Give as a gift
Livestreams are available to watch on the Visual Communications Youtube Channel and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Facebook page!
His story is one of fate, perseverance, and donuts. Ted Ngoy’s rag to riches story is the center of Alice Gu’s film, THE DONUT KING. Tune in for a special conversation hosted by the Cambodia Town Film Festival as we talk with Alice and Ted about Ted’s pursuit of the American dream: as a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975, and building an unlikely multi-million dollar empire.
Click here to watch THE DONUT KING (This film is available for viewing from Saturday May 23rd at 8am PT to Sunday, May 24th at 8pm PT)
Co-presented with: Cambodia Town Film Festival
The Cambodia Town Film Festival showcases the very best in Cambodian cinema. From narrative animation to documentary features, from original shorts to award-winning independent films, the festival highlights the exciting work done by Khmer/American filmmakers.
Featuring:
Caylee So (Host)
Caylee So was born in a refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodia border, just after her parents’ escape from Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. When she was just three years old, her family immigrated to Virginia. After high school, Caylee joined the U.S. Army, and while on duty, she was entranced by Clint Eastwood’s MILLION DOLLAR BABY that made her forget she was at war and inspired her to pursue filmmaking. Caylee is the co-founder of the Cambodia Town Film Festival, an honorary committee member of the Cambodian International Film Festival, a recipient of the Linda Mabalot’s New Directors/New Visions Award, and a winner of the 32nd annual Los Angeles County “Women of the Year” award. In 2018, Caylee co-directed the award winning feature film IN THE LIFE OF MUSIC.
Alice Gu
Alice Gu is a Los Angeles native who began her career as a Director of Photography, working with renowned directors Werner Herzog, Stacy Peralta, and Rory Kennedy, among others. Her commercial clients for print and live action include Beats by Dre, ESPN, Apple, Peta, and more. She was the director of photography for the film TAKE EVERY WAVE: THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON, which made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017. THE DONUT KING is Alice’s feature directorial debut. Alice is currently in pre-production for a whistle-blower documentary and an episodic project, set to be announced later this year.
Ted Ngoy
Ted Ngoy is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California. He was nicknamed the "Donut King.” In 1975, Ngoy fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia with his wife and three children to Southern California, and started working in the doughnut business. By 1987, Ngoy owned 32 Christy's Doughnuts locations, largely accomplished by living out of a motorhome, allowing him and his family to travel up and down the state of California to establish new locations. Ngoy's fortunes improved dramatically, and by the mid-1980s had amassed millions of dollars through his expanding doughnut shop empire, reported as 62 locations throughout California. Ngoy currently lives in Phnom Penh, working in real estate.
Livestreams are available to watch on the Visual Communications Youtube Channel and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Facebook page!
His story is one of fate, perseverance, and donuts. Ted Ngoy’s rag to riches story is the center of Alice Gu’s film, THE DONUT KING. Tune in for a special conversation hosted by the Cambodia Town Film Festival as we talk with Alice and Ted about Ted’s pursuit of the American dream: as a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975, and building an unlikely multi-million dollar empire.
Click here to watch THE DONUT KING (This film is available for viewing from Saturday May 23rd at 8am PT to Sunday, May 24th at 8pm PT)
Co-presented with: Cambodia Town Film Festival
The Cambodia Town Film Festival showcases the very best in Cambodian cinema. From narrative animation to documentary features, from original shorts to award-winning independent films, the festival highlights the exciting work done by Khmer/American filmmakers.
Featuring:
Caylee So (Host)
Caylee So was born in a refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodia border, just after her parents’ escape from Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. When she was just three years old, her family immigrated to Virginia. After high school, Caylee joined the U.S. Army, and while on duty, she was entranced by Clint Eastwood’s MILLION DOLLAR BABY that made her forget she was at war and inspired her to pursue filmmaking. Caylee is the co-founder of the Cambodia Town Film Festival, an honorary committee member of the Cambodian International Film Festival, a recipient of the Linda Mabalot’s New Directors/New Visions Award, and a winner of the 32nd annual Los Angeles County “Women of the Year” award. In 2018, Caylee co-directed the award winning feature film IN THE LIFE OF MUSIC.
Alice Gu
Alice Gu is a Los Angeles native who began her career as a Director of Photography, working with renowned directors Werner Herzog, Stacy Peralta, and Rory Kennedy, among others. Her commercial clients for print and live action include Beats by Dre, ESPN, Apple, Peta, and more. She was the director of photography for the film TAKE EVERY WAVE: THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON, which made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017. THE DONUT KING is Alice’s feature directorial debut. Alice is currently in pre-production for a whistle-blower documentary and an episodic project, set to be announced later this year.
Ted Ngoy
Ted Ngoy is a Cambodian American entrepreneur and former owner of a chain of doughnut shops in California. He was nicknamed the "Donut King.” In 1975, Ngoy fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia with his wife and three children to Southern California, and started working in the doughnut business. By 1987, Ngoy owned 32 Christy's Doughnuts locations, largely accomplished by living out of a motorhome, allowing him and his family to travel up and down the state of California to establish new locations. Ngoy's fortunes improved dramatically, and by the mid-1980s had amassed millions of dollars through his expanding doughnut shop empire, reported as 62 locations throughout California. Ngoy currently lives in Phnom Penh, working in real estate.