A new film produced by an IU alumnus will premier in Bloomington on Friday as part of a United States limited release.
Danny Chan is one of the producers of “Pali Road,” and it was his idea to bring it to Bloomington.
“Pali Road” will be shown in AMC Theater 11, Chan said. Of the 15 cities chosen for the release, Bloomington is the only one in the Midwest.
Two hundred tickets were allocated to be given away to IU students through different campus organizations, said sophomore Mike Zhou, a business student who works as an intern for Chan.
“I’m loyal to IU because that’s where I went and that’s where I want to help,” Chan said.
Chan said he’s considering looking to IU for possible internships for film students. It’s difficult to get started in Hollywood without personal connections, and he said he wants to extend IU students the chance to break into the film world.
“It’s an opportunity to pass it on to other people, if they want it,” he said.
“Pali Road” is a collaboration between movie firms in China and movie producers from the U.S., Zhou said. Chan was called in to help communication between the two.
Chan said he fell into the film industry. He worked in Asia for more than a decade, and his expertise lies in cross-border mergers and acquisitions, which is why he was approached to help with the film, he said.
“Am I in the movie business?” he said. “Absolutely not. I’m in the solution business.”
Though the U.S. release is relatively small, Chan said the film could be massive in China.
Zhou said “Pali Road” is unusual because the film is entirely in English, even though it’s a cross-cultural collaboration and stars both Chinese and American actors.
Chan said though he likes films, he never planned on going to the film industry. It can be risky to invest like that, he said. He didn’t want to be the guy who, because he’s into Italian food, opens a pizzeria.
Zhou said he reached out to Chan about working for him. Chan invited him to Indianapolis, where Zhou said they talked for three and a half hours over lunch.
“He’s willing to mentor me through this whole process, and I really appreciate that,” Zhou said.
Zhou’s talked to different organizations to scope out interest in the film and distribute free tickets to students.
“The reason why I want to work for Danny so much is because of his personality,” he said. “I’m definitely interested in the film industry, but he could be doing anything and I’d be willing to help.”
