Director’s Statement

Yellow Rose is a deeply personal film I've been pursuing for the better part of 15 years.

After escaping Martial Law in the Philippines, my family moved to Lubbock, Texas when I was 4. As the only Filipino growing up in Lubbock, I often felt alienated and I used music and art as means of escape. I even formed a (not very good) band, shaved my head and we managed to record a single and play at bars when I was in high school.

When I started to pursue film, I was interested in the idea of taking those childhood memories but twisting it. If our hero loved Texas and more specifically country music, it would be like a grand unrequited love.

It's no co-incidence that the film finally got financed in this era when anti-immigrant tensions are at an all time high. At the same time, there is a hunger for Asian-American stories like never before.

I'm so excited for audiences to discover the brilliant Eva Noblezada in her debut film.

My hope is that Yellow Rose puts a human face on the plight of Dreamers, while entertaining the audience with original Americana music that they might not have listened to before.