CAPE And The Black List Unveil 2020 CAPE List

As Asian Pacific American Heritage Month comes to a close, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) and The Black List have unveiled the 10 features and 10 pilots for the second annual CAPE List, a survey of Hollywood executives’ favorite unproduced screenplays.

The CAPE List includes a curated list of scripts center on diverse Asian Pacific characters and experiences from writers Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

“We are excited to partner with The Black List again for the 2nd annual CAPE List,” said CAPE Executive Director Michelle K. Sugihara. “Last year we highlighted 12 feature scripts for #asianallyear and this year we’re pleased to include pilot scripts for #20for2020.”

The Black List Founder and CEO Franklin Leonard adds, “We’re incredibly excited to be partnered with CAPE for a second year on an even more expansive survey of exceptional writing by and about members of the AAPI community, almost as excited as we will be to watch the films and episodic series that come from the scripts on the list.” said T

The scripts were submitted to the Black List and reviewed by the CAPE selection committee. They were evaluated by overall quality and whether or not the film’s protagonist identifies as a person from Asian and/or Pacific Islander heritage. In addition, the script must include authentic, accurate and inclusive Asian and Pacific Islander representation that if removed, it would significantly alter or affect the story.

The scripts must also pass the CAPE Test’s requirements: First, the lead or at least two characters are of Asian or Pacific Islander descent; second, at least one Asian Pacific Islander character has a narrative arc distinct from helping or revolving around the main character.

The loglines of the scripts chosen for the 2020 CAPE List can be read below.

FEATURES (in alphabetical order)

CHOW by Carrie Wong & Herman Ming Chen
A Chinese-American family must figure out a way to modernize their restaurant in order to keep it afloat.

ENCOUNTERS by Gary King
After a drunken one night stand, two strangers wake up to discover an alien invasion outside the window, forcing them to navigate their budding relationship while fighting to survive.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER by Tricia Lee
A church-going, undocumented Asian woman and a feisty transgender teen form an unlikely bond, and their friendship helps them heal their own families in this drama with a sense of humor.

OJEK by Sam Boyer
On the brink of his profession’s disappearance, a selfless motorcycle taxi driver in Jakarta risks his future by using his talents to help his brother’s dangerous new delivery business.

TIGHTER by Arun Kroll
When a Japanese rope bondage workshop is taken hostage by masked intruders, a couple must find a way to escape their captors while tied together at the wrists.

WIDE OPEN SPACES by Niki Ang
Haley, an Asian American freshman at a conservative Christian college wrestles with her faith and identity in the face of strict pastors, her liberal mother, and the girl she falls in love with.

WONDERFUL WORLD by Melissa Kong
A coming-of-age dramedy about the first Asian-American girl band in the 1960s.

WONDERLAND by Tiffanie Hsu
When her mother disappears with the family bankroll during a Christmas trip to Vegas, eleven-year-old Adeline Tang hires a devious street magician to bring her mother home before her father finds out.

YEAR OF THE HORSE by Brandon Carbaugh
After the law fails them, the residents of a frontier Chinatown seek justice with the help of a legendary tracker who is hiding secrets of her own.

PILOTS (in alphabetical order)

ARRANGED by Keerthi Harishankar
Faced with the hellish prospect of modern dating, recently dumped and unemployed Jyoti decides to do the previously unthinkable – get an arranged marriage à la her immigrant parents.

DEPROGRAM by Mita Jahagirdar
In the aftermath of a school shooting, a single mother’s grief turns to horror as she retraces her son’s steps and discovers that he was enveloped in a more sinister web of radicalization.

DUST CHILD by Dona Le
A half-Vietnamese woman comes to the U.S. for the first time in search of her American GI father—unlocking two families’ dark secrets and a murderous past.

FIFTY THOUSAND by Sonali Mehta
A widowed immigrant who runs a Green Card-marriage brokerage business finds herself at risk of exposure when an accident puts her on the radar of local law enforcement.

FINDING SATOSHI by Shruti Saran
Two struggling drug dealers, a cynical professor, and an abused Saudi housewife are unwittingly drawn into a global dark market powered by one of the most disruptive inventions of the 21st century: Bitcoin.

GOOD BOY by William Yu
A young Korean American dreams of launching his own streetwear brand, but his dysfunctional relationships and conflicting family values force him to question if doing it for the culture is really worth the hype.

LIFE DOWN HERE by Peter Limm
A semi-autobiographical comedy about living and loving with dwarfism. When his longtime internet crush comes to visit him in LA, Peter has a very big problem – she doesn’t know that he’s a dwarf.

SHE SAID… by Kimberly-Rose Wolter
The only female biology professor at her prestigious university, Chloe has it all. When her TA accuses a professor, the man Chloe’s been having an affair with, of sexual assault, Chloe’s ideal life disintegrates in search for the truth.

VENUS PHASE by Chrissie De Guzman
When a deeply closeted woman moves back home to her parent’s crowded, Catholic household, she joins an eccentric women’s circle where she explores her sexuality, a poly relationship and the courage to live life outside the box.

WEDHEAD by Nina Mohan
A cynical wedding planner with a struggling business discovers she has the ability to see the future of people’s relationships.