The Daily - Day 1 - June 18, 2019 - 24

The Pulse

F U T U R E

E P I C
The protagonist of
Huang's indie film finds
himself by connecting to
nature in national parks.

The indie film Find Me shines a spotlight on national parks and casts
new light on issues of inclusivity in the outdoors. By Helen Olsson
INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER TOM

Huang was hiking in the Narrows in Utah's Zion National
Park, marveling at the rock
walls, when he had an epiphany. He wanted to use the
big screen to inspire moviegoers to put down the tub of
popcorn and get outdoors.
His critically acclaimed indie
feature film Find Me tells a
boy-chases-girl story of an
accountant who goes searching for a missing co-worker,
following a trail of clues left
in Zion, Yosemite, and Death
Valley national parks.
As the outdoor industry
grapples with issues of diversity, this film is particularly
relevant. The cast is ethnically diverse, and Huang, a

24

Chinese American, plays the
lead. Find Me recently finished
its film festival run, playing to
sold-out screenings nationwide,
and was released on Amazon's
video-on-demand in May. It will
be screened tomorrow at 9:30
a.m. (MR 703) and on Thursday
at 3:30 p.m. in The Camp.
What are you working on now? 
I'm writing another outdoor
script about a group of inner-city high school seniors
who want to do a backpacking trip. [The film] will explore a community that isn't
always in the outdoors, and
it'll show the adventure that
happens when they road-trip
into unfamiliar territory. I'm
working on another script

/ SUMMER MARKET 2019

with Effie Brown, who has
produced great Sundance
films that push diversity, like
Dear White People. And I'm
working on a film noir set in
a Japanese internment camp
in the 1940s.
What are you looking forward to at Summer Market? 
I hope the film generates some
interest. Diversity is lacking in
national parks, and there are
things we can do to encourage

Why is it important for you to
be at the Show? 
The film has been screened at
festivals, and we had a traditional theater run. I want to
find sponsors so we can show
the film in wider release. Maybe set up sponsored screenings and create awareness. I'm
already doing a series of talks
at REI stores in California,
where I'll be talking about the
hikes in the film.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO CUT OFF YOUR ARM WITH
A PENKNIFE OR CLIMB EL CAP WITHOUT ROPES
TO GET OUT AND FIND YOURSELF IN AN AMAZING
PLACE-ONE THAT CAN INSPIRE OR HEAL."

CO U R T E SY O F F I N D M E

Screen Time

communities of color to take
that first step. There's an impediment somehow; they don't
feel they have the right equipment, or they don't know where
to start. In the movie, I chose
to highlight trails that aren't
difficult. You don't have to cut
off your arm with a penknife or
climb El Cap without ropes to
get out and find yourself in an
amazing place-one that can inspire or heal. I wanted to show
people it's not that difficult.
When I wrote the script, I
didn't want to bring out [issues
of race] overtly. The characters
happen to be people of color.
I wanted people to watch the
movie and think of them as just
as characters. With an Asian
American playing a role that's
traditionally cast as white, in a
subtle way, people of color can
relate a little more. They think,
hey, this Asian-American guy
went there; I can do it too. The
bottom line is we want to inspire all people to get outdoors.
The Daily - Day 1 - June 18, 2019

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