Ahead of Boogie’s release on video on demand last month, Comcast NBCUniversal and the Motion Picture Association had the chance to talk with the film’s writer and director Eddie Huang, who among other achievements wrote the book Fresh Off the Boat, which was later adapted into the hit television show, and is a former restauranteur.

Boogie tells the coming-of-age story of Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a basketball phenom living in Queens, New York, who dreams of one day playing in the NBA. While his parents pressure him to focus on earning a scholarship to an elite college, Boogie must find a way to navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals, and the burden of expectation.

NBC News Investigative and Consumer Correspondent Vicky Nguyen led the conversation with Huang after a virtual screening of the film, which talked about his inspiration for the film, including parts of his own life. Nguyen and Huang also discussed the importance of diverse representation in front of and behind the camera in film and television.

Huang touched on the intersection of Asian and Black culture depicted in the film – a piece of the story that he also drew on his own experiences for.

“It really breaks my heart when I hear anti-Black sentiments in the Asian community, and I do take it as my responsibility to communicate that we are all humans,” Huang said. “To in some way represent Black culture back to the Asian community – I do speak on that quite a lot and my work always involves Black culture and Caribbean culture.”

I wanted to make a film and share a piece of myself that could perhaps make another kid that feels different or alien feel a little bit less different.
Eddie Huang
Writer & Director, Boogie

Huang also addressed the recent anti-Asian violence in this country, saying that Asians are being “scapegoated” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that he had never seen an attack like the one against Asian women in Atlanta in his lifetime and that the attack should “remind Asians in America that you can’t hide from this. You know, you have to participate, even when it’s not Asians being attacked and Asians being front and center.”

Comcast NBCUniversal is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, including efforts in media to increase diversity on screen and behind the scenes. Across our portfolio, we constantly seek out underrepresented voices and stories to share with the masses.

Boogie is available now on demand for rent – visit WatchBoogie.com or say “Boogie” into your Xfinity Voice Remote.