Centerpiece Narrative: Better Luck Tomorrow

Directed by Justin Lin

Ben (Parry Shen) is a perfectionist and overachiever whose tunnel vision leads to nothing less than graduating at the top of his class. As he struggles to achieve social success, he discovers his darker side. He and his friends Virgil (Jason Tobin), Daric (Roger Fan), and Han (Sung Kang) lead a double life of mischief and petty crimes to alleviate the pressures of perfectionism. As their shadow lives begin to grow, the gang tumbles into a downward spiral of excitement and excess.

A truly revolutionary film that broke the mold of the model minority myth wide open with its 2002 Sundance premiere and nationwide theatrical release by MTV Films, this film single-handedly launched the careers of Justin Lin (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, STAR TREK BEYOND, ANNAPOLIS), Sung Kang (FAST & FURIOUS, GANG RELATED, BULLET TO THE HEAD), Parry Shen (GENERAL HOSPITAL, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, YES WE’RE OPEN), and Jason Tobin (JASMINE, #1 SERIAL KILLER, TOKYO DRIFT), among others.

In recognition of the 15th anniversary of its release, PAAFF is showing a never-before-seen Sundance Festival cut of the original 35mm film. This cut has only screened six times in Park City and once at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival.