Ahn and Schamus promote queer rights through film

At the BFI Flare film festival in London, director Andrew Ahn and co-writer James Schamus discussed their new film during a special event. The film is a reimagining of Ang Lee's classic "The Wedding Banquet," which was nominated for an Oscar in 1993. Ahn expressed concern about the recent backlash against queer rights worldwide. He hopes their film can help build community and strengthen efforts to support these rights. Ahn emphasized that their new movie is not a traditional remake. He said, "You’re not going to make Ang Lee’s better." Both he and Schamus aimed to create something different while respecting the original film. Ahn shared a personal story about watching the original movie as a child with his mother, who unknowingly rented a queer film. He recalled how it impacted him deeply. The event highlighted Ahn's accomplishments as a filmmaker and his focus on queer Asian-American stories. Schamus is known for his successful career as a screenwriter, producer, and director. He has worked on many notable films and is a co-founder of Focus Features. Both Ahn and Schamus hope their film will inspire joy and resistance in the face of challenges to LGBTQIA+ rights.