NY, UNITED STATES, April 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- AMC Networks has once again selected Luke and Emma and a Gas Station on Franklin Avenue to be included in Future of Film: AAPI Rising Stars, a new series spotlighting emerging Asian American filmmakers. Directed by Levi Wilson, the acclaimed coming-of-age short continues its celebrated festival run while garnering national attention for its deeply personal storytelling and standout creative team.

A poignant look at first love and identity, Luke and Emma follows 11-year-old Luke, a mixed-race Asian boy, who navigates his budding crush on a white classmate during a fleeting moment outside a rural gas station in 1980s America. Inside the gas station, Luke’s Thai mother is confronted with her own uncomfortable encounter, adding layers of tension and generational complexity to the story.

Originally created as a proof of concept for Wilson’s debut feature and television series, the short film has gone on to win accolades at festivals including New Faces, New Voices at Regal Cinemas, and is being featured on AMC+ from May 1- May 31.

The film features a remarkable team of collaborators:

Composer John Wlaysewski, a Vietnamese American adoptee, brings his emotive and nuanced musical storytelling to the short. Fresh off his run as music director, arranger, and live accompanist for Kevin McDonald, Superstar (which received praise in a recent New Yorker feature) Wlaysewski’s score strikes the perfect balance of tenderness and nostalgia, capturing both the innocence of youth and the musical tone of 1980s America.

Cinematographer Connie Huang has worked on Steven Spielberg’s period features from The Post to West Side Story, and currently serves as 2nd Unit DP on Netflix’s The Night Agent. She captures the texture of rural Americana with subtlety and grace. She was introduced to the project by Sam Levy (Marriage Story, Frances Ha).

Executive Producer and Editor Lisa Hammer anchors the film’s tone and rhythm through her artful editing. A voice actress, singer, independent filmmaker, and artist featured at the Museum of Modern Art, Hammer has been recognized by Ethereum Film Festival co-founder Heidi Honeycutt as “an important voice in independent cinema.” She will also serve as EP and Producer for the upcoming feature adaptation.

This AMC selection marks a meaningful return for Wilson and the Luke and Emma team to a platform that, especially in the current climate, remains committed to elevating marginalized voices. As the story of Luke’s small yet significant moment touches new audiences, the team looks ahead to developing the project into a feature-length film.

For media inquiries, screeners, or interviews with the cast and crew, please contact:
Janell Barrett Jones JBJ@thescarletagency.com

Janell Barrett Jones
The Scarlet Agency
+1 917-512-3055
email us here

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