In this poignant and gritty debut feature film, ‘Surrender’ follows Naomi, a young Asian-American woman whose life is disrupted by her secret gambling addiction. As she navigates her struggles, Naomi confronts feelings of denial and shame, which affect her relationships with family, colleagues, and herself. Ultimately, she reaches a breaking point and must decide between a path of destruction or one of self-love.

Supported by Film Independent’s Fast Track Fellowship, Hollywood, Health & Society (a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center), The Gotham Film & Media Institute’s “Owning It” Program, and the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles NewNarrative Grant.

‘Surrender’ premiered at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in May 2025 and has since screened at the Asian American International Film Festival in New York, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles. The film was also nominated for an Emerging Director Award and is currently continuing its festival run.

Writer and Director: Jess Dang
Producers: Jessica Olthof, Darren Haruo Rae, Jess Dang
Executive Producer: Andrea Bang
Director of Photography: B. Rubén Mendoza
Editor: Faroukh Virani
Production Designer: Justine Ellen Chen
Composer: Tangelene Bolton
Sound Designer: Sung Rok Choi
Costume Design: Tina Trinh