630:
430:'s list of "21 Great Free Thinkers of Indie Film" for their DIY festival/DVD distribution strategy. The film debuted theatrically in Boston on February 26, 2010, and in New York and Los Angeles on March 12, 2010, followed by additional theatrical engagements in other cities. It was released on Video-on-Demand beginning in June 2010, and on DVD on August 10, 2010.
195:, screened at more than 50 film festivals, and won 17 festival awards including 8 Grand Jury or Best Narrative Feature prizes. The film was released theatrically in eight U.S. cities beginning February 2010, on Video-on-Demand in June 2010, and on DVD in August 2010.
29:
215:
as a way to get ahead and repeatedly loses money. Eventually her two young children are left to fend for themselves when their mother is arrested by the police. The film is loosely based on Tze Chun's own childhood, as well as his
Sundance 2007
211:
suburbs, and the life she provides for her two children (played by
Michael Chen and Crystal Chiu). As a way to cope and entertain themselves, the kids invent things. The mother is drawn to
477:
372:
473:
646:
308:'s Alison Willmore. In 2010, the year of its commercial release, it made several more "best films of the year" lists including the list by Turner Classic Movies' blog.
746:
686:
721:
651:
701:
399:
384:
333:
304:. It was named one of the Top 13 Films of 2009 by Hammer to Nail, and one of the best undistributed films of 2009 by several critics including
681:
736:
716:
706:
696:
731:
711:
481:
327:
321:
405:
726:
741:
345:
339:
411:
691:
503:
236:
and 4 days in Boston. The film premiered at
Sundance just 10 months after the first draft of the script was completed.
192:
133:
676:
305:
393:
378:
354:
553:
366:
204:
71:
360:
528:
671:
608:
448:
656:
270:
246:
592:
258:
252:
507:
300:
641:
614:
212:
635:
629:
620:
288:
647:
Sundance
Channel Interview with Tze Chun, Cindy Cheung, Michael Chen, and Crystal Chiu
665:
423:
264:
233:
59:
28:
449:"Tze Chun, "Children of Invention": Pyramid Schemes, Herbalife and Collaboration"
294:
625:
217:
93:
452:
282:
276:
603:
597:
549:
427:
188:
49:
39:
586:
389:
Special Jury Prize, Emotional
Storytelling - Indie Memphis Film Festival
208:
203:
The first half of the movie centers around Elaine Cheng (played by
579:
350:
Best
Narrative Feature - Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival
187:
is an
American independent feature film written and directed by
657:
Park City Record article about film's pyramid scheme theme
232:
Though set in Boston, the film shot 20 days in and around
478:
San
Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
373:
San
Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
244:
The film was very well received by critics, including
383:
Special Jury Prize, New Talent to Watch in Acting -
316:
The film also won the following 17 festival awards:
172:
164:
154:
115:
107:
99:
89:
81:
67:
55:
45:
35:
21:
207:), a single mother and immigrant living in the
365:Special Jury Prize, Best Narrative Feature -
8:
332:Grand Jury Prize, Best Narrative Feature -
326:Grand Jury Prize, Best Narrative Feature -
320:Grand Jury Prize, Best Narrative Feature -
628:
27:
18:
398:George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award -
439:
400:DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival
385:Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
334:Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
554:"21 Great Free Thinkers of Indie Film"
377:Special Jury Prize, Acting Ensemble -
7:
353:Outstanding International Feature -
504:"Difficult times, past and present"
412:Austin Asian American Film Festival
328:Newport International Film Festival
322:Independent Film Festival of Boston
747:English-language independent films
687:American coming-of-age drama films
406:Hawaii International Film Festival
14:
422:Tze Chun and the film's producer
404:Puma Emerging Filmmaker Award -
722:2000s coming-of-age drama films
702:Films shot in New York (state)
652:Ningin Interview with Tze Chun
529:"A Conversation With Tze Chun"
338:Grand Jury Prize, Best Film -
1:
682:Films about Chinese Americans
392:Honorable Mention, Editing -
346:San Diego Asian Film Festival
340:San Diego Asian Film Festival
737:2000s English-language films
717:2009 directorial debut films
527:Michael Tully (2009-04-08).
707:Films shot in New York City
697:Films shot in Massachusetts
447:Brian Brooks (2009-01-08).
193:2009 Sundance Film Festival
763:
732:Asian-American drama films
712:American independent films
124:January 18, 2009
344:Best Narrative Feature -
26:
139:March 12, 2010
474:"Children of Invention"
394:Woodstock Film Festival
379:Nashville Film Festival
355:ReelWorld Film Festival
727:2009 independent films
367:Sarasota Film Festival
191:. It premiered at the
637:Children of Invention
621:Children of Invention
610:Children of Invention
599:Children Of Invention
588:Children of Invention
502:Ty Bur (2009-01-22).
371:Special Jury Award -
361:Roxbury Film Festival
184:Children of Invention
22:Children of Invention
742:2000s American films
147: (United States)
692:Films set in Boston
472:Jonathan L. Knapp.
359:Best of Festival -
410:Visionary Award -
247:The New York Times
240:Critical reception
16:2009 American film
259:The Village Voice
253:Los Angeles Times
180:
179:
754:
677:2009 drama films
632:
583:
582:
580:Official website
565:
564:
562:
561:
546:
540:
539:
537:
536:
531:. Hammer to Nail
524:
518:
517:
515:
514:
508:The Boston Globe
499:
493:
492:
490:
489:
480:. Archived from
469:
463:
462:
460:
459:
444:
301:The Boston Globe
146:
144:
131:
129:
31:
19:
762:
761:
757:
756:
755:
753:
752:
751:
662:
661:
642:Rotten Tomatoes
615:Box Office Mojo
578:
577:
574:
569:
568:
559:
557:
548:
547:
543:
534:
532:
526:
525:
521:
512:
510:
501:
500:
496:
487:
485:
471:
470:
466:
457:
455:
446:
445:
441:
436:
420:
314:
242:
230:
213:pyramid schemes
201:
157:
150:
142:
140:
127:
125:
118:
76:
74:
62:
17:
12:
11:
5:
760:
758:
750:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
664:
663:
660:
659:
654:
649:
644:
633:
617:
606:
595:
584:
573:
572:External links
570:
567:
566:
552:(2009-12-28).
541:
519:
494:
464:
438:
437:
435:
432:
426:were named in
419:
416:
415:
414:
408:
402:
396:
390:
387:
381:
375:
369:
363:
357:
351:
348:
342:
336:
330:
324:
313:
310:
289:Chicago Reader
241:
238:
229:
226:
200:
197:
178:
177:
174:
170:
169:
166:
162:
161:
158:
155:
152:
151:
149:
148:
137:
121:
119:
116:
113:
112:
109:
108:Distributed by
105:
104:
101:
97:
96:
91:
87:
86:
83:
82:Cinematography
79:
78:
69:
65:
64:
57:
53:
52:
47:
43:
42:
37:
33:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
759:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
669:
667:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
643:
639:
638:
634:
631:
627:
623:
622:
618:
616:
612:
611:
607:
605:
601:
600:
596:
594:
590:
589:
585:
581:
576:
575:
571:
555:
551:
545:
542:
530:
523:
520:
509:
505:
498:
495:
484:on 2010-02-18
483:
479:
475:
468:
465:
454:
450:
443:
440:
433:
431:
429:
425:
424:Mynette Louie
417:
413:
409:
407:
403:
401:
397:
395:
391:
388:
386:
382:
380:
376:
374:
370:
368:
364:
362:
358:
356:
352:
349:
347:
343:
341:
337:
335:
331:
329:
325:
323:
319:
318:
317:
311:
309:
307:
303:
302:
297:
296:
291:
290:
285:
284:
279:
278:
273:
272:
267:
266:
265:New York Post
261:
260:
255:
254:
249:
248:
239:
237:
235:
234:New York City
227:
225:
223:
222:Windowbreaker
219:
214:
210:
206:
198:
196:
194:
190:
186:
185:
175:
171:
168:United States
167:
163:
159:
153:
138:
135:
123:
122:
120:
117:Release dates
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
95:
92:
88:
84:
80:
73:
70:
66:
61:
60:Mynette Louie
58:
54:
51:
48:
44:
41:
38:
34:
30:
25:
20:
636:
619:
609:
598:
587:
558:. Retrieved
544:
533:. Retrieved
522:
511:. Retrieved
497:
486:. Retrieved
482:the original
467:
456:. Retrieved
442:
421:
418:Distribution
315:
299:
293:
287:
281:
275:
269:
263:
257:
251:
245:
243:
231:
221:
205:Cindy Cheung
202:
183:
182:
181:
156:Running time
85:Chris Teague
77:Crystal Chiu
75:Michael Chen
72:Cindy Cheung
63:Trevor Sagan
295:Film Threat
56:Produced by
36:Directed by
672:2009 films
666:Categories
626:Metacritic
560:2010-04-02
556:. The Wrap
535:2010-04-02
513:2010-04-02
488:2010-04-02
458:2010-04-02
434:References
228:Production
218:short film
160:86 minutes
143:2010-03-12
128:2009-01-18
103:T. Griffin
94:Anna Boden
46:Written by
453:IndieWIRE
312:Accolades
283:USA Today
277:LA Weekly
90:Edited by
604:AllMovie
550:Ted Hope
428:Ted Hope
189:Tze Chun
173:Language
134:Sundance
100:Music by
68:Starring
50:Tze Chun
40:Tze Chun
271:Variety
176:English
165:Country
141: (
126: (
298:, and
209:Boston
132: (
593:IMDb
199:Plot
640:at
624:at
613:at
602:at
591:at
306:IFC
111:N/A
668::
506:.
476:.
451:.
292:,
286:,
280:,
274:,
268:,
262:,
256:,
250:,
224:.
220:,
563:.
538:.
516:.
491:.
461:.
145:)
136:)
130:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
