for Short Film Competition

Welcome to the World Selected as Finalist for Short Film Competition

June 27, 2018 — Welcome to the World has been selected to compete in the 2018 OUT HERE NOW SHORT FILM COMPETITION on the closing night of the 19th Annual OUT HERE NOW: Kansas City LGBT Film Festival. This popular annual closing night event takes place on Thursday, June 28, 2018, at 5:45pm, at Tivoli Cinemas and features eleven short films, each under 10 minutes, that were selected to be this year's finalists by the jury. The audience in attendance that evening will watch and then rank each of the finalists. The filmmaker whose film earns the highest overall ranking will be awarded a cash prize.

The filmmaking team's previous effort The Commitment screened at OUT HERE NOW: Kansas City LGBT Film Festival back in 2013.

OUT HERE NOW: Kansas City LGBT Film Festival is presented by the Tivoli Cinemas and Arts Center and the Westport Regional Business League with support from the Kansas City Neighborhood Tourism & Development Fund.


Welcome to the World Selected for Official NYC Pride Event

Welcome to the World Selected for Official NYC Pride Event

June 13, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen during national LGBT Pride Month at My True Colors Festival, an official NYC Pride event. The film screens on Friday, June 15, 2018, at 6:45pm at The Brick Theater (579 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211). Another of co-director and actor Albert M. Chan's films, The Commitment, will also screen in the same session. Chan is scheduled to be in attendance for a talkback after the screenings. Tickets are $15 and are available here.

The My True Colors Festival is an annual event fighting for social justice and promoting cultural diversity through the arts by presenting works in multiple disciplines that are for and by underrepresented multicultural LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual) storytellers. This year's festival will take place at various venues throughout Brooklyn, NY, including DUMBO's Made In NY Media Center by IFP.

Since its launch in June 2015 as an official NYC Pride Event Partner, MTCF has presented over 100 screenings of film shorts, narratives, documentaries, and web series; stage plays; music performances; dance acts; visual arts; and, talkbacks/one-on-one conversations with high profile artists like ABC Black-ish co-star Jennifer Lewis.


Welcome to the World Screens in Home Province of Co-Director

Welcome to the World Screens in Home Province of Co-Director

June 13, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen in co-director and writer Albert M. Chan's home province of Ontario, Canada, at the Queer North Film Festival in Sudbury, Ontario. The film screens on Friday, June 15, at 5:15pm, at the McEwen School of Architecture as part of the Best Of Queer Shorts 1 programme. For tickets and more information, visit here.

One member of the festival selection committee writes, "I had the privileged of reviewing your video as one of the submissions... I wanted to tell you that I personally found it to be quite moving. As a survivor of suicide myself I identified strongly with the main character. I want to personally commend you for being extremely courageous in how raw you made the film. I hope that you can accept my sincerest congratulations on a job extremely well done. Bravo!"

Queer North Film Festival is the only queer film festival in northern Ontario and also supports the development of Northern Ontario's aspiring and emerging LGBT filmmakers through a youth digital storytelling workshop and an industry programme. The festival is produced by Sudbury Indie Cinema, a not-for-profit co-op incorporated in 2014 that brings world-class independent cinema to northern Ontario on a year-round basis.


Hometown Premiere in Brooklyn for Welcome to the World

Hometown Premiere in Brooklyn for Welcome to the World

June 7, 2018 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Brooklyn on Thursday, June 7, 2018, at 8:30pm as part of the The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival at Maroney Theatre at St. Francis College. The film screens as part of the Oh, The Humanity shorts session, featuring revealing films about deep and personal struggles, joyous moments, and the vulnerabilities that connect us all. Brooklyn-based co-director and actor Albert M. Chan and actress Mary Niederkorn will be in attendance. Tickets are $15 and available here; use the code 18AOBFF to receive 20% off.

Founded in 2011, The Art of Brooklyn is a 501c3 not-for-profit organization that curates a conversation between the new, Brooklyn-based art community, immigrants, transplants and those born and raised in the borough. The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival is the flagship indie film event of Brooklyn and is the ONLY international, independent festival in the world exclusively devoted to Brooklyn's vibrant film and media scene. Work from all over the world is accepted, as long as it's connected to the borough in some way (e.g. cast/crew, production, content, theme, setting, etc.). The Art of Brooklyn is also the only indie film festival to build and program our own video-on-demand streaming platform: Brooklyn On Demand, where we broadcast festival favorites, original series and more, online and on a Roku channel with over 17,000 subscribers, alongside Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.


NewFilmmakers New York to Screen Welcome to the World At Anthology Film Archives

NewFilmmakers New York to Screen Welcome to the World At Anthology Film Archives

June 6, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen at the internationally recognized screening series NewFilmmakers New York on Wednesday, June 6, 7pm, at Anthology Film Archives on the Lower East Side. The film will screen in a program of four short films running from 7-8pm. Tickets are $7 and are good for the whole night. Tickets go on sale at 5:30PM the night of screening at the Anthology Box Office and are available all night; there is no advanced or online sales.

NewFilmmakers is New York's longest running and most popular screening series. The NewFilmmakers Screening Series selects films and videos often overlooked by traditional film festivals. NewFilmmakers NY screens every week and sometimes more at Anthology Film Archives and usually has its Documentary Series at 6pm, Short Film Program at 7pm, and Feature Presentations at 8pm. The NewFilmmakers Series began in 1998 and over the past eighteen teen years has screened over 800 feature and 2,500 short films. In 2000, they brought the Havana Film Festival to New York and 2002 they started NewFilmmakers Los Angeles. Many well-known shorts and features including Blair Witch and Too Much Sleep have had their initial screenings at NewFilmmakers.

Founded in 1969, Anthology Film Archives is an international center for the preservation, study, and exhibition of film and video, with a particular focus on independent, experimental, and avant-garde cinema. Since its founding, Anthology has grown far beyond its original concept to encompass film preservation; the formation of a reference library containing the world's largest collection of books, periodicals, stills, and other paper materials related to avant-garde cinema; and a remarkably innovative and eclectic film exhibition program. Anthology screens more than 900 programs annually, preserves an average of 25 films per year (with 800 works preserved to date), publishes books and DVDs, and hosts numerous scholars and researchers.


Houston to Host Texas Premiere of Welcome to the World

Houston to Host Texas Premiere of Welcome to the World

June 1, 2018 — Welcome to the World will premiere in Texas at the 2018 Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival on Monday, June 4, at 6:30pm at the Performing Arts Center at Houston Community College–Spring Branch. The film screens in the session Strength Through Intimacy. Admission is free. For tickets and more information, visit here.

Started in 2004 by OCA-Greater Houston, the Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival, or HAAPIFEST, was created to highlight and celebrate the diversity of AAPI culture, food, and family, to support AAPI artists and filmmakers, and to share the untold AAPI experience for the Greater Houston metropolitan area through "edutainment". Today, HAAPIFEST is an immersive, multi-day celebration of film, music, and art, showcased by a dedicated committee of volunteers. The mission of HAAPIFEST is to promote and develop Asian and Asian American innovators in the film and entertainment industry, promote Houston as a cultural destination for the arts, and educate the AAPI and wider communities through the visual storytelling of Asians and Asian Americans.


Sacramento Premiere of Welcome to the World at California Museum

Sacramento Premiere of Welcome to the World at California Museum

May 18, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen at the Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at 7:30pm, at the California Museum, the official California state history museum. The film screens in a segment of narrative short films from 7:30-8:20pm within Show 2 – RESISTANCE which runs from 5-10pm. Tickets provide access to all films within Show 2, and can be purchased here.

Since 2013, the Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival has been a champion of independent films featuring the works of Asian Pacific Islanders in front of and behind the camera. The signature event of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Cultural Village, the Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival serves alongside a continuum of events and programming in support of traditional and contemporary Asian and Pacific Islander artistic expression within the Sacramento Region.

A self-supporting 501(c)3 non-profit, the California Museum — home of the California Hall of Fame — engages, educates and enlightens people about California's rich history, its diversity and its unique influence on the world of ideas, innovation, art and culture. Through interactive experiences, the Museum inspires visitors to make a mark on history.


Rhode Island Screening of Welcome to the World

Rhode Island Screening of Welcome to the World

April 27, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen in Rhode Island tonight at the Southeast New England (SENE) Film, Music & Arts Festival in Providence, RI at Rhodywood Studio. The film screens on Friday, April 27, 2018, at 8:30pm as part of the LGBT Shorts session. Co-director and actor Albert M. Chan and actress Mary Niederkorn will be in attendance.

The filmmaking team's previous efforts Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future, The Commitment and Fate Scores screened at Southeast New England (SENE) Film, Music & Arts Festival back in 2015, 2013 and 2009 respectively. The festival awarded Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future with Best Regional Film and The Commitment with both the Jury Award and Audience Award for Best LGBT Film.

As one of the longest-running film, music and arts festivals in the country, the Southeast New England Film, Music & Arts Festival has established itself as one of the premier festivals in New England dedicated to giving life to independent cinema, music and art. The festival was recently selected as one of MovieMaker Magazine's Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.


Northwest Premiere of Welcome to the World in Oregon

Northwest Premiere of Welcome to the World in Oregon

April 19, 2018 — Welcome to the World will have its northwest premiere at the 13th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon on Saturday, April 21, 2018, at 2:40pm, at the University of Oregon Redwood Auditorium. The film screens in the session Shorts Session #1: The Asian Man.

Co-director Albert M. Chan's previous films Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future and The Commitment also screened at DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon in 2015 and 2013.

DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon is a social justice film festival that takes place in Eugene, Oregon. It is dedicated to deconstructing the media stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans as "Orientals", and promoting the power of film-as-art to educate, heal and improve the lives of people by giving voice to our experiences. Started in 2006 by artists, educators, and activists, DisOrient is a grassroots and volunteer-run film festival committed to presenting honest portrayals of the diversity of the Asian and Pacific Islander American experience. DisOrient is a program of the Chinese American Benevolent Association (CABA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural arts organization that also runs a youth group (Chinese Lion Dance Troupe), which is comprised of middle school, high school, and college age students. CABA also offers college scholarships for local Asian American youth and aspiring filmmakers.


Filmmakers Return to Boston International Film Festival for Welcome To The World Screening

Filmmaker Returns to Boston International Film Festival for Welcome to the World Screening

April 15, 2018 — Filmmaker Albert M. Chan will return to the Boston International Film Festival on April 15, 2018, to present Welcome to the World. The film screens in Session 27 at Kendall Square Cinema prior to the feature film Juveniles. Scheduled to be present for a Q&A are Chan, who wrote and co-directed the film, and actress Mary Niederkorn.

Chan has a long-standing relationship with the festival, now in its 16th year. In 2015, the festival screened Chan's Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future; Chan attended the screening that year along with lead actress and Golden Globe nominee Tina Chen. In 2013, the festival screened Chan's The Commitment. In 2009, Chan attended the festival's Boston premiere of Fate Scores, written, directed, and produced by Chan. In 2006, the festival premiered the psychological thriller Interrogation, featuring Chan in the supporting role of Lieutenant Charles David Han.


Welcome to the World Returns to Missouri for Kansas City FilmFest

Welcome to the World Returns to Missouri for Kansas City FilmFest

April 12, 2018 — Welcome to the World will screen at Kansas City FilmFest on Friday, April 13, 2018, at 12:20pm, in the session Short Narrative: World Around Us, at Cinemark Palace at the Plaza. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.

Co-director Albert M. Chan's previous film The Commitment also screened at Kansas City FilmFest in 2013.

Formerly known as the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee, the event has grown steadily since its humble beginnings in 1997, now spanning five days in one of Kansas City's premiere theatres. Over the years, he FilmFest has received thousands of entries from all over the world, and more than $200,000 in cash and prizes have been awarded in the juried competition.


Asian Premiere for Welcome to the World in India

Asian Premiere for Welcome to the World in India

April 6, 2018 — Welcome to the World will have its Asian premiere in India at Out & Loud: Pune International Queer Film Festival on April 7, 2018, at 12:33pm, at The Monalisa Kalagram.

The Out & Loud: Pune International Queer Film Festival, powered by MIST, is an annual event showcasing handpicked queer films from over the world. The festival will also be an open platform for the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer) to voice their concerns in a social-friendly environment.

Mist is a 8-year-old LGBTQ collective. Started in Bengaluru in 2010, it now has members in Pune and Hyderabad. Mist organizes events in various cities in collaboration with local groups. It also has a vibrant online presence supporting its events on the ground. Mist aims to build stronger bonds within the queer community and with our allies.


Australian Premiere for Welcome to the World

Australian Premiere for Welcome to the World

April 6, 2018 — Welcome to the World will have its Australian premiere at Short + Sweet Film Festival Queensland at the Queensland Academy for Creative Industries. The film will screen in the first of two heats, taking place on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at 7pm. Gala Finalists will be announced after each heat and will screen at the Gala Finals the weekend of May 11-13, 2018, at New Farm Cinemas. Winners of the Best Film and People's Choice will receive the opportunity to showcase their films at the International Gala Final that is to be held at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard on August 24, 2018.


Welcome to the World Wins Award in Alabama

Welcome to the World Wins Award in Alabama

April 2, 2018 — Welcome to the World was one of two award winners at this year's Troy International Film Festival, which took place on March 29, 2018, at the Claudia Crosby Theater in Troy, Alabama. Out of 19 films from the US, Iran, Belgium, Ireland, Canada, Brazil, Greece, Japan, and the UK, Welcome to the World won the award for Best Smartphone Film. The festival is organized by the Troy University Cinematography Society.


Welcome to the World to Premiere in the Southern US

Welcome to the World to Premiere in the Southern US

March 28, 2018 — Welcome to the World will have its southern US premiere tomorrow, March 29, 2018, at the Troy International Film Festival, held at the Trojan Center Theater in Troy, Alabama. The festival is organized by the Troy University Cinematography Society.


Midwest Premiere for Welcome to the World at QFest St. Louis

Midwest Premiere for Welcome to the World at QFest St. Louis

February 21, 2018 — Welcome to the World heads to Missouri to screen at QFest St. Louis on April 5, 2018, at 9pm, at the .ZACK Theatre in the Grand Center Arts District. The film will be screened in the short film block Queer Shorts 2: Adam. Co-director Albert M. Chan's award-winning film The Commitiment played at QFest in 2013.

Now in its 10th year, QFest, Saint Louis' LGBTQ Film Festival, creates a convergence of art and the LGBTQ community by bringing the very best in contemporary queer cinema to the St. Louis region. The primary mission of the festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and celebrate queer culture. QFest is produced by Cinema St. Louis, which also produces the Academy-Award qualifying St. Louis International Film Festival.


Welcome to the World to Premiere in Ontario

Welcome to the World to Premiere in Ontario

February 9, 2018 — Welcome to the World will have its Ontario premiere at the Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival at noon on February 10, 2018, at The Screening Room in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The film plays in the session Queerly Canadian Shorts Program, a collection of experimental and traditional narrative and documentaries that explore queer identities across Canada. Co-director, writer, and actor Albert M. Chan is a native of Ontario, Canada.

Founded in 1999 by Marney McDiarmid, Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival is now in its 18th year. In 2006, the festival was honoured with the Queen's University Human Rights Initiative Award for their contribution to the community. In 2007, the Reelout Arts Project Inc. became a registered charitable organization and a member of Volunteer Canada and in 2008 established the Reelout in Schools Project specializing in diversity and gender diversity education.


Welcome to the World Review: Packs a Huge Punch

Welcome to the World Review: "Packs a Huge Punch"

February 4, 2018 — UK Film Review published a highly favorable review today of Welcome to the World. Rachel Pullen writes, "Leading man Albert M. Chan... plays an emotionally raw man with a grace and ease that is often only seen within some of the most high end actors". She adds that the film "packs a huge punch... to create such an impact on a viewer in only seven minutes with just one man, a script and a camera certainly speaks volumes of the skills that Chan has as a director, writer and performer". Click here for the full review.


Welcome to the World Review: Chan Gives a Gripping, Heartfelt and Sincere Performance

Welcome to the World Review: "Chan Gives a Gripping, Heartfelt and Sincere Performance"

January 10, 2018 — Operation Condor reviewer Max White praises Albert M. Chan's performance in Welcome to the World: "Chan gives a gripping, heartfelt and sincere performance which plunges you into the murky waters of modern humanity and masculinity before you get to glimpse the surface light again." Referring to the fact that the film is shot in one continuous 7-minute take, he writes, "How he squeezes so much raw emotion into a single shot makes this the best possible way to spend–and put into perspective–the next seven minutes of your life." Click here for the full review.


Welcome to the World to Premiere in Canada

Canadian Premiere of Welcome to the World

November 28, 2017 — Welcome to the World will have its Canadian premiere at the Image+Nation Festival Film LGBTQueer Montreal on November 28, 2017, at 6pm. Co-director, writer, and actor Albert M. Chan is a native of Canada.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Image+Nation Festival Film LGBTQueer Montreal is Canada's oldest LGBT film festival. Welcome to the World will be screened at District Vidéo Lounge as part of a celebration of the festival's 30th anniversary.


East Coast Premiere of Welcome to the World in Boston

East Coast Premiere of Welcome to the World in Boston

October 21, 2017 — Welcome to the World will have its east coast premiere at the Boston Asian American Film Festival on October 21, 2017, at 3:15pm, at The Paramount Center. The film screens in the session Life & Liberty: Resilience and Righteousness in the Bright Family Screening Room. Co-director, writer, and actor Albert M. Chan is scheduled to be in attendance, as well as actress Mary Niederkorn.

Albert M. Chan's previous films Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future and The Commitment also screened at the Boston Asian American Film Festival in 2014 and 2012.

BAAFF empowers the Asian American community through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF's film selections highlight both historic and contemporary stories in an effort to deepen understanding and appreciation of Asian American experiences. Hosted in Boston, Massachusetts, this festival attracts people from all over the country every year. The 2017 festival theme is Liberty & Justice — a showcase of inspiring stories about self-empowerment, activists, and civic responsibility advocates who find their voice to be a catalyst of change and in turn motivate change within ourselves.


Welcome to the World to World Premiere in Palm Springs

Welcome to the World to World Premiere in Palm Springs

September 21, 2017 — Welcome to the World will have its world premiere at Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival at Camelot Theatres. The film screens in the session Life Can Be Tough At Times in Camelot Theatre Two on Friday, September 22, at 11am.

Co-director and actor Albert M. Chan's previous film The Commitment also had its world premiere at Cinema Diverse: Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival in 2012 and won an Audience Award for Best Short Series alongside Groom's Cake and Little Ones.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, the festival is a presentation of the Palm Springs Cultural Center and is dedicated to presenting the best in LGBTQ cinema. With the current gay and lesbian population in Palm Springs estimated to be about seven times the national average, a concentration even greater than that of San Francisco, Palm Springs is a fitting location for the premiere of Welcome to the World.


Richard Propes Calls Welcome to the World a Riveting Piece of Human Drama

Richard Propes Calls Welcome to the World a "Riveting Piece of Human Drama"

April 5, 2017 — Richard Propes, The Independent Critic, describes Welcome to the World as a "riveting piece of human drama". He praises Albert M. Chan's performance as "deeply moving without ever seeming to stretch for those deep emotions... an indicator that he's in touch with his character and demands dignity for every step of his journey". He concludes, "Welcome to the World is the kind of find that lingers in your brain long after the closing credits have rolled by, from the illuminating final sequences to the revelation of new life to the honest, heartfelt journey of one young man in a world where he is seemingly surrounded yet feels so incredibly alone." Click here for the full review.


First Review Calls Welcome to the World Intelligent, Inventive, and Inspired

First Review Calls Welcome to the World "Intelligent, Inventive, and Inspired"

April 1, 2017 — One Film Fan reviewer Kirk Fernwood praises Welcome to the World as "intelligent, inventive, and inspired". On Albert M. Chan's performance, he writes, "Chan does a fantastic job... drawing you in with every word". He adds, "the finale is a stroke of creative brilliance and artistry, its potency greatly affecting." Click here for the full review.


Welcome to the World Wraps Principal Photography

Welcome to the World Wraps Principal Photography

January 31, 2017 — Welcome to the World has wrapped principal photography and is in the post-production phase. The film will be edited and mixed in the weeks to come, with the film completed by Spring 2017.


Anthony Grasso Signs on as Co-Director

Anthony Grasso Signs on as Co-Director

January 12, 2017 — Veteran actor, director, and teacher Anthony Grasso has signed on to co-direct Welcome to the World alongside Albert M. Chan.

Some of his primetime television credits include: Blue Bloods (CBS), Untitled Wall Street Project pilot with Jon Cusack (CBS), Unforgettable (CBS), Law & Order (NBC), Law & Order: CI (NBC), and Law & Order SVU (NBC), The Black Donnellys (NBC), and Sex & the City (HBO). Anthony has also been seen in a variety of commercials both regionally and nationally, most notably the American Express campaign directed by M. Night Shamalayan.

Anthony studied at the legendary The Actors Studio with Frank Corsaro, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Grant, Estelle Parsons, Christopher Walken, and the late Arthur Penn. He also studied Meisner technique with Kevin O'Connor at the Neighborhood Playhouse and most recently completed several master classes with the renowned Larry Moss. He also went abroad to continue his studies at The British Academy of Dramatic Arts in Oxford, England, with John Barton, David Leveaux, Fiona Shaw, Debra Warner, and Jane Lapataire.

Anthony's teaching career started back in 1998. His eighteen years of teaching experience includes being on the faculty of the Film and Television Studio at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Paper Mill Playhouse, the New York Film Academy, and The New York Conservatory For The Dramatic Arts, and heading up his own acting school, Anthony Grasso Studio (AGS), formerly Breakthrough Studios.


Mary Niederkorn Joins Cast

Mary Niederkorn Joins Cast

December 14, 2016 — Mary Niederkorn has been added to the cast of Welcome to the World, starring Albert M. Chan.

A professional opera singer, Mary made the crossover to film and theater hoping to express herself in a more personal way through acting, and to reach a wider audience beyond classical music. Within months of recovering from ovarian cancer, Mary was cast as Dr. Vivian Bearing in Wit, receiving both popular and critical acclaim. Other career highlights include: her role as the social worker in the independent short film The Commitment which earned a national media film award for Best Film from the National Association of Social Workers, beating out Moonrise Kingdom (Tilda Swinton) and What to Expect When You're Expecting (Kim Fields); her performance in the Boston premiere of Sousa's opera Transformations on the work of Sylvia Plath at The Huntington Theatre; and the short film Homophonia which she wrote and produced, and was an official selection in three Oscar-qualifying short film festivals. She will be appearing in American Repertory Theater's production of Violet in April 2017 under the direction of Sammi Cannold.