“It’s been heartening and somewhat surprising to see the response from audiences all over the country” say the filmmakers. “From rural Georgia, to a college town in Montana, to New York City, everywhere we’ve screened the film it’s resonated with audiences. It really highlights what a national issue housing affordability is. We hope that, if anything, our film helps audiences identify with everyday working people who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and see how affordable housing is essential for a healthy community”
Emphasizing the cyclical nature of poverty and housing insecurity, the film features several adults who experienced homelessness as youth and hope to break that cycle for the next generation. “Going through this film actually gave me more insight about how strong I actually am,” says Jacque, a participant in the film. “I appreciate the film for that, and I hope someone else can get that same sort of insight from watching it.”
Another participant, Sylvester, highlights the precarity of the “at risk” population: “[The documentary] tells about how bad things can go in a blink of an eye. One bad decision on the road and you can be in this boat. You know, we don’t have the safety net of a state that takes care or understands or has empathy for people that are in poor situations.”
HOME IS A HOTEL will air on PBS stations nationwide starting May 1, 2026 (check local listings) with a feature-length version streaming available on the PBS App and PBS.org. KQED 9 will air the film on May 11 at 9pm.
American Public Television (APT), the leading syndicator of high-quality programming to public television, will distribute HOME IS A HOTEL. KQED serves as the presenting station.
Media Contact: For more information or to request a press screener, contact: info@homeisahotel.com
Press Materials
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About the Directors
Kevin Duncan Wong
Director, Producer, Co-Cinematographer
HOME IS A HOTEL is Kevin’s feature debut and was supported by Sundance, SFFILM, BAVC, and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), among others. The short film that inspired HOME IS A HOTEL won several awards, including the Loni Ding Award for Social Justice Documentary at CAAMFest and Best Short Documentary at Cinequest. His other non-fiction films have played at festivals across the country including Big Sky, SFFILM and Cinequest, and have been featured on PBS and in The Washington Post. His narrative films include FORGETTING, an adaptation of an episode of WNYC’s Radiolab, and JUS SOLI, a Sci-Fi thriller about immigration and data privacy starring Lynn Chen.
He is currently developing a narrative film about gentrification in San Francisco Chinatown which was a 2025 Kenneth Rainin Grantee. He is a former Sundance Humanities Sustainability Fellow, SFFILMFilmhouse resident, BAVC Media Maker fellow, and member of the California Creative Corps.
Kar Yin Tham
Co-Director, Producer
Kar Yin Tham is an independent filmmaker based in San Francisco. Working both in narrative and documentary films, she’s helped produce projects that have won awards at film festivals nationally and internationally, including Best Short (Adrift in Sunset) and Best Narrative Feature (Collisions). Kar Yin co-directed and produced HOME IS A HOTEL, which won the audience award for Best Feature Documentary and the juried award for Best Bay Area Documentary at the 2023 SFFILM Festival. Alongside creative pursuits, she has an established career in the nonprofit sector.
Todd Sills
Co-Director, Co-Producer
Todd is a documentary filmmaker and television producer currently based in the Bay Area. Todd directed and produced the short film that inspired HOME IS A HOTEL with Kevin in 2016. Todd produced and co-directed the feature documentary Red Without Blue, which received the Audience Award from the Slamdance Film Festival and the Jury Award from the Frameline Film Festival, among others. Before being acquired by the Sundance Channel, Red Without Blue screened at film festivals, universities, and museums all around the world, and garnered glowing reviews in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Los Angeles Times, The Advocate, The Seattle Times, and The Guardian.
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About APT
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and nearly one-half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. America’s Test Kitchen, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, The Chavis Chronicles, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Doc Martin, Hope Street, Lidia’s Kitchen, Midsomer Murders, Miriam and Alan Lost in Scotland, Pati’s Mexican Table, Rick Steves’ Europe, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, Table for All with Buki Elegbede, Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV — featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming — and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. More information at APTonline.org.
