Forge Debuts at SXSW, Expands to LA & NY in May
SkimNews Take
The film's tension between original and forged art mirrors the broader societal challenge of discerning authenticity as AI-generated content proliferates, creating a new layer of ambiguity beyond human craftsmanship.
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- Forge — Jing Ai Ng’s debut feature film opened at SXSW and will run week‑long in Los Angeles starting May 15 at the Landmark Nuart Theatre, then in New York beginning May 22 at Quad Cinema before a nationwide rollout.
- Coco Zhang — Played by Andie Ju, she runs a Miami‑based art forgery studio that creates new works designed to resemble undiscovered pieces by famous masters, treating each forgery as a resurrection of a dead genius.
- Holden Beaumont — Billionaire (portrayed by Edmund Donovan) hires Coco and her brother Raymond to produce hundreds of fake paintings for an undisclosed venture, pushing the forgers into higher stakes.
- FBI — The film’s plot brings the FBI’s art‑crimes division into pursuit of the forgers, heightening the legal danger for the characters.
- Raymond — Coco’s pragmatic brother and business partner initially refuses the massive forgery job, weighing risk before being drawn into the scheme.
Why it matters: Director Jing Ai Ng gains a high‑profile launch with the May 15 Los Angeles and May 22 New York openings, while the FBI’s involvement raises legal stakes for forgers, protecting collectors and the art market.
