Local filmmaker shops movie at Cannes Film Festival Market

Director Kym Secrist wants filmgoers to know actor James Hong by name.

With his new film "Man of a Thousand Faces" set to premiere at the market at Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, Secrist hopes people will be able to put a name to the recognizable face of the actor who has appeared in about 500 films and TV shows.

"His name is not known. His story is not known," said Secrist, who, in addition to directing, was the writer, director of photography and a producer on the movie made by the Las Vegas-based Dramatika Films.

The docudrama follows Hong's life from his childhood in Minneapolis through his acting career, and his fight against Hollywood's stereotypes of Asians in movies and television.

Secrist met Hong when he worked as director of photography on the short film "37th Chamber" in 2000. When Hong was thinking about telling his life story, he contacted producer Deborah Quan, one of Secrist's partners in Dramatika Films.

The 90-minute film took a year and a half to make, and includes re-enactments of Hong's life, and interviews with members of his family and fellow actors, including David Carradine, Tia Carrere, Dom DeLuise, George Takei, Jason Scott Lee and the late Japanese actor Mako.

"James has been a contributor throughout the process," Secrist said.

Hong, 78, who has acted in a variety of films and TV shows, including "Blade Runner," "Chinatown," "Wayne's World 2," "The West Wing" and "Seinfeld," has achieved his success "under the radar," according to Secrist.

"James' story needs to be told," said Secrist, who will be looking for a distributor for the movie while at the famed French film festival. "He is a unique, interesting, talented character."

While Hong's name may not be well-known among the general public, it is just the opposite in acting circles.

"James and his achievements are respected by his peers," Secrist said.

He noticed the respect Hong was given by fellow actors while working on the sets of "37th Chamber" and "Exit 38," a 2006 movie he worked on with Hong.

"I saw it personally. They themselves as actors felt that when James was on set to bring their A-games. They regarded him as such a powerhouse," Secrist noted.

"Actors have an enormous amount to say about his work," he added.

A Henderson resident who puts his age at "a young 49," Secrist began his career in filmmaking by writing and directing commercials.

"I've been in business over 30 years," said Secrist. "Film is a never-ending, albeit expensive, passion."

His films "may or may not be commercial blockbusters, but they are worthwhile to me."

"I'm in it for the art," Secrist added.

Secrist and Dramatika Films continue to work on projects, including the film "Passage," which is scheduled to begin shooting this fall. "Passage" tells the story of a son and daughter from two separate families who survive a plane crash in the Grand Canyon and must deal with death, predators and survival while their parents and others race to save them.

And he hopes for a theatrical release for "Man of a Thousand Faces." "We believe it will do quite well at the box office."

Secrist isn't the only local represented at Cannes. Freelance photographer and filmmaker Jonpaul Lewis' horror short "Jack the Ripper" is scheduled to be shown today at the Cannes Film Market's Short Film Corner, competing for distribution, marketing and exposure. Lewis, 23, shot the live-action, stop-motion short -- made up of nearly 8,000 still photographs -- at a Las Vegas photo studio Feb. 13. Earlier this month, Lewis' short was named best international short film at the 2007 Uovo Di Napoli Film Festival in Naples, Italy.

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