Olivia Cheng Stars In SORRY FOR YOUR COST Debuting At AAIFF

Sorry For Your Cost, the award winning sophomore short film will debut at AAIFF next month in NYC.

The 48th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) takes place on August 3rd at the Regal Union Square Cinema. The film features Olivia Cheng (Warrior) Simon Chin (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Lucas Mocchi (Hulu’s Under the Bridge), Enid-Raye Adams (With Love and a Major Organ) and newcomer Adeline Lo as Ren.

Keen to transcend their basement suite status. Ren and her family are fighting for her dream to go to theatre school. With Hamlet’s monologue in her chest and a decade’s worth of savings in her bank account. Ren is ready for takeoff. When her Mom dies the day she gets into theatre school, Ren faces giving up her acting dreams to pay for the funeral.

The Role of Asian Women

Rosie Choo Pidcock writer/director of Sorry for your Cost had this to say:

“Asian women have often been reduced to tropes on screen and in reality. Bringing to life two dynamic female Asian characters, a teenager and a mother in her 40s, is the most hard fought and hard won achievement for me as a female Asian filmmaker.

The story is an amalgamation of three personal experiences: planning my mother’s funeral, participating in a balloon release at a funeral, and finding a grave plot that was for sale on Facebook Marketplace for $30,000. These experiences led me to reflect on my own grief rituals that I have built to survive the times when I miss my Mom the most. This film is an offering for those reckoning with the collective grief of our current times.”

Rosie Choo Pidcock is a Chinese Canadian writer, director and producer based in Vancouver. Her award-winning debut short film is Esther & Sai. A portrait of the friendship between two immigrant nursing students in the 1970s. The project received distribution on Air Canada and is currently in series development with the support of the Canada Media Fund, Reelworld and the TIFF Series Accelerator.

Her sophomore film Sorry For Your Cost, which explores the predatory nature of the funeral industry through the eyes of a Hamlet-crazed teenager, world premiered at the St. John’s International Women in Film Festival, played in Toronto at Reelworld, Disorient, Seattle Asian American Film Festival and Chilliwack Independent Film Festival where it won Best Script.

Canadian Made

The film shot in Vancouver and Burnaby, BC. Furthermore select scenes filmed in the celebration hall of the Mountain View Cemetery. This is where Choo Pidcock’s mother Sai’s ashes lay. She cites her mother Sai as her greatest influence and inspiration in terms of leading an artistic life.

Rosie Choo Pidcock wrote, directed and produced the film for Special Delivery Productions. Geoff Manton and Angelica Stirpe from Boldly and Athena Russell produce for Wives Entertainment. Shaun Morse is Associate Producer, Joey Gu and Daniel Cheng from Mimosa Productions are Executive Producers.

Belen Garcia is director of photography and Jordan Andrew is the composer on the project. Mel Zaini is costume designer, production design by Adrianna Marchand and hair and makeup by Isabel Paganine.

Sorry for your Cost stars Olivia Cheng stars and she is also an Executive Producer.

The film is possible only with the support of Canada Council for the Arts, British Columbia Arts Council, National Film Board of Canada, Seed&Spark Community Contributors, Keslow Camera and Pacific Backlot.

Find out more about the film here.