In 2016 — perhaps even earlier — while I was developing my now-defunct Chinese feature Morning, Paris! in Beijing, I met Ludi Lin, then a starry-eyed young actor with unmistakable charisma. Over the past decade, we’ve stayed close as friends, and honestly, I’ve rarely witnessed an actor’s trajectory evolve with such dynamism, discipline, and sheer cinematic momentum. When Ludi decided to venture into stand-up comedy, I introduced him to my comedy partner-in-crime, Keith Nahanee, who invited him to perform live at Vancouver’s Rez Comedy showcase. Later, when financing finally aligned for Season 3 of Comedy InvAsian, Ludi was one of the very first people I called about joining the ensemble.
After a meeting of the minds, Ludi Lin escorted me to East Vancouver to bar hop in his new camper van earlier this year.
Creator Koji Steven Sakai and I launched the first season of Comedy InvAsian in 2017 with one clear mission: to spotlight our incredible AAPI comedian friends and bring their voices to television. The series helped introduce talents such as Joey Guila, Amy Hill, Paul Kim, Atsuko Okatsuka, Robin Tran, and Kevin Yee to television audiences as stand-up comics.
In what feels like the blink of an eye, Koji and I have now completed production on Season 3 of Comedy InvAsian, featuring an electrifying lineup (clockwise left to right): Mexipino comic Erik Escobar, Indigenous-Chinese Canadian comic Trevor Jang, actor Ludi Lin, Japanese American mother-comic Michelle MaliZaki, transgender Cambodian American comic Juno Men, Fiji-born South Asian American comic Shivaan Nadan, Hawaiian-born Chinese Filipino transgender comic Kitty Pine, and Blasian comic Vanya Renee. Together, they represent one of the most vibrant, fearless, and diverse ensembles of AAPI comics we could have ever hoped to assemble.
While the series is still deep in post-production, I’m thrilled to use the occasion of Cinemasianamerica to sneak-preview three episodes from the new season at the Laemmle Royal this Thursday, May 7: Erik Escobar’s Breaking Dad, Ludi Lin’s One Hand Clapping, and Kitty Pine’s Lucid Dreaming — three of my personal favorite episodes of the season. Following the screening, I’ll be hosting a Q&A alongside co-creator Koji Steven Sakai and comedians Erik Escobar and Kitty Pine.
I hope to see you there — and please excuse the temporary color grading and sound mix, as we’re still putting the finishing touches on post-production before the series premieres this fall on streaming platforms.
Get tickets for the sneak preview of Comedy InvAsian III!
