FORGE (2025)
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JING AI NG
PRODUCERS: LIZ DAERING-GLASS, GABRIELLE CORDERO, JING AI NG, DAMIAN BAO
CASTING DIRECTOR: DAMIAN BAO
CASTING WAS A HYBRID COMBINATION OF ACTORS AND NON-ACTORS WHO WERE CINEMATIC AND DYNAMIC STREET FINDS.
CAST: KELLY MARIE TRAN, ANDIE JU, BRANDON SOO HOO, EDMUND DONOVAN, EVA DE DOMINICI, T. R. KNIGHT, JACK FALAHEE, SONYA WALGER
WORLD PREMIERE: 2025 SXSW NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
IMDB PAGE: FORGE (2025)
SYNOPSIS: SIBLINGS RAYMOND AND COCO ZHANG RUN A FORGERY RING. COERCED BY A DISGRACED MILLIONAIRE, THEY CREATE COUNTERFEIT MASTERPIECES FOR HIS FAMILY’S COLLECTION. FBI AGENT EMILY LEE INVESTIGATES A NEW STRING OF ART FORGERIES.
PRESS:
THIS FILM BENEFITS FROM AN EXCELLENT ENSEMBLE, LED BY THE ELECTRIC PAIRING OF JU AND HOO. IT’S CLEAR THAT THEY’RE CLOSE AND THAT THEY ENJOY WORKING TOGETHER, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DEVOTION THAT CAN BE CLOUDED BY OTHER THINGS, NAMELY RAYMOND’S ATTRACTION TO HOLDEN’S WIFE TALIA (EVA DE DOMINICI). DONOVAN PLAYS HIS PART TO THE TEE, REVEALING HIS CHARACTER’S DANGEROUS VULNERABILITY, WHILE DE DOMINICI ADDS DIMENSIONS TO HER PORTRAYAL OF SOMEONE WHO HAS ALLEGEDLY MARRIED INTO WEALTH BUT UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LONG GAME. TRAN IS A SOLID LEAD ALSO, BRINGING PLENTY OF PERSONALITY TO HER GENERALLY SOUR INVESTIGATOR.
– SXSW REVIEW: ‘FORGE’ IS A SLEEK, PERFECTLY-PACED ART WORLD THRILLER WITH A TERRIFIC CAST (AWARDS BUZZ)
IT HAS ALL THE NEON, SUNSETS, AND CLUB MUSIC YOU’D EXPECT FROM A THRILLER SET IN THE WEALTHIEST ECHELONS OF MIAMI, BUT THE FILM DOUBLES AS A PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST WHO CRAVES RECOGNITION FOR HER WORK EVEN MORE THAN SHE CRAVES MONEY. HER DESIRES ELEGANTLY CLASH WITH THOSE OF EVERYONE AROUND HER THANKS TO THE EXCELLENT WORK OF THE ENSEMBLE CAST, WHO EACH EMBODY A CHARACTER CHASING A DIFFERENT SEGMENT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.
– “FORGE” REVIEW: A GAME OF CAT-AND-MOUSE IN THE MIAMI ART WORLD MAKES FOR A THRILLING DIRECTORIAL DEBUT (INDIEWIRE)
“NG AND CREW BRING A REAL SWAGGER THAT GIVE THE CAPER ALL THE ENERGY OF AN “OCEAN’S 11”-LEVEL PRODUCTION WITHOUT HAVING THE SAME RESOURCES. IT IS ALSO DRIVEN BY A STAR-MAKING TURN FROM JU, WHO IS MAGNETIC AS THE MORALLY SLIPPERY COCO WHOSE REMARKABLE POISE WOULD MAKE HER A FORMIDABLE POKER PLAYER.”
– “FORGE” REVIEW: JING AI NG PUTS A FRESH COAT OF PAINT ON A SATISFYING CRIME CAPER (VARIETY)
