Tiger Mom Academy
Tiger Mom Academy is a narrative film about Marilyn Khu, a struggling mother whose children are expelled from school while her husband remains distracted and immature. Desperate to restore her family’s future, Marilyn sends the children to Tiger Academy, an unconventional boarding school led by the severe education expert Suki Lai. The academy trains mothers as well as children, promising elite academic results at a steep personal cost.
As Marilyn embraces Suki’s increasingly extreme methods, her children begin excelling, but hidden motives and troubling consequences emerge. The film examines the tension between Eastern and Western approaches to parenting, including authority, obedience, tradition, individuality, and independent thought. It also explores the sacrifices families make while adapting across cultures and generations.
When: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Showtimes: 6:30 PM
Venue: Bright Family Screening Room (BFSR), Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
Format: Narrative film screening
Run time: 100 minutes
Ages: All ages
Tickets: Price not available
Post-screening: A question-and-answer session follows the screening.
Director: Shawn Shou-Wen Chou
Key artists: Shawn Shou-Wen Chou is credited as co-producer, writer, director, and editor. Michelle Krusiec is credited as co-producer, writer, and actor.
Shawn Shou-Wen Chou: Chou is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Motion Picture Editors Guild Local 700. His directing, writing, producing, and editing credits span more than two decades and include work on films such as *Pool Hall Junkies*, *Enough*, and *The Sweetest Thing*, as well as television programs including *The Kardashians*, *America’s Next Top Model*, *The Biggest Loser*, and *Extreme Makeover: Home Edition*.
Michelle Krusiec: Krusiec is an award-winning actor, writer, and director whose work draws on genre, mythology, folklore, and sharply comic female characters. Her credits include the Hulu horror short *NIAN*, the film *Dormant*, the Netflix series *Hollywood*, *Saving Face*, and *Far North*. Her stage work includes *Wild Goose Dreams*, *Chinglish*, and *The Chinese Lady*. She is also an advocate for Asian American visibility and has received recognition from the White House, the California State Assembly, and the Museum of Chinese in America.
Filmmaker’s perspective: Chou describes the film as a cross-cultural exploration of parenting and immigrant family experience. Through Marilyn’s perspective, the story contrasts Western emphases on freedom, individuality, and independent thinking with Eastern emphases on harmony, authority, respect for elders, obedience, and tradition. Chou hopes the film will encourage honest conversations about the shame, fear, and growing pains that can accompany adapting to a new culture.
Accessibility: No event-specific accessibility information is provided.