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Nicholas Lam
Writer. Director. Filmmaker.
Bio
Growing up in both Oakland, CA and Hong Kong, it wasnt until moving to Honolulu in 1993 that Nick discovered his true calling. While still in high school, encouraged by his film teachers, he submitted his film Red Night to the University of Hawaii Film Competition and not only won on the Grand Jury Prize, but had the film air continuously on local TV.
In 1999, Nick was accepted into the USC Cinema-TV Production program where he studied directing, cinematography and screenwriting. After graduation, Nick worked on dozens of studio and independent projects while completing numerous feature screenplays, many of which were finalists in American Zoetrope, American Screenwriting Association and First Cut Film Series. Nick is now a frequent keynote speaker with the American Pavillion at the Cannes Film Festival, and has been profiled in numerous magazines and online e-zines.
Among his more recent works, Nick has directed 2007 Panavision New Filmmaker Award winning short film "Real Fiction, "The Way Forward," a documentary on the Ethiopian education system (narrated by Judy Greer), numerous music videos including Live Last, Marc Zero and U.S. Billboard charting grunge band Gladhander, whose video Tooly enjoyed a stunning premiere at the 2009 Comic-Con.
Nick is currently developing TV pilots for Too Faced Cosmetics in conjunction with MBRD and Pie Town Productions, and The Krump Zone, a hot new dance competition show hosted by Russell Ferguson (WINNER So You Think You Can Dance: Season 6) for BET.
Most recently, Nick has signed with Metropolis Films to direct "Muchacho Del Flamenco," an upcoming feature from writer/producer Stephen Ryder (L.I.E., Blair Witch Project), starring Spanish Flamenco legends Rafael Amargo and Charo, with PR giant Murray Weissman & Associates repping the picture.
Projects
Film
Real Fiction
Nico-Fun
Muchacho Del Flamenco
Documentary
The Way Forward
Music Video
Gladhander
Marc Zero
Live Last
TV / Episodic
Billboard Top 10 Countdown China
Office Meltdown
The Krump Zone
A struggling novelist's career and family become entangled in deceit and tragedy when he begins leading a dangerous secret life.
Synopsis
Zach, a gifted writer and devoted son is as ambitious as he is impatient. Success in his business seems impossibly elusive after trying every avenue available to him, and without adequate funds to provide treatment for his increasingly ill mother, it seems like a miracle when Damien, an influential literary agent, expresses interest in taking Zach on as a client. However, theres a catch.
As Damien guides Zach ever closer to monetary and career success, Zachs relationship with AJ begins to deteriorate while conversely, Damien not only begins to realize the error of his ways, but learns from Zach the ability to love again.
Yet in a world where nothing is what it seems, and in an industry where all actions are relative to their context, the incendiary mixture of jealousy, desperation and love can sometimes prove lethal.
Set Photography
Festivals
2007 Panavision New Filmmaker Award
2009 Indianapolis Int'l Film Festival
2009 Sacramento Int'l Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
On The Web
MySpace
IMDB
Trailer
Narrated by Judy Greer
I cried when I had no shoes … until I met a man who had no feet.
-Author Unknown
Synopsis & Director's Statement
SYNOPSIS
How long must a nation suffer before it either withers and dies, or rises from the ashes? What are the responsibilities of those who govern? Who must pay for the mistakes of previous generations?
These are the questions posed in The Way Forward, a piercing glimpse into the people of a country that was once the cradle of civilization, and now one of the poorest nations on Earth. The film, narrated by Judy Greer (Arrested Development, 13 Going On 30), follows the Fregenet Foundation as it struggles to rebuild Ethiopia by starting at the source the children.
DIRECTORS STATEMENT
From the moment I set foot on the plane, bound for Ethiopia by way of Washington D.C. and Rome, Italy, I knew I had stepped into another world. Into a culture that, despite my endless hours of research, was far beyond anything I had ever seen or known.
The instant I snapped on my safety-belt, the passengers to my left and right, both native Ethiopians returning home to Addis (thats the capital of Ethiopia, for the uninitiated), began conversation with me as if I were their best friends since grade school. There were no formalities. No handshakes. No boundaries. Just open, warm and frank conversation between fellow human beings. They didnt even know each other, but within minutes the three of us were giggling and sharing stories about our relationships, families, favorite sports, politics, and even the joys of free airplane food.
I seem to recall the passenger to my left - a woman in her 50s with three grandchildren - slapping my leg hysterically in laughter after I told her which restaurant along Fairfax Ave. had the best kitfo! I think my leg was sore for the next week after that
Then, it got even better.
After the plane left the tarmac and the seatbelt sign flashed off, the cabin transformed into what can only be described as a miniature airborne Merkato (which again, for the uninitiated, is Africas largest open-air market). Here I am, a polite little filmmaker from Los Angeles, used to sitting quietly in my seat and minding my own business, watching in awe as half the passengers rise from their seats and bustle about the cabin conversing with friends and strangers alike, most even standing in the aisles for hours at a time.
The stewardess didnt mind. They joined right in. My guess is if the captain stepped out of the cockpit, hed be the one organizing songs and campfire stories.
And after I got over my initial hesitation, I too, joined in. And let me tell you, when an airplane full of strangers transforms into a cabin full of friends chatting, joking and laughing merrily together, even something like a combined 30+ hours of flight time can feel like little more than 30 minutes on the merry-go-round.
Ive traveled a good portion of the world in my life, but nowhere have I ever encountered such hospitality and genuine zest for life, or joie de vivre. Even for a country which has so little, the generosity of its people is bottomless.
What was even more inspiring to me, were the very children of the nation. They possessed the joy, excitement and energy that I had experienced on the plane multiplied by a hundred. Whether it was kickball on the street, braiding a little sisters hair, or savoring the sweet taste of a cold soda, the appreciation for the smaller things in life reminded me that life is full of wonderment, and all too often in our busy adult lives, we overlook the things we now pass off as trite, but in our innocent days of youth, was the stuff of dreams. So for those who say stop and smell the roses, I say to them, stop and watch these children play.
Watching these children in a classroom was a whole different story. In the United States, and admittedly, in my own upbringing, school was something I dreaded. I hated homework; I hated being called upon to the blackboard by my math teacher who glared at me behind those thick gold-rimmed spectacles; I hated the fact that it took time away from me hanging out with my friends. But again, by observing Ethiopian students in their classrooms, my perspective was changed entirely.
The brain waves in the classroom was palpable. The desire to learn was contagious. Learning in the classroom alongside friends was every bit as enjoyable as playing tag in the playground. And the gratefulness of even being given a chance at succeeding was so apparent on each and every childs face that I asked myself, if I personally were to invest in the new generation, and in the very future of our world, wouldnt it best go towards a nation whose children actually wanted to be in school?
It is through these amazing people and the unforgettable experiences I shared with them that I attribute the changed outlook of my life. It was through their candor, their perseverance, their courage to continue on when, in the face of insurmountable odds, when things have truly hit rock-bottom, they continue on for future generations.
How can we possibly feel unfulfilled in our lives when our neighbors have nothing but a piece of bread and a thread of hope to keep them going? How can we possibly feel entitled to anything, when our brothers and sisters who have nothing can still find reason to smile?
It was through their awe-inspiring strength and character that I learned to live by a simple phrase of theirs:
Every day is a good day to be alive.
- Nick
Photography
The Fregenet Foundation
Clip
A nicotine-addicted man attempts to quit by turning to “the patch” and a psychotic therapist.
Currently in post-production.
Guy, a most typical guy in every sense of the word, is addicted to cigarettes, like most average dudes you and I both know.
Guy, this most typical guy, is also trying to quit. A most noble undertaking.
Guy turns to the latest new patch technology. A promise of cold-turkey quitting, though at the risk of sudden and severe head loss. Huh?
Guy seeks help from a therapist. Little does he know shes a chain-smoker herself. Oh yeah. And she's a psychotic killer, too.
Long story short, if he wants to quit, Guy is gonna have to stop being so damn typical.
Chains. Tools. Babes. In Hi-Def.
In this renaissance of the graphic novel, my creative team and I felt it to be the perfect opportunity to utilize the wealth of technology available to us these days with our collective love of comics, fantasy art and alternate realities.
The original concept for the video "Tooly" was for the band members to be constructing a time machine that would accidentally send them to a time in which they could not return. However, after speaking with the band and listening to what this song meant to them, I discovered this song was all about human relationships, and the tangible emotions that entwine when two people are in love.
So, in a sense, as twisted as the video may appear, and as true as the grit of the song lyrics do ring, this is essentially a love song about lost romance, and the universal desire to make all things right.
Official Site
Video
The latest feature film from legendary screenwriter Stephen Ryder (L.I.E., Blair Witch Project) about Ricky Escolar, a 13 year-old boy from a middle-class, single-parent household in Barcelona who dreams of becoming the greatest Flamenco dancer in all of Spain.
Currently, Spanish Flamenco legends Rafael Amargo and Charo are attached, with Macarena Gomez rumored to co-star. Production is slated to begin the end of 2010.
Nicholas Lam has signed with Metropolis Films to direct.
For more information: Click Here
Click Here
for Video
Back
Marc Zero.
R&B/Hip-Hop trio's new video "Apple Pie" currently in pre-production.
Shooting to begin mid-2010.
Debut video from up and coming Los Angeles-based Christian Rock quartet. Details to come soon...
On MySpace
Awards
GLADHANDER
-2010 Accolade Film Festival - award of excellence winner
-2010 hollywood east interactive film & music festival - official selection
-2010 Festivus Film Festival - official Selection
-2010 Ricon International film festival - official selection
-2010 sunscreen international film festival - official selection
-2010 las vegas film festival - official selection
-2009 comic-con international - san diego
REAL FICTION
-2009 sacramento int'l gay & lesbian film festival - official selection
-2009 Indianapolis International Film Festival Official Selection
-2007 Panavision new filmmaker award winner
REPPED (screenplay)
-2006 American Screenwriting Association Finalist
NEEDLE & INK (screeplay)
-2009 first cut film series - current finalist
-2005 American Screenwriting Association Finalist
-2005 American Zoetrope Semi-Finalist
RED NIGHT
-1998 University of Hawaii Film Competition Grand Prize Winner
Press
VARIETY
THE SKY KID
ENCHANT MAGAZINE
Contact
Phone: 213.999.0708
Facebook
Pilot episode for Billboard Top 10 Countdown China in association with Metan Media.
TV Pilot focusing on a top level cosmetics company and their daily operations, in development and association with MBRD Productions.
MBRD Productions
TV Pilot for new Krump dance competition show with similar format to SYTYCD, Americas Best Dance Crew, and American Idol. Show will be hosted by Russell Gutta Ferguson, winner of SYTYCD Season 6.
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