Festival Predictions

2021 Sundance Film Festival Predictions: Eddie Huang’s Boogie

Published on November 16, 2020

Would have been cool to see Eddie Huang participate at both Sundance and… Chefdance on Main Street with a directorial debut that promises a buffer or faces and different races. For those who don’t know the newbie helmer, Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir was a huge deal for Huang who penned a television series (sxi seasons in all). He also happens to be a chef and TV host. Shot in New York City September of 2019, Boogie sees Taylor Takahashi lead a cast comprised of Pamelyn Chee, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Mike Moh, Dave East, Perry Yung, Alexa Mareka and our Zola queen, Taylour Paige. Focus Features were quick to come onboard.

Gist: Set against the backdrop of contemporary New York City, Boogie follows a young Chinese-American basketball phenom who struggles to balance the expectations of his immigrant family with his own dreams of becoming a player for the NBA.

Production Co./Producers: Immersive Pictures’ Josh Bratman, Wink Production’s Josh McLaughlin and Michael Tadross.

Prediction: U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION

U.S. Distributor: Focus Features.

Eric Lavallée

Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).