REVIEWS
"One of the Best Undistributed Films of 2009"
--Jeff Deutchman (Acquisitions, IFC Films)
--Tom Hall (Artistic Director, Sarasota & Newport Int'l Film Festivals)
--Alison Willmore (Editor, IFC.com)
"One of the Top 13 Films of 2009"--Hammer to Nail (12/9/09)
"CHILDREN OF INVENTION is a breathtaking achievement -- touching, humane, uplifting and ultimately inspiring in its bittersweet lyricism. A finely-observed portrait of immigrant striving and family bonds in our age of big profits and losses, it resonates with the force and poetry of a fable. Featuring beautifully-detailed performances stunning in their depth and confidence, this is a film which illuminates what it means to love, and what it takes to survive, in today's world."--David Henry Hwang, author of M. Butterfly, Golden Child, and FOB
"Remarkable....boasts many wonderful performances."--Schema Magazine (11/6/09)
"Cindy Cheung doesn’t just portray Elaine: she becomes Elaine. That same kind of documentary-style authenticity extends to the other members of the cast, especially Michael Chen and Crystal Chiu who play her children Raymond and Tina....Children of Invention may be a low-budget, independent film but it creates a big-budget emotional world....remains honest and true to its characters and avoids sentimentality and cuteness."--Kelowna.com (11/4/09)
"Independent films like Children of Invention are at the heart of where art in film still exists....9 out of 10."--The Film Stage (10/26/09)
"No one could deny the strength of the two child actor’s performances."--Oxford Film Freak (10/8/09)
"Tze Chun’s feature-length debut is the real deal: a lively, nuanced, wonderfully-acted and emotionally-rich evocation of family life tested by economic misfortune. A simply terrific movie."--Times Herald-Record (10/4/09)
"As close to cinematic purity as one is likely to see this year....Chris Teague’s cinematography is deceptively simple....The framing captures the intimacy of [the children's] cut-out existence, cut–out from society, from normality, from reality. They will never forget this time, and nor will we."--Film Society of Lincoln Center (7/16/09)
"The film is small in scale but deeply moving--what happens in it isn’t newsworthy by most standards, but it’s huge in this family, especially from the point of view of a child, and the film puts you firmly in their perspective."--Film Threat (6/21/09)
"This is one of those rare instances where all the elements fall in place magically to make a flawless independent film."--Ningin (5/2/09)
"The gifted child actors — off-the-charts cute, refreshingly free of Hollywood precociousness — solidly anchor the film, but it’s Chun’s insights into the ways that poverty (complicated by factors of immigration, cultural gender biases and con artists exploiting desperation) erodes spirit that give Children its political and emotional heft."--L.A. Weekly (4/29/09)
"Comes alive through the honesty and richness of its detail. Both kitchen sink real and lyrically beautiful; Chun’s freshman effort is a remarkably graceful meditation on family, disappointment, and hope."--notcoming.com (4/29/09)
"[Tze Chun]'s got a real handle on how kids act, and he never has to force them to act like little adults in order to tell the story...4 out of 5."--eFilmCritic.com (4/27/09)
"Children of Invention brings to life the unglamorous part of the greater Boston area, yet still manages to make the city live, with rich texture and character. It features some damn good performances..."--/FILM (4/24/09)
"The atmosphere of the film as a whole is amazing, and highlighted by an excellent score....‘Children of Invention’ is a heartfelt film."--Lonely Reviewer (4/24/09)
"Tze Chun's locally shot portrait of a downwardly mobile single mom is both powerfully moving and rigorously intelligent."--Boston Phoenix (4/15/09)
"Chun’s debut feature is a mature and restrained effort, building to a quietly poignant climax, and it marks the emergence of a refreshing new voice in the cluttered indie landscape."--Michael Tully, Hammer to Nail (4/8/09)
"A shining example of economy and structure....the film has a deft feel to it. There are also some genuinely funny moments.."--The Geeky Asian Guy Blog (4/7/09)
"Successfully walks a very fine line between pathos and bathos, resulting in a very good film."--Cinematical (4/5/09)
"This touching story of triumph is sure to be a tear jerker and have you rooting for the little guy (literally)."--Envy Magazine (4/1/09)
"Note perfect in its depiction of a family slowly edging toward disaster, Tze Chun’s Children of Invention balances precariously between horror story and children’s fantasy. Yet it’s rooted in such unassailable reality that it feels like it’s taking place right under your nose."--Peter Martin, Twitch (3/31/09)
"Cheung gives a richly textured performance as a woman at the end of the rope who refuses to give up for the sake of her children....Chun’s directing never calls attention to itself and, along with his director of photography Chris Teague, he creates a real world with none of the fake Hollywood trappings and brings to mind the best of the Italian Neo-Realists’ work....a worthy artistic accomplishment."--Philip W. Chung, AsianWeek (3/10/09)
"The kids in the film are amazing, amazing actors. I was enthralled from the beginning."--Hyphen Magazine (3/9/09)
"A nuanced, deeply engaging exploration..."--Jeff Yang, San Francisco Chronicle (2/12/09)
"Invention has a sense of adventure. Primary colors abound, not least in the film’s several dips into subtle daydream magical realism....an edge-of-your-seat family drama, pushed beyond the constraints of its micro-budget by two heartbreaking child actor performances."--Karina Longworth, Spout (1/24/09)
"If there’s one thing that Sundance thrives on, it’s buzz. On the buses and at the parties, the most often asked question is, “Seen anything good?” Children of Invention is a powerful drama...that definitely lives up to all the talk. It features skillful performances from newcomers Michael Chen and Crystal Chiu....Non-formulaic, insightful, and at times heartbreaking, true “indie” films like this one are what make Sundance what it is."--Michael Lee, Film-Forward (1/23/09)
"A deeply felt drama..."--Ty Burr, Boston Globe (1/22/09)
"Tender drama...a fine lesson in restraint, how one need not force things in order to create a work of weight and merit...great performances...."--Michael Tully, Hammer to Nail (1/21/09)
"Chun's film has a real insight into the lives of children buffeted by the economic strains of today's world. Referencing both the mortgage meltdown and Ponzi schemes, the film finds delicate moments of beauty and grace as its child heroes are forced to make their own way. "--Scott Macaulay, Filmmaker Magazine (1/20/09)
"Such a beautiful film, with amazing performances by the two child stars...who drew laughter, tears and warm applause from the sold out house. "--Meira Blaustein, Woodstock Film Festival (1/19/09)
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Filmmaker Magazine / Workbook Project | New Breed Park City: Exploring The Solutions, Part 1 (2/4/10)
Filmmaker Magazine | Mynette Louie on Big Art, Little Debt (2/3/10)
New York Times | YouTube’s Take From Movie Rentals: $10,709.16 (2/2/10)
Tubefilter | Notes from Sundance: Diving Into Digital (1/31/10)
Slate | YouTube as Video Store (1/29/10)
Cinematical | Indie Roundup: Fests Beyond Sundance (1/28/10)
Filmmaker Magazine | YouTube vs. Physical Media and Other Sundance Notes (1/24/10)
Bloomberg | YouTube Discussing Online Rentals With Film Studios, Artists (1/23/10)
New York Press | YouTube and Sundance Bring Park City To Your Couch (1/22/10)
Time Magazine | YouTube's Next Venture: Movie Rentals (1/21/10)
Wired | YouTube Movie Rentals: Today Sundance, Tomorrow the World (1/21/10)
NY Daily News | YouTube's video rental service debuts tomorrow with five indie films (1/21/10)
ZDNet | YouTube jumps into the film rental market; rentals priced at $3.99 (1/21/10)
Asia Pacific Arts | Best of 2009: Asian American Films (1/21/10)
The Hollywood Reporter | YouTube to sell pay-per-view films (1/20/10)
New York Times | YouTube Takes a Small Step Into the Film Rental Market (1/20/10)
Wall Street Journal | YouTube to Challenge In Online Film Rentals
indieWIRE | Five Sundance Films, 3 From This Year’s Fest, Coming to YouTube This Week (1/20/10)
Truly Free Film / The Wrap | The 21 Brave Thinkers of Truly Free Film 2009 (12/28/09)
Huffington Post | Jon Reiss: A Christmas (and Hanukah) List to Help Save Independent Film (12/17/09)
[Note: Buy Jon Reiss' excellent DIY distribution tome,Think Outside the Box Office]
Filmmaker Magazine | Hawaii International Film Festival Coverage (12/7/09)
Angry Zen Master | Hollywood Doesn't Care About Racebending. Hollywood Cares About Money. (12/7/09)
Puma | Puma Sponors Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival (December 2009)
AsiaExpress.com | 'Children of Invention' comes to Starz Denver Film Festival (11/19/09)
Honolulu Star-Bulletin | Screen Time (11/12/09)
Ojai Valley News | Film Festival Crowd Enthusiastic (11/10/09)
channelAPA | Children of Invention Update with Tze Chun (11/9/09)
Georgia Straight | Vancouver Asian Film Festival adopts a more personal tone (11/5/09)
Truly Free Film | Ten Filmmakers I Would Crowd Fund (11/2/09)
Screen Daily | Empire Of Silver, Petition take top awards at Hawaii fest (10/22/09)
Memphis Flyer | Indie Memphis Film Fest: Award Winners/Encore Screenings (10/11/09)
Asian Pacific American Film | Chun to Receive Emerging Filmmaker Award (10/3/09)
Examiner.com | Asian American Film 101: Ten overlooked feature films from Asian American directors (8/3/09)
Filmmaker Magazine | A Filmmaker's Glamorous Life: Tze Chun (7/31/09)
The Enterprise | Randolph filmmaker’s movie wins accolades (7/30/09)
Filmmaker Magazine | Blogging From the Sundance Creative Producing Lab: Mynette Louie, Part 2 (7/28/09)
Backstage Pass with Lia Chang | AAIFF 09 Photo Call: Karma Calling, You Don’t Know Jack and Children of Invention (7/26/09)
Asians in America Magazine | Inside the 32nd Asian American International Film Festival (7/23/09)
Filmmaker Magazine | Blogging From the Sundance Creative Producing Lab: Mynette Louie, Part 1 (7/16/09)
Spikey Pillows | Interview with Mynette Louie (6/17/09)
Flavorwire | Home Alone: Q&A with Tze Chun (6/17/09)
The Hollywood Reporter | Newport fest honors 'Children' (6/7/09)
Asian Pacific Arts| LAAPFF: Interview with Tze Chun (6/5/09)
The Hollywood Reporter | 'Children of Invention' feted in LA (5/11/09)
indieWIRE | Boston” Fetes “Children” and “Crude” (5/4/09)
Hammer to Nail | A Conversation with Tze Chun (4/8/09)
Moving Pictures Magazine | Under the Pyramid: "Children of Invention" (April 2009)
The Hollywood Reporter | 'Children' to open L.A. Asian Pacific fest (4/6/09)
Sarasota Herald Tribune | The best films of the festival (4/5/09)
AFI Dallas Daily News | Ten Burning Questions: Children of Invention (4/1/09)
SFIAAF Blog | SFIAAFF Award Winners Announced (3/21/09)
Theme Magazine | Profile: Tze Chun (Feb/Mar 2009)
San Francisco Chronicle | Supply and demand in Asian American parenting [Asian Pop column by Jeff Yang] (2/12/09)
Angry Asian Man | Sundance 2009 Portraits (1/25/09)
Sundance Channel | Interview with Tze Chun, Cindy Cheung, Michael Chen & Crystal Chiu (1/24/09)
Boston Globe | Difficult times, past and present : Tze Chun looks at his new film and the indie industry (1/22/09)
Reuters Blog: Fan Fare | Sundance's real filmmakers [video: interview w/Tze starts at 1:17] (1/22/09)
Angry Asian Man | Back from Park City (1/19/09)
Park City Record | Sundance film portrays dark side of direct marketing (1/16/09)
Filmmaker Magazine | Sundance 2009: Today's Top Stories: Children of Invention (Winter 2009)
Sundance Film Festival Videos | Tze Chun & Kevin Willmott: 1 on 1 [video: interview w/Tze starts at 0:54] (1/14/09)
Ningin | Children of Invention at Sundance: Interview With Tze Chun (1/14/09)
FilmSchoolRejects | 13 Films You Should Be Excited to See at Sundance 2009 (1/12/09)
indieWIRE | Tze Chun, “Children of Invention”: Pyramid Schemes, Herbalife and Collaboration (1/8/09)
Milton Academy News | Feature Film by Tze Chun ’98 Accepted to Sundance Film Festival (Jan 2009)
SpoutBlog | The Media Diet: Interview with Tze Chun (12/17/08)
Angry Asian Man | Children of Invention to premiere at Sundance (12/5/08)
indieWIRE | Fewer Star Driven Premieres, Larger Spectrum Section on Sundance Non-competition Roster (12/4/08)
NewEnglandFilm.com | Profile of Tze Chun (12/1/08)
Filmmaker Magazine | In Focus: Five new films in post-production (Fall 2008)
Film Independent Magazine | Interview with Tze Chun (Sep 2008)
Filmmaker Magazine | 25 New Faces of Independent Film (Summer 2007)
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PRESS RELEASES
IFFB Grand Jury Prize Winner "Children of Invention to Open in Boston on Feb 26
(2/2/10)
"Children of Invention" Among 5 Sundance Films to Launch YouTube Rentals
(1/22/10)
"Children of Invention" and "White on Rice" in Joint "DIWO" NYC Theatrical Release
(1/12/10)
"Children of Invention" To Have Manhattan Premiere at 32nd AAIFF
(7/1/09)
"Children of Invention" To Have NY Premiere at BAMcinemaFEST
(5/27/09)
