Real Asian experiences, reel Asian comedy

Franco Nguyen is a man of many talents. While currently working toward a Master of Fine Arts degree, Nguyen is also a gifted filmmaker and fresh new stand-up comedian.
Nguyen began his venture into the world of comedy just over a year ago and has already established himself as one to watch.
In his spare time, Nguyen performs with the all-Asian comedy troupe Asiansploitation. Asiansploitation has a unique voice that isn’t often magnified in mainstream comedy. It touches on experiences many Canadians can relate to, including the struggles and pains of immigration and the pressure put on first generation Canadians.
Nguyen’s parents grew up very poor in wartime Vietnam.
“As a first generation Canadian, you’re seen as the generation that’s going to change everything — there’s a lot of pressure,” he says.
“The good thing about comedy is that you can take real issues and make them more digestible,” says Nguyen. By putting issues through a comedic filter, he is able to introduce personal and less mainstream issues to a wider audience.
“Comedy is most effective when it’s personal — if it’s not real, it’s not funny,” says Nguyen. “[But] what I define as personal a lot of other comedians will define as ethnic…those are some of the challenges for me.”
Nguyen also muses on the struggles of being true to himself and his heritage without exploiting it.
“I’d like to believe that whether you’re Asian or not, my jokes will resonate because they’re real and believable,” he says.
Right now, Nguyen is focused on his masters’ thesis. He is creating a documentary depicting his mother’s return to Vietnam after 30 years.
In 2012, Nguyen made it to the semi-finals of the Toronto Comedy Brawl.
More recently, he was one of five finalists in the Cream of Comedy showcase where hundreds of comedians vied for the Tim Sims Encouragement award and scholarship.
His work as a filmmaker is even more impressive.
His dramatic short, Plants Out of the Sunlight, was featured in the York Retrospective at the Worldwide Short Film Festival and won Best Film and Best Screenplay in the York Film Department’s CineSiege 2010 showcase. His work was also featured in the Reel Asian International Film Festival in 2011.
Nguyen and Asiansploitation can be seen at Kapisanan in Toronto for their monthly Comedy Lab — a hilarious and fun workshop of interactive games and exercises that introduce people to sketch-comedy, improv, and stand-up.
“Asiansploitation’s Comedy Lab is a well-guided approach for interested comedy lovers who would like to take a shot at ‘laughter-crafting,’” says Akhil Warrior, a participant in a recent event. “It reveals undiscovered and hidden skills to interact in increasingly comical ways by focusing on the different aspects of the genre.”
No experience is necessary to participate in these workshops, but mid to highly experienced comedians are always welcome to add depth.
Sarah Peterson
Contributor