San Diego Asian Film Foundation

Looking Back at the Reel Voices 2011--Our Films & Friendship Forever!

2011-11-26T21:34:00.001-08:00

The Reel Voices 2011 premiere was an unforgettablecelebration.

The ten short documentaries produced by our ten talented students werefeatured on the big screen of the San Diego Asian Film Festival’s 4^thday, the 23^rdof October.

The theater was full-house and packed withgood energy! Personally, I felt like a proud mama watching the students in frontof the stage, receiving a great wave of applause at the end, and answeringaudience questions like pro filmmakers. Also, thank you very much to the Reel Voicesmentors who made it to the screening! (filmmakers David Chien, Sara Newens,Mina Son, and Bao Tran) Thestudents were happy to be able to finally meet with them face to face. Asstudents took time to sign autographs on the freshly burned Reel Voices DVD,take photos with friends and family, and enjoy delicious catered lunch, thespecial Sunday afternoon of congrats and cheers came to an end. (by the way,thanks to Kenny Eng for the great performance during the reception)

This year’s Reel Voices was extra special as we had extranumber of students (biggest class yet!), a live-TV interview with Fox5 (thank you Nikki!), and a full-on production of the Reel Voices trailer… and more. Plus—how can Inot mention Mike Watson- he has once again led another successful year of ReelVoices. Congratulations!

Some students wrote to me afterwards. Aw so sweet of you!

“It was the highlight of my summer (technically it was myWHOLE summer), and through all the trials and tribulations, it was one of thebest summers of my life!”

“The experience was phenomenal and I got to meet so manygreat people."

Missed our premiere or want to watch the films again? Noworries! View them HERE

And our photos HERE

We will miss being in class, having fun watching and critiquing each others' films, spending hours on end in the edit bay... but our journey does not end here! We will besubmitting our films to various film festivals around the world! Be sure to check backto see where the films go-- what new stories we have--

So proud to have been a part of this. Best wishes to all thestudents and everyone involved.

Jini

Send an email to reelvoices "at" sdaff.org if interested in applying for next year's Reel Voices.

The Reel Saddam: A Fil-Am filmmaker's imaginings of a dictator's body double

2011-11-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

There was some buzz this summer surrounding Lee Tamahori's film, The Devil’s Double. It was based on the true story of the body double of Saddam Hussein’s notoriously brutal and psychopathic son Uday. But just a few years ago, another film also told the story of a Hussein double. It was a decidedly smaller, quirkier, film that was one of three finalists considered for Independent Filmmaker Project’s first ever $50,000 finishing grant, and for which Patrick Epino was named one of 10 filmmakers to watch in 2009 by the film magazine The Independent. In the dark comedy Mr. Sadman, Epino fantasized about a fictional Hussein double, putting American ideas of identity under the microscope, while also utilizing the new norms of film distribution.

Mr. Sadman is set in 1990s Los Angeles against the backdrop of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In the beginning of the film, we are introduced to Mounir, a middle-aged man who has made a career out of doubling as Saddam Hussein in pre-Gulf War Iraq. He is proud not only of this talent and the quasi fame that comes with it, but also of the man he mimics. But when he is unexpectedly let go from his job, a disillusioned and saddened Mounir decides to flee his country and start anew in L.A. There, we follow “Mo” on his somewhat neurotic journey through the wide landscape of American pop culture, from boba tea and fast food to basketball and Prince. While grieving the loss of his old life and also learning of his beloved dictator's true evil nature, Mo befriends a struggling actor, swaps his old Saddam persona for other ones (such as Bruce Lee and Michael Jordan), encounters a myriad of characters and finds himself getting more lost than found. It’s as much a film about being an outsider as it is an observation of the American identity.

Mr. Sadman was filmed in 2009 and, with the exception of Tim Kang (The Mentalist), was comprised of a virtually unknown cast. It had a brief festival run, screening at the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival and Disorient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon, but never made its way to the general public via the traditional theatrical or home video distribution. In fact, like most other films these days that are self-distributed, it’s garnered most of its following through the internet and the viral power of social media. The film has a Facebook page and an iPhone app, and can also be downloaded for free at its website: www.mrsadman.c om. The website also offers uniquely premium packages, such as the Digital Download Deluxe, which includes an HD download of the film and soundtrack for $9.99; The Dictator Pack for $59.99, which includes a personal Q&A with Epino; and the Dictator Deluxe Pack for $333.33, which includes a game of H.O.R.S.E. and a personal tour of Epino’s favorite east L.A. bars, where the H.O.R.S.E. loser buys the first round of drinks.

Born in San Francisco and raised in the bay area, Epino grew up in a Filipino-American household. And, although Mr. Sadman is not what you would think of as a typical Asian American film (at least, not one that deals with Asian American themes and issues), Epino insists it was both his American upbringing and the Filipino culture that had a lot to do with the story he wanted to tell. I chatted with Epino about Filipino culture, the American experience and self-distribution. He jokingly indicates that I will be receiving an invoice for the Dictator Pack Q&A.

How did you get into filmmaking? And were your parents supportive of your career choice or did you feel any pressure to go a more professional route?

I have a brother who is 18 months older, and he's a doctor. And when I was going to college in Chicago, there were times when I thought about becoming a lawyer. But my folks were always super cool. I didn’t really get any pressure from [them]. As long as you found what you loved to do and did it as hard as you can, then they were happy with that. And they knew I was always a little bit out there [and] off kilter.

I studied sociology as an undergrad, and then I took a couple years to study design. Then I ended up getting into film school on a lark, because I thought about applying, and I had missed all the deadlines for the schools I wanted to go to, except for San Francisco State. So I was just going to do a practice run since their deadline [had not passed] and they took me. I finished the [MFA] program in two years and then moved to Los Angeles.

So tell me about your decision to make this film. It's not what you would think of as typically Asian American.

Mr. Sadman is essentially a movie about my American experience. I just had this idea about taking somebody that had this face of evil, per se, and then trying to make him a really sympathetic character. And essentially his experience throughout the movie is kind of what I think it means to be an American. [It’s] about how people are constantly looking for some kind of attention or adoration from external sources; how they put on different costumes all the time to fit in. To me it’s a movie about Americans and America. But also, Filipino culture, to a large extent, is a copy cat culture because of its history, being colonized by the Spanish and being run over by the Americans for so long. And that’s a big part of what I saw as well. A lot of people on face value just saw this silly premise and this farce. But for me it was critiquing a lot of what I saw growing up in myself and in other people and just taking that American experience to the nth degree. Because we all [grew] up idolizing different people. In the movie he becomes Prince and Bruce Lee and Michael Jordan and those were all people I looked up to at one point or another in my formative years, and even to some extent, when I was a grown man.

Why the Saddam Hussein double? Why not just any foreigner looking in?

I remember having a conversation about these doubles for all these various dictators, and at the time Saddam was still alive in 2003 and that’s when the first seed of the idea came. I just thought of a Saddam double, and then thought it’d be an interesting scenario if he lost his job and moved to L.A. and then he didn’t realize that Saddam was this bad guy. And then he tries to stop being Saddam but he doesn’t really know how to be anybody else so he does what everybody else does in America and in western society which is to hop off one persona and turn around and try to be something else.

It’s interesting, too, that you made the character a silent one.

An earlier iteration of the story had him talking a whole lot. And then one day I really kind of pushed for this cipher thing, where he was just a face and you could imprint anything on him, and it automatically made him a little more innocent, a little bit more wide-eyed, a little bit more child-like, to the extent that you could buy him as a character. And this was before I even started casting, so I was imagining the real Saddam in my head being this really innocent guy. So when I took out all the dialogue, I thought ‘ok, this kind of works’ and then I just put some of his dialogue in other people’s mouths.

L.A. is definitely another character in the movie. Was setting the story in L.A. an intentional choice?

Yeah, because I thought L.A. represented those things I was looking for, the taking on of one persona to the very extreme. It matched it better than anywhere else. If it were San Francisco or some other city, it probably wouldn’t have felt just right. And if it were New York City, it would’ve felt completely off for me. In the story, he doesn’t really want to be an actor, he just kind of falls into it, so L.A. definitely added to the idea of this guy coming here and taking on different personas.

You’ve said that your intention was to at least partially self-distribute this film. Did you always see yourself doing that for your films and will you always go that route?
It’s always going to be something that I’m going to want the option to do. You never know. Markets and models are always changing and evolving. And I think right now it’s a really exciting time to try out ideas. A lot of people lament how the independent film world, and the film world in general, is changing and things aren’t how they used to be. I think people who came up in the 80s and 90s had this vision, this myth, of what being a filmmaker was. And you see a couple of successes and it barely existed for those people, and now it doesn’t exist at all. So it’s just something you have to adapt to. There’s just so much media nowadays to take people’s attention and that’s a good thing, to some extent. We’ll see how that pans out with these kids that are coming up with even shorter attention spans than I had.

But you never come up thinking you’re going to self-distribute. The thing that’s changed so much in the last five years is just the opportunity out there. And I think people are learning to adapt. There’s just so many films out there nowadays. Fifteen years ago you had this blank canvas. You put a dot for every independent film, and there was still a lot of white space, but nowadays it's just a completely colored canvas. Where’s the audience for those things? I personally think Hollywood films, as a lot of people feel, have staled, and they’re franchises and they’re not going to make a film unless it’s a book or a graphic novel or a remake. But for independent films … I say this about Asian American films, you see a lot of the same stuff over and over again with the same theme. And it’s almost like people don’t do their homework. I’m not saying that I do all the time, but you should know what’s been done and what’s out there so you don’t do exactly the same thing or so you can build upon somebody else’s work and take the dialogue and discourse and storytelling a little further. And it’s the same for independent films. You hear it more and more often, [that] it’s stale and it’s the same stuff. So where does it go from there? Especially if you’re asking for someone’s 85-90 minutes. So I just think there are other ways and it’s good to see technology changing things up a bit.

What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?

Tell the stories you want to tell and really embrace the tools around you. Moving images are relatively young compared to other mediums, and the format's evolving faster and faster seemingly every day, so you can look at new technology as new weapons and your mastery of them as ways you can be more dangerous.

***
Epino’s next film project is called Be A Man, but most recently he has taken to YouTube, co-founding The National Film Society, alongside fellow filmmaker Stephen Dypiangco (Home Unknown, God of Love). NFS is a new media studio in which Epino and Dypiangco produce and distribute original short content, showcase amazing movies, interview talented artists and pretty much make fun of each other. In honor of Filipino American History Month in October, NFS recently highlighted awesome Filipino American actors, filmmakers and movies.

You can read more about Epino’s thoughts on self-distribution in a March 2011 article that appeared in Filmmaker Magazine.

Sadly, Al No'mani, the Iraqi actor who portrayed Mo, passed away shortly after filming. Here's a clip of No'mani on meeting the real Saddam in Iraq:

Epino’s friend, Goh Nakamura, who is featured on the Mr. Sadman soundtrack, recently starred in the Dave Boyle film Surrogate Valentine, which was the Centerpiece Film and the Grand Jury Award winner at this year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival. Epino also makes an appearance in the film.

And I have yet to receive the invoice for the Q&A.

SDAFF 12: ZAI JIAN, SAYONARA, BYE-BYE AND JIRO…JIR-IO :o)

2011-10-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

In the paraphrased words of Nat King Cole the merry old sole, “The party’s over, it’s time to call it a day. Now we must wake up, all dreams must end. Take off our makeup, it’s all over, my friend…at least for this year.”

The closing night of the 12th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival ended on a tasty note with an appetizing documentary that challenged the senses and made everyone in the audience hungrier than a shark that hasn’t had its tuna fix in two weeks. Fortunately with the closing night film, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, we can have our tuna and eat it too…after the film that is.

It’s a great way to end the festival, because as I reflect on the past 9 days, one of the most consistent cravings that I had throughout all of the 16 or so films I watched happens to end on a yearning of a Japanese film about food…a yen for sushi.

Every movie I saw from martial arts, ghost, drama and action to fantasy, horror, love story and romantic comedy, all had a food scene. Whether it was in a restaurant, a street vendor or one’s home, the Asian food in each film drove me nuts as I sat there watching people slurping down noodles, woofing kimchi, engulfing soy sauce eggs, steam shoveling rice, and gorging on vegetable-meat dishes from China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Japan, etc.

“I’m hungryyyyyy.”

85-year old master sushi chef Jiro Ono owns and tire-lessly runs a 3-star Michelin restaurant that burns cuisine rubber in a basement eatery in Ginza Tokyo, where the least expensive meal runs around $300.

Not to ever be confused with conveyer belt sushi restaurants that dots big city America’s landscape, you know the kind, $19.95 for all the sushi you can eat, Jiro runs his 10 stool restaurant with the combined seriousness of a karate 10th degree black belt living by the code of budo and the passionate dedication to his art that borders on the old traditional codes of bushido, a samurai warrior.

But Jiro doesn’t use a sword to disembowel, disarm and de-feet his opponent, but meticulously uses special knives (no…not a ginzu knife) to slice and pare fish, squid, shrimp and octopus.

The film celebrates beyond carte de jour as director David Gelb’s moviemaking finesse investigates how he can use Jiro’s epicurean adventures to tell a story about family, tradition, and the virtues of hard work, dedication and sacrifice and how they have shaped Jiro and his sons, more specifically his eldest Yoshikasu, who must walk in his father’s shadow.

The sad thing is that regardless of how great of a chef Yoshikasu becomes, when his father passes away the Sukiyabashi Jiro family restaurant might also die because he will never be, in the eyes of restaurant critics and sushi connoisseurs, his father.

The irony being that for many of the accolades and more recent epicurean awards the restaurant has received have come at the hands of these food experts eating sushi made by Yoshikasu.

On a personal note, over the three days that my wife Silvia and I had a Qi Healing booth in the theater lobby, we’d like to thank all the SDAFF volunteers, the Ultrastar crew and Asian Film fans that stopped by the booth for a Qi Reading and/or a Pull Out the Pain healing experience. Awesommmme.

Since it is also the final curtain call of the SDAFF at the Ultrastar Cinema in the Hazard Center, instead of closing with the SOUND OF MUSIC’s, “So long, farewell. Auf Weidersehen, goodbye,” I’ll close with the same melody but the lyrics, with a little lilt in the honor of Jiro, “Zai jian, sayonara. Annyong-hi kashipshio, Jir-io.”

:o)

ALL CHINESE PRACTICE KUNG-FU, RIGHT?

2011-09-06T14:30:00.001-07:00

Back in 1973, once I saw Bruce Lee and the tsunami of kung fu films that quickly flooded our American shores, I thought, “Man, it seems everyone in China must know kung fu.” Asian kids at school were suddenly given the wide berth because, “You just never knew.”

Then when the martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon hit the U.S. in 2000, Asian film and Asian stars were hot commodities in the U.S. entertainment world. Taiwan-born director Ang Lee was named America's best director of 2001 by Time magazine, Hong Kong star Jackie Chan commanded $15 million per Hollywood picture and Crouching Tiger sent a charge through the Academy Awards.

Yet did the success of Bruce Lee, all those kung fu films of the 1970s, the dubbed movies on video and TV in the 1980s, Crouching Tiger and Chinese actors like Jackie Chan and Jet Li in Hollywood perpetuate the stereotype that all Asians practice kung fu?

According to SAG (Screen Actor's Guild), Caucasian actors accounted for 72.5% of all roles on film and TV in 2009, 13.3% for African Americans, 6.4% for Latinos and Asian Pacific Islander actors accounted for <4 percent (3.8% in 2008). For both years there were more martial arts related roles than non martial arts related roles. But as with any Asian stereotype seen on TV and film, it's not always about characters as it is about caricatures. Hollywood executives have trouble seeing Asian American actors in roles beyond martial arts experts and a few other stereotypes. There is the evil Asian man, usually a gang boss from a crime syndicate such as a Chinese triad or Japanese yakuza gang (so a lot of jobs for Asian American stuntmen). Or men can be the undesirable male partners who are wrapped up in their work and leave their personality in a briefcase and are negligent toward the family.

For the women, there is the China doll, Suzie Wong type, a fragile and enchanting beauty with a soft voice and long, dark hair. On the evil side is the dragon lady, the strong, seductive, completely unreliable and utterly corruptible woman. For both men and women, there is the fish out of water Asian who hopelessly tries to find their way in the United States, while snapping loads of pictures, fiddling with computers and speaking English with a hokey accent.

For years Asian American actors have made their case stating that they all don't practice martial arts and say things like "flied lice" or "Rucy Roo."

"To say one ethnic group is represented by certain characters is dehumanizing. American society is pluralistic, but TV is still unable to reflect the truth and reality of American society," Japanese-American actor George Takei of Star Trek fame once told me.

Japanese-American Takei, whose role of Sulu in the original series did not fit into a stereotype of Asian-Americans, said studio and TV executives are mostly upper crust Caucasians who do not know how to cast minorities on the screen.

Thus as my previous blog shared, the 150+ Asian and Asian American actors and filmmakers I’ve interviewed over the past 20 years and asked if they think martial arts movies are perpetuating an Asian (or Asian American) stereotype, two were on the fence the others blurted, “No.’

Why? Chinese American Robin Shou well known for his Mortal Kombat movies sums it up perfectly, “Martial arts is such an integral and important part of Asian culture and they define who we are. So it’s not a stereotype. It is a major part of who I am and martial arts film has always been an important part of the Chinese (Hong Kong/Taiwan) film industries.”

Korean-born, American actor John Cho shared with me several years ago that roles for Asian Americans were tough to find and he does not mind being cast as a martial arts expert. "I'd rather be portrayed as the evil martial arts type than the weak, sexually inadequate male or nerdy, impotent fool," he grinned.

Vietnamese American and stalwart SDAFF supporter Dustin Nguyen adds, “I compare that with most blacks are great football or basketball players. I have no problem with Asian Americans being identified with martial arts because it is a very strong part of our culture, like baseball to America. The problem is you start think that is all there is, there is where the problems lie, as you know there are lots of Asian that don’t know how to throw a punch. I don’t hear blacks complaining they are stereotyped as ball players."

So what do you think?

Reel Voices 2011 - A Blog by Marissa

2011-09-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hi, this is Marissa.

Summer came and went so quickly!

I've learned so much since the first time meeting the 2011 RV team at the LA Film Festival and the first day of class to today. Going in with no background in film, everything from how to watch a film to how to make a log line (or two) to filming and editing was new to me; I couldn't have dreamed up a better first experience! Many thanks to our two fearless leaders, Uncle Mike and Jason, and lovely, endlessly organized assistant Jini, all of whom challenged and inspired us throughout the summer... Thanks also to Phil for getting me started editing (and teaching us how to use the fancy coffee pot in the kitchen), Dan for keeping us posted on what SDAFF's up to, everyone in and around the office for being super nice and welcoming us into the SDAFF family, and the 2011 Reel Voices mentors for general awesome-ness.

Thanks to all my fellow RV'ers for a terrific couple months (nine more Facebook friends, and about two hundred new Facebook messages…)! I was so lucky to get this opportunity; to any potential Reel Voices applicants out there - APPLY! You'll have a great time, promise. Hope to see everyone soon at the San Diego Asian Film Festival!

Let’s Talk About Sex (and Zen 3D)

2011-08-30T01:41:00.000-07:00

Sex and Zen 3D: Extreme Ecstasy is nothing new, and that’s okay.

It’s not Hong Kong’s first 3D film. Just last year, there was the Pang Brothers’ The Eye 3D and Yuen Woo-ping’s partial stereoscopic True Legend.

Nor is it the “world’s first 3D porn,” as it’s been touted. That it’s “porn” can be debated, as it’s a sequel/remake of a line of classic Sex and Zen films of the Category III genre. (Think Skinemax.) And in any case this trailer should put to rest any “world’s first” claims. (NSFW, though if you’re reading this post at work, it may already be too late.)

That Sex and Zen 3D is now being released theatrically in the United States is no revolution either. Back in the 1980s, Chinese-language movie theaters in Chinatowns and ethnoburbs like Monterey Park, California regularly played soft-core films from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan alongside the latest Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-fat blockbusters, and theaters advertised their latest releases alongside ads for other adult entertainments like female mud wrestling:

In fact, the U.S. release of Sex and Zen 3D harkens back to an earlier time when Asian sex films quite successfully, though discretely, infiltrated the U.S. market and to some extent provided an alternative to a mainstream fervently renewing Yellow Peril images of Asian sexuality. These imports imagined an unrestrained, proud, modern Asian sexuality, to be consumed by Asians around the world. (Darrell Hamamoto could have taken some pointers.) It was also a time when imported pornography ran rampant: bookstores in California’s immigrant-heavy San Gabriel Valley had foreign-produced, smutty, strategically-covered color magazines out in the open, just feet from the Hello Kitty stationery.

With the rise of video and the internet, as well as larger (and arguably racist) civic pressures to close down the Chinese-language movie theaters, much of this alternative display of Asian sexuality went underground. For parents and community leaders, it was a relief to see the containment of foreign sexuality that challenged the status quo. Let’s not forget that similarly, the MPAA rating system was developed in the 1960s in part to control the influx of European “art” films that offered a different view of sexuality for the baby boom generation. There’s nothing more dangerous than an ideological revolution audiences are getting off on.

But Sex and Zen 3D, for all of its resemblances to the releases of that earlier time, is hardly a return of a revolution. The film is being released in North America by China Lion Entertainment, one of the most exciting ventures for Asian cinema in the history of American film exhibition. But whereas most of China Lion’s releases are partnerships with AMC Theaters (the kind of venue where most immigrant filmgoers see new releases today), the megaplex giant resisted when it came to a film that features nude torture and whose poster features waving tongues, bulging breasts, and an Asian man, eyes closed in ecstasy. Instead, the film has been released largely in art houses that worry little about MPAA certification, and in fact profit off of foreign kink, from Catherine Breillat to Like Water for Chocolate. And in case anyone was wondering, Asian immigrants rarely go to art houses.

So Sex and Zen 3D marks a turn from imported Category III by and for Asian audiences, to one in a cycle of imports meant to titillate both the mainstream body and the mainstream craving for the exotic erotic. Or a turn from Asian porn to Oriental porn, with its mysterious techniques and tantalizing, see-through ancient costumes. Which isn’t to say the film was that non-problematic before it was exoticized in the U.S. Like many of the 1980s films, and even some art cinema reworkings like Tsai Ming-liang’s The Wayward Cloud or Pang Ho-cheung’s AV, Sex and Zen 3D represents Chinese cinema’s own exotification of Japanese women. But such ethnic distinctions, with their own power dynamics which need to be teased out, get smeared in a U.S. context where Asian-fetish porn goes wildly unchecked and unproblematized. As an art house release, will Sex and Zen 3D profit from the hypersexualization and exotification of the Asian woman in American sex culture? Or will it, as Hong Kong’s most successful competitor against Hollywood in 2011, provide an alternative to that representation? We won’t know unless we talk about it.

Sex and Zen 3D comes out in San Diego on September 2 at the Reading Gaslamp and Reading Town Square Stadium theaters.

San Diego Lantern Festival

2011-08-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

The 2011 San Diego Lantern Festival founded and presented by the Little Saigon Foundation starts today (08/26) and runs through the weekend (08/28). Admission is $5.

There are plenty of activities going on at this year's Lantern Festival which include a Kid's Talent Contest, Street Performers, Live Music, Lion Dance Demonstrations, and Carnival Rides. The main event of the festival will be the crowning of Miss Asia San Diego. There will also be some notable food trucks (Devilicious, Asian Persuasion, Food Farm, Mangia Mangia, Super Q, Two for the Road) selling their delicious cuisine all weekend. You can also receive daily status updates on their Facebook page.

The San Diego Asian Film Foundation is a proud community partner with the Little Saigon Foundation. Here are some useful information for the weekend:

2011 San Diego Lantern Festival
Location: 4400 El Cajon Blvd. (Next to Hoover High School)
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Friday (08/26) 3pm - 11pm
Saturday (08/27) 12pm - 11pm
Sunday (08/28) 12pm - 11pm
For more information call Little Saigon Foundation
(619) 752-9461

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Tony

2011-08-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

Here's Tony- one of the Reel Voices students for this summer. (By the way, today is his birthday; Happy Birthday!)

Tony came across a bit of troublesome situation last week during his shoot for his documentary film. He confesses that it has been stressful, but he acknowledges it as a learning opportunity for himself, and now has advice to share with others. Listen to his tip on what to do and what NOT to do when preparing for a shoot.

Despite the stress, Tony admits that taking on a role of being a documentary filmmaker this summer has been an empowering experience more than weighing him down with discouragement. This is what Reel Voices hopes to provide for the students. Thank you Tony for sharing with us your story!

Each week, a Reel Voices student will share his or her progress and thoughts as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement. And be sure to join us at our screening in October during the San Diego Asian Film Festival!

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Kaylor

2011-08-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Meet Kaylor! She is one of our ten Reel Voices students this summer. Reel Voices has wrapped up its 8 weeks of classes, and now students are busy either finishing up with filming or editing their footages at SDAFF's Final Cut Pro edit room (small, but fully equipped with the proper technology and creative energy!).

In this video, Kaylor shares with us how her documentary filmmaking journey has been so far, and even gives an insight on what to do when you feel your creatives juices suddenly not flowing all too well... I'm sure we have experienced those moments...

Each week, a Reel Voices student will share his or her progress and thoughts as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement. And be sure to join us at our screening in October during the San Diego Asian Film Festival!

Film Festival Teaser Page Officially Up

2011-08-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's my pleasure to announce that the 12th San Diego Asian Film Festival teaser page is officially up. After months of tedious revisions, we've narrowed down the artwork to this blue and yellow number, and I got to say that i'm very happy with our choice. A very big "Congrats" goes to Yen, our head graphic designer (whom, may I say, i've never actually met as he lives in Texas), and our team of graphic design associates. It's not easy finding one singular image to BEST represent anything- so i'm really excited that we've come up with what we have. It's hip, playful, a little quirky (anyone spot the sock puppet), and most importantly it's memorable. Let me take you through the process of how we ultimately decided on the official design.

1. Back in March we started conversations with our new lead Graphic Designer, Yen, about how we envisioned our Festival being represented. We started with buzz words, descriptions, and imagery that stood out in our heads. These conversations had us going down a path towards "Adventures, Balloons, Up in the Air, Fantastical Journeys, etc". Which ultimately got us towards these first few designs.

2. They resonated with us for a little while, and we definitely still used them- first for the call for entries card, and then for our Spring Showcase design. We thought that at that specific moment in time, that those images best represented our organization and how we should be perceived. They were fun, whimsical, and definitely offered a good number of opportunities for layout.

3. Post Spring Showcase we started thinking hard about exactly how we were going to use what we had for the Festival. We had Yen come up with a few more related, but newer graphics for us to test out with the Asian Film Festival language. Although we liked them, and they were good, there was still something missing. We threw around more buzz words "explore" "new heights" "even MORE balloons." Still didn't have anything that we really could say "this is our Festival"

4. So we quite literally went back to the drawing board and told Yen, how about we give you ZERO Direction. How about you come up with some designs that you think are bold and creative. And we got exactly what we wanted from him. By openly admitting that maybe we were the ones giving bad advice and not forcing ourselves to commit to the balloon images, we were able to let Yen on a free for all and design what he thought might look best. He sent us back designs soon after and we got exactly what we wanted- really bright and fun images that when looked upon, we knew represented our Festival.

5. We decided upon the quirky circle image with the characters around the perimeter. I've got a soft spot for simple, two color graphics- and this was it. Next we had him give us a series of different color options. We ultimately decided upon the yellow and blue (although even just choosing the colors provided a few sleepless nights). We thought that the blue popped on the yellow background and was clear enough to read (there were a few images that I really liked originally...but the colors were either too bright or too distracting). We also thought that they were safe San Diego Colors (Chargers..UCSD...the Sun).

6. The final step was having Yen actually create specific and detailed images to replace the ones currently around the perimeter of the circle. We went back and forth on whether or not we should really put Yen through that labor...but it was totally worth it. He designed special images that each represent a film at the festival or an aspect of SDAFF. I'm not going to list out quite yet the meaning behind each image- that's a game you can play. But I do guarantee that each one of them does have a story behind it.

A few more brief revisions and 'Voila' the 12th San Diego Asian Film Festival design is complete. We hope that you enjoy and share with all your friends and family. We've got some very special plans for it soon...be on the look out. Thanks!

Check out more of YEN's Designs

ARE MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES PERPETUATING AN ASIAN STEREOTYPE?

2011-08-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sooooo, for 20 years, the big question I have asked every single Asian and Asian American film and TV star/filmmaker that I’ve interviewed (150+ of a veritable "Who’s Who" in Asian martial arts and non-martial arts cinema from the 1960s through today) is...

Are martial arts movies simply perpetuating an Asian (or Asian American) stereotype?

Before I reveal the answers let’s take a quick look at a few interesting statistics on Asian martial arts cinema and the beginning of Chinese film.

Although film arrived in China just a few months after the December 28, 1895 world’s first public screening of Auguste & Louis Lumiere’s film show (ten short movies lasting 20 minutes) held in Paris, France (some of these shorts were showed in Shanghai on August 11, 1896), it wasn’t until 1905 when the first movie production by Chinese filmmakers was shot in China.

As it turns out, China’s first film was also the first martial arts movie ever made, a 3-reel production of Ding Jun Shan (Ding Jun Mountain) that starred the legendary Beijing opera actor Tan Xin-pei, performing famous acrobatic action sequences and traditional martial arts influenced poses in front of a camera on the grounds of Feng Tai Photography Studio.

According to the book, The Ultimate Guide to the Martial Arts Movies of the 1970s, the 1970s was the most important decade in the history of martial arts cinema. Of the approximately 2200 martial arts movies made worldwide during that decade, 1245 were Chinese, 288 were Japanese, and 244 were Korean. In case you’re wondering America only made 69 during the 1970s. Between 1905 and 1969, Hong Kong made about 200 kung fu films. As a rough guestamate, between 1905 and today, worldwide about 17,000 martial arts movies have been cumulatively shot in roughly 50 countries. It’s a very pervasive genre.

Back to the question, when I asked the 150+ Asian stars/filmmakers, “Are martial arts movies simply perpetuating an Asian (or Asian American) stereotype?” Two actors were on the fence and the rest blurted, “No!”

In my next blog I’ll share the predominant reasons for their answers.

But to the SDAFF blog readers and staff now:

Are martial arts movies simply perpetuating an Asian (or Asian American) stereotype? If yes, why? If no, why?

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Alex

2011-08-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Here is Alex - our Reel Voices student this summer. In his video blog, Alex talks about where he is at in his documentary filmmaking process, his thoughts on how a documentary filmmaking begins, and a little update on what the other students have done at this stage. By the way, Alex took on the role of being a cinematographer for the Reel Voices trailer! Look forward to catching their action-packed trailer at this year's SDAFF.

Each week, a Reel Voices student will share his or her progress and thoughts as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement!

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Camille

2011-08-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Meet Camille: a Reel Voices 2011 student. In her video blog, she talks about the shooting sessions of her documentary film, her mentor, David Chien, and how they have been communicating with each other so far.

Each week, a Reel Voices student will share his or her progress and thoughts as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement!

John Sayles Does AMIGO…Perfect Fit

2011-08-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

When you perform an internet search on your favorite engine with the keywords “John Sayles” the results usually point you to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) or Wikipedia providing valuable information on this accomplished independent filmmaker. He loves weaving stories with a variety of flawed but interesting characters in a “Social Film Drama” setting. This is why John Sayles is the obvious choice and perfect fit for his latest film project AMIGO.

In many of his films Sayles introduces a community to us as its base. Then he fills it with various characters representing specific groups and their interests. The story kicks into gear when some form of conflict weaves its way in resulting in a hostile atmosphere. A lone single character remains at the center of the political tension attempting to bring the community back as a whole. In his 1987 film MATEWAN, a union organizer works tirelessly to form a union between striking coal miners and the current scabs hired by the oppressive mining company in 1920’s West Virginia. In the 1996 LONE STAR, the sheriff of a Texas-Mexico border town must solve a forty year old mystery that may tarnish the legendary reputation of his father, also a sheriff, and abandoning the goodwill he’s built up between various groups of the community. Finally to John’s most current project, AMIGO, the story centers on village mayor in the Philippines, Rafael, who receives plenty of pressure from a U.S. military officer to assist the American soldiers while maintaining relationships with his brother, the head of the opposition guerrilla forces, and people he serves in the village.

In the end I very happy a master storyteller like Sayles chose to write a fictional story based on true historical events of the Philippine-American War. It’s a part of U.S. History that rarely discussed in schools across the country.

What’s your favorite movie by John Sayles and why?

Come on out and see AMIGO on Friday August 5th at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) in Balboa Park. Showtime is 7:00pm. Come early for the best seats.

For Asian American Stars, Many Web Fans

2011-07-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's New York Times includes an article about Asian American entertainers bypassing traditional paths to fame and achieving popularity through YouTube. The article mentions Uploaded: The Asian American Movement, an upcoming documentary from current and former SDAFF staff. Learn more about Uploaded and help fund the production of this documentary exploring the rising visibility of Asian Americans in pop culture.

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Jose

2011-07-30T00:41:00.000-07:00

Here's this Friday's video blog by our Reel Voices student, Jose Romero! He talks about what he's learned in class so far, about Dr. Leeva Chung's guest lecture on culture, and how his first filming session went

Each week, a Reel Voices student will share his or her progress and thoughts as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement!

A Gift for Reel Voices from Seoul Int'l Youth Film Fest

2011-07-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Seoul International Youth Film Festival (SIYFF), which took place from July 7-13th, was the Reel Voices' first international film festival screening-- we were thrilled to have Calvin and Kevin's films selected and screened there!

Plus, they mailed us two of their outstanding festival booklets, with student filmmakers' bios translated very accurately and eloquently in Korean (Jini has the ability to verify this, and she approves!).

Here is the current Reel Voices team saying hello to the festival in Seoul. Perhaps next year, these students’ films will be flying over to Seoul... our fingers are crossed!

Isn't that neat?

Any YOUTH-focused film festivals you particularly like? Feel free to share! A lot of the readers may not be highly aware of youth film festivals. Let's share the knowledge.

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Michelle

2011-07-27T13:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Reel Voices 2011 student, Michelle! In her video blog, she talks about how her filming session went, when she attended Comic-Con to film about her cousin doing Cosplay...

Each week, a Reel Voices student will share his or her progress and thoughts as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement!

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE DUSTIN GETS “NGUYEN” - Part 2

2011-07-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

A month ago or so I wrote about the rise, plateau, dip, peak, valley and mesa of a most ardent stalwart supporter of the SDAFF and arguably the most famous Vietnamese American actor in the history of Hollywood, Dustin Nguyen.

The article discussed his namesake, escape from Vietnam, his big break in Hollywood and the life changing moment that occurred months before his marriage with actress/model Angela Rockwood, an event that stunned Hollywood and paralyzed their lives.

The sad tragedy with having so few great cinema roles for Asian American actors in Hollywood is that when one dream role comes along (even the not so good parts) all the same actors are forced to vie for it. This is never a good thing for the soul to have to “fight” against your “brother,” trying to convince a casting director you’re better than all the people you’ve known for decades and shared the difficult climb that comes with your skin color.

After being snubbed for the role of Genghis Khan in lieu of Caucasian actor Channing Tatum (my previous SDAFF article detailed that whole casting fiasco), Nguyen literally received an out-of-nowhere phone call asking him if he’d be interested in a major co-starring drama role in an Australian independent arty film portraying the love interest of the Academy Award winning actress Cate Blanchett in the what became the critically acclaimed Little Fish (2005).

Set in the Little Saigon district outside of Sydney, Tracy Heart (Blanchett) tries to escape her drug addict past but gets embroiled in a drug deal via her old flame Jonny Nguyen (Dustin). After a performance worthy of an Oscar, the film criminally still didn’t get major distribution in the United States due to it’s bleak ending being too difficult for American distributors to swallow.

One might have expected that the Blanchett feather in his acting cap should have garnered some renewed interest in Hollywood bigwigs. For a moment it did, but like many opportunities in LA-LA land, they’re fleeting and filled with the furor of a paper tiger.

Not wishing to be continually bitten (even paper can cut), Nguyen took a break from the biz and focused on some business ventures. Then just as Nguyen was contemplating on hanging up the old boots, for reasons only he knows, he decided to take a trip to a place he thought he’d never visit…his birthplace Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.

It turned out to be a surprising moment in his career. In life, relationship and work, we are often searching for something, each opportunity filling our minds with expectations, as with time these fleeting expectations become more vapid. Often times when you’re looking for something, you never find it, what happens is that it finds you.

Nguyen, perhaps unexpectedly, fell in love with the country of his peeps and through a series of serendipitous events he met individuals in Vietnam anxious in re-building Vietnamese cinema, which for many decades was either seeped in propaganda and documentary films or war-related movies, the more notable movies being European productions. Nguyen was able to bring solid acting skills, film production savvy and know how, and a recognizable name to the table.

With his first ever film shot in Vietnam, Saigon Eclipse, inspired by the first epic poem written in Vietnamese “The Story of Kieu”, the audience reception was enthusiastic as Nguyen immediately received glorious accolades from Vietnamese filmgoers and critics. Investors quickly clamored to have Nguyen star in a second film, which turned out to be a film genre he had never been in, a genre he had for decades purposely avoided doing in the United States. Stay tuned.

EMPIRE OF SILVER Opens August 5th - AMC Mission Valley 20

2011-07-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

A popular and well received historical Chinese Epic from SDAFF 2010 will make a return visit to San Diego. First time director Christina Yao's EMPIRE OF SILVER will open at the AMC Mission Valley 20 Theaters on Friday August 5th.

The storyline of the film focuses on 1899 China with the backdrop of the northern province of Shanxi, better known as the "Wall Street of China" because it was home to the guild of bankers. SDAFF Managing Director Phil Lorenzo did a wonderfully insightful interview with first time director Christina Yao. Click Here to read their conversation.

I am looking forward to your comments and thoughts of the movie.

Reel Voices' Next Stop: Montreal, Canada!

2011-07-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? A Reel Voices film is going to YoungCuts Film Festival in Montreal, Canada- this is the first International Premiere for Kanyon and Phillip, 2010 Reel Voices alumni!

We were thrilled to receive this news. Thank you to YoungCuts for your recognition! (Read more about YoungCuts here.) The festival will be presenting the films at the Guzzo Spheretech, starting September 30, 2011.

Congratulations to our students Phillip Bernardo-Gomez and Kanyon Iwami! You can view their films here (MeJohn) and here (Hiding the Past).

You can also view what YoungCuts has written about our films: YoungCuts Blog

Photo above shows the Reel Voices class of 2010 walking the red carpet at the SDAFF Awards Gala. Kanyon and Phillip are looking spiffy on the right!

P.S. Current Reel Voices students have recently started to film (some more than others), and are taking time outside of of class to do the filming! They're truly being filmmakers 24/7. Hope you are looking forward to our films!

- Jini

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Jesus

2011-07-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a video blog by Jesus Olvera, one of the Reel Voices students this year. He shares what he has learned in class so far, and his plans for what's to come next in his documentary filmmaking plan. Each week, a Reel Voices student will share his or her progress and thoughts as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement!

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is coming to San Diego theaters on July 22nd.

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Based off the Lisa See novel of the same name, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" tells a tales of a friendship in 19th century and present day China. The story told in the past follows two girls names, Lily and Snow Flower, as they go through the painful process of foot binding at the same time, and write letters to one another on fans. Overtime their friendship is challenged as their situations in life cause then to drift apart. Many years later, the Snow Flower and Lily's descendants, Nina and Sophia, find their lives going in a similar path, as the two struggle to keep their childhood friendship as their worlds grow apart.

Directed by Wayne Wang and distributed by Fox Searchlight, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" opens in selected cities starting July 15th, 2011. The film comes to San Diego starting July the 22nd, at the Landmark Hillcrest Cinema and AMC La Jolla 12.

Trailer:

"Oh the Days of Being Lee Ann's Assistant..." Jini's Two Cents for the Future Executive Assistant

2011-07-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Attending the event today, where the Columbia University Alumni Club graciously gathered together to connect and learn more about SDAFF, I once again found myself being recognized as the "Reel Voices rep" of the organization. It was another occasion of realizing how much Reel Voices has become a big part of my life, and I'm very proud.

But if I look back at my history with SDAFF, (I exaggerate. It's only been 3 years.) I always recall the early days and long nights of being Lee Ann's assistant... Wow. Was I?!

It sounds so daunting now-- knowing how crazy the festival week is and how much work is involved, but at the time, I was a young UCSD student, just having fun as a newcomer of a local org that I've been meaning to join for some time. Although I believe not having any expectation of what's to come helped me survive the hectic festival week as her assistant, knowing more about the position would have helped me execute it better, cuz I sure made mistakes, boo boos, and forgot lots of things.

So, if I can put my two cents in for someone wanting to take on this position this year...

Be very available--
Be responsive--
Be organized, and know her schedule and yours by heart.
Eyes on her cell phone at all times.
Stick by her side during the whole festival, but know when to give room.

Looking back, I don't know how I managed to do this even as I had classes and another internship to attend. And frankly, I'm a clumsy girl, so if I survived it, I'm sure there are other great candidates who'd be perfect for this job.

There are awesome perks-- you probably will get to meet everyone, since everyone meets Lee Ann, and possibly even be assigned to pick up fine actors at short notice, (sadly, neither Mr. Yoo nor Chon remembers me)

But best of all, you get to really be with Lee Ann, and learn from the super mama.
There are some very dear moments that happened during the 10-day event. It was definitely a very rewarding experience being with her and seeing what it's like to be the SDAFF executive director.

It's almost silly to be writing so long on this and be giving "guidelines",
but heck-- this blog session turned out to be quite worthwhile, a travel down the memory lane.

Only good times with SDAFF, truly. Hope everyone shares it.
And best of luck to the future executive assistant! (Can't wait to see you running around the floor!)

xxoo,
jini

Funds for San Diego Filmmakers: Apply Today!

2011-07-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

Article care of Executive Director, Lee Ann Kim:

There’s a certain price we pay to live in San Diego, but for the most part, the trade off is worth it. Less traffic than other big cities, glorious sunshine, walks on the beach, and Convoy Street!

But for artists (particularly filmmakers), the price is much steeper. With few resources and support available, San Diego tends to fall victim of losing its artists to LA, SF, and NY. Sadly, this reality is reflective on the quantity and quality of filmmaking in our region. In the last 12 years of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, less than 1% of films we’ve exhibited are from local filmmakers.

We’ve been able to boost those numbers through our Reel Voices documentary program for local high school students. Alas, many of those students end up pursuing film school outside San Diego, and never return.

But now, we have an exciting announcement that will provide one San Diego filmmaker up to $20,000 through The San Diego Foundation’s Creative Catalyst Fund. We hope this new program encourages greater productivity among local artists working at the highest levels of their craft.

Please help us spread the word on this groundbreaking program! Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by August 4 online to The San Diego Foundation. More info is here: http://www.sdfoundation.org/ccfprogram

We are looking for projects that reflect the programming of SDAFF (filmmaker is either of API descent OR subject matter deals with API issues), and that also reflect artistic excellence.

Most questions can be answered in the link above… so good luck!

In the Eye of the Beholder

2011-07-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

When you think of Bruce Lee, what's your first thought? Fists of Fury and The Green Hornet's Kato? It does for me--the last thing on my mind would be Seattle and philosophy. However, SDAFF's June 21st Member Film Forum centered on how much appearances can mask unexpected human facets. Last month's featured forum film, Arthur Dong's Hollywood Chinese--a documentary on Hollywood's history of Chinese and other Asian on-screen representations--explored these ideas about appearance, as did an amazing YouTube clip of Bruce Lee's audition for Kato during which he did an impromptu demonstration of kung fu for the camera.

Now, even as much as I love watching Bruce Lee's kung fu, I felt a little sad that his fascinating background of studying philosophy at the University of Washington was overshadowed by the martial arts demonstration. After all, Bruce Lee is also well known for creating a new martial arts philosophy, "Jeet Kun Do" (Way of the Intercepting Fist). While watching Hollywood Chinese, I started to wonder about the backgrounds of the Asian American actors featured in the movie, such as James Hong. He's one of those iconic Asian American actors that you see or hear everywhere, such as providing the voice of Po's adoptive father in Kung Fu Panda. What surprised and impressed me was learning that he used to work as a road engineer for LA county, and until he could afford to be a full-time actor, he acted on weekends and vacations for over a year. Hollywood Chinese was a great film because it reminded everyone that even as some films strive to present complex portraits of humanity, it's very easy to see only what you want to see and overlook the details that create multilayered people.

All of these ideas reminded me that I need to be living the SDAFF mission--"to connect and transform audiences with the human experience through the Pan Asian media arts". I think it's important to reach continually for this idea, and what better way to do that than to try to get to know the people around me at the next SDAFF function? So, if someone nervously sidles up to you and introduces herself, it might be me (please be nice--I'm still working on my shyness)! I hope to see you at the Amigo Quarterly Screening on August 5th, or at one of the August Cinema in the Sun films in Carmel Valley! I'm looking forward to getting to know you better!

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Marygian

2011-07-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Hello! This is a video blog by one of our Reel Voices students, Marygian (joined by her classmate, Marissa). She introduces the theater production that she is involved with and then delves into the question "What do you think about Asians in Theater?" Watch and share your opinions, if you'd like.

Reel Voices 2011 - A Video Blog by Asha

2011-07-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a video blog by Asha, one of the Reel Voices students this summer.
Each week, a Reel Voices student will share their progress and stories as they go through their summer as a documentary filmmaker. Feel free to share your thoughts, give advice, and words of encouragement!

Jose Antonio Vargas: The New Face of Immigration Reform

2011-07-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

More than likely, you have seen his face on the evening news and heard about a New York Times article that he wrote - but how much do you really know about Jose Antonio Vargas, the well-respected journalist that decided to reveal his status as an illegal immigrant living in the United States? Well, with his NYT essay and his activist organization, Define American, Vargas is hoping that all people will be able to learn about his story and, through it, finally be able to put a face on the problems with immigration laws in the United States.

It has been three weeks since Vargas had his essay published in the New York Times, in which he detailed the struggles he had to face navigating the American journalist workforce, all while being ever fearful that his undocumented status would be his undoing. It's not only important to hear of and learn about his plight, but to keep a close eye on what followed next. And after three weeks of festering, there has been a storm of reaction to Vargas' essay - both good and bad.

But first, a look into the story of the man himself. 12 year old Philippine native Jose Vargas, in an attempt by his mother to provide him with a better life than his home country could, was sent to America to live with his grandparents. Throughout his earlier years, Vargas was unknowing of the truth behind his American citizenship status - until he tried to apply for an identification card at the DMV. It was there that he was told that his green card was fake - and that he should not show it to anyone ever again. Stricken by the truth revealed to him, Vargas a promise to himself that he would do everything he could to prove that he is, for all intents and purposes, truly American.

"I decided then that I could never give anyone reason to doubt I was an American. I convinced myself that if I worked enough, if I achieved enough, I would be rewarded with citizenship. I felt I could earn it."

From then on, Jose Vargas began a life-long quest to create an identity good enough for any dream that he wished to achieve. Early on were the speech lessons for getting rid of his accent; later, with a fake Social Security number that his grandfather had doctored for him, he was able to enroll in school and find jobs that would not ask for his citizenship status. All the while, he was learning about his calling in life - journalism. Internships with various publication were enough to sate his desire to become a better reporter and writer, and as high school drew to an end, he was not awaiting any acceptance letters - just a full time job at a publication.

If anything, Vargas was a master of networking. Despite only telling a few people about his citizenship status when it mattered most, the selected keepers of Jose's biggest secret worked hard to help him succeed. Using their connections, colleagues at the local newspaper that Jose wrote for worked to find scholarships for him that applied regardless of citizenship status. Finally, Vargas found himself at San Diego State University.

More opportunities came to Vargas throughout and after his college career, but as a budding journalist - someone whose livelihood was dependent on truth - his options were very limited. It was then that Jose made another decision that would shape the rest of his working life.

"What good was college if I couldn’t then pursue the career I wanted? I decided then that if I was to succeed in a profession that is all about truth-telling, I couldn’t tell the truth about myself."

Various other moves were made in order to get Jose the information that he needed in order to get where he wished to be - an Oregon driver's license using his close friend's address as proof of residency, for example - which was as a prolific writer for popular publications. His work brought him through the news rooms of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post, and most recently, the web-based Huffington Post. His journalism is not without it's merits, either - along with a team of reporters covering the Virginia Tech shootings, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize; also, Jose wrote a dream story when The New Yorker commissioned him to profile the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. For these accomplishments, Vargas believes that he has achieved more than he could have ever imagined, despite his secrets.

But recently it became clear to Vargas that keeping his story in the shadows for so long was no longer something he could keep up. The constant fear of being found out and the inability to be a full participant in multiple happenings throughout his life have crippled the man that gained a well-respected reputation with everyone that he has worked with. As such, he had established within himself a new-found resolve and wrote the essay which brought the New York Times the biggest wave feedback it has received in recent months. And it's in the aftermath that Vargas' story brings to light the issues that many undocumented people - Latino, Filipino, Chinese, whoever - face in this country today.

Will he be deported back to the Philippines because of his breaking the law so many times in his otherwise already illustrious career? NPR doesn't quite believe so - after all, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) now only targets individuals that are proven dangers to the safety of the American people - an initiative that I would have been happier to see four years ago when I marched in Chula Vista against it's forceful methods with Latino women and children in the area.

Former employers of Jose's have come forward with their mixed reactions regarding his story breaking - though they feel duped by the "hustler," as the San Francisco Chronicle's Phil Bronstein calls him, the new face of immigration reform is still, undoubtedly, the face of a friend. Vargas has accolades rivaling those of many American-born journalists, and he will undoubtedly still have the support of his reliable network of friends - for everyone else that he knew, perhaps a cautious distance awry will have to do.

For now, however, Vargas has put his efforts forward in his brainchild, Define American. The organization's published goals are to create the dialogue and connections between immigrants, their supporters, and government officials that have otherwise never been established. The tag line is a simple one: "Let's Talk." Jose hopes that by finding more relevant faces that can represent the fight against a broken immigration system, he can help facilitate the passing of on of the DREAM Act, which would give amnesty to any illegal immigrants of 'good standing' that came to the States as minors and have been here for at least 5 years, barring some conditions (like 2 years of military service or gaining a degree at an institute of higher learning) are thus met. His hope is that by defining what being American is outside of all the paperwork and the arbitrary and binary alphanumerics that seemingly identify every citizen, the masses will realize the worth of the people that their legislation is trying to hard to put away.

But the question remains - how will the legal ramifications for Vargas' revealing his status play out? For better or worse, his actions did break numerous laws, and despite getting permission to use the names of individuals in his support network, his colleagues are also accomplices in his lifelong hustle. For now, however, the reactions are still pouring in, and it remains to be seen what end will come.

Until then, however, Jose's story stands as an inspirational tale of how he, through whatever means necessary, achieved his American dreams.

"Over the past 14 years, I’ve graduated from high school and college and built a career as a journalist, interviewing some of the most famous people in the country. On the surface, I’ve created a good life. I’ve lived the American dream."

Filmmaking with Freddie Wong

2011-07-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

I’ll admit that I spend an unordinary amount of time using YouTube. One of my favorite things about YouTube is finding a channel featuring somebody who is incredibly talented in their chosen field. As an aspiring filmmaker, I’ve found finding a channel that produces quality short films consistently is actually quite difficult.

So, when I stumbled upon Freddie Wong’s channel a few months ago, my faith in online filmmaking was restored.

Freddie Wong started as a professional gamer, specializing in Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, even winning first place at the World Series of Video Games in 2007. After graduating from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Freddie and his friend Brandon Laatsch began making films and online videos. In March 2010, Freddie and Brandon began making YouTube videos full time, quickly rising to the top of YouTube’s most subscribed list.

Currently, Freddie and Brandon’s channel freddiew is the 11th most subscribed channel on YouTube with a little over 1.75 million subscribers. Their expertise in video effects is what sets them apart from many other filmmakers on YouTube.

They also post “behind the scenes” videos on their secondary channel freddiew2, which features footage from on set, and also the equipment they use to achieve their special effects. Filmmakers and non-filmmakers alike can appreciate the time and challenges these guys go through, and it is actually quite fascinating to see how they are able to pull off such complicated shots.

Personally, it’s great to see such talented Asian American filmmakers get opportunities like YouTube to showcase their talents. Freddie definitely has a distinct style and humor to his short films that seem to relate well to the younger generation and the gamer subculture.

So, what did you think of Freddie’s videos? Is his style something that appeals to you? Be sure to check out more of Freddie’s videos on his YouTube channel freddiew.

2018 Winter Olympics: Pyeongchang, South Korea

2011-07-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday July 6th, 2011 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was casting the first round of votes for three finalists seeking to be awarded the honor as Host City for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Two of the cities hailed from Europe, Munich Germany and Annechy France. The other was from Asia, Pyeongchang South Korea. This mountainous city in the Gangwon-do province had experienced plenty of disappointment and heartache over the last decade. South Korea's Olympic Organizing Committee had made two previous bids for 2010 (Vancouver, Canada) and 2014 (Sochi, Russia). The latter was a bitter pill to swallow because the vote was so close.

Finally back to 2011 and the IOC made the historic selection of Pyeongchang as the the host of the 2018 edition of the Winter Olympics. The IOC stated it only took one round of voting which means the winning city received more than fifty percent of the vote. It also reflected the membership wanted to reward persistence and head back to the Asian continent. The lone representative as a host city from Asia in the past has been Japan (Sapporo 72' and Nagano 98'). This also validates the recognition of South Korea for it's rising progress in winter sports garnering medals in both figure and speed skating. Congratulations Pyeongchang and the whole country of South Korea, you earned it.

Breaking News: Reel Voices Going to NYC!

2011-07-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

This Just In!
The screening schedule is confirmed for the 3 Reel Voices' films premiering at the Asian American International Film Festival in New York City!

Saturday, August 13th at 1pm @ MOCA (The Museum of Chinese in America) as a part of the FYBY: AGE AIN'T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER shorts block.

Congrats to Kevin Tran for BREAKING EXPECTATIONS,
Angel Gatus for MUSICAL WARRIOR,
and Brian Brennan CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Reel Voices 2010 films have been traveling all over-- We may even have an International premiere this year... fingers crossed!

AAIFF Website
AAIFF Facebook

GENGHIS KHAN: CAUCASIAN?

2011-06-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

An important topic often discussed at the SDAFF and tackled by our various bloggers is the promulgation of Asian American stereotypes in American TV and film. In honor of the continuation of media accountability to this inescapable truth and the July 4 weekend, I’m posting an original article I wrote on this topic around July 4, 2005. It was written on assignment for Reuters. The day before the article was to be posted, Reuters pulled the article. So what happened? See if you can guess before you get to the end of the article.

Los Angeles, July 7, (Reuters) - In today's politically correct society, there's no way a Caucasian actor would be considered to portray Martin Luther King, Jr., so why was Caucasian actor Channing Tatum initially cast to play Genghis Khan in director Sergei Bodrov's US $12 million epic Mongol?

"I met many Asian-American actors," Bodrov told Reuters, "but honestly, I don't care to be politically correct, I care very much to make a good movie."

According to casting director Richard Pagano, Tatum is part Native American and that qualifies him as being associated with Mongolians saying, "There are rumors Khan had blue eyes."

Citing a similar example, the casting of Jonathan Pryce as a Vietnamese in the stage production of Miss Saigon (1989), George Takei of Star Trek fame told Reuters that the production later announced that Pryce was Eurasian to justify the casting.

"Putting down on the program he was Eurasian just doesn't do it," Takei says, "they'll come up with all sorts of nonsense and rationale for that kind of casting, but in this day and age it should no longer be acceptable."

Hollywood has often cast Caucasian actors for Asian characters: Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan; Marlon Brando in Teahouse of the August Moon (1956); Luis Rainer in The Good Earth (1937) and Tony Randall in 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964).

In fact, considered one of Hollywood greatest Hall of Shame films was John Wayne as Genghis Kahn in The Conqueror (1955) where while shooting in Utah, Wayne contracted cancer from fallout produced by nuclear tests at Yucca Flats in Nevada.

Veteran Asian-American actor/activist and former President of Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) Aki Aleong has personally ran into this problem.

"When I was up for the Sammy Lee story, a five-foot-three Korean-American and first diver to win two Olympic golds, the director told me I wasn't right for the role," he told Reuters, "they wanted a Robert Young type."

Star of TV's Marcus Welby, MD, Young was white, blue-eyed and over six feet tall.

Respected film critic Roger Ebert told Reuters, "These things occurred because the studios felt they needed established stars to drive the box office."

Takei explains that in the old days this is what was said but the reality is there were good Asian-American actors around to do these roles, but they were never given the chance.

"But now there are major Asian stars so this reason is no longer valid," Ebert says, "and audiences expect to see actors who match the ethnic identities of their roles."

"Furthermore, there was no reaction from the Asian American communities back then," Takei adds, "now this climate is changing."

Aleong points out that Caucasians playing Asians act with the perception of what they think Asians are and that this perpetuates the stereotype.

"I'm sick of the racism and stereotyping of Asian-Americans in entertainment," Aleong says, "I mean they'd never air episodes of Amos 'N' Andy."

He continues noting that skin-color and English unite African-Americans, Hispanics are Latino and have a common language, but Asian Americans are splintered into 15 major different cultures lumped in one group.

Furthermore, Asian Americans make up almost five percent of the nation's population and according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth, their purchase power exceeds $296.4 billion annually, and that is expected to increase to $454.9 billion by 2007.

"Yet with all this financial power, the problem is that Asian-Americans are quite, peaceful, we don't riot or rock the boat," Aleong says, "we need radicalism, and leaders to unite us. This is why MANAA has been in existence for 11 years."

MANAA is a watchdog group that monitors stereotypical depiction of Asian Americans in entertainment and advocates the sensitive and positive portrayal of Asian Americans.

Pressure from the tireless efforts of activists like Aleong and MANAA, Mongol recently recast Khan with Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano.

Tatum's agent Louis Ward at Innovative Artists told Reuters, "Although Tatum was the director's first choice the financiers were keen to have an Asian play Khan."

"I give you my word, on my dying bed," Aleong blurts, "had Mongol come out with a Khan being Caucasian, we would have been on it like you have never seen before."

Back to today: Well Aleong didn’t have to organize any radical demonstrations, which undoubtedly would have been a very interesting event. As it turns out, I tracked down Bodrov in May 2005 location scouting in Kazakhstan. My polite barrage of questions touched a nerve. By the time I had finished my other interviews six weeks later and written the above supposed final draft, bar the last three paragraphs and the bold letter word in the opening line, Channing had been dropped and Tadanobu Asano was cast as Khan (yes that fast).

The article was axed because the angle was supposed to be about the furor of the Asian American cinema community up in arms about Channing being cast as Khan. However, because my interviews had influenced the cast change, regardless of some of my last minute changes trying to imply that MANAA had something to do with the change (of which they didn’t), Reuters did not want to come across like I had influenced the re-casting of Khan, which insiders knew that I had. As Paul Harvey used to say, “And now you know the rest of the story...good day.”

Media and Minority Youth--An Introduction to a Phenomenon

2011-06-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

When you talk about the idea of culture nowadays, how do you think of culture? Does strolling in a museum arise, or do you think about wandering the halls of Comic-Con? Is your idea of culture watching Hamlet agonize on stage or looking at the latest hit on YouTube? This definition of culture is at the heart of the Northwestern study from June 6, 2011, entitled “Children, Media and Race: Media Use Among White, Black, Hispanic and Asian American Children” . This study discusses how much media consumption there is among youth from eight to eighteen years old in each broad racial group. Among the findings are that non-white youth watch more TV and videos, play video games, listen to more music, and use the computer more often than white youth.

While these results are interesting, what I find even more intriguing is the critical attitude of the news article that announced the study’s findings. Is it really such a bad thing that minority youth are using various forms of media on a daily basis? I’m not exactly in a position to wag a judgmental finger—when I need to relax, I scroll through the TV shows and movies that I’ve recorded on my DVR. Even as I’m writing this blog entry, I’m listening to my iPod chock full of my favorite 80’s songs. Such habits can evoke the disdain of people who consider culture to be gazing at pictures in the hushed halls of a museum. However, I think of culture as a mixture of both the ever-changing forms of new technology as well as the hallowed forms of high culture. It is a constantly evolving part of society that reflects both the rich past of various artistic, musical, literary, and dramatic representations while simultaneously paving the way through new forms and technologies to show where American and other societies are heading.

In my opinion, paying attention to the future is just as important as paying homage to the past. Rather than worrying about the amount of media that U.S. minority youth are using, the more interesting question is: how can we change minority youth from consumers to creators of culture? All of these new technologies and forms of media should be encouraging all youth to have a voice in culture. We need to engage youth in making media and think of their heavy consumptions as a positive sign that they’re seeking examples and ideas. The SDAFF blogs have cited multiple examples of how minority youth are actively pursuing ways to become creators, such as James’ June 6th blog on Ryan Higa and his YouTube music videos. Examples that even closer to San Diego are Jini’s June 22nd blog on Reel Voices and how SDAFF is helping educate a new generation of socially conscious and thoughtful filmmakers. Last, but definitely not least, is Josh’s June 8th blog on the homegrown Wong Fu Productions.

Speaking of Josh, the two of us have been talking about our ideas on the Northwestern study on media and minority youth, so I would to pose the following questions to Josh and everyone reading this blog: how do you compare the results of the Northwestern study to your, your family’s, your friends, and your colleagues’ media consumption habits?

Vincent Chin and His Place in History - A Perspective

2011-06-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

After reading his post regarding the Vincent Chin incident, I had a discussion with Eric regarding his views on it. He brought up an interesting point - because we are dealing with a new generation of Asians and Asian-Americans, it is a shame to see how many of today's youths are simply unaware of one of our collective history's darkest moments.

I always felt a connection to the Vincent Chin case, primarily because I learned that it occurs on my birthday. This past June 19, I turned 22. Vincent would have been 56 years old, and this past Saturday he would have been married for 29 years. It's easy to get lost in all of the numbers, to wonder about all the 'what ifs' in a life that was cut too short and for terrible reasons.

It wasn't until I took a special topics course in Ethnic Studies at the University of San Diego that I finally learned about Vincent Chin. I always thought that his story shouldn't be confined to the often specialized audience of an Ethnic Studies course - it's a shame that it isn't considered an important piece to include in, for example, a history course or as a case study in a law class.

The sad part is that our histories, as a collective Asian community, are often not the centerpieces lining the pages of your average history textbook. I remember taking advanced courses for European history and for US history in high school, but there was never a course focusing on the history of Asians and their cultures. As a Filipino, the only times I heard about my ancestral people was through a single paragraph regarding the Philippine-American War; which, perhaps unsurprisingly, did not include the horrifying details of the genocide caused by American occupation.

When it comes to more modern times, Asians are usually just mentioned in regards to the LA riots. One page, as I remember it, is not enough to describe a time in which many Koreans (and, subsequently, Asians) were not just inaccurately and hurtfully stereotyped, but also targeted and abused constantly by individuals that thus had their views of Asian people skewed in very unfair ways.

Between the Rodney King beating and the shooting of an African-American in a store owned by a Korean, the point for our textbook writers to get across was that racism was rampant, sweeping, and always violent. It didn't matter which era you were learning about - Asian people were usually characterized as victims in a slaughter of their national identities. And as I watched the documentary 'Who Killed Vincent Chin?' in my Ethnic Studies course, I realized how Chin's death was just another reminder of how dangerous misrepresentation is - and why it is so important for us, as a collective, to continuously strive against it.

Vincent Chin was killed because some American automotive industry workers saw him as part of what they thought was 'killing America' - they were angry about the decline in their industry, and in Vincent they found not only someone to blame, but somewhere to let out their rage. Vincent did not work in the Asian automotive industry - he was just a regular guy. More importantly, he was just a regular American. But because these heinous men only saw him as a scapegoat for all the things they really hated, Vincent was beaten to death.

The movement that followed and the outpouring reaction to the killer's acquittal made Vincent Chin an icon for Asian-American struggles. But for all that his mother did to make the world aware of the injustice that was his death, the message did not get across enough - just five or so years later, the LA Riots began. And the most notable incident of hatred against Asians was not acknowledged as history's first warning regarding the dangerous results of hatred.

Because of it's significance as a precursor to all the struggles Asians had to endure in the decades that followed, I believe very strongly that the Vincent Chin incident should be included as at least a case study in education. The unprecedented civil rights movement that followed Chin's death should also be noted alongside the United Farm Workers Movement for Filipinos and Latinos and the movements and marches done by African Americans.

Every year we remember Vincent Chin, but his story should not just be confined to a day - it should be learned by every young Asian mind in our country. In a published education that seemingly only mentions Asians in passing, compared to white Americans and Latino and African struggles, Vincent's story is one of the starkest examples our people have about our own collective struggles.

I hope that one day the Vincent Chin incident will be included in our history textbooks; however, until then, any young minds that do not know about this important part of Asian history can look to documentaries such as Who Killed Vincent Chin? and Vincent Who? for some education and perspective.

Vincent Chin's Death - 29 Years and Counting

2011-06-22T23:53:00.000-07:00

On June 23, 1982, Chinese American Vincent Chin died from injuries he suffered from a beating just outside a Detroit strip club four days before. The atmosphere of anger stemmed in part by the rising success of the Japanese auto industry in symphony with the decline of U.S. fortunes many believe contributed to the motive behind the beating by laid off White auto workers. I can never ever imagine Vincent's thoughts to see the angry mob approaching ready to commit a heinous assault just because of his race. Unfortunately, the scales of justice did not work for various reasons especially with nobody serving a significant amount of time in jail. On the positive end, Chin's death opened the floodgates to a social movement that will last for generations to come .

After the beating and subsequent passing, many Asian Americans joined the cause to seek justice for Vincent and his family. This period of time can be historically tabbed when Asian Americans got involved with social activism in mass numbers. Just imagine a world with no form of social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube as tools to generate instant buzz for your cause. Back then it was basically things like snail mail (letters), the phone and newspapers. Five years later the art form of filmmaking was used with the Oscar nominated documentary "Who Killed Vincent Chin?" and most recently the 2009 "Vincent Who?". I believe it's a pretty safe bet to draw the the conclusion that many of the Asian based activist organizations still around today were organized because of this movement. The unexpected legacy Vincent Chin's death should and will always be perpetual...29 years and counting.

Side Note:

Thanks to director Curtis Chin and the group Asians Americans For Progress you can view Curtis' 2009 documentary "Vincent Who?" online.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW DOCUMENTARY ONLINE

Reel Voices 2011 Starts Today!

2011-06-22T22:20:00.001-07:00

The ten students for the 2011 Reel Voices met all together for the first time (well, 8 of them met already for the LA Film Festival last Saturday-- which deserves another blog entry by the way!) in the conference room of SDAFF's beautiful new home in Point Loma. We began this first meeting with introductions of ourselves, while we imagined how after the next 8 weeks, we will be introducing our short documentaries to the class, then to a big crowd of audience in October during the San Diego Asian Film Festival...

By the way, this is Jini, the Reel Voices assistant. I keep writing "We, we we!!" as if I am one of the students...

I guess I'm just very excited and feel like I am one of them, and that the documentaries the students will produce are all mine!!!

It's true. I've only met the students twice now but I already feel that they are a sweet and smart bunch, and will love to get to know well every single one of them.

By the way, Brian Hu, SDAFF's new artistic director, was our guest speaker today and discussed about "Film appreciation"-- he shared with us what his "a-ha!" film moments were, and how some films can impact a person on a very personal level. Reel Voices was definitely lucky to have him speak for us; it was a priceless lecture that many would highly enjoy, and now I cannot wait until Jason Low, my fellow assistant's guest lecture next class time.

From Skype interviews with filmmakers, to conversations with filmmaker mentors, and from movie theater field trips to film critiquing sessions... this is all that Reel Voices has to look forward to, and it does not even include the documentary filming and editing part. Our director, Mike Watson, has indeed prepared a lot of enriching filmmaking-goodness for the team.

Anthony, Alex, Asha, Camille, Jesus, Jose, Kaylor, Marissa, Marygian, and Michelle -- these are the lucky high school students of San Diego this summer (and we're lucky to have you!).

Care to share any words of encouragement or advice for us? Even comments green with envy will be accepted. We understand. :)

AFTA Convention 2011 Reflection

2011-06-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Americans for the Arts Conference 2011 (AFTA) is an amazing event for arts administrators and artists from all spectrums. This year, the city of San Diego was the host for this national event. We had visitors from all across the US and abroad. My experience at AFTA '11 was inspirational because I got to meet outstanding, passionate and dedicated people who believe that the arts should be an equal opportunity for all. In other words, "people advocate for the arts and make sure that the arts are introduced in their community." A full program with the latest news about technology in the arts, public policy, education, and community engagement were some of the topics discussed during the 3-day conference at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel. I met individuals from executive directors of state art agencies to computer savvies... I was so impressed to have met a computer savvy that was interested in making software for arts institutions. One tech savvy individual was interested in developing a program that would allow nonprofits to get their information organized and to make a "common arts database about your community" with the goal to share audience statistics, etc... it blew my mind!

I have to admit, most artists (including myself) lack this expertise, we are not considered the most tech savvy at all... but when it comes to "creation and innovation", we are the experts. One of the lessons that I learned is that we (art administrators and artists) need to become more familiar with technology and all that is out there in the cyberspace so that we can become more productive, more organized, and most of all, more efficient at our work place. The technology experience is something that can also be applied all across the arts admin industry and be used to our convenience. For example, if you are doing community engagement, you need to learn who your leaders are, as well as your potential community partners and politicians. We need to meet them and not be intimidated to introduce ourselves and learn more about their goals and if the arts are part of their agenda. You will be amazed at how friendly these people are and how appreciative they will be to learn about your organization and your events - don't be afraid to invite them!

AFTA 2011 was definitely an inspirational experience and confirmed how passionate I am about the arts, but most importantly, how lucky I am to work with the San Diego Asian Film Foundation, one of the most tech savvy arts organizations and one of the most involved community leaders in San Diego.

Written by Karla Duarte, blogger for SDAFF.

Chuan Lu's "City of Life and Death" opens this Friday at the La Jolla Village Cinema.

2011-06-22T00:06:00.000-07:00

2010 SDAFF Alum "City of Life and Death" is begins it's one week theatrical run in San Diego this weekend. The third film from director Chuan Lu tells the story of the devastating massacre that occurred during the Japanese occupation of Nanking China in 1937. Shot in black and white, "City of Life and Death" re-creates those events based on the accounts of the different people whose lives were destroyed by the war from the Chinese soldiers, civilians, foreign missionaries who sheltered refugees, the comfort women, and the Japanese soldiers.

Distributed by Kino International, City of Life and Death opens the Friday (June 24th) at the La Jolla Village Cinema.

Trailer:

The Importance of the Arts, and Change is Never Overstated

2011-06-21T13:33:00.001-07:00

When I think about why I am in the nonprofit sector, and more specifically the Arts I think of the bombardment of low brow entertainment that has seemingly taken the place of art in themainstream. Bravo channel, which was once a stellar TV network showing the finest in Art, has become the halfway house for elite American housewives. While public television has continued to be a resource for fine arts on television, having choices like Bravo and A&E expanded the idea of the dissemination of great art. Now, the only true place to get innovative, artistic, and powerfully creative works of moving art is the cable and premium cable network.

This barren desert of art not only pertains to changes in television. At one point in film history (the late 1970s) American film had the promise of being as artistic as other European and Asian film movements, instead, creative decisions in most if not all Hollywood films come from corporate executives. Instead of Dog Day Afternoon or All The President's Men, we get THE ZOOKEEPER and GREEN LANTERN. The Hollywood blockbuster at times was able to be that film that we all talked about for days, maybe weeks, but now, we forget half of the movie as we finish our soft-drink induced bathroom break before exiting the doors.

What is my point here? Do I continue to have

these thoughts as I think about the motivation to come into my best job ever, or do I take a look at how I could continue to be part of the innovative, evolving process of artistic dissemination. This is where the Americans For The Arts (AFTA) Convention spoke to me. This convention re-ignited my desire for art, forced me to critically think about the technology of arts, and inspired me to embrace the very changes that I just lambasted on throughout the last two paragraphs of this blog.

As I ranted on the disappearance of the original intent of the Bravo network, I failed to realize (or remember) that YouTube, Facebook, Blogger, and other internet technologies have become the vehicle for art that shows itself organically, whether through street art and performance, or impromptu gatherings of artistic display (including yes, flash mobs). The power of art has been slowly removed from the institution and become more available to the masses through the constantly evolving technologies that permeate our daily lives.

Ben Cameron, Program Director for the Arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation spoke to some of these changes that are impacting our relationships with the arts and with how we consume it's many forms. Listening to different perspectives, meeting new and exciting arts leaders and really engaging in meaningful conversations about the arts truly has become a highlight of this year and my life.

As I reflect on what this conference did for me and for my relationship with SDAFF, I can attest to this for certain, that my love for the SDAFF has strengthened and that my energies and abilities will be used to

help innovate and take the SDAFF to the highest levels of artistic engagement.

Thanks especially to the AFTA organization, and to the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and ArtPulse for a great after party at the Diamond View Tower at Petco Park.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE DUSTIN GETS “NGUYEN” - Part 1

2011-06-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

When American children were learning how to "duck and cover," Vietnamese born, American actor Dustin Nguyen (pronounced "Gwen" or say “going” quickly; ah, now the title makes sense) routinely hid under a makeshift bomb shelter, a tilted bed with sandbags on top, in preparation for the fall of Saigon (1975).

Named after a famous Vietnamese King who defeated the Chinese 1,000 years ago and his idol, an actor named Hoffman, one of the SDAFF’s most consistent and ardent supporters Nguyen recalls, "I was born during the war, it was just a part of the lifestyle, there wasn't any fear until one night my father's coworker came to the house, his voice tone was urgent."

With just the clothes on his back, the next morning began a clandestine escape from the VietCong to freedom via overcrowded boats, emaciation, refugee camps and a new home in St. Louis, Missouri.

And fatefully, the first step in his career towards becoming a successful actor was a two-part episode of Magnum P.I. in which art mimicked life. Developing a strong following from his Suki role in the daytime soap General Hospital, Nguyen made his mark playing teen-cop Harry Ioki in Stephen Cannell's 21 Jump Street, the most popular of fledgling Fox Broadcasting's first-season shows.

Nguyen has always been careful to avoid Asian stereotype roles, yet there are American critics that will argue that playing a martial artist character in V.I.P. was a stereotype. Nguyen proffers, “Asian culture has been portrayed in TV just as martial artists, and so it has become a stereotype.

“If you only saw African-Americans playing basketball players that would be a stereotype but it's not, because they play different characters in other shows so it removes the perceptual edge of African-Americans being that stereotype. But for Asian-Americans martial art roles are common in film and TV, thus reinforcing the stereotype. I have also avoided speaking fake accent roles, because many Asian-Americans speak good English."

After three seasons of V.I.P. the show folded and it then became increasingly difficult for Nguyen to find challenging work beyond playing stereotypic roles. But this was the least of his worries.

At the time, his beautiful wife of one year, model-actress, Angela Rockwood Nguyen crushed her 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae, and completely severed her spinal cord in a car accident resulting in paralysis from the neck down.

"You get into situations like with us, you realize control is an illusion in life but I'd like to think that I'm getting a little better at accepting "what is" in life versus what you would want things to be," he admits.

Nguyen elates that she has a very positive attitude, works hard and has gained physical abilities that are unexplainable for her injury.

"Your wedding vows say 'for better, for worse' but you really think that's not part of the deal and most don't think of the worst," he posits. “Yet it is part of the deal. The accident connected us on a deeper level and by the way she's dealing with her obstacle, my appreciation for her as a human being and my love for her deepened."

After the fall of Saigon the city changed its name to Ho Chi Minh City and 32 years later Nguyen’s returned to Vietnam has not only led to the rise of Vietnam’s film industry but going home has also resurrected his film career. And quite possibly that was a result of major fish Nguyen had to reel in. What was it? Stay tuned.

Wong Fu Productions x Harry Shum Jr. - An AweSHUM Collaboration

2011-06-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Unless you have been living under a rock over the past few weeks, the Asian blogosphere and YouTube featured lists have been buzzing about the most recent additions to Wong Fu Productions' original shorts collection - and this time, they have brought some star power along for the laughs.

It's one thing to not already be a follower or subscriber to one of the most popular Asian acts in all of the interwebs, but it must be quite a huge rock to live under if you don't know Wong Fu AND have no idea what Glee is. As one of the winningest and most popular shows of this generation, Glee has propelled many young artists and stars to the limelight through the power of music; and with his 'pop and lock' moves that have already been featured in many Hollywood dance films like Step Up, Harry Shum Jr. has been no exception.

When you put all of this creative power together, it's easy to see why this is a big deal. And you can find all three of the shorts here.

On Glee, Harry Shum Jr. plays one of the club's - and, interestingly enough, the whole school's - few Asian students. Like a number of the characters found in the show and as is often a trait found in television's high school students, he exhibits a comical naivety that nonetheless comes secondary in lieu of main characters like Rachel and Finn.

Back in January, the first meeting of the minds occurred between Wong Fu and the Glee star, and the announcement that one day they would make videos together was a move that brought YouTube fans to Glee and vice versa.

On Wong Fu's YouTube stage, the story largely remains the same - Shum Jr. continues this act in a number of different situations: a buffet, as a would-be hero that witnesses a mugging in progress, and finally during a date. A rather uncanny ability to act like the only one in the room without a clue is primarily to Shum Jr.'s role in these shorts.

I will not spoil what happens in each situation, and a couple million people have already gotten some good laughs from these shorts. If you haven't seen them yourself - or if you just can't get enough of Wong Fu or Harry Shum Jr. - then here are the three videos!

Let us know what you think in the comments!

Movie Updates 06/10: "True Legend" and more...

2011-06-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yuen Woo Ping, a world renown action and stunt choreographer is easily recognized for his work in movies such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Kill Bill (Vol. 1 & 2)", and all three "Matrix" films are barely touching the surface of his lifetime of movie accomplishments.

This time around Ping occupies the Director's chair for his latest film "True Legend" starring Man Cheuk Chiu, Andy On, Michelle Yeoh, Jay Chou and David Carradine. The nearly two hour wall to wall action epic opens at the Reading Gaslamp Cinemas this Friday (06/10).

Reading Gaslamp Cinemas Showtimes (06/10 - 06/12):
11:30am, 2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 9:50 (Note: Monday - Thursday showtime will be determined on Sunday).
Trailer on Youtube: Click Here

13 ASSASSINS CONTINUES and UNCLE BOONMEE ENDS THURSDAY (06/09)

Takashi Miike's "13 Assassins" will soldier on for another week all thanks to a strong box office this past weekend at Landmark's Ken Cinema. The movie will now transfer to Landmark's La Jolla Village property starting this Friday (06/10). Unfortunately, on the other side of the spectrum "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" will end its run at the Reading Gaslamp on Thursday (06/09).
13 Assassins Showtimes: Click Here
Uncle Boonmee Showtimes: Click Here

Ryan Higa Is A Nice Guy

2011-06-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

If you’ve never heard of Ryan Higa, there’s a chance that you may know him by his YouTube channel: nigahiga. Currently the most subscribed channel on YouTube with over 3.7 million subscribers, Higa has created a huge fan base by posting videos of silly skits, parodies and rants.

With his latest video “Nice Guys”, Higa collaborates with fellow YouTube partners Kevin Wu (aka KevJumba) and Chester See to create a song about guys who feel the need to treat their girlfriends badly because of the old saying “nice guys finish last”. The “nice guys” (Higa and Wu) attend a class taught by See, who instructs them on how to pick up girls. They learn how not to wear shirts, to never open doors or pull out chairs, and to drink protein shakes. The absurdness continues as Wu refuses to give his girlfriend (played by YouTube musician Kina Grannis) his jacket in the cold, and Higa literally “moos” at his girlfriend (played by Cathy Nguyen, also a YouTube musician) after calling her fat. Both girls end up frustratingly leaving their boyfriends.

So is there a backlash from the community against Ryan Higa’s sexist and misogynistic views?

Of course not! Higa’s specialty is parodies, and this video is no exception. As the song reaches the bridge, we see a shift to the real message behind this song. As the lyrics say, “But behind the scenes/She means the world to me/I want to tell her that she’s beautiful … But that won’t get her heart”. After the guys see how their “bad boy” image has turned away their girlfriends, they return to their normal nice guy selves and win back their hearts.

So what do you think of the video? Did you find it funny? Offensive? Heartwarmingly charming?

Asian American Stereotypes and Films

2011-06-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

In Wesley Yang’s May 8^th New York Magazine article “Paper Tigers”, he begins by asking “What happens to all the Asian American overachievers when the test taking ends?” Yang’s article discusses how Asian Americans are still saddled with stereotypes, but the difficulty of breaking down these stereotypes is how they are rooted in beliefs about educational success that is supposed to lead to overall success—the nerd, the good student, the model minority. His anger over these stereotypes comes out Yang’s frustration about Asian Americans’ career and/or life choices: when you are stuck with a stereotype of apparent success, what do you do?

To answer Wesley Yang’s first question, “Asian Americans can become the main subjects of Justin Lin’s 2002 film Better Luck Tomorrow.” SDAFF kicked off the first Member Film Forum on May 24^th at our new office at Liberty Station in Point Loma by showing Better Luck Tomorrow, with the additional treats of Skyped Q & As with both director Justin Lin and actor Sung Kang, who played one of the main characters. The movie asks the audience to consider what it really means to be Asian American outside of stereotypes, since the main characters act like bad boys, but still maintain the appearance of perfect students. During his Q & A session, Sung Kang pointed out how much stereotypes dominate media arts views of Asian Americans. Shortly after Better Luck Tomorrow became a hit, Sung was offered a role specifically looking for an Asian man, but he was supposed to be playing a gay, kimono-wearing Asian guy. When asked about his opinion of how Asian Americans can fight these kind of stereotypes, Sung said that there needs to be more quality roles, shows, and films about Asian Americans.

Absolutely—there does need to be a wide range of high quality representations of Asian Americans as complex people, not just as an easily stereotyped character. Stereotyping one race or one group diminishes everybody by narrowing everyone’s ideas about humanity. So, what can SDAFF do to help? Right now, SDAFF is committed to breaking down stereotypes by showing thought-provoking films at member film forums, quarterly screenings, the Spring Showcase, and especially at the Film Festival. However, we need you too! Tell us—what can SDAFF do to broaden people’s ideas of who Asians and Asian Americans really are?

WITH KUNG FU PANDA 2, KOREAN-AMERICAN DIRECTOR JENNIFER YUH NELSON MAKES SILENT CINEMA HISTORY

2011-06-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

When I was asked if I was interested in interviewing the director of Kung Fu Panda 2 (KFP2), it was im-Po-sible to pass it up. I mean, did you know that Korean-American film director Jennifer Yuh Nelson is not only just one of four women to have directed a feature film for DreamWorks Animation (the other three sharing director duties with men) but she has also very quietly become the first, yes the first woman to solely direct an animated feature film for a major Hollywood studio. Wow, man…or I should say, “Wow woman.”

So what better way is there to pander to this summer’s moviegoers and celebrate such an auspicious moment for Asian-Americans in Hollywood history? Bring back one of the most im-Po-rtant pandas in the world. No, it’s not Chi Chi, Ling Ling or Hsing Hsing but the star of KFP2, Po, who is one half of Christopher Robin’s famous toy bear (Winnie the Pooh, for those not familiar) and one whole lot of kung fu panda that is back on the path to saving animal kung fu-dom. Where did Yuh’s path begin in animation?

“I was born in South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. when I was 4 ½ years old,” Yuh shares. “As a little kid in S. Korea I would watch anime and Korean anime on TV. Television was only on for a few hours a day over there, but that look is what I grew up on.

“Then when I came to the U.S. I just searched it out as the craze was really coming into its own and more readily to watch. I’d read manga and watch the anime. Just the freneticism and level of detail and the beauty was really cool and it wasn’t necessarily a children’s medium, but a technique which was very liberating.”

For any of us that have learned martial arts, whether traditionally or today’s way, Kung Fu Panda offered many different emotional beats; my favorite being the elation that Po felt when he became ru men zi di, which in mandarin Chinese refers to that moment when you “officially” become your shifu’s real student. Yuh points out that KFP2 has similar moments, one of which is an important concept that children should be aware of, something that she knows is close to my heart, one’s chi (qi), the practice of which gave me the power to overcome cystic fibrosis and walk 3,000 miles across America.

“Chi is the thing that can bring out your achievement in martial arts,” Yuh avers. “It makes you do things you really ought not to be able to do. And that is also what makes Po an interesting character because you think he can’t do what he does, but he does and it’s that underlying factor, his internal strength. This is something that can inspire us all to do something amazing.

“One thing we tried to avoid was to show that kung fu was just about punching people, it’s a very righteous process. We get into kung fu to better ourselves internally and make sure that you’re grounded and find that inner peace, be the best that you can be and a big part of that is to tap into your inner strength, your chi. It purveys throughout the film, it’s not about how astute you are with skill but the internal strength that drives it.”

In KFP2, Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black) and his Furious Five idols must face further pandemonium as they travel across China and fight the hyper intelligent and lethal, Lord Shen who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. To succeed, Po looks to his past to uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins and find inner strength.

Although there is more action in KFP2 than the first, Yuh is adamant in pointing out the important theme of the film. “It’s about inner peace and the true strength that comes from within,” she stresses.

“If you have this thing called chi, you can do anything. I’d like children to watch this film and feel empowered, because everyone goes through a lot of bad things in their lives, a lot of challenges in their lives, and so with such inner strength they can do a great deal.”

Two High Profile Asian Films Open This Friday (06/03)

2011-06-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES

The first of two films opening in San Diego is the Palme d'Or Winner of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. This award is designated as the top prize for this festival. This meditative cinematic achievement centers around the character Uncle Boonmee, who is suffering from kidney failure decides to live out his last days with his loved ones.

If you missed out at seeing this movie this past October at SDAFF 2010 here is another opportunity to view this wonderful film by Thailand's leading director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Uncle Boonmee will be playing at the Reading Gaslamp Cinemas in the Gaslamp district of Downtown San Diego. Showtimes listed are only for Friday - Sunday only. Reading will determine showtimes for Monday - Thursday based on box-office totals on Sunday.
Showtimes: 06/03 - 06/05:
11:10, 1:50, 4:40, 7:20, and 10:05.

Roger Ebert's Review Click Here: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Metacritic Rating: 87
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

13 ASSASSINS

The second film is from Japan's great visual master Takashi Miike. Set in the 19th Century (around 1844, Japan's Feudal Era) the story kicks off when government officials express grave concerns over the sadistic Lord Naritsugu, who they firmly believe will bring Japan into turmoil as soon as he ascends to the throne. One honest official decides to contract unemployed samurai to assassinate the Naritsagu. Samurai Shimada, played by Koji Yakusho (Shall We Dance, Tampopo, Babel) begins the task of organizing anxious fellow samurai who seek an honorable cause. The last 45 minutes of wall to wall breathtaking action demonstrates why Miike has such a large cult following among cinephiles from around the world.

13 Assassins begins a one week engagement at Landmark's Ken Cinema tomorrow (06/03). Please note the change from Landmark's original announcement to open the film at their Hillcrest property.
Showtimes:
-06/03 - 06/04
2:00, 5:00, 8:00, 11:00
-06/05
2:00, 5:00, 8:00
-06/06 - 06/09
5:00, 8:00

Roger Ebert's Review Click Here: 13 Assassins
Metacritic: 86
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Blogger Statement:
-This weekend is one of those rare opportunities when two Asian films are opening the same weekend in San Diego. A great way to send a message to Theatre Owners that we would love to see more Asian content in the future is to attend these screenings the first weekend of release. The more money these movies bring in the longer the movies stay plus strengthening the cause to have more of these films come to San Diego.

APAHM Filmmaker Spotlight: Rea Tajiri

2011-05-31T23:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! To celebrate, members of our staff are going to spotlight one of their favorite directors throughout the month. This week's spotlight comes courtesy of associate artistic director, Brian Hu about filmmaker Rea Tajiri.

How do you remember a memory that you never experienced? A memory of your mother, which your mother herself does not remember? And yet you’re haunted by its spectral presence anyway, a haunting not simply by ghostly figures but by the entire weight of an oppressive period of history?

Rea Tajiri had such a memory. It was of her mother by a faucet, filling up a canteen in the Poston Japanese incarceration camp. Her mother never told her that memory, and yet she knew it anyway, just like she could look at a map of the camp and point exactly to the location of her mother’s barrack, even though she was never told which number it was. The ghosts of incarceration and the pain in a family’s bloodline are inherited in the most unusual ways.

How does Tajiri remember this memory, and then how does she convey it to us, her audience? She could turn it into a fiction film. Then again, Hollywood has already made incarceration camp films (Bad Day at Black Rock, Come See the Paradise), and the fantasy of fiction ensured that the films would be distorted and only a selective history. She could make her own fiction film, with characters and narratives that were authentic to the experiences of her family. And yet that would equally be a lie. The finality of fiction, the wholeness of a story, can’t capture that sense of haunting which crosses generations, settings, and narratives. What good is beginning-middle-end when the memory itself is incomplete, like shards of images: some real some imagined.

Tajiri came to peace by being authentic to the pieces. History and Memory: for Akiko and Takashige (1992) was the result. Made in the heyday of Asian American video, the 32-minute work tells the Japanese American incarceration from the point of view of the next generation, in search of the source of a family’s pain that nobody is willing to talk about. Tajiri narrates her conjured memories, and contrasts them with images she’s culled from Hollywood films, from newsreels (both Japanese and American), and from archival images of the camps. She makes uncanny connections between them, most strangely a wildflower that Spencer Tracy picks up in Bad Day at Black Rock with a wildflower plant she notices at her mother’s house. What is the connection? Is the plant – that living testament to the events of the earth – the only true witness to injustice? Or has the mother internalized the kind of mock incarceration stories that Hollywood is so good at manufacturing?

Tajiri smartly leaves in gaps like these because this is a film about the gaps in our understanding and recollection. She observes as her mother watches archival footage from the camps: young Japanese Americans sitting at a canteen. Her mother insists that there was no such canteen. Do we trust the documentary footage? Or the survivor? Or is the question not about trust, but how we remember?

The latter question has repercussions beyond simply personal and family history. It is the central question about American history more generally, and one Tajiri takes on when she asks how we’ve learned about the incarceration in school. Did we watch the John Ford documentary December 7th? Did we hear a speech by Milton Eisenhower? Clearly we did not hear from the Japanese American survivors, many of whom have chosen to remain quiet, or have forgotten to remember. Yes there are gaps, but those gaps are precisely the point. They remind us of America’s collective amnesia. They don’t represent zero space from which we learn nothing. They are a negative space that takes us some place darker than where we started, a place where we start having visions of events we don’t remember having.

With History and Memory, Rea Tajiri fills in that gap with a negative image. Not the smoking gun newsreel or a family member’s sudden a-ha recollection. No, Tajiri breaks a cardinal rule of documentary (in 1992 anyway) by re-enacting the scene herself. She inserts herself into the role of her mother, not in a moment of fiction, but in a truest documentary moment of all: the document of an abandoned memory. And with it, the ghosts of incarceration may not be exorcised, but at least we can see them now.

REEL VOICES: Feeling Warm-and-Fuzzy @ the iVIE Awards

2011-05-28T03:11:00.000-07:00

Little did I know that the 2011 iVIE Awards would turn out to be one of the most energetic and loving award ceremonies I've ever been to-- not to mention it included one of the cutest award acceptance speeches...! It was last Tuesday, at the Civic Theatre in Downtown San Diego, when I went to cheer for our two Reel Voices 2010 students, Calvin and Angel, who were there to receive awards in the high school filmmaker category.

The iVIE Awards are "a San Diego County K-12 student media festival held by the San Diego County Office of Education." I was impressed at the grandeur of the event, the excitement from the crowd, and the quality of films from these young students.

It was the most lively film festival ceremony I've ever attended--lots of younger people, but with so much energy! Congrats to Angel and Calvin (and Lauren, who could not make it) for once again being recognized as amazing filmmakers. Angel and Calvin also shared some "advice" for this year's incoming Reel Voices students... (Watch the video!)

At one point, the MC said to the audience, "When I say go, shout out Thank You and the name of the teacher who helped you with the video project", and of course I simply expected to hear some jumbled bunch o words, (and yes I got exactly that) but I also didn't expect to somehow feel moved by it... because it truly did! The yelling was incomprehensible, but the faces and gestures of the students were filled with so much pride, sincerity, and happiness, that--at the moment I so wished I were a teacher (!) ... was so thankful for the school teachers who probably all have struggled with budget issues these days ... and so glad for the students who experienced the special bond that can build through making a film together.

If anyone's reading this, I want to ask you if you have one or two teachers whose names you'd shout out if you were asked that very same question... and have you told them yet? They'd probably love that, wouldn't they. Hm, *opening Gmail* ...

San Diego Asian Weekly Film Watch: Coming to Theaters Near You

2011-05-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

In order to better serve our film community in San Diego, we wanted to offer weekly updates where resident cinephiles, Jose Bucud + Eric Lallana, will keep you posted on Asian films that will be opening soon in San Diego theaters.

Mark your calendars. This June, three Asian films will be making their way to San Diego theaters. Check the theaters the week the film's release for showtimes.

13 Assasins.
Takashi Miike's "13 Assassins" will be opening on June 3rd, 2011 at the Landmark Ken Cinema.

Theater update: 13 Assassins will be showing at the Landmark Ken Cinema starting June 3rd, 2011.

Trailer:

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.
Also opening on June 3rd at the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15, "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives."

Trailer:

City of Life and Death.
On June the 24th, "City of Life and Death" will open at the Landmark Ken Cinema.

Trailer:

APAHM Filmmaker Spotlight: Curtis Choy

2011-05-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Directors and actors get all the credit in Asian American cinema. We rarely think about the talent it takes to shoot, assemble, promote, and disseminate films. And given how small the Asian American film world is, it’s even more important to consider all of the pieces in this guerrilla workshop. There should be no hierarchies, only partners in crime trying to carve out a piece of the pie for the community.

There is one filmmaker who has been there from the very beginning, and remains active to this day. To call him an unsung hero is not exactly correct: everyone in the Asian American film world acknowledges his skill and stature. He worked on Wayne Wang’s seminal Chan is Missing (1982), Arthur Dong’s award-winning Forbidden City U.S.A. (1989), Wang’s breakthrough The Joy Luck Club (1993), Chris Chan Lee’s beloved Yellow (1998), Tony Bui’s international hit Three Seasons (1999), Gene Cajayon’s immortal The Debut (2000), and of course Justin Lin’s game-changing Better Luck Tomorrow (2002). He’s Curtis Choy, sound recordist and sound mixer. And he’s got the most impressive resume in all of Asian American cinema. He’s our Edith Head.

Considering Curtis Choy as an Asian American filmmaker also invites us to think about the question of Asian American aesthetics altogether. Why do filmmakers keep going to Choy? And why are so many of the community’s best films recorded and mixed by him? Is it simply that he is the most respected game in town, or is his art of sound somehow conducive to something we might call an “Asian American aesthetic?” Has he tapped into a soundscape the community can hear itself in and appreciate? These are tough enough questions when we deal with more graspable elements like narrative, acting, or costume. But sound? How do we analyze that? How can our ears hear our community?

I’m no expert at sound design so I can’t say. I couldn’t close my eyes during a movie and tell you if it is a Choy soundtrack. But I can say this: looking at Choy’s filmography, we can definitely glean a few things about the sonic world he’s so good at creating. Namely that Choy is a film artist that’s always had his ear to the streets. Chan is Missing is celebrated for its black and white aesthetic and free-flowing storytelling. But it’s also been celebrated for its sense of improvisation, and so much of that comes from the sound. The sound of the Chinatown traffic, shops, and homes. The dialects, as spoken by actual people. It shouldn’t be surprising then that Choy is also great at documentary sound; he recorded Terry Zwigoff’s modern classic Crumb (1994).

Choy’s films also know how we listen to music and how music drives young peoples’ spirits. Think of the memorable slow-motion, John Woo-esque restaurant scene in Yellow. The music makes it. Or the party atmosphere of The Debut: Dante Basco and Joy Bisco flirted and danced to sounds Choy assembled. And in this year’s documentary-esque Surrogate Valentine (Dave Boyle), reality and romantic fantasy converge in the sounds of the road, as well as in Goh Nakamura’s “sad sack” music.

To top it off, Curtis Choy is a terrific director in his own right. His documentary The Fall of the I-Hotel (1976) is as seminal as any of the films he’s mixed. That it’s a technical marvel (especially given that it’s 35 years old) is a no-brainer; that it’s politically and emotionally impassioned is what makes it a masterpiece. As director, Choy also confronted fellow rabble-rouser Frank Chin with the 2005 documentary What’s Wrong with Frank Chin?, followed Lt. Ehren Watada in the 2007 Watada, Register, and explored the work of poet Al Robles in Manilatown is in the Heart (2008). In his choice of subjects and his scrappy approach to capturing their worlds, Choy is clearly an old-school Asian American filmmaker. But don’t be deceived. His weirdly awesome website Chonk Moonhunter may be embarrassingly web 1.0, but there’s a self-consciousness there that shows he’s hip to what it means to be an old soul. It shouldn’t be surprising that Choy did the sound on the retro-cool Kung Phooey! (2003) and Finishing the Game (2007).

Any period, any genre, any sensibility. Curtis Choy has made it sonically click with the Asian American experience.

Actor Shin Koyamada Ebbs the Tide of Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami Victims with Fashion Show Fundraiser.

2011-05-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

In response to the physical, spirit and land devastating Earthquake and the subsequent home and life destroying Tsunami that struck the Tohoku region of Japan on March 11, 2011, Hollywood/Japanese actor Shin Koyamada’s SKF non-profit organization established the Japan Emergency Relief Fund of America (JERFA) to bring hope and help to the victims.

As part of their ongoing efforts to bring relief to the areas hit hard by these natural disasters, JERFA has partnered with Preco and EM & Co to present the JERFA Fashion Show. Hollywood actors, fashion designers and models will unite Friday, May 20, 2011, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at EM & Co (7940 W. 3rd St, LA, CA 90048) to raise funds so JERFA can continue to ship 20 foot containers of emergency medical supplies, daily non-food living items (diapers, shoes, school supplies, etc.) and toys for children to get them through these difficult times.

"Regardless of where we live, we’re all at the mercy of mother nature, but we can choose to work with her as our spirits can unite for the benefit of good and brotherhood,” the co-star of The Last Samurai and Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Koyamada positively shares. “I was moved when the world press reported that there were no reports of looting in the areas affected by the quake and tsunami. Also, in these times of economic strife, California having one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States, I am inspired and impressed as to how much the American people have stepped forward to help. How can I not be proud to be a Japanese man living in the United States?”

The Fashion Show will also feature Japanese guests dressed in kimono and Japanese traditional outfits, five authentically garbed Shaolin kung fu monks, and Japanese children modeling t-shirts created by the kids to help Japan.

Thus far, confirmed celebrities coming out to support the event include Olympic Boxing Champion Wayne “Pocket Rocket” McCullough, Am Radio’s lead singer Kevin Ridel, White Power Ranger Jessica Rey, TV stars Brendan Robinson from Pretty Little Liars and Isabella Cascarano (Flash Forward; Our Vows; Memorias de un soldado; 30,000 League Under the Sea), Cole and Dylan Sprouse from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody; the martial arts coordinator for Nickelodeon’s Avatar series Kisu, model/guitarist Frankie Clarke, Frankie B. creator/designer Daniella Clarke, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke.

And of course stalwart supporters of the SDAFF Dustin Nguyen and his beautiful wife Angela will also be on the Red Carpet.

Apart from accepting donations through the SKF website (www.koyamada.org), five local schools in the Los Angeles area have begun collecting donations for JERFA, with currently 32 more schools nationwide from Oregon to Florida, offering to help with the fund raising efforts.

Determined that 100% of all donations will be delivered to the quake/tsunami victims, SKF is in direct contact with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Government of Japan, in which SKF has their assurances that all non-monetary donations and collected monetary funds will be equally distributed among the disaster areas

Through philanthropic work with the youth empowerment Kickstart program of the Boys and Girls Club of America in 2004, the 6-time national martial arts champion Koyamada met Chuck Norris and former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, in which they used the program to impact children in their other charity programs. Inspired by Norris and President Bush, Koyamada became further committed to helping others, which led him in 2008 to co-find the Shin Koyamada Foundation (SKF). In 2010, Koyamada was named the International Goodwill Ambassador of the Okayama Prefectural Government in Japan and continues to help other charitable events of other US nonprofit charitable events including the 2010 Japan-America Societies of Houston and Washington DC where he worked alongside US Ambassadors John R. Malott and Rust Deming, as well as with Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki.

Founded by Shin Koyamada and Nia Lyte in March 2008, the SKF is a United States nonprofit organization (current President is the honorable Shoichi Nakagiri) that offers youth scholarships to foster the importance of respect, honor, courtesy, value and manners through martial arts and active participation in global environmental issues. The SKF also raises money to provide education for underprivileged individuals and families as well as to implement international cultural exchange projects. The SKF is all geared toward empowering youth to achieve their goals and dreams and promote an Earth-friendly lifestyle. For more information please visit www.koyamada.org.

As a member of the San Diego Asian Film Foundation and a blogger for the San Diego Asian Film Festival, it is also my honor to be a member of the Advisory Board to the SKF, and to be a part of not only helping today's youth in finding out about what true martial arts is all about, but in also playing a small role in helping the strong spirited people of Japan in their time of need. Things have come a long way since World War II, the Japanese are now our brothers and the world needs to continue to grow. And yes, that is me co-staring along side Shin in the samurai film Good Soil.

APAHM Filmmaker Spotlight: Ham Tran

2011-05-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! To celebrate, members of our staff are going to spotlight one of their favorite directors throughout the month. This week's spotlight comes courtesy of associate artistic director, Brian Hu.

Director Ham Tran loves old photos. He told me himself. He even named his production company Old Photo Films. Beyond mere fascination though, Tran’s love for old photographs captures so lovingly what Asian American cinema can be: a document of a community’s history, a lesson from the past, an image of our ancestors to excite us about the people we’ve yet to become. Not surprisingly, photographs have played a key role in Tran’s two most famous films, The Anniversary (2003) and Journey from the Fall (2006).

The Anniversary, Tran’s UCLA MFA thesis film, is set in wartime Vietnam. Tran throws us right in the middle of three stories: a family at home, a soldier in battle, and a monk in meditation. It’s a testament to Tran’s artistry that he cuts between the stories with the utmost delicacy, while still shocking us with possible connections that might be hallucinatory, might be prophetic, and might be terrifying. They’re tied together by a photograph which a father quickly grabs in the heat of war, and which is later held in reverence in a moment of surging pathos.

Everyone who saw The Anniversary knew that Tran had a future in feature filmmaking. The short turned heads in film festivals and was nominated for a student Academy Award. Enthusiasm for Tran grew, especially in the Vietnamese American community, when the budding director decided to continue the story of The Anniversary with his first feature, Journey from the Fall. A true communal project, Journey from the Fall was financed by Vietnamese Americans who believed they had a history to preserve and that Tran was the one to tell it. Tran collected stories from the community and tailored his scripts around what he heard. He listened to his actors – to the stories, the language, the rumbling courage to speak about their pasts.

And yet, Journey from the Fall bears the mark of a singular artist. As with The Anniversary, the feature plays with editing, cutting boldly across time and space to drive our emotions. The film is about the fall of Saigon, the re-education camps, and the lives of refugees uprooted to California. 80 minutes into the film, there is a sudden break, and we leave the muddy prisons of postwar Vietnam and find ourselves in Orange County, whose glitzy shopping malls seem a world away. Those two worlds are connected by the people forced to cross the Pacific. An effective dramatist, Tran shows how, beyond the physical movement of people, the worlds are also connected through culture. Vietnamese dishes find their way to Santa Ana, California, as do holidays and pop songs. Characters are haunted by memories of better days back in Vietnam, which Tran presents to us in grainy 16mm sequences.

And of course there are old photographs. In the middle of the film, the father is locked in a re-education camp and doesn’t know the fate of his wife and son, who attempted to escape following the fall of Saigon. In the camp, the father gets a visit from a stranger who tells him a horrific story about the inhumanity of the new regime. When she cries about a dead family member, a prison guard accosts her: “no crying allowed!” Afterward, she manages to sneak the father a package containing photographs of his family posing in front of a carousel in an America that, compared to the rank hell of the camps, can only be called a utopia. The father cries. And cries. In a prison where you are locked from not just the world but even your own tears, crying is an act of rebellion. The old photograph is the catalyst for remembrance, resilience, and resistance.

After debuting at the Sundance Film Festival and doing the festival rounds, Journey from the Fall came out commercially in diasporic capitals like Orange County and San Jose. Needless to say, many tears were shed. Audience members were reminded of their own memories as boat people or as refugees. Interest was sparked in a younger generation to ask their parents about their family’s experiences. Journey from the Fall crossed oceans and generations so that an uprooted community could start asking questions about their relatives and their countries. The film was, in other words, that old photograph before which we can shed a tear and reminisce on the journey that has taken us to where we are now.

-Brian Hu

Advocating for the Arts

2011-05-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Asian Film Foundation has been fortunate to be a part of a growing diverse artistic community that shows that it can thrive with healthy arts and culture. San Diego's attraction not only lies in it's Zoo, beaches, or parks. It also lies in the growing immigrant communities, their cultures and the arts that result from this infusion. San Diego has great destinations that show the beauty of fine art, commercial arts, and of course, heritage arts.

Yesterday, representatives from the San Diego Arts and Culture Coalition, which includes the San Diego Asian Film Foundation, along with the Commission for Arts and Culture presented to the San Diego City Council and advocated for Mayor Jerry Sander's FY 2012 budget that keeps Arts funding at current levels.

Our mission was not to be politically divisive, but to demonstrate the cultural enrichment, safe environment, and economic return on investment that the Arts provides. On a personal level, I was so proud to see many different arts organizations at the City Council chambers. This show of support truly gave me a sense of belonging and hope that the Arts can not only survive in San Diego, but thrive.

So, if you love what we do, and what others like Mo'olelo, La Jolla Playhouse, Museum of Photographic Arts, the Museum of Art, the Old Globe, and many other wonderful Arts organizations do, then think about how you can help continue to show how important the Arts is to you in San Diego.

For more information go to:

San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition

Mayor Jerry Sanders' Fiscal Year 2012 Budget

Introducing... the Reel Voices Class of 2011

2011-05-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

A Gigantic SDAFF Hug and Congrats to the Following 10 Students:

Anthony Anglin Jr.

Alexander Powell

Asha Marengeau

Camille Wilson

Jesus Olvera

Jose Romero

Kaylor Anne Myers

Marissa Dodds

Marygian Rebullar

and

Michelle Mixay.

Welcome to the Reel Voices of Class of 2011!

Here is a welcome message from the program director, Mike Watson:

"Congratulations and welcome to the Reel Voices class of 2011! You hereby join the ranks of students whose works have been accepted to film festivals across the US and through several foreign countries; many of whom now study at schools like NYU, USC, Long Beach, and prestigious film schools throughout the state and the country. Each year, we cull through applications from all over the county to choose eight (this year.. ten!) students we think will produce award-winning documentary films. Your application was weighed against dozens of others and was among the best we received. You should be proud!"

These students have so much to look forward to this summer: (don't be jealous)

a group field trip to the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 18th, (where our last year's RV films will be screened!)

RV classes to begin June 22nd,

students will be paired with a filmmaker to serve as their mentor throughout the program,

Final Cut Pro editing session in August,

guest lecturers,

and more!

Fans & supporters of Reel Voices! Support our mission by becoming a member with SDAFF (if you haven't yet. Membership guideline here). Keep in touch with us as we go through our journey of becoming documentary filmmakers over the summer and sharing our voices with the world. Find our updates on this blog or our Reel Voices page in the SDAFF website. And be sure to join us during our screening at the San Diego Asian Film Festival to begin October 20th!

Brian at the Fest: Recap on James Wong Howe Presentation

2011-05-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Associate Artistic Director, Brian Hu:

For me, the best program at this year’s LA Asian Pacific Film Festival did not feature any celebrity guests, nor was Stella Artois on tap, and every short film featured was over 50 years old. But in terms of sheer aesthetic beauty, collective exasperation, and good ‘ol sense of community, it encapsulated Visual Communications’ mission to preserve, promote, and present authentic images of Asian Americans. LAAPFF’s James Wong Howe presentation of Howe’s rare documentary Dong Kingman, as well the legendary cinematographer’s home footage, did just that, and left sixty or so viewers thoroughly wowed.

The first hour of the show comprised of clips that Howe shot while on vacation, scouting locations, or testing out equipment. The multi-Oscar-winner Howe is already known as a master of the 35mm Hollywood style – in fact he helped invent that look with films like Yankee Doodle Dandy – but two things immediately stood out about his “amateur” footage. First, that his eye for elegant compositions was perfectly suited for 16mm as well.

But more impressively, Howe had an eye for everyday details of San Francisco Chinatown and the Hong Kong streets. New Years parades, nick-nack shops, children at play: we’ve seen these images before, but Howe picks up a human element lost in the newsreels of the day. I would go as far as to say that Howe’s eye is that of an outsider (he is, after all, a Hollywood giant), but in the way it lingers on the spirit and rhythms of the streets it is less that of a tourist of the exotic than that of a respectful observer of his own people. His footage of the New Years lion dance feels to me like an elder statesman capturing the spirit of play in the world he grew up in. This footage, along with The Curse of Quon Gwon, marks for me the beginning of a certain kind of Asian American filmmaking that would ultimately lead to the black-and-white on-the-ground realism of Wayne Wang’s landmark Chan is Missing.

But the LAAPFF’s program was more than just a clip show: it was an interactive event. The footage, shot without sound, included live commentary by film editor and VC board member Walt Louie, who grew up in the SF Chinatown that Howe depicts so lovingly. Louie’s commentary was as much a reflection on growing up (he excitedly pointed out old haunts and named every intersection) as it was a study of Howe’s technique. From any other commentator, Louie’s autobiographical asides might be seen as self-indulgent and irrelevant; but in the context of the program and in the spirit of VC, Louie’s commentary provided a community context from which to have a conversation. He invited the audience to jump in with comments and questions at any time to give life to Howe’s footage, most of which was unannotated and undated. From the audience, TV director (and fellow board member) Henry Chan chimed in with information on Howe’s Hong Kong footage. Other audience members gave their two cents about Howe’s equipment and in-camera editing technique. The Howe footage may have been an aesthetic and historical wonder, but in the hands of Visual Communications and Walt Louie, it became an occasion to pay tribute to an entire community and tradition of filmmaking, and not just James Wong Howe.

By the time the 15-minute Dong Kingman played, the featured program already seemed like an afterthought. But what an experience it was. There’s nothing new about a documentary capturing an artist at work. But when the documentary director and the depicted artist are considered two of the most important American visual artists of the 20^th century, and both happen to be Chinese American? That’s something we’ve never seen. Visually, Howe doesn’t add his usual glamour, and just lets watercolorist Dong Kingman do his thing: collecting plein air inspiration and transforming it into a feast of detail. Kingman’s rough sketches become notes of color before transforming unexpectedly, even miraculously, into urban jazz. Aside from a few overly-cute edits (there are some decidedly unrealistic eyeline matches), Howe lets the master make art for the camera. It’s a loving gesture, as respectful as Howe’s Chinatown footage. Like Walt Louie to the famed cinematographer, James Wong Howe’s portrait of Dong Kingman is a gesture to the community and a reminder of its bountiful culture and creativity.

Reel Voices Films are Going to New York

2011-05-06T15:20:00.000-07:00

Breaking News:

2010 Reel Voices films to screen at the 34th Asian American International Film Festival in New York. (New York!)

The three Reel Voices films CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW, by Brian Brennan, MUSICAL WARRIOR, by Angel Gatus, and BREAKING EXPECTATION by Kevin Tran have been selected to play at the 34th Asian American International Film Festival in New York!
It takes place August 10 - 14, 2011 in Chelsea and Chinatown, Manhattan, followed by satellite screenings at various venues around the city August 16 - 20, 2011.

Congratulations!

Call For Entries Regular Deadline Extended- May 11

2011-05-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Filmmakers! A special note that the Regular Deadline for the 12th San Diego Asian Film Festival has been extended to May 11 (originally posted as May 2). You can still receive the discounted $40 entry fee rate. After that, it'll go up to $60-$65. For more information, please visit our Filmmakers Page

LA in LA

2011-05-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Executive Director, Lee Ann Kim

One of the perks of running a media arts organization is traveling to other film festivals to recruit and watch films, network, and collect swag bags. Seriously, though, it’s always refreshing to attend any film festival that you’re not working, so our annual excursion to the City of Angels for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAPFF) is one our SDAFF peeps look forward to.

Even though it’s only a 2 hour drive, LA is always a whole different world as it seems everyone at LAPFF is working in the industry. Opening night for the US premiere of Justin Lin’s Fast Five was a who’s who of Asian American talent. Within stalking distance, you can see (and touch) Sung Kang, John Cho, Aaron Yoo, Kelly Hu, Sandra Oh, Danny Pudi, Archie Kao, Parry Shen, Randall Park, James Kyson Lee, Brian Tee, Karin Anna Cheung, the Wong Fu clan, and plenty of others. (I thought Fast Five, btw, was actually quite entertaining! So happy for Justin Lin that it raked in $85 million opening weekend at the Box Office!)

So what makes for a good festival experience? Access to the films. Check – I got tickets for all the programs I wanted to see, including Bertha Pan’s Almost Perfect starring the lovely Kelly Hu and newcomer Ivan Shaw (gorgeous on-screen couple). Free, convenient parking. Check – free parking at the DGA! Lots of celebrities, filmmakers, and people you know. Check – saw so many SDAFF alumni including 2010 Emerging Filmmaker winner, Nadine Truong (who is now working on her first feature – yay!) and had time to catch up with singer/actor Bobby Choy. Parties. Check – my fave was the 10^th Anniversary Celebration for Angry Asian man, Phil Yu at the Siren where they offered free flip photo books (thanks Anthony MA!), free flowing JinRo (dangerous), and 80s music (super dangerous). My only regret was that I wasn't able to karaoke in K-town with the Karaoke King of the Festival circuit - Anderson Le.

This year, the Fest also produced its first ever new media conference called C3. That’s a lot to handle in the opening weekend. So big kudos to our dear friends at Visual Communications – Shinae, Abe, Dave, and Quan – congrats on another successful Festival, which continues through May 7^th with Taiwanese superstar, Lee Hom Wang and his directorial debut, Love in Disguise.

Reel Voices 2011 Applications now Closed

2011-04-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the many San Diego high school students who applied for Reel Voices 2011.
We will now review the applications, hold interviews, and finally select students to be admitted to the program.
Can't wait to meet the new candidates- best of luck to all!!!

Reel Voices Assistant,
Jini Shim :)

Meanwhile, please view our fun promo video that tells you what Reel Voices is all about.
(a big Thank You to our friends at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego!)

CLICK HERE!

Special Discount and Post Screening Reception Closing Night (Friday, April 22)

2011-04-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder to all of our SDAFF Friends and Family that we've only got 1 more day to go of the inaugural Spring Showcase. For our first year running such an event, we've felt such an amazing support for what we're doing and have been so appreciative of all of our volunteers and every single person who has seen a film thus far.

That being said, you've only got 1 more day to see films. We've got two incredible films lined up including an encore of our Opening Night Film, LITTLE BIG SOLDIER (starring Jackie Chan and Lee-hom Wang), and the San Diego Premiere of our Closing Night Film, BOY. As a special treat for those that attend the screening of BOY, we'll be hosting our Closing Night reception at New Zealand themed, BAREBACK Bar+Grill in downtown San Diego. You'll receive a FREE Drink with ticket stub and $3 drinks the rest of the night (21+ Only)

Be sure to get there early for both of these films as we anticipate a very packed house!

5:00PM: LITTLE BIG SOLDIER
7:00PM: BOY
9:30PM: BOY (encore screening)

POST SCREENING RECEPTION
BAREBACK BAR AND GRILL
624 E Street (gaslamp district)
San Diego, CA

Reel Voices Films Going to LA Film Festival 2011!

2011-04-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

Congrats to our 2010 Reel Voices filmmakers - Philip Bernardino-Gomez and Kevin Tran!
Their films will play at the LA Film Fest this coming June.

See their films here!

P.S. 4 other Reel Voices films are screening at NFFTY in Seattle and at LA Asian Pacific Film Festival this year. Hurray!

FROM SAN DIEGO TO SENDAI, MAKING THE CONNECTION

2011-04-19T13:23:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of Executive Director, Lee Ann Kim:

Sunday, April 17. I knew this would be an emotional day… it always is when you’re gathering people in response to tragedy. The Disaster in Japan especially hits home for us at SDAFF since we have former staff who now live in Japan and two of our board members have family who live in the earthquake zone.

So when I got up in front of the audience to introduce A TALE OF MARI AND THREE PUPPIES, (one of 11 films screening at our inaugural Spring Showcase) I was emotionally struck at how many people chose to be with us inside a dark theater on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Some 400 friends - and strangers- who donated money toward disaster relief efforts, stared back at me with somber faces. I’m such a crybaby, and I honestly almost lost it.

I was also touched by artists who stepped up to help. Filmmaker David Boyle and actor Hiroshi Watanabe came down from LA to donate DVDs of their film, WHITE ON RICE (2009 SDAFF Audience Award Winner) for minimum $50 donations.

Another SDAFF Filmmaker Emily Ting donated toys to encourage higher donations. In all, we raised more than $10,000 (thanks to an anonymous matching donor). Proceeds benefit the San Diego Foundation’s Global Disaster Relief Fund, targeting long-term recovery efforts in Japan.

Beyond the funds, the event made a powerful impact on the audience who wept through the film, A TALE OF MARI, based on the true story of a young girl separated from her dogs during the 2004 earthquake in Niigata, Japan, and were later reunited. Is it awful to say that I actually enjoyed seeing so many people leave the auditorium despondent with red, blood-shot eyes, tissues in hand? I know that emotionally, they are taking this film home with them which keeps them deeply connected to our brothers and sisters in Japan.

As the film ended with hope, so did many of our patrons who joined us in our Senbazuru – or Thousand Cranes project - in the theater lobby. Folding 1,000 paper cranes is a Japanese tradition to send blessings or a wish for recovery… which in truth will take years and billions of dollars to happen. But I’m so grateful that we are doing our small part in San Diego to be global citizens.

For more ways to donate and help, please visit our web page on Japan Relief

- Lee Ann Kim

Encore Screenings of LITTLE BIG SOLDIER & HANSEL AND GRETEL

2011-04-17T00:26:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, April 20
9:30pm Hansel and Gretel | film description | buy tickets

Friday, April 22
5:00pm Little Big Soldier | film description | buy tickets

Spring Showcase Online Ticket Sales End April 14

2011-04-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

Online ticket sales for the Spring Showcase end on Thursday, April 14, at 11:59 PM PST. Tickets can be purchased at the box office beginning on Friday, April 15, at 1 PM.

Highlights include the opening night film, Jackie Chan's satirical action/epic, "Little Big Soldier"; a youthful hip hop Vietnamese film "Saigon Electric"; the critically acclaimed South Korean drama "Poetry"; and the charming Closing Night Film, "Boy," a coming of age story from New Zealand.

April 15-22
UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center
7510 Hazard Center Drive
San Diego, California 92108
$7 members, $8 students/seniors, $10 general admission
Purchase tickets

A special thanks to the University of San Diego and USD's Center for Inclusion and Diversity for sponsoring the Spring Showcase.

SDAFF @ Servapalooza

2011-04-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

4 sdaffers-- Irene, Olivia, Davis, and Jini-- attend the 3rd annual Servapalooza at Liberty Station in Point Loma, San Diego, to join a gathering of non-profit organizations to bring fun games and activities while promoting the good cause of the San Diego Asian Film Foundation.

Look how pretty and bright SDAFF's banner is!

Our activity was "Ready, Family, Action" , where families participate in making short Q&A videos. Children loved both trying out the camera and being in front of it at the center of attention. Parents laughed when they pulled out the question: "What is your favorite and least favorite trait about your mom / dad?"

It was a great day of fun, and an awesome way to promote SDAFF's Spring Showcase and the Reel Voices. Speaking of Reel Voices, there's only about 10 more days until the application deadline!

Thanks & congratulations to the coordinators of Servapalooza for putting on a successful event. See you next year!

Spring Showcase Schedule, Tickets, and Info! Click Here!

2011-04-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hello SDAFF Friends and Family,

It recently came to our attention that our SPRING SHOWCASE information may not be as accessible as we had liked on our Web Page. We're currently working hard behind the scenes to make sure that the information is more visible. In the mean time, if you're reading this post, we wanted to direct you immediately to the following pages (Just click below on following links):

BUY SPRING SHOWCASE TICKETS

SCHEDULE/FILM INFORMATION

FACEBOOK EVENT INVITE