Asian American International Film Festival to screen Cinematografo Original “Bitter Melon” in New York

The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) -- proudly known as "The First Home to Asian American Cinema” – kicks off this week its 41st annual festival in New York City, starting from July 25 to August 4, 2018.  Acclaimed Filipino American director-screenwriter H.P. Mendoza’s Bitter Melon, a film project chosen last year for funding and support under Cinematografo Originals, is an official selection and will be shown by AAIFF at the prestigious Asia Society on Park Avenue on August 4.

Bitter Melon has been doing the festival route since debuting as a work in progress at the 2017 Cinematografo International Film Festival in San Francisco.  It had its world premiere as a centerpiece film at CAAMFest in San Francisco in May, followed by a screening as a narrative feature in Outfest Los Angeles this July, before going to the East Coast for AAIFF in August.

Outfest Los Angeles Kicks Off on July 12; Filipino American Entry and Cinematografo Original “Bitter Melon” to Screen on July 13

Outfest Los Angeles -- the oldest film festival in Los Angeles and considered the preeminent LGBTQ film festival in the world – kicks off on July 12 a full 11 days of not to be missed world-class films, panels and parties.  One of the more than 150 feature and short films to be shown to an audience of more than 40,000 people is Bitter Melon, a film project chosen last year for funding and support under Cinematografo Originals.

Bitter Melon is the third feature film that filmmaker H.P. Mendoza directed (Fruit Fly, I Am a Ghost). The film had its world premiere at the CAAMFest in San Francisco last May. Dennis Harvey of Variety has described it as “invigorating” and Mendoza’s “best directorial feature to date.”  KGO Radio praised it as “a rare and wonderful movie.”  Tim Sika of the San Francisco Film Critics Circle hailed it as “an indie masterpiece.”

“Bitter Melon” – a Cinematografo Original – makes its way to Outfest this July

When the very first Cinematografo International Film Festival (CIFF) launched in November last year, it also introduced select originals and new projects that their committee has carefully selected to fund and support. One of these is Bitter Melon.

Bitter Melon is the third feature film that filmmaker H.P. Mendoza directed (Fruit Fly, I Am a Ghost). It is the story of a Filipino-American family who reunites for a Christmas party, only to find out that Troy, the second oldest child, has been ruling the house with fear-intimidating everyone who lives there-including his mother, and even physically abusing his wife. What starts as a fun holiday reunion turns into a darkly humorous crime scene as Declan, the youngest son, leads the family as they conspire on how to best murder the violent and abusive Troy.