Asian American Film: News

APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB - JULY 1 EDITION - SUMMER IS HERE - SUPPORT ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILMS!

06.30 - Posted by APAFW

DEAR APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB:
JULY 1, 2006 EDITION - SUMMER IS HERE

CELEBRATE ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONALCINEMA TODAY - GO SEE A MOVIE!

IN THIS ISSUE: JULY 1, 2006 - SUMMER IS HERE!
Summer 2006 is off to a great start. JUSTIN LIN's THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT became a summer hit film and keeps stroking the box office both here and abroad (#1 in UK, AUSTRALIA, MALAYSIA and THAILAND). SUNG KANG had two films that opened in June and one that premiered at the LA FILM FESTIVAL! MICHAEL KANG's critically acclaimed THE MOTEL opens this weekend. KAL PENN is co-starring in the big summer movie SUPERMAN RETURNS. DEEPHA MEHTA continues to give us WATER. KEANU stars in a remake of a Korean film. And KOFIC begins its search for new and emerging Korean American talent for their Filmmakers Lab. These are exciting times for Asian American and Asian international filmmakers.

This week's edition will be short and to the point. Bottom line - go see a movie and if you are in New York - make sure you go see THE MOTEL this weekend. Theaters from across the nation are watching how well the film will do in NY and will base their booking the film further on its performance.

Here we go:
1. THE MOTEL - OPENS IN NEW YORK AT THE FILM FORUM
2. JUSTIN LIN'S THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT IS A SUMMER HIT
3. SUNG KANG CELEBRATES A SUNG KANG SUMMER AT THE MOVIES
4. DEEPHA MEHTA'S WATER IS STILL IN THEATERS
5. KAL PENN IS FEATURED IN SUPERMAN RETURNS
6. KOFIC BEGINS ITS PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR EMERGING KOREAN AMERICAN FILMMAKING TALENT
7. ACV - ASIAN CINEVISION - NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS IN JULY
8. ASIAN FILMS REPRESENT AT LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL
9. MORE - HAVE A SAFE FOURTH OF JULY!

DEAR APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB:
JULY 1, 2006 EDITION - SUMMER IS HERE

CELEBRATE ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONALCINEMA TODAY - GO SEE A MOVIE!

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 12,000 people who are on this list nationwide and it is published on www.asianamericanfilm.com!

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 receipts 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's life.

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 and vote for yourself at the box office!

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1. THE MOTEL - OPENS IN NEW YORK AT THE FILM FORUM
Join us this weekend and see what audiences across the country having been talking about.

Palm Pictures Presents Michael Kang’s
THE MOTEL
For an Exclusive Two-Week Engagement
Wednesday, June 28 - Tuesday, July 11
The Film Forum
209 W. Houston St. (West of 6th Ave.)
212-727-8110
1:00, 2:50, 4:30, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00.

THE MOTEL tells the story of 13-year-old Ernest Chin, who knows better than anyone that puberty sucks. Stuck at his family’s hourly-rate motel, young Ernest divides his time between taking orders from his overbearing mom, tending to whatever miscreants the motel may attract, and longing for the girl of his dreams.

Written and directed by Michael Kang, THE MOTEL is produced by Miguel Arteta, Gina Kwon, Karin Chien and Matthew Greenfield.

THE MOTEL was supported by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, and received the Sundance Institute/NHK International Filmmakers Award, the Humanitas Prize, and Best Narrative Feature Award at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and recently took home the Grand Jury Prize at the VC FilmFest - the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Advance Tickets Online NOW at Moviefone or http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/filmforum/movies.

For more information go to the film's official website at:
www.themotel-film.com

Big props to Michael, Sung, Karin, Gina, Miguel, Jeffrey, Jade, Samantha and the whole THE MOTEL FAMILY on this opening weekend.

NOTE: WRITER, DIRECTOR AND CAST MEMBERS will be doing Q&A this weekend at FILM FORUM. Check local NY listings or call the theater

See you in New York!!!

2. JUSTIN LIN'S THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT IS A SUMMER HIT
Box office success continues for JUSTIN LIN and his blockbuster summer hit - coming in at #3 on its first weekend in the US and hitting #1 in the UK, MALAYSIAN, AUSTRALIA and Thailand. And even this past weekend, TOKYO DRIFT remained #1! Audiences here have been raving about how director Lin has infused new life in to the series and SUNG KANG has been getting great notices. Look for more SUNG KANG in the future. TOKYO DRIFT is still playing everywhere - take your friends and just have a great time. Next week - watch here for more giveaways with TEE SHIRTS and CDS. And check out JUSTIN LIN on HBO on FIRST LOOK: THE MAKING OF THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT. It's an amazing piece and you get to see alot of us on there! Congrats Justin Lin!
www.xanga.com/mytokyodrift

3. SUNG KANG CELEBRATES A SUNG KANG SUMMER AT THE MOVIES
Asian American actor SUNG KANG is having probably one of the best summers ever. He has 3 movies that are on the big screen this week!

THE MOTEL - opening at Film Forum in New York -
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT - playing everywhere and KANG getting good notices and kids loving his character.
UNDOING - premiering this week at the LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL In Westwood - where KANG not only is the main star - but he also produced the film.

Big shout out to SUNG KANG and congrats on this Summer of Sung Kang!
Read the interview in BACKSTAGE.COM - go to WWW.BACKSTAGE.COM and search under SUNG KANG and you will find a great article written by Margaret Rhee!
Keep up the great work!

4. DEEPHA MEHTA'S WATER IS STILL IN THEATERS
If you have not yet seen this beautiful film taking place in 1938 INDIA and starring LISA RAY, JOHN ABRAHAM and the amazing child actor SARALA.
WATER will blow you away with its quiet sensibility and heart wrenching story of the plight of widowed women in India. Performances are brilliant and the film is so beautiful to watch. LISA RAY and JOHN ABRAHAM have such stunning presence that they melt the screen whenever they are on and SARALA is fantastic in the lead role as a young widow destined to a life as an outsider. The film is playing in most cities - so check local listings for times and theaters.
Check out Roger Ebert's review

Water
A widow at eight
Ebert Rating: ***
BY ROGER EBERT / May 5, 2006

Her father asks Chuyia: "Do you remember getting married?" She does not. He tells her that her husband has died, and she is a widow. She is 8 years old. Under traditional Hindu law, she will be a widow for the rest of her life. There are two alternatives: Marry her husband's brother, or throw herself on his funeral pyre.

Deepa Mehta's "Water" is set in 1938. Even then, laws existed in India that gave widows the freedom to marry, but as one character observes, "We do not always follow the law when it is inconvenient." Torn from her father's grasp, crying out for her mother, Chuyia (Sarala) disappears into an ashram controlled by the lifelong widows who live there. Her hair is cut off. She wears a white garment that marks her. The woman in charge is Madhumati (Manorma), fat, indolent and domineering, who is frightening to the little girl.

Then she makes a friend. This is the beautiful Kalyani (Lisa Ray), who alone among the widows has been allowed to wear her hair long, but for a sad reason. Madhumati has an arrangement with the pimp Gulabi (Raghuvir Yadav) to supply Kalyani to wealthy clients, as a source of income for the ashram. Kalyani has a puppy, which they hide and love together. Another friend in the ashram is Shakuntala (Seema Biswas), a wise, thoughtful woman who questions the foundations of the theory of widowhood. It is Narayan (John Abraham), a follower of Gandhi, who supplies the most pragmatic explanation for the ancient practice: "One less mouth to feed, four less saris, and a free corner in the house. Disguised as religion, it's just about money."

"Water" is the third film in a trilogy about India by Deepha Mehta, whose "Earth" (1998) dealt with the partition of India and Pakistan, and whose "Fire" (1996) dealt with lesbianism among traditional Indian women. She is not popular with Indian religious conservatives, and indeed after the sets for "Water" were destroyed and her life threatened, she had to move the entire production to Sri Lanka. That she is a woman and deals with political and religious controversy makes her a marked woman.
... To the read the full review go to: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/REVIEWS/60315003/1023

5. KAL PENN IS FEATURED IN SUPERMAN RETURNS
SUPERMAN RETURNS is the long awaited summer blockbuster film that has had audiences cheering in delight. Great effects, great scenery, great new Superman, great Parker Posey, great Kevin Spacey, etc... But, what we found even greater was to see KAL PENN (AKA KUMAR from HAROLD AND KUMAR) in a co-starring role. KAL is one of these outstanding young actors who has presence and is always a joy to watch. Granted, the role is small as one of Lex Luthor's people - but nevertheless our boy is there. So big props to you KAL PENN! Currently, he's starring in the upcoming new film from MIRA NAIR - THE NAMESAKE where he plays the lead character.

6. KOFIC BEGINS ITS PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR EMERGING KOREAN AMERICAN FILMMAKING TALENT
The Korean Film Council was in Los Angeles recently and hosted a very nice reception with the Pusan Film Festival people. KOFIC had earlier announced that they were starting up the KOFIC FILMMAKERS DEVELOPMENT LAB. Inspired by similar creative environments such as the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, the KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab is seeking applicants from the United States and Canada with a view to realizing projects that can find audience appeal in both Korea and North America. The Lab will be held in Hawaii in early September, in partnership with the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Following in October, the Lab fellows will be brought to the Pusan International Film Festival in Korea to meet with relevant film industry representatives and organizations whom could potentially produce their projects. Over 60 applicants applied for this new and innovative program and only 5 will be chosen. Stay tuned to right here when we make the announcement of the lucky 5!

7. ACV - ASIAN CINEVISION - NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS IN JULY
Yes, it's that time again to get your selves to MANHATTAN and attend ACV (Asian Cinevision) 29TH ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.
JOURNEY FROM THE FALLL, AMERICAN FUSION, EVE AND THE FIRE HORSE and COLMA THE MUSICAL are some of the Asian American highlights.
Log on to: http://www.asiancinevision.org/ for a complete calendar and buy your tickets. Go out to Manhattan and join Diana Lee and Risa Morimoto this July 13 - 21 for the festival. They definitely know how to throw a slamming festival. Also check out the panels - as these will be invaluable.

8. ASIAN FILMS REPRESENT AT LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL
THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL from FILM INDEPENDENT is winding down - but there are some films still playing this weekend:
LAST RITES - by DUANE STINNETT - produced by Vietnamese American KRISSANN SHIPLEY - MIDNIGHT FRIDAY and Sunday at 4:00 PM
UNDOING - by CHRIS CHAN LEE Friday - 7:30 PM
MAN PUSH CART - by RAMIN BAHRANI - FRIDAY - 9:30 PM
IN BETWEEN DAYS - by SO YONG KIM - SATURDAY - 7:00 PM
ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES - by Yu Lik-wai - SATURDAY - 7PM
VOICE - by Equan Choi - MIDNIGHT SATURDAY/ SUNDAY 1PM
SEVEN SAMURAI - SUNDAY - 6:30 PM

WWW.LAFILMFEST.COM

9. MORE - HAVE A SAFE FOURTH OF JULY!
MAKE SURE YOU GO OUT AND SUPPORT ASIAN AMERICAN FILMMAKERS AND ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILMS THIS WEEKEND!

Be Fast! Be Furious!

APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB