Debuting at SXSW, Jing Ai Ng’s “Forge” is a visually striking crime thriller that signals the arrival of a bold new voice in filmmaking. Steeped in the digital aesthetic of Michael Mann and the gritty precision of ’90s crime films, Ng crafts a world that feels both sleek and dangerous. In an interview, Ng shared how her passion for crime stories shaped the film: “I’ve always been drawn to crime stories, especially those about deception and ambition. Art forgery felt like the perfect metaphor for the expectations and facades so many of us grow up with.”
Set in Miami, “Forge” follows siblings Raymond Zhang (Brandon Soo Hoo) and Coco Zhang (Andie Ju) as they navigate the high-stakes world of art forgery. Their underground operation takes a lucrative but dangerous turn when disgraced millionaire Holden Beaumont (Edmund Donovan) enlists them to replicate lost masterpieces as a front for his family’s collection. Meanwhile, FBI Art Crimes Agent Emily Lee (Kelly Marie Tran) begins closing in, uncovering a trail of forgeries that leads directly to the Zhangs’ family-run dim sum restaurant. Other notable cast members include T.R. Knight, Sonya Walger, and Eva De Dominici.
The film’s ensemble, put together by casting director Damian Bao, is one of its greatest strengths, with Soo Hoo and Ju delivering nuanced performances as siblings teetering between loyalty and self-preservation. Donovan also leaves a lasting impression, bringing a quiet intensity to his role. Kelly Marie Tran continues to showcase her versatility, playing Emily with a sharp mix of steely determination and quiet isolation in an unfamiliar city.
The film’s look is as calculated and polished as the cons unfolding on screen. Ng and her cinematographer Leo Purman lean into the neon-lit landscapes and shadowy interiors that define neo-noir, evoking the nocturnal world of Mann’s “Miami Vice” while maintaining a modern digital crispness. The film’s high-budget feel makes it all the more impressive as a debut, demonstrating Ng’s ability to craft immersive, high-stakes storytelling with precision and style.
Beyond its crime-thriller setup, “Forge” resonates through its portrayal of familial obligation and the weight of expectations in Asian households. Raymond’s need to conceal his criminal pursuits from his mother and Coco’s desperate attempt to validate her skills outside traditional expectations add emotional stakes beyond the forgeries and cons. The interplay between the siblings is one of the film’s strongest elements, as Soo Hoo and Ju deliver layered performances that oscillate between warmth and volatility. Tran, meanwhile, continues to prove her range, bringing intelligence and determination to her role as an investigator caught between duty and personal intrigue.
The Beaumont family serves as an intriguing counterpoint to the Zhangs, embodying a level of privilege and detachment that contrasts sharply with the siblings’ hustle. The film subtly critiques the dynamics of class and power, though at times, the Beaumonts veer toward caricature in their exquisite WASP detachment. Still, their presence sharpens the film’s underlying commentary on who gets away with crime and who pays the price.
With “Forge,” Jing Ai Ng delivers a stylish, engaging thriller that balances crime and character with finesse. The film marks a debut strong enough to place her among filmmakers to watch. In an interview with Awards Focus, Ng discusses her inspirations for the story behind Forge, working with the talented cast and the reaction to the film that has meant the most.
Awards Focus: Congratulations on the film! You mentioned in the Q&A that “Forge” was inspired in part by personal experience. Can you share more about the origins of the story and your approach to developing it?
Jing Ai Ng: I’m a big lover of crime movies. I grew up watching a lot of Michael Mann and Scorsese films. When I was a teenager, I found out that a distant relative of mine committed white-collar crime and went to jail. I actually discovered it through Wikipedia because someone in high school told me—it was never something my family talked about.
For the longest time, I thought I was part of this perfect Asian family. That realization shattered that illusion immediately. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by white-collar crime, particularly how so many of these crimes aren’t committed out of necessity but out of greed. That felt like a deeply human place to start a story.
At the same time, I wanted to explore what it means to grow up under the pressures of the model minority myth. Art forgery became a perfect metaphor for that—this idea of deception and facade, both in crime and in life. That’s where “Forge” came from.
AF: As a first-time feature director, what was the process of getting “Forge” made?
Ng: It was a really long journey. I graduated from film school in 2019, but I officially finished my thesis project in early 2020. That January, I won the DGA Student Film Award, and it was such a high—I got to see my film screen in a real theater in LA. Then two months later, the pandemic happened, and everything stopped.
For a long time, I thought that was it—that I wouldn’t get another shot at directing. During those months, I started writing “Forge” and ended up submitting it to the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab. That changed everything. It was my first real development lab, and Angela Lee, who’s now the head of artist development there, was an early supporter.
The script went through so many drafts between 2021 and 2024. When we got to the Film Independent Fast Track market in 2023, we started making connections for funding. One introduction led to another, and we were finally able to secure what we needed to go into production. It was a lot of work, but I can safely say Film Independent played a massive role in bringing this film to life.
AF: The film has such a distinct visual style. Were there specific cinematic inspirations for the look and feel?
Ng: Absolutely. I love the digital aesthetic, especially in crime movies. There’s something about the way digital cinematography captures nighttime that feels gritty and immediate. “Miami Vice” was a huge influence—both in its neon-lit look and the way it immerses you in a world.
I also drew from “Deep Cover,” the early ’90s crime film by Bill Duke. And then, stylistically, we referenced Fincher’s “The Social Network” for its sleekness and “To Live and Die in L.A.,” particularly for its forgery sequence. All those films helped shape the visual and tonal language of “Forge.”
AF: Kelly Marie Tran plays FBI agent Emily Lee. How did she come on board, and what drew her to the role?
Ng: The feedback I got from every single cast member, including Kelly, was that they loved the script and thought it was different. Kelly specifically said she’d never played an FBI agent before—and when you think about it, how often do you see an Asian American woman in that role?
I think my nerdiness about art forgery really came through in the script, and that excited a lot of the actors. Kelly is a huge supporter of Asian American creators and Asian American women in film, so I think she saw this as an opportunity to champion that.
She was actually one of the first people my casting director sent the script to. And once she read it, she signed on immediately.
AF: The sibling dynamic between Brandon Soo Hoo and Andie Ju is one of the film’s strongest elements. How did you approach casting them?
Ng: I believe directing actors starts with casting. If you get the casting right, you can allow actors to have real freedom within their characters.
We did an open casting call and saw so many tapes. It all came down to chemistry reads. Brandon and Andie just understood the sibling relationship at a deep level. There’s a naturalness to the way they interact that made it clear they were right for the roles.
I didn’t write the script with specific actors in mind, but once I saw them together, I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing those parts.
AF: There’s a moment when the characters enter the Beaumont mansion’s basement that for a moment, made me think the movie was going to pivot into a “Get Out”-like horror movie. Was that an intentional stylistic choice?
Ng: Definitely. We played with that feeling of unease a lot in the edit. It was all about balancing how much of that horror element we wanted to lean into.
At that point in the film, the audience doesn’t really know Holden Beaumont yet. He could be leading them into something dangerous. Why should we trust him? There’s a kind of psychological horror in that uncertainty, even if it’s not a literal horror movie moment.
AF: What has been the most meaningful response to “Forge” so far?
Ng: There were a couple. One moment during the Q&A really got to me—someone pointed out a specific cinematic reference we used, “To Live and Die in L.A.”, and it meant so much that they caught it. It was a small detail that my team and I talked about endlessly, so it was rewarding to know people noticed.
The other moment was personal. Andie saw the film with her mom, and they both started crying. Afterward, her mom came up to me and said, “You did a good job.” That really hit me.
AF: Amazing! Any compliment from a Chinese mom is impressive. Congrats again on a fantastic film.