Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists. Donate today and help bring Jia to life.
 

Logline

When Sophia’s non-English-speaking father-in-law Ping vanishes in the U.S., she and her husband Daniel embark on a cross-country road trip with their newborn son. As they search for Ping, they must confront a labor trafficking scheme, the cracks in their marriage, and an uncertain future.

Synopsis

Sophia, an Asian American actress and new mother, is shaken when her husband Daniel’s father, Ping, vanishes after becoming entangled in a labor trafficking scheme tied to the marijuana boom. As the couple searches for Ping, they confront the events leading up to his disappearance and the deep-seated issues in their own marriage. As Sophia’s world unravels, she has to do everything she can to restore her marriage, care for a newborn, pursue her dreams, and find peace with her in-laws. Based on a true story, it’s a modern immigrant story about love, reconciliation, and the meaning of family.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Elaine Wong — Writer/Director
Elaine Wong is a Hong Kong-born American writer, director, and producer. Her film, Where Dreams Rest, and her web series, Three Chen Sisters, have been officially selected at over 30 film festivals worldwide, including the Sundance Film Festival: Hong Kong. These projects have earned her a sound fellowship with Dolby Atmos and have been showcased on platforms such as Kanopy, Omeleto, Viddsee, and Roku TV. Her latest narrative short, 52Hz, is currently on AMC+. Her debut feature screenplay, Jia, has been partially financed and is currently in pre-production. She earned her MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California.

Yuky Shen — Producer
Yuky Shen is a Shanghai-born, LA-based producer. She graduated from American Film Institute and produced 8 narrative shorts ranging from WWII drama to Kimchi western. Her recent Film Independent Project Involve short film Single Residence Occupancy won 1st place in From Minutes to Movies ShortFest (presented by Adobe, Imagine Entertainment and Filmzone), and was officially selected in Academy Award qualifying film festivals like Bend Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival etc. For Shen, filmmaking is a way of fighting. She believes that movies have the power to touch people, make them ruminate, and thus make a change in real life. 

Lareina Wong — Producer
Lareina J. Wong is a Malaysian-born, Chinese-American filmmaker whose production experience includes Apple TV’s Shrinking, Ted Lasso and HBO’s Westworld. Recently, she produced her first feature film, The Interrogation of Anna Goode, in addition to a resume that includes over a dozen short films. From a DGA student award-winning slasher horror film, Night Diner, to an epic dance film for Pepsi, Beth Hooper and the Ultimate Dance Battle. Lareina seeks projects that explore the human experience, embracing their uniqueness across genres; stories that are deeply rooted in humanity, but not necessarily always grounded in reality.

Xiaojia Zhu — Producer
Graduated from the Beijing Film Academy, Zhu has over 20 years of experience in the Chinese film industry. Formerly a production director at Alibaba Pictures and now based in Los Angeles, Zhu has expertise across the entire film production process, from preproduction through post production. Known for addressing technical transitions in production, Zhu has collaborated with acclaimed directors like Jia Zhangke, John Woo, and Wuershan. Zhu has contributed to over 20 films and TV dramas, establishing strong relationships with major platforms like Youku, iQiyi, and Tencent Video.

Wenting Deng Fisher — Director of Photography
Wenting Deng Fisher is a visual storyteller specializing in both cinematography and directing. She has a multidisciplinary artistic background which shapes her lighting and composition philosophy in cinematography. Discovering and refining a powerful cinematic language is her passion and forte when working with directors. Her MFA thesis film, Empty Skies, which she wrote and directed, was nominated for the Student Academy Awards. She is a BAFTA Connect Member, a mentee of the ASC Vision Mentorship Program, and a cinematography fellow of Film Independent Project Involve 2023. 

Make a donation to Jia

Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.