From acclaimed stand-up comedian to screen actor, professional Fil-Am jokester and public speaker Joe Valencia a.k.a Jo Koy stars in his first Hollywood film called Easter Sunday.

The movie, released on August 5, celebrates an almost all-Asian and entirely-Filipino ensemble, and tells the tale of Filipino culture and family traditions. With a theme that centers on the intricacies of the Filipino-American community, the feature film unpacks stories that surround an underrepresented group.

Granted that the showcase is a Jo Koy vessel, the narrative speaks volumes about the fictionalized version of his Filipino ancestry and chaotic engagements of his extended clan, whose holiday had gone haywire.

The 'pink carpet' premiere of the Filipino-oriented film was held at the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre or TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Packed with a crew of renowned talents from the local landscape and from tinseltown, the event is filled with entertainment players from the Philippines and the United States.

It was an ultimate media magnet as popular personalities graced the function, along with the main man himself, Jo Koy, who was seen sporting a solid black suit. Dressed in an all-black attire, Megastar Sharon Cuneta also attended. Apart from her, Filipino artists Vina Morales, Raymond Gutierrez, Ylona Garcia, Mica Javier, Jabbawockeez, and The Filharmonic were present as well.

Jo Koy

Sharon Cuneta

Jo Koy@sthanlee

Jo Koy and Tiffany Haddish@sthanlee

Sharon Cuneta@sthanlee

Vina Morales@sthanlee

Eva Noblezada@sthanlee

Raymond Gutierrez@sthanlee

Mica Javier@sthanlee

Ylona Garcia@sthanlee

Eugene Cordero@sthanlee

Jay Chandrasekhar, Eugene Cordero, and Brandon Wardell @sthanlee

Jimmy O. Yang and Ken Cheng@sthanlee

Joey Guila@sthanlee

Lydia Gaston@sthanlee

Lydia Gaston and Asif Ali@sthanlee

Lou Diamond Phillips and Tia Carrere@sthanlee

Tia Carrere@sthanlee

Melody Butiu@sthanlee

Rodney To@sthanlee

The Filharmonic@sthanlee

Jabbawockeez@sthanlee

Siena Agudong @sthanlee

Ryan Woods@sthanlee

Ginger Gonzaga@sthanlee

Paris Berelc@sthanlee

Patrick Starrr@sthanlee

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle@sthanlee

Timothy Granaderos Jr.@sthanlee

Cheryl Burke@sthanlee

Wanya Morris and Amber Morris@sthanlee

Jimmy O. Yang and Brianne Kimmel @sthanlee

Jo Koy and Joseph Herbert Jr@sthanlee

After enduring multiple rejections, Easter Sunday finally reached materialization as it was escorted to the big screen by none other than omnipotent Hollywood household name Steven Spielberg. Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, Easter Sunday is distributed by Universal Pictures.

The comic cast includes the Asian-American empire namely Jimmy Yang, Tia Carrere, Brandon Wardell, Eva Noblezada, Lydia Gaston, Rodney To, Eugene Cordero, Melody Butiu, Joey Guila, Elena Juatco, Tiffany Haddish, Jay Chandrasekhar, Asif Ali, and Lou Diamond Phillips. The film is produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, and is plotted based on Ken Cheng’s story and script.

Photos by Sthanlee Mirador (@sthanlee)