The 2019 Taiwanese romantic comedy "Stand By Me (陪你很久很久)" will hold its US premiere in Chicago on Feb. 17 to celebrate Valentine's Day as part of the soft opening of Asia Pop-Up Cinema's 10th season.
Actor Mason Lee (李淳), son of Oscar-winning Taiwanese director Ang Lee (李安), plays Jiu-Bing, a student who has been stuck in the friend zone with Bo-He since he was 12 years old. Though he harbors deep feelings for the girl played by actress Ivy Shao (邵雨薇), he has never summoned the courage to act on them.
Later, while working part-time as a marathon pacer, Jiu-Bing meets Xia-Tian, who is played by Tsai Jui-hsueh (蔡瑞雪), and the two are thrust together after inadvertently becoming internet celebrities. After putting Bo-He first for most of his life, Jiu-Bing comes to realize what role he has really played in her life, and he is forced to reflect on where his heart truly belongs.
"Stand By Me" director Lai Meng-jie (賴孟傑) will attend the US premiere on Feb. 7 to share his behind-the-scenes experience in making the movie. Accompanied by a dedicated Q&A session, the post-screening discussion will be moderated by Ron Falzone, associate professor of cinema and television arts at Columbia College Chicago.
"Stand By Me" is Lai's debut feature film, which held its world premiere at the 2019 Taipei Film Festival. As a maker of commercials, short films, documentaries, and TV shows, he has won multiple accolades from Taiwan's Golden Bell Awards for TV and broadcasting and the Golden Harvest Awards for independent films and shorts.
‘Stand by Me’
Date: Feb. 17, 2020
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Gene Siskel Film Center
Address: 164 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60601
Tickets: http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/stand-by-me