Front Cover(2016)

Storyline

• Front Cover is about a gay New York City fashion stylist, Ryan, who detests and rejects his Asian upbringing. He is given an assignment to style Ning, a foreign actor, for an important photo shoot. After a rocky start, an unlikely friendship develops between them leading Ryan to examine his identity and make a major decision about an enticing new path for his life and career. — Anonymous FRONT COVER tells the story of Ryan Fu, a gay Chinese American who detests his Asian heritage and through talent and hard work, has attained his dream job as a celebrity fashion stylist. One day Ryan's boss assigns him to style Ning, an actor who has just arrived from Beijing for a top magazine photo shoot. Ning dismisses Ryan's initial Western styling and demands Ryan creates an image for him which represents the power of the new China. Their egos and opinions clash resulting in a strained and difficult working relationship. Over the following days, they slowly discover that they have a lot in common, and a mutual attraction begins to develop. As they become closer, Ryan reveals that he rejects his Chinese heritage because he is ashamed of his impoverished upbringing. Ning opens up and confesses that he is in the closet. After a night out on the town together, a Chinese tabloid magazine exposes Ning as gay. Terrified of the impact it will have on his career, Ning implores Ryan to help him deny the story. Ryan must now decide to help Ning or stay true to himself. Ray Yeung's sophomore feature film, FRONT COVER, is a mature, nuanced drama that explores the relationship between two Asian men as they battle the cultural norms that keep them from living an honest, authentic life. Ryan (Jake Choi) is a 29-year-old gay Asian American living in New York City and working as an assistant to a high-powered celebrity fashion stylist. Growing up the son of poor immigrants in NYC's Chinatown, Ryan has worked to distance himself from his Asian heritage in order to seem more modern and hip. But when he receives an assignment to style Ning (James Chen), a visiting actor from Beijing, Ryan's efforts to "Westernize" the production are rejected in favor of something that better reflects the "power of the new China." As Ryan and Ning work together to prepare Ning's wardrobe for the shoot, they grow closer, and Ning eventually reveals he is living a double life as a closeted homosexual in China, leading to a series of surprising decisions that each man must make in order to stay true to himself. Funny, warm, and overflowing with humanity, Ray Yeung's FRONT COVER is a rare indie film that appeals to a wide audience without sacrificing any authenticity. — SIFF 2015