The New Diamond Restaurant may sound like a family-run restaurant you might see off Highway 1 in B.C.'s interior, but it's actually a new zombie thriller film project from local comedian Milton Ng offering commentary on anti-Asian hate.
That said, it is also a restaurant in Ng's hometown of Legal, Alberta, that happens to be run by his family.
'I was supposed to take over the restaurant,' says filmmaker
Ng, 35, has been living in Vancouver for more than a decade, creating everything from TikTok sketches to short films and more.
He moved here from Legal (population 1,424), where he grew up helping run the New Diamond Restaurant with his parents and siblings. It's one of hundreds, if not thousands, of western Chinese restaurants run by immigrant families in their new communities.
"I was supposed to take over the restaurant, but I had a dream to move to Vancouver to pursue filmmaking," says Ng.
He ended up staying here, and a new family has taken over running the restaurant.
Western Chinese restaurants 'symbols of perseverance and self-sacrifice by immigrant families'
Ng had been looking for ideas to turn into a feature film when the global COVID-19 pandemic arrived and caused an increase in anti-Asian hate, including in Vancouver.
"The Asian hate sparked me to do something with strong Asian characters," he says. "The restaurant became my gold, my inspiration."
He adds that it was important to have Asian characters who are courageous from the get-go and stand up to bullying immediately, instead of starting as victims and building to courage at the end.
"This movie is my love letter to all the western Chinese restaurants all across Canada," says Ng in a pitch video for the film. "These restaurants are symbols of perseverance and self-sacrifice by immigrant families that have made the long journeys to North America to provide brighter futures for their children and generations after."
'Apocalyptic thriller': Plot features virus, zombie attack
The plot is very much inspired by Ng's life, except for the zombie apocalypse. It features a Chinese family in a small town, with the father about to retire and pass the restaurant on to his son who's less than zealous at the idea of taking over the family business.
On his father's last night in the kitchen, a virus seeps into the restaurant, turning dinner service into a zombie attack. The family band together to fight back, while dealing with their own drama.
"It's an action-horror that tells the story of a family protecting their restaurant in an apocalyptic thriller," says Ng, adding he was inspired by the horror film Train to Busan, the family drama Parasite, and the monster series Sweet Home. He notes that while he's Cantonese, the inspirations are all Korean.
After developing the idea for three years, Ng has a cast, a script, producers, and momentum.
The cast includes Ng, as the little brother, along with Curtis Lum (The Night Agent) as the protagonist older brother Aaron, Vincent Cheng (Kung Fu) as father Tony, Phoebe Miu (Riverdale) as sister Becca, and Alanna Ong (Double Happiness) as mother Wendy. Lum is also a producer, along with Mike Morrison.
Crowdfunding campaign supports film project
The script has been written (including getting run through the Sundance Collab program) and production companies (Ng's Dear Hero Studios in association with Soon Entertainment) are involved, but financing hasn't been lined up yet.
Some grants have come in and helped get the project to this point, but to get it shot they're looking for crowdfunding to help get it further along. In the next month, they're hoping to raise at least $75,000 to build momentum and help negotiations with other parts of the film industry.
If they're able to raise $150,000, a minimalist film could be shot; higher amounts will mean more resources, action, and special effects.
Those willing to donate to the project can get a variety of perks, from a digital download of the finished film to an executive director credit. Some of the mid-tier perks include a signed New Diamond Restaurant comic book, tours of the movie set, and a "date night combo."
He notes that while donations will help a lot, people can also help by spreading the word on social media to help build buzz.
"We'd love people to be able to support Asian filmmakers and indie filmmakers if it resonates with the story and family," Ng says.
