Asian American Film: Screenings & Events

APA FIRST WEEKEND - JAN 13, 2004 - SUPPORT ASIAN CINEMA!

01.31 - Posted by APAFW

Dear APA First Weekend Club: JANUARY 12, 2004
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

Print this out - it could get long!
CELEBRATE ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONAL CINEMA!

We apologize if you got this more than once. We know we are on so many different lists. Please pass this information on to other people who are interested in Asian American and Asian international cinema. We try very hard to keep you always updated as to films that are popping up in your area. Please note that you are a part of over 9,000 people who are on this list nationwide!

Note: To subscribe - send an email that says "please subscribe" to apafirstweekend@aol.com

For those of you who are first timers here, the mission of this email newsletter blast to keep everyone aware of Asian American and Asian international films that will be coming out so that we can go out and support them.

First weekend box office reciepts are very important to Hollywood and to our films because these reports will make or break a film.
If the films does well on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the "first" weekend it comes out, theater owners and distributors will make their decisions on Monday mornings about a film. So, we encourage each and every one of you to go out there and support our Asian American and Asian international filmmakers. It is at the box office where we can show our strength and our power for our films and and filmmakers. Even if you don't have the time to sit through the film on the first weekend - go to the theater and purchase a ticket so that we can show box office $$$ numbers. It is extremely important. At the end of the day.. the color in Hollywood is GREEN! Show up baby and vote for yourself at the box office!

IN THIS ISSUE:
It's been a long time since we sent this out. We were waiting to see what new product was being offered out there so that we could that info to you.

During the holidays, we had KEN WATANABE in THE LAST SAMURAI - he should be on the poster; ADA TAI and ARLENE TAI in BIG FISH; AMY HILL in MAN OF THE YEAR and CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN and CAT IN THE HAT; - and I know I am probably missing someone. In any case, 2004 is upon us and it looks to be very exciting. So here's what's up as far as we can see it:

1. TOKYO GODFATHERS opens JANUARY 16 - SATOSHI KON's LATEST AND GREATEST ANIME
MASTERPIECE HITS THE US SHORES.

2. MILLENIUM MAMBO - HOU HSAIO HSIEN'S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILM STILL DANCING IN NEW YORK! GETTING READY TO HIT OTHER CITIES.

3. GATHER UP THE TROOPS - GREG PAK'S ACCLAIMED "ROBOT STORIES" IS ABOUT TO OPEN CITY BY CITY.

4. ASIAN AMERICAN VIDEO MUSIC DIRECTOR - JOSEPH KAHN - PREMIERES HIS FIRST FEATURE FILM "TORQUE" THIS WEEKEND FEATURING ICE CUBE.

5. SMALL VOICES - ACCLAIMED PHILIPPINE FILM FROM GIL PORTES OPENS STOCKTON CALIFORNIA - HOME OF LITTLE MANILA!

6. SUNDANCE/SLAMDANCE - LET'S DANCE! ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKERS MAKE H ISTORY AT SUNDANCE 2004 WITH OVER 38 FILMS BY OUR OWN! MEET THE FILMMAKERS ON JAN 18!

7. OUTFEST PRESENTS - FUSION - GAY, LESBIAN PEOPLE OF COLOR FILM FESTIVAL IN LOS ANGELES.

8. WHAT ELSE? KEN WATANABE, THE TAI SISTERS, AMY HILL, SANDRA OH, BAI LING ARE ALL COMING AT YOU AT THEATERS RIGHT NOW!

here we go:
1. TOKYO GODFATHERS opens JANUARY 16 - SATOSHI KON's LATEST AND GREATEST ANIME
MASTERPIECE HITS THE US SHORES.

TOKYO GODFATHERS, the newest film from anime legend Satoshi Kon, the master Japanese director of “Millennium Actress” and “Perfect Blue.” This colorful tale of redemption
will open theatrically on January 16, 2004 from Samuel Goldwyn Films.

In TOKYO GODFATHERS, it’s Christmas and snow is turning Tokyo into a white city. Somewhere in Shinjuku, there are three energetic homeless people, Gin (an alcoholic ex-bicycle racer), Hana (an ex-drag queen), and Miyuki (an adolescent runaway). While rummaging through a pile of trash for their Christmas gifts, they hear a muffled crying sound coming from the pile; they dig into the pile to find an angelic baby. Gin insists they go to the police and return the abandoned baby, but Hana, who has always dreamt of being a mother, has made her mind up to keep the baby and name it ‘Kiyoko.’ Armed with a business card and a few photographs, the eccentric family heads into an odyssey to discover the baby’s home. In a harrowing comedic and uplifting journey they discover their own history and happiness.

The subject Satoshi Kon has chosen for this latest film is homelessness, while also serving as an homage to the 1948 John Wayne/John Ford classic “3 Godfathers.” While most animation films tend to have subject such as sci-fi, supernaturalism and magic, homelessness exists in our day-to-day, regular lives. It is a subject that one would not expect to see in animation. However, Kon’s animation magic has turned three homeless people into warm and sparkling characters. And the theory underlying this film is that it is because homeless people have nothing, they can find happiness. And what gives this theory a basis and power is Kon’s superior visual techniques. This is the moment Kon breaks the limit of animation. The world of TOKYO GODFATHERS unveils the reality of urban life and what happiness is, which we tend to neglect to see.

NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LA, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN DIEGO, BERKELEY, IRVINE are the lucky ass cities to et this film first this weekend! If you are an anime fan - go see this film!

Angelika Film Center - New York, NY City Cinemas (Reading International)

University 6 - Irvine, CA Regal-Edwards Theaters (UA)

Act 1 & 2 Cinemas - Berkeley, CA Landmark Theaters

Century Center Cinemas - Chicago, IL Landmark Theaters

Ken Cinema - San Diego, CA Landmark Theaters

Lumiere 3 - San Francisco, CA Landmark Theaters

Nuart Theatre - Los Angeles, CA Landmark Theaters

2. MILLENIUM MAMBO - HOU HSAIO HSIEN'S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILM STILL DANCING IN NEW YORK! GETTING READY TO HIT OTHER CITIES.

•MILLENNIUM MAMBO, directed by Hou Hsiao Hsien (FLOWERS OF SHANGHAI, GOODBYE SOUTH GOODBYE) and starring Shu Qi (the ravishing star of SO CLOSE and THE TRANSPORTER). An official entry of the 2001 Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals, MILLENNIUM MAMBO has appeared on both Film Comment and The Village Voice's list of Best Undistributed Films. An urban film about a young woman's entrapment in a bad relationship and her entanglement with a mysterious businessman,

MILLENNIUM MAMBO marks a unique rupture in Hou's filmmaking methods, yet still manages to fall into his unique style of long takes, convincing realism and highly refined sense of staging. The film is shot by Mark Lee Ping-bing (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, SPRINGTIME IN A SMALL TOWN). The filmis playing exclusively at Cinema Village in Manhattan and will be followed by a national roll out. GO SEE IT!

3. GATHER UP THE TROOPS - GREG PAK'S ACCLAIMED "ROBOT STORIES" IS ABOUT TO OPEN CITY BY CITY.

Yes, finally after months of waiting, GREG PAK's ROBOT STORIES makes it to the big screen. Here's the info from the ROBOT STORIES people themselves - this is one we need to step up and support! It's been winning accolades everywhere and now you will have a chance to see it and make more Asian American history in Hollywood! So here's the scoop from filmmaker Greg Pak:

"Robot Stories," myf irst feature film, begins its theatrical release on February 13 in New York, February 20 in the DC area, and March 12 in Los Angeles, with more cities to follow!

"Robot Stories"
Over 23 film festival awards
85 minutes, 35mm color
Everything is changing... except the human heart
http://www.robotstories.net

Opening February 13 in New York City - Cinema Village, 22 E. 12th St., New York, NY
http://www.cinemavillage.com

Opening February 20 in the DC area - AFI Silver, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD
http://silver.afi.com/

Opening March 12 in Los Angeles
Laemmle Fairfax, 7902 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
http://www.laemmle.com/theatres/fairfax/fairfax.html

We're releasing the film through my own little company, Pak Film, Inc., in conjunction with Shotwell Media, a publicity and distribution company based in Los Angeles. Essentially this is self-distribution, meaning we're working within a miniscule budget to contact theaters, book the film on a city-by-city basis, and hustle like crazy to get folks out to see the film.

For a scrappy, truly independent film like "Robot Stories," the first
weekend of its release in each town is critical. We have to do incredible business in those first three days in order to be ensured of a second and third week.

And our February 13 premiere in New York is particularly
important, as other theaters around the country are waiting to see how we do in New York before they book us in their cities.

So I'm shamelessly asking, nay, begging for your help. Fortunately, it's not so hard ? basically, I'm just asking you to go to the movies. Okay, my movie. And to invite some of your friends to come along. You'll love the movie - honest! It's won over 23 awards from film festivals around the
country and stars Tamlyn Tomita ("Joy Luck Club") and Sab Shimono ("The Big Hit") in four stories about utterly human characters struggling to connect
in a world of robot babies and android office workers. It's science fiction from the heart, in the tradition of Ray Bradbury and the "Twilight Zone," and John Petrakis of the Chicago Tribune calls it "one of the most moving
things I've seen all year." Bring your lover/spouse/grandma/child/neighbor/boss ? you'll laugh; you'll cry; you might even get a free poster. And I'm traveling with the film -- I'll be at all the opening weekends, so we can catch up in person. That would be cool, huh?

So how can you help, you ask? Five easy steps.

1. Visit the "Robot Stories" Tell the World page. ( http://www.robotstories.net/tell-the-world.html )

2. Cut and paste the announcement about the film's theatrical premiere into your email program.

3. Add a friendly, personalized note at the head of your email ? perhaps a few of your own thoughts about the film, if you've seen it, and a brief exhortation to folks to come see the film in the opening weekend.

4. Send that sucker to everyone you know who lives in the cities we'll be visiting.

5. Finally, be sure to come see the film yourself opening weekend in your town! It'll be great to see ya!

So that's not so hard, is it? In fact, it might just be whetting your
appetite for involvement. In which case, I'd be forever beholden to you if you take the next step and fill out the Robot Buddies Form ? wherein we recruit you for a slew of other grassroots hijinks. You can find the form at http://www.robotstories.net/robot-buddies-form.html

Here's a taste of the kinds of things we have in mind:

"Robot Stories" Field Trips
If you belong to a group (college class, student club, cinema club, science fiction club, Asian American group, adoptive parents association, robotics society -- the possibilities are endless!) which you think might relate to the story and themes of "Robot Stories," please consider working with us to
organize a Field Trip to come see "Robot Stories" in the theater when it hits your town. Some of the theaters in which we're playing offer group discounts for tickets bought in advance. And we'd love to work with you to make the event special -- perhaps by following the screening with a get-together with "Robot Stories" filmmakers in a nearby venue.

Volunteer Opportunities
As a scrappy independent movie, we have a miniscule advertising budget, so we're recruiting volunteers to help us with outreach. Activities can include labeling mailings, helping organize events and parties, and the "Street Team" adventure of handing out postcards and posters at appropriate events and venues. Perks include "Robot Stories" gear, occasional free food, occasional access to cool events and parties, and... (cue music) fun times with new friends! including the "Robot Stories" filmmakers! It'll be a kick, honest!

If you're interested, contact "Robot Stories" Distribution Coordinator David Nugent at david@robotstories.net . Or just fill out the Robot Buddies Form
( http://www.robotstories.net/robot-buddies-form.html ), with the
"Volunteers" box checked.
Bring "Robot Stories" to Your Town!

Is your town not yet on the "Robot Stories" theatrical screening schedule?
We'd love to get it out to you -- if you have any contacts with independent theaters in your hometown, please contact Sasha Berman, the "Robot Stories"
booker and co-distributor, at shotwellsb@aol.com or 310-450-5571.

We're also willing to book the film for one-off screenings with colleges and
universities in certain areas -- if you're interested in this, please
contact Anthony Marchegiano at anthony@robotstories.net , 212-240-9074.

IT'S OUR CHANCE TO SUPPORT OUR OWN ASIAN AMERICAN FILMMAKERS and WE GET TO SEE TAMLYN TOMITA ON THE BIG SCREEN AGAIN!

4. ASIAN AMERICAN VIDEO MUSIC DIRECTOR - JOSEPH KAHN - PREMIERES HIS FIRST FEATURE FILM "TORQUE" THIS WEEKEND FEATURING ICE CUBE.

For some of you who have been asking about this film since last year - well, here it is in all its glory! ICE CUBE stars in Joseph Kahn's debut feature film TORQUE - also starring Asian American hottie WILL YUN LEE (you can kinda see him in the trailer - and he was in DIE ANOTHER DAY). Action packed, beautifully shot, and loads of fun on motorcycles. Not exactly BIKER BOYZ, but right up there. This film will go wide and is distributed by WB. KAHN is known for his music videos like with BRITINEY SPEARS - and his style is very much right on point with that genre. Come help support JOSEPH KAHN this weekend and then maybe his next film could be an Asian American one. He has that sensibility and could probably do a bang up job with a good Asian American script. Check him out this weekend and see what you think!

5. SMALL VOICES - ACCLAIMED PHILIPPINE FILM FROM GIL PORTES OPENS STOCKTON CALIFORNIA - HOME OF LITTLE MANILA!

SKY ISLAND FILMS is still keeping this beautiful gem of a Filipino film out there as it opens in Stockton, California next FRIDAY, JANUARY 23 at the Signature Stockton City Cinemas. For all the Asian Americans and non -Asian Americans out there looking for a real and honest, yet sweet and not so over melodramatic Asian film - this should be high on your list. Bring your kids if they can read subtitiles and they will love this film, too - but most of all, bring your parents and your grandparents. And don't forget the Kleenex. What sets this film apart from the normal over the top fodder we get from the Philippines is its honesty and realness without beating you over the head. So, if you are in Nor Cal and you missed SMALL VOICES when it was in SF or Sac. This is your chance. It is worth the drive and after the film, you can eat Pinoy food over at Colors in downtown Stockton. Make it a Filipino Day!

6. SUNDANCE/SLAMDANCE - LET'S DANCE! ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKERS MAKE H ISTORY AT SUNDANCE 2004 WITH OVER 38 FILMS BY OUR OWN! MEET THE FILMMAKERS ON JAN 18!

Can you believe it? 38 films at SUNDANCE and 3 at SLAMDANCE from Asian American, Asian Pacific and Asian International filmmakers! Can you say REPRESENT? Well, if you can - then get your ticket to PARK CITY this coming Sunday and meet and greet and celebrate with these filmmakers at the THIRD ANNUAL ASIAN PACIFIC FILMMAKERS RECEPTION AT PARK CITY.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
4 PM - 6 PM
China Panda Restaurant
1776 Park Avenue
Park City, Utah
(435) 649-5593
(Behind the Yarrow Hotel and Albertson’s, and next door to Gard Sports. Free parking available in lot.)

RSVP TO:
APAinParkCity@yahoo.com; please indicate "Park City RSVP" in subject line.

Presented by:
THE ASIAN PACIFIC FILMMAKERS RECEPTION COMMITTEE

Hosted by:
3AM MARKETING
THE UTAH OFFICE OF ASIAN AFFAIRS

To find out more about our organizations, please visit our websites:

VISUAL COMMUNCATIONS
www.vconline.org

NATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION
www.naatanet.org

ASIAN CINEVISION
www.asiancinevision.org

TC:DM & ASSOCIATES
www.tcdm-associates.com

APA FIRST WEEKEND CLUB
apafirstweekend@aol.com

REPRESENTIN’! @ PARK CITY 2004

The ASIAN PACIFIC and ASIAN FILM EXPERIENCE
Check out these Asian Pacific American and Asian Films!

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

RAMONA DIAZ - IMELDA
RYAN SHIRAKI - HOME OF PHOBIA
JAMES WAN - SAW
JESSICA YU - IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL
GREG PAK, KAREN CHIEN, ABRAHAM LIM - Harry Davis’ MVP
DONG KIM WONG - REPATRIATION
IM SANGSOO - A GOOD LAWYER’S WIFE
KIM KI-DUK - SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER AND…SPRING
KIM MOON-SAENG - SKY BLUE
KITAMURA RYUHEI - AZUMI
TAKESHI KITANO - ZATOICHI
ANDREW LAU - THE PARK
LEE KANG-SHENG - THE MISSING
AMIR MUHAMMAD - THE BIG DURIAN
PARK SUNMIN - SKY BLUE
IAN IQBAL RASHID - THAT TOUCH OF PINK
PEN-EK RATANARUANG - LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
ARVIND SINHA - JOURNEYINGS AND CONVERSATIONS
SABIHA SUMAR - SILENT WATERS
ROYSTON TAN - 15
VAHID MOUSAIAN - SILENCE OF THE SEA
PRASHANT BHARGAVA - SANGAM
SHIRLEY CHEECHOO - IN SHADOW
SHILPI GUPTA - WHEN THE STORM CAME
DEAN HAPETA - NGATAHI - KNOW THE LINKS
VILSONI HERENIKO - THE LAND HAS EYES
JONG LIM RO - IRON MOUNTAIN
SHAWN KU - PRETTY DEAD GIRL
POPO MALUFAITOAGA (LILO) - TIGA E LE ILDA
HIROFUMI NAGAIKE - FLYING
JACOB AKIRA OKADA - CURTIS
JINOH PARK - SLOWLY SILENTLY
TANON SATTARUJAWONG - A SHORT JOURNEY
TAIKA WAITITI - TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT
KOJI YAMAMURA - MOUNTAIN HEAD
SUNDANCE ONLINE
MOTOMICHI NAKAMURA - PUNTO ZERO
KRISTY KANG - TRACING THE DECAY OF FICTION; THE DAWN AT MY BACK
ELVIS D‘SILVA - SCALPEL TO VEIN
SLAMDANCE
SHIH-CHING TSOU - TAKE OUT
ROGER ODA - REQUIEM
WU NAN - GO ANYWHERE YOU WANT

amazing! IT'S HISTORY IN THE MAKING!

7. OUTFEST PRESENTS - FUSION - GAY, LESBIAN PEOPLE OF COLOR FILM FESTIVAL IN L.A.

The weekend of January 30 - February 1, 2004 at the Japan American Theatre in Little Tokyo wil be the date and site of FUSION - the Gay and Lesbian People of Color Film Festival in Los Angeles. Films, events, discussions and receptions and networking will be the highlight of this first of a kind film festival. Log on to www.outfest.org for schedule of events and for more information. If you want to volunteer call M. Rosalind Sagara - FUSION Production Coordinator 213-480-7093 or at
programming@outfest.org Ros will hook you up!

8. WHAT ELSE? KEN WATANABE, THE TAI SISTERS, AMY HILL, SANDRA OH, BAI LING ARE ALL COMING AT YOU AT THEATERS RIGHT NOW!

Let's see - if you can make it to Sundance this weekend - by all means join the APA FIRST WEEKEND CLUB at the Third Annual Asian Pacific Filmmakers Reception at Park City. We still can't get over that there over 40 films by our own artists! Congratulations.

But if you can't make it then check out our own in some mainstream films:
1. KEN WATANABE - THE LAST SAMURAI
Homeboy should win the BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Golden Globe hands down. He is worth seeing this film. It was nice that it was not all TOM CRUISE.

2. ADA TAI and ARLENE TAI make a small but memorable performance in Tim Burton's cute film BIG FISH. They play Siamese twins who are musically inclined. Also catch them in the excellent short film SHUI HEN - now playing all festivals.

3. AMY HILL - can we call Ms. Hill the hardest working Asian American actress in LA - she is in CAT IN THE HAT, MAN OF THE YEAR (JOHN RITTER'S LAST FILM), CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, and she will be co-starring in the new Adam Sandler film 50 FIRST DATES with Adam, Drew Barrymore, and Rob Schneider. You have probably seen her in the trailers for this film which opens on February 13. And it's shot in Hawaii - so you know there will be other Asian American folks in the background, too!

4. BAI LING - MY BABY'S DADDY - This is hot indie filmmaker CHERYL DUNYE's first mainstream film with Eddie Griffin and Michael Imperoli and Bai Ling. Silly and goofy - but loads of fun if you go with the right audience - and Bai Ling has at least 3 films coming out soon. with Bertha Sa Pan's FACE being one of them.

5. SANDRA OH - Under the Tuscan Sun - need we say more - she steals her scenes with Diane Lane and she is so cute as a pregnant woman!

6. PARRY SHEN - from BETTER LUCK TOMORROW - you can catch him on your small screen at home every 10 minutes on those DELL COMPUTER COMMERCIALS - "wasn't that Ben from BLT? Now he's working at Dell? Cool...

7. HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG - not the happiest film, but definitely one of the best acted. Check out Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo as Ben Kingsley's (he's great too) wife. Also the son,
Jonathan Ahdout is amazing as well. Put this on your list!

Wouldn't it be great to see KEN WATANABE and SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO walk off with OSCARS this year??????

8. Lastly, all of you IFP MEMBERS - don't forget to vote for the INDIE SPIRIT AWARDS - BETTER LUCK TOMORROW is nominated for the JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD for films made for less than $500,000. Their budget was $250,000 - and for a movie shot on film - this is an amazing feat! Vote people!

OK, that's it! Happy New Year and see you at the movies!

peace,

APAFIRSTWEEKEND@AOL.COM