Jo Koy’s ‘Easter Sunday’ puts Filipinos front and center

By TERRY TANG
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For a comedy, Jo Koy’s new movie “Easter Sunday” had a lot of waterworks. The film was no ordinary job. The entire cast had happy cry-fests whenever they were struck by the magnitude of sharing a set with mostly Filipino actors. Koy’s feature film debut, which opens in theaters Friday, is being touted as the first big studio movie with an all-Filipino ensemble. Koy, who is half Filipino and half white, plays a comic and aspiring actor visiting his family in the San Francisco Bay Area for the titular holiday. The production comes at a time when Filipino American food, history and advocacy are increasingly emerging into the zeitgeist.