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Fil-Am Jhett Tolentino's 'Asian Persuasion' set for November premiere in PH

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Don Tagala | TFC News New York

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IodXLIHFOak?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Tony-winning Broadway producer Jhett Tolentino’s tectonic shift to filmmaking seems to be paying off. The world premiere of his debut film “Asian Persuasion” was not only sold out at the Soho International Film Festival in New York twice, it also recently won the Audience Choice Award.Written by Mike Ang, the romantic comedy was shot entirely in the Big Apple with a cast and crew of mostly Asians.That includes Filipino actress KC Concepcion, together with Hollywood actors Dante Basco and Paolo Montalban.&quot;This film would not have been done if we [didn&#x27;t] have that kind of pedigree actors,&quot; said Tolentino. &quot;I call them &#x27;pedigree actors&#x27; because they are so experienced.&quot;“Asian Persuasion” follows the story of a Mickey, a divorcee played by Basco, who had the crazy plan of marrying off his ex-wife, Avery Chua played by Concepcion, to avoid his alimony obligations.What happens next is the heart of the story.The sold-out screening was attended by Filipinos from all over the East Coast. Some moviegoers described the surge of new Filipino films as the Filipino American &quot;renaissance.&quot;&quot;The best way to explain it is our Filipino halo-halo (dessert),&quot; said Lakhi Siap from Chicago. &quot;We get the best of everything and when you put it all together, something amazing happens.&quot; Said Patrice Clearly from Washington, D.C.: &quot;It really is a true to life rom-com. It’s something that you could see yourself going through in your own life. It&#x27;s like your own story but on a film.&quot;Concepcion, meanwhile, shared that filming in New York City is a dream come true. After all, NYC is one of the most popular filming locations for Hollywood movies.&quot;All the movies I&#x27;ve watched were filmed here (in New York,&quot; said Concepcion in Filipino. &quot;Now, I&#x27;m also able to be in a film that&#x27;s shot here. I&#x27;m very thankful for the producers for having me in the movie.&quot;Basco, whose fame started as a kid actor playing Rufio in Steven Spielberg’s “Hook,” said being able to play a Filipino character in a movie is a badge of honor.&quot;We’re at the highest profile we have been as Asians in Hollywood,&quot; he said. &quot;To represent this Golden era of Asians in Hollywood, I find a lot of pride in that.&quot;As for Montalban, he said playing a Filipino-American character &quot;means the world to me.&quot;It’s almost like I don’t have to act to do it right because I’m Filipino-American,&quot; he said. &quot;I understand the experience of growing up in America, I understand what it&#x27;s like to interact with the work and the pride as a FilAm.&quot;&quot;Asian Persuasion&quot; will premiere in the Philippines on Nov. 27, and will have a nationwide release on the 29th.It will also have a special premiere in Tolentino’s home province of Iloilo on Dec. 1.