‘The Paper Tigers’ is a loving riff on the martial arts genre, action-packed with well-choreographed fight scenes and delightful humor. Quoc Bao Tran’s acclaimed directorial debut emphasizes the enlightening power of reigniting old friendships and practicing forgiveness — and it's premiering here on Kinema!

Director Bao Tran spent over a decade making this film, partially because studios and distributors repeatedly requested a white lead instead of the racially diverse characters he was set on. Bao refused to whitewash his vision, and instead turned to his community and crowd funding.

"We knew it was going to come and we knew that race bending or whitewashing was going to be a challenge. But, you know, it was clear for us — that’s not what we want to do," said Bao in an interview.

The feel-good action comedy was predominantly shot in Seattle's Chinatown-International District, where the community rallied behind Bao and his film: they donated food, provided space for free, and even offered free hotel rooms.

Get your ticket to the screening + live discussion with the director — space is limited!