The First Hollywood Movie from a Chinese Perspective, “SIGHT,” Premieres in Los Angeles; Official Release on the 24th

On May 14, 2024, the premiere screening of the movie “SIGHT” was grandly held at Century City AMC 15 in Los Angeles, USA.

(Photo by: Richard Ren/Lapost)

LAPost/Los Angeles, CA/May 15th, 2024 -The movie “SIGHT,” directed by renowned Hollywood director Andrew Hyatt, tells the true story of ophthalmologist Dr. Ming Wang. This Hollywood film, based on the story of Chinese immigrants, is adapted from Dr. Wang’s autobiography “From Darkness to Sight.” The film portrays Dr. Wang’s determination to restore the sight of a blind orphan, showcasing how he transforms his experiences of fear, poverty, and prejudice into love and care for others.

“SIGHT” will be released in theaters across the United States and Canada on May 24. The film highlights Dr. Wang’s development of amniotic membrane contact lenses, a groundbreaking medical invention based on his real-life experiences. Dr. Wang donated the patent for this technology to provide free vision restoration surgeries to patients in need worldwide, benefiting millions of visually impaired individuals. To date, Dr. Wang has performed over 55,000 surgeries and founded a non-profit foundation that offers free vision restoration surgeries to impoverished patients in nearly 60 countries. His contributions have earned him numerous awards in the fields of medicine and charity, and the technology has been adopted by tens of thousands of ophthalmologists globally.

“SIGHT” is directed by Andrew Hyatt, known for “Paul, Apostle of Christ,” “Full of Grace,” and “The Last Light.” Producers David Fischer and Darren Moorman collaborated on the film. The cast includes Oscar-nominated actor Greg Kinnear (“As Good As It Gets,” “Friends,” “Modern Family”) and Chinese-Canadian actor Terry Chen (“Almost Famous,” “House of Cards”). Other notable actors include Fionnula Flanagan (“The Others,” “Waking Ned”), Mia Swaminathan (“Ivy + Bean,” “Blue’s Clues & You”), Jayden Zhang (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), and Ben Wang (“American Born Chinese”).

During Asian Heritage Month, the film SIGHT serves as an inspiration, highlighting the story of Dr. Ming Wang, a first-generation Chinese immigrant. This has sparked an ongoing relay event called “I AM IN.” The goal of “I AM IN” is to encourage Chinese individuals to voice their own narratives, ensuring that the Chinese community is recognized by mainstream North American society, showcasing their values and cohesion. Every participant in the #I AM IN activity will be documented on https://www.italkbb.com/iamin. Record and join the Chinese community activity I AM IN to contribute your part in changing the world; join this movement to bring more Chinese stories into Hollywood.

This film is the first Hollywood-directed movie to feature a Chinese protagonist and tell the story of a Chinese immigrant who made significant contributions to global medicine. By participating in the #I AM IN Chinese community activity, you can help the film SIGHT shine in the Hollywood film industry and contribute to raising the social status of Chinese people in the United States.

The film took ten years to make, facing numerous challenges from lack of sponsorship during the preparation phase to various difficulties during filming. It is ultimately produced by Open River Entertainment and Reserve Entertainment, with Angel Studios (distributor of “Sound of Freedom”) handling distribution. iTalkBB has been selected as the official promotional partner and charity organizer for the two North American premieres.

(Photo by: Richard Ren/Lapost)

The film’s release coincides with iTalkBB’s 20th anniversary, reflecting its mission to provide a better life for the Chinese community and giving back to society. The iTalkBB team has not only fully supported the premiere of SIGHT but also initiated and promoted the “I AM IN” social media movement. They are dedicated to serving the entire Chinese community selflessly and passionately.

(Photo by: Richard Ren/Lapost)

The organizers, Open River and Angel Studios, highly recognized and appreciated the promotional partner for this event. During the premiere ceremony, Angel Studios presented the Amplify Light Partnership Star Partner Honor Award to Jack Zhao, CEO of iTalkBB, the official promotional partner that made outstanding contributions to this Chinese film.

(Photo by: Richard Ren/Lapost)

SIGHT, as the first Hollywood-directed film featuring a Chinese protagonist and telling the story of a Chinese immigrant’s significant contributions to global medicine, holds great influence within the Chinese community. The film’s premiere attracted extensive attention from media and Chinese elites. Over 200 Chinese and overseas Chinese celebrities and artists, community leaders, media personnel, influencers, and audience members attended the Los Angeles premiere of SIGHT. They watched the film together with the creative and starring team and participated in post-premiere activities, witnessing this grand event.

(Photo by: Richard Ren/Lapost)

At the premiere, the red carpet event featured prominent figures such as Sun Haiying, a national first-class actor and winner of the Best Supporting Actor at the 10th Changchun Film Festival, along with his wife Lü Liping (winner of the Best Actress at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards and the Tokyo International Film Festival); Chinese mainland actress Zhang Jingchu (who won the Best Actress at the 6th Chinese Film Media Awards for her role as “Gao Weihong” in the film Peacock); young Chinese actor Willington Liu, member of the Fengshen Protagonist Group; academician Xie Ming; American Film Festival Chairman Su Yandao; Andrew Morgan, producer of the Oscar-winning film Million Dollar Baby; SIGHT producers David Fischer and Darren Moorman; director Andrew Hyatt; Angel Studios Chief Distribution Officer Jared Geesey; and important cast members such as Terry Chen. Lead actor Greg Kinnear also participated in the premiere via remote live stream, interacting with the audience.

SIGHT has won several prestigious awards, including Best Picture, Best Feature Film, Silver Award for Best Cinematography, and Bronze Award for Best Actor at the ICVM International Film Festival. At the Heartland International Film Festival, it was awarded Best Premier Narrative Feature. SIGHT challenges the limited perceptions and stereotypes of Chinese characters in Hollywood films, encouraging global audiences to find common ground in a world full of conflict and opposition, promoting understanding and reconciliation, and inspiring people to help others.

(Photo by: Richard Ren/Lapost)

The film SIGHT will be released in major theaters across the United States and Canada on May 24. To reserve tickets and support this Chinese film, visit Angel Studios to purchase your tickets.

Let’s come together to boost the box office success of SIGHT during its opening week! The total box office revenue of the premiere week will directly influence the number of screenings in major theaters across North America. Therefore, a successful box office can encourage more North American audiences and mainstream media to see Chinese stories, while also showcasing the unity and strength of the Chinese community.

Additionally, you can participate in the “I AM IN” campaign by posting a video on social media with the text “I AM IN” (you can use the hashtag #IAMIN). Share your immigrant experiences or stories of overcoming the past and discovering your potential. In this way, everyone’s story becomes part of the support and promotion of Chinese films. Invite friends to join the “I AM IN” campaign. By purchasing tickets for SIGHT online, viewers can support the film’s screening in more theaters across North America, allowing the real lives and challenges of Chinese immigrants to be more deeply understood.

Supporting SIGHT and participating in the “I AM IN” campaign is not just about watching a movie; it is about actively changing the current and future state of the overseas Chinese community.