Rarely do you get the chance to meet and discuss movie production with a filmmaker who has gone through the whole process herself, from writing the script to directing, producing and distributing the final product. This weekend just such a person, Fay Ann Lee, will be screening her movie “Falling for Grace,” and participating in an audience Q&A.

Lee wrote, directed and starred in the film about Grace Tang, an ambitious Wall Street banker from New York’s Chinatown, who wants nothing more than to be part of the city’s social elite. When she finally gets invited to an exclusive junior committee meet-and-greet, Grace is mistaken for an heiress from Hong Kong. Grace runs with her new identity, but things get complicated when she falls for JFK Jr.-esque Andrew Barrington, Jr. (Gale Harold).

Lee wrote “Falling for Grace” as a reaction to the lack of good roles for Asian American actors. Hollywood producers showed interest, but they wouldn’t buy it unless she rewrote the script with a main character of Caucasian or Hispanic ethnicity. Refusing to gut her initial intent, Lee decided to raise the production budget herself.

She filled out her cast with prominent Asian actors, including Ken Leung (”Lost”) and Margaret Cho. The movie was initially released in 2006 as “East Broadway,” when it debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. Despite the film’s warm reception at Tribeca, Lee still could not find a distributor. She has promoted the movie herself, with screenings in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and a handful of other cities.

Lee brings her film to San Diego this week, and will take audience questions following every show this weekend.

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