Photo Flash: YELLOW ROSE Starring Eva Noblezada Wins Big at 23rd Annual Urbanworld Film Festival

Filipina American writer and director Diane Paragas' deeply personal narrative feature debut YELLOW ROSE won the Best Narrative Feature Award (U.S. Cinema) and the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 23rd Annual Urbanworld Film Festival on September 22, 2019. Scroll down for photos from the Q & A after the screening on September 21st.

Rose, played by Two-time Tony Nominee Eva Noblezada (Hadestown, Miss Saigon), an undocumented Filipina, dreams of one day leaving her small Texas town to pursue her country music dreams. Her world is shattered when her mom (Princess Punzalan) is suddenly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rose, facing this new realty, is forced to flee the scene, leaving behind the only life she knows, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery as she searches for a new home in the honky-tonk world of Austin, Texas.

Also featured in the film are Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, country music star Dale Watson ("Friday Night Lights"), Gustavo Gomez (The Walking Dead), Libby Villari (Boyhood), and Liam Booth. Set to a poignant soundtrack featuring original songs by Paragas, Noblezada, Watson and the cast, this coming-of-age story brings forth the power of music and art to provide strength in the face of the harsh plight confronting countless immigrant families across the country.

Yellow Rose won the Special Jury Prize at the 2019 Asian American International Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the 2019 Bentonville Film Festival, 2019 CAAMFest and the 2019 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, with Eva Noblezada taking Best Breakout Actor.

The film's producers include Cecilia Mejia, Rey Cuerdo, Orian Williams, Diane Paragas, Co-Producer Jeremiah Abraham, and Executive Producers Olivia de Jesus, John D. Lazatin, Miguel Sevilla, and Karen Elizaga.

The 2019 slate of 78 official selections and 7 spotlight selections represent inclusion in the broadest sense, highlighting content from around the globe by creators of color and women. The annual showcase of diverse culture took place in Manhattan, September 18-22, 2019 at AMC Empire 25 on 234 West 42nd Street.

After the screening, the creative team headed to nosh on fried chicken at Jollibee.

Urbanworld Film Festival was launched in August 1997 by founder Stacy Spikes, co-founder of MoviePass and a former executive at Miramax and October Films. With estimated attendance reaching over 15,000, the five-day festival anchored in film showcases narrative features, documentaries, short films, spotlight screenings and live staged screenplay readings; the Urbanworld Digital track focuses on digital panels and workshops; and the Urbanworld Music franchise highlights emerging talent in live performances during festival events. For over two decades, Hollywood studios and indie film distributors, as well as established and emerging filmmakers, have consistently chosen Urbanworld to premiere box office and award-winning hits. The Urbanworld Film Festival is an initiative of the Urbanworld Foundation Inc. Gabrielle Glore serves as Festival Director & Head of Programming.

Photo Credit: Lia Chang