Quick: Name a Hmong movie.

You probably can’t, right? Although more than a quarter of a million Hmong live in this country (St. Paul has the largest Hmong population, per capita, in the U.S.), they are not well-represented in popular culture. A group of local investors, led by producer Fuabkuab Yang, would like to change that.

“Bedeviled,” a horror movie in which a bunch of young people are terrorized after downloading a program to their phones — literally, a killer app — will open Aug. 11 at New Vision Oakdale 20 (formerly Carmike Oakdale). Created by Hmong-American brothers Abel and Burlee Vang, “Bedeviled” will add more theaters if it’s successful, with a release on digital platforms later this summer.

“Our community is really tight-knit and, back in 2014, we heard through the grapevine that these two brothers, who were aspiring filmmakers, were going to come here,” recalls Yang, who says the Vangs, natives of Fresno, Calif., came in search of investors among the large Hmong population. “They gave us a great pitch. They were great guys — honest, fun, passionate. So, long story short: I said, ‘Let me see if we can put something together.'”

About a year later, Yang — a St. Paul native who graduated from Tartan High School in 2009 — met with Hmong businesspeople at St. Paul’s Hmong Village shopping center. There were turn-downs, of course, but several people agreed to invest in the horror movie, which has a total budget of under $1 million. That was in the spring of 2015 and, by fall, shooting had begun in L.A.

“We filmed 80 percent to 90 percent of it in one month, so I got to be there for most of it,” says Yang. “Sometimes you hear stories about Hollywood, but I met genuine, happy people who love acting, love filmmaking. It was great and I’m hoping we can do something bigger with this film, not just for ourselves but for our community.”

Brothers Burlee (left) and Abel Vang are the brains — and the cleaver — behind “Bedeviled.” (Freestyle Digital Media)

"Bedeviled," which was shot in Los Angeles -- partially financed by local Hmong investors -- will open August 11. (Freestyle Digital Media)

The cast and crew of "Bedeviled" included (from left) Brad Brizebdine, Kirk Roos, Fuabkuab Yang, Victory Van Tuyl, Stephen Stanley, Cheng Yang and Leng Yang. (Fuabkuab Yang) (Freestyle Digital Media)



Getting into the movies was not necessarily the plan for Yang, who helps his family run a center for Hmong elders. But, a self-described “theater geek” and member of the speech team at Tartan, Yang has long been a fan of horror movies that, like “Bedeviled,” have a supernatural, psychological bent, rather than a high gore quotient.

“As a Hmong American, obviously I am interested in fair representation of people of color and one of the big selling points for me, and I think for others, was working with the Vang brothers. I liked their vision, their idea of not only making great films but also trying to spice up an industry that doesn’t always include representation,” says Yang. “It would be nice to see more Asian Americans in film and also behind the camera, and that’s one big reason I wanted to be a part of this.”

Another big selling point for the brothers Vang was that they’re recipients of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowship, a prestigious international prize whose other winners have included Susannah Grant (“Erin Brockovich”).

The first public showing of “Bedeviled” was at last fall’s Screamfest in L.A. Yang thinks investors liked what they saw (he knows his parents did), and that the movie has a shot at reaching a broader audience.

“I don’t want to speak for my whole community but, from my own experience, I think we’re like any community in the Twin Cities. Hmong people go to ‘Spider-Man’ and all the big blockbusters. But the thing I remember from growing up is hearing my parents, who are first-generation immigrants, and their experience in the refugee camps, watching movies. It wasn’t in theaters — maybe just on a TV, watching a local Thai or Lao film — but everyone in the village would crowd around to watch it,” says Yang.

Since not everyone could make the trip to California for Screamfest, Yang is looking forward to seeing the movie here in the Twin Cities with its investors.

“We’ll reach out to them to make sure we can all go to the theater together on Aug. 11,” says. “They’re anxious, they’re excited. But I think they’ll be impressed.”