HAPPY CLEANERS Hits Digital Platforms on February 12th, Lunar New Year

Winner of the Emerging Filmmaker Award at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and Narrative Audience Award at the Center for Asian American Media's CAAMFest, HAPPY CLEANERS is set to be released on digital platforms including Apple TV, iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Youtube, Vimeo, and FandagoNOW on Lunar New Year, February 12th. HAPPY CLEANERS tells the story of the immigrant Choi family as they face the reality of their failing family dry cleaning business. The film is produced by Jebby Films and KoreanAmericanStory.org, and distributed by Passion River Films and Hewes Pictures. More information can be found at https://koreanamericanstory.org/happy-cleaners/.

HAPPY CLEANERS was screened as the Closing Night Film at Asian American International Film Festival and official selection at Heartland International Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival and more. Before receiving critical acclaim at film festivals, the film was a Kickstarter favorite that achieved 325% of their goal within a few days of the campaign launch.

In the film, Mr. and Mrs. Choi find their dry cleaning business, Happy Cleaners in Flushing, Queens, in jeopardy of closing after 17 years when a new landlord comes around. While they make every effort to save the business, their daughter Hyunny and son Kevin are also at their own tough crossroads of life under the pressure of their parents' high hopes. Struggling through economic turmoil, cultural clashes, and generational divide, the Choi family realizes that the only way to be stronger is to embrace each other. It is a heartfelt story that celebrates the survival of immigrants, the experiences of the Korean-American community, and the value of family.

Directed by New York natives Julian Kim and Peter S. Lee, HAPPY CLEANERS authentically depicts the immigrant and first generation Korean-American experience where Flushing, New York serves as the stage. "The fact that we did not see this in films when we were growing up inspired us to create it when we could. We wanted to validate our struggles, and celebrate our survival", stated the directors. A diverse crew joined the production, including the Korean-American rap duo Year of the Ox, who wrote and performed the original soundtrack Word To The Hyphen. 79% of the film crew were people of color, 73% Asian-American, and 65% of Korean descent.

KoreanAmericanStory.org will present a virtual event on the evening of February 26th, with directors, producers and main cast members joining the conversation on HAPPY CLEANERS. The event will be live-streamed and open to the public and free of charge. More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/HappyCleanersFilm/.

Watch the trailer here:

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