Asia A – Craghoppers Student Prize Winner 2019

Meet Andrew Reid, he was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Today, he is a recent graduate from USC and in the process of developing his first feature which is ASIA A with the support of the Tribeca Film Institute and the Craghoppers Film Prize.
At the age of 21, he was told by doctors he would never walk again but with dedication and perseverance, he regained movement.
His goal? To bring new and diverse perspectives to Hollywood that promote a culturally progressive future for our society. We asked him a couple of questions to learn more about Asia A – the first Craghoppers Film Student Prize winner.

What gave you the idea for the film/ what was your inspiration?

The idea for this film spawned eight years ago when I was paralyzed from the chest down. A malformation of my blood vessels (AVM) resulted in a rupture which compressed my spine while I was sleeping, leaving me completely paralyzed. I was told by doctors I would never walk again but with dedication I regained movement. Today, I walk with a cane and continue to progress in strength and health.

What was the budget for the film and did you get help with funding


The budget was 35k. A majority of the funds we received from our fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. However, we did receive microgrants from the Bridge Arts + Science Alliance, Caucus Foundation and Irving Lerner Endowment.

We’re there any stand out obstacles you had to overcome whilst making the film?

Absolutely, as with any production we struggled to procure financing to make the film. I used my personal funds to ensure that the film was completed. The term “starving artist” definitely applied while making the film. However, the biggest challenge was making sure we did the topic justice. My personal background is what inspired me to make ASIA A. As I spent many months in a hospital room focusing on my recovery, I was introduced to unique individuals of all ages who had been forced to endure life-altering injuries that left them disabled. It was their stories that inspired my recovery and ASIA A.

Is this your first film or are you a student filmmaker?

I was a student filmmaker when we made ASIA A (it was my thesis film from the USC School of Cinematic Arts).
Watch the trailer for Asia A here.

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