Told to be quiet. Born to be loud.
One of the world’s first microdramas to be adapted into a feature film.
As featured inRolling StoneExclusive first lookOn the festival circuit
TIFF 2026 recap
Dec 2024
A 28-episode vertical series
Rags 2 Richmond premieres on Instagram as a musical microdrama shot in Richmond, BC.
Pitch Perfect meets Billy Elliot, by way of 2000s-era Hong Kong musical dramedy.
An aspiring singer enters a controversial Asian male beauty pageant against his better judgement, and stumbles into overnight fame on an innocent lie. As the spotlight grows and the secret behind his star factor starts to crack, he has to figure out who he actually is — and find the courage to let the world hear it.
Set in Richmond, BC in 2005, around Canada's first-ever Asian male beauty pageant staged by a local TV station — a world the creators spent years competing in and watching from backstage.
Rags 2 Richmond was built on social first, proved its audience there, then grew into long form. Each format feeds the next.
Vertical series
28 episodes on Instagram and social platforms, from December 2024.
ReleasedFeature film
Musical dramedy, 97 minutes, completed July 2026. Available for distribution.
CompletedUnscripted series
An Asian male pageant competition format, with Viral Nation and Media Trifecta.
In developmentMusic
A 12-track original soundtrack co-produced by Jonathan Wong and Tat Tong of Warner Chappell Music APAC, led by "Low Key".
Rolling releaseMeet the team in person. Screener requests and meetings go through worldwide sales.
VIFF 2026, Catalyst programme, Vancouver
Tue, Oct
6
Guest speaker
Indie distribution
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM PT, Granville Island, Vancouver
31st BIFF, Asian Contents & Film Market, Busan
Sun, Oct
11
InnoAsia panel
The Evolution of Microdrama: China & Beyond
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM KST, BEXCO Exhibition Center 2, Event Room A (Meeting Room 121–123)
Sun, Oct
11
Dedicated session
Rags 2 Richmond: From Viral Microdrama to Feature Film, and the Future of Trans-Media IP
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM KST, BEXCO Exhibition Center 2, Event Room B (Meeting Room 125–126)
With Jonathan Wong, Justina Shih, Nancy Sit, Benny Luo, Dylan St. Aubin
A new generation of Hollywood North talent alongside two icons of Hong Kong cinema.
More cast announcements coming soon!
Exclusive first look
Rolling Stone
“Its point of view has remained remarkably specific throughout.”
Rolling Stone Canada’s exclusive first look at the feature after its TIFF market screening: how the film came first, the microdrama proved the audience, and the story grew into a soundtrack and an unscripted series.
Read and watch on Rolling StoneKorea · Oct 12, 2026
Sports Kyunghyang
Our official b.stage fan community, unveiled at the Busan International Film Festival press conference with Jonathan Wong, Nancy Sit, Justina Shih and NextShark’s Benny Luo.
Read the articleJapan · Oct 12, 2026
TBS News Dig
Rags 2 Richmond opens its official b.stage, as bemyfriends expands its fandom business into film.
Featured on TBS News DigKorea · Oct 12, 2026
News Culture
How Rags 2 Richmond became one of the first feature films to build its own fandom on b.stage, launched at the Busan International Film Festival.
Read the articleDeadline
“A viable new content loop.”
Exclusive on the feature wrapping, and the microdrama-to-movie model behind it.
Read the articleVariety
Viral Nation and Media Trifecta develop an unscripted pageant competition series from the franchise.
Read the articleRichmond News
How a hometown series shot at Aberdeen Centre and along River Road became a feature.
Read the articleNextShark
On Hong Kong veterans Eric Tsang and Nancy Sit joining the cast, and NextShark founder Benny Luo coming aboard as an executive producer ahead of the TIFF market screening.
Read the articleYahoo News
How a microdrama that drew over 9 million Instagram views grew into a feature starring Jonathan Wong alongside Hong Kong entertainment veterans Eric Tsang and Nancy Sit.
Read the articleVancouver Sun
On the Richmond-shot digital series and its road to becoming a feature film, produced by Justina Shih alongside her mother, Hong Kong star Nancy Sit.
Read the articleSpecifications