America ReFramed

Curtain Up!

By Hui Tong and Kelly Ng

CURTAIN UP! follows the theater club of PS 124 in New York City's Chinatown as they prepare for a big musical production of "Frozen Kids." For over a decade, the school’s theater group has been the only Asian American team to compete in the renowned Junior Theater Festival. Their performance at the gathering of young thespians from across the world earned PS 124 the opportunity to stage this new adaptation of the film "Frozen."

Brimming with exuberance, 5th grader William is excited to burst beyond his constraints. His classmate Charlotte is more measured and admits that sometimes it's easier to be scared than happy. As the students gear up for their musical production, nervous excitement and flubbed lines brush up against cultural stereotypes, family expectations, and post-graduation uncertainties.

CURTAIN UP! shares a kids-eye view of the ups and downs of discovering art, culture and identity.

Watch our Meet the Makers: AAPI Stories & Filmmakers panel to learn what filmmakers Hui Tong and Kelly Ng shared in the making of CURTAIN UP!