By Misa Oyama

You may not have seen it on the news, but last week the service workers at the University of California campuses and hospitals held a five-day strike to call for higher wages. I might not have noticed it either if I hadn’t received an e-mail about the video “Facing Poverty at UC.” Directed by K. A. Christensen and Regan Pretlow Brashear, the ten-minute video includes interviews with state senator Leland Yee and state attorney Jenny Chung about the impoverished living conditions of UC service workers. As the video dramatically demonstrates, service workers’ current salaries at UC are so low that many of them qualify for welfare. Although UC administrators claim that there is not enough money to go around, Senator Yee recently sent a letter to the new UC President Mark Yudof objecting to such claims: “The public has also seen, and rejected, the University profusely spending resources on top executives while raising student fees.”

You can see the video on youtube here

What amazes me about this video is how little of this I saw while studying at Berkeley. I knew about the difficulty of being a graduate student (and even walked in a few picket lines to protect teaching assistant salaries), but I had no awareness of the poverty-level lifestyles of the custodians who would start cleaning Wheeler Hall when I was getting ready to go home. And what’s remarkable is how easy it is not to notice this existence running parallel with our own. At the UC schools and hospitals, bathrooms are magically cleaned, garbage cans are emptied, cafeteria food is distributed, trees and grass trimmed, parking lots managed, and the campuses kept secure, all by invisible hands and bodies. There were 8,500 members of the AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union) on strike last week trying to change this state of affairs and get the UC administration’s attention, after ten months of fruitless negotiation for a new contract. (There were also an additional 11,000 patient care workers who were not actively part of the strike but may have decided not to cross the picket lines.) UC administrators are offering minimum wages starting at $10.28 to $11.50 but fighting a statewide standard pay scale with step increases and overtime.

What does this have to do with Asian Americans? Besides the participation of Yee and Chung in the video, Asian Americans might seem to be more in the background of this issue, just like the soundtrack composed by Berkeley grad Shaw Pong Liu. Or perhaps on all sides of the issue—there are Asian American service workers, just as there are Asian American administrators. And Niesha Lofing’s article in the July 15 Sacramento Bee includes statements from Asian Americans on opposite sides of the debate: Yee advocating the right of the workers to strike, and David Ong voicing the UC Davis Medical Center’s warning of disciplinary action against these very workers.

One thing that does link this video with my interest in Asian American issues is the idea of invisibility. Asian Americans have had a great investment in becoming more visible—whether in historical accounts or public roles, from government to entertainment. Underlying this is the assumption that when you become visible to the American public at large, you will be understood and treated like a real person, not a type. Visibility suggests complexity, or at least the hope for it. The places where Asian Americans appear in this video as well as in the surrounding media coverage, show me that—at least in California—Asian Americans have achieved a level of visibility that would have gratified the generations before us: Asian Americans in government, law, the arts. But there are also Asian Americans who share the invisible position of the service workers featured in the youtube video.

The invisibility of workers living at low or minimum wages contrasts strikingly with the way these workers see themselves as part of the community. There’s a moment in the video when Rosa Tapia de Cruz, the senior custodian at UC San Diego, says, “We see the students as part of our family.” But the students may not see the workers at all. And the meager media coverage of this strike means the public may not either—at least, unless a similar strike happens in the fall and more people begin to realize that the campuses and hospitals no longer magically clean, maintain, and monitor themselves. We’ll see.

AFSCME’s position on the strike

UC’s press release on the strike

LA Times editorial “Who’s Cleaning up at UC?”

This is a new series dedicated to spastic fits of rage and rapture specifically for those equipped with Netflix and extra disposable income to attend the local indieplex. For the rest of the summer (and the year, hopefully), I’ll be recommending a slew of Asian (American) films that played in previous years at SFIAAFF and upcoming projects worthy of a quick look—anticipation guaranteed, satisfaction is another story. Also watch out for a few curveballs thrown along the way. Because of its democratic nature, my gewgaw of reviews and predictions gladly welcomes comments and questions from all you avid readers. First thing on the agenda: free speech is only free when you agree to its conditions.

About me: I’m not John Fong. I love to ration my passion if it tickles your noggin.

FRO-YO #1:

200 Pounds Beauty (Dir. Yong-hwa Kim, Starring Kim Ah-jung & Ju Jin-mo, Korea, 2006)

No sweat, no tears, just lipo! What I found incredibly daring for a romantic comedy (at least by Korean standards) featuring fatsuits and “inner” beauties is the cut-to-the-chase transformation of the morbidly obese phone sex operator to gorgeous pop princess, albeit with some shrewdly edited montages. Offering her illustrious voice for a Britney-Spears puppet singer, Hanna is the Debbie Reynolds of Singin’ in the Rain minus the already perfect She’s All That body. Realizing her life as a meaningless sham, she blackmails a pathetic plastic surgeon to mold a modern-day Pygmalion out of her shapeless blubber.

Hanna becomes Jenny, the face that launched a thousand traffic accidents. Forget diet and exercise, the film seizes the opportunity to critique a society on the verge of being a clone farm, everyone cannibalizing on the same proportions and personalities. There’s one striking line (paraphasing here) that exemplifies the contradictory attitude of a hush-hush taboo that everyone knows is practiced among neighbors, but a disgrace for wives and girlfriends to admit. Stemming back to male anxieties around perfection and its abject reality, the quote comes from the music producer, the love of Hanna’s life, the reason for her extreme makeover. His personality shifts as sharply and frequently as the plot requires to hurt or heal Hanna, prodding her closer to a blow-out epiphany about discovering one’s identity in a funhouse of mirrors, distorted and truthful, one and the same.

The entire second act is obsessively tinged with talks about naturalism versus artificiality, her talent is real, her body ain’t. What makes a singer? The film wants it both ways and gets it. I don’t want to ruin the ending, but like all films dealing with secret and lies, there is a final reveal, a drawn-out confession, filled with enough glycerin tears and an emotionally gullible public to forgive what Hanna has done to herself and to her past, since a fatlift is never too different from a facelift, and that itself is never too far away from the suspicious eyes of family and friends. Eschewing moral scrutiny, the climax subscribes to what I’d called “redemption by the flesh,” that is, the spectacular display of the final girl (as marketable commodity) ameliorates any residual trauma and emotional turmoil of going under the knife. Miley Cyrus, put back that “Hannah” Montana wig. At least, 200 Pound Beauty never settles for a maudlin reconciliation between beauty and beauty (Jenny and her manager), leaving only a tiny peephole for future happiness attained through stardom as opposed to romance.

200 Pounds Beauty Links
Wikipedia article
Youtube: excerpt of 200 Pounds
Youtube: Music Video of 200 Pounds

Call for Entries: Narrative, Documentary and International Features / Short Films
DEADLINES 2008: Early: September 5 / Late: October 3

The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is now accepting submissions for its 27th year. The SFIAAFF is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose. Since 1982, the SFIAAFF has been an important launching point for Asian American independent filmmakers as well as a vital source for new Asian Cinema.

The 2008 Festival drew an attendance of 30,000, including more than 200 fimmakers and industry guests.

The SFIAAFF accepts films and videos that are made by or about Asian Americans and Asians of any nationality. All lengths and genres will be considered. Click here for more information.

THE PROGRAM

GALAS & SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Highly anticipated, high-profile films on the biggest stage of the festival

NARRATIVE COMPETITION / DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The heart of the program—the year’s best Asian American and Canadian independent films
*Awards given include Best Narrative, Best Documentary, Audience Awards

DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE / INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE
A global spectrum of the finest cinema from Asian and the diaspora
*Awards given include Audience Awards

SHORTS PROGRAMS
A rich and diverse collection of cutting-edge shorts—and a glimpse of the future

SPOTLIGHTS & RETROSPECTIVES
Tributes to pioneering filmmakers and actors who’ve made an indelible impact on Asian American and Asian cinema

PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Engaging dialogues across a variety of timely topics with world-class guests

The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (March 13 – 23, 2008), presented by the Center for Asian American Media, wrapped with an estimated attendance of 30,000, including over 225 filmmakers, actors and industry guests. 57 of 113 shows—more than half—sold out in a program that featured eight world premieres, three North American premieres and four U.S. premieres.

Highlights
The Festival opened with Wayne Wang’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers—his first Asian American film in 15 years—and closed with the Australian drama The Home Song Stories, featuring an award-winning performance by Joan Chen. In between, highlights included a sold-out Castro screening of Michael Kang’s Centerpiece Presentation film, West 32nd, and a Special Presentation screening of Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, which proved so popular that desperate fans were offering $60 and more per ticket. Both screenings were attended by actor John Cho.

A Spotlight on Wayne Wang offered screenings of the Opening Night film A Thousand Years of Good Prayers and its companion film The Princess of Nebraska, the ever-popular The Joy Luck Club (which reunited Wang, author Amy Tan, producer Janet Yang and actors Ming Wen and Lauren Tom) and a new cut of Life is Cheap… But Toilet Paper is Expensive. Wang also spoke about his cinematic influences in an insightful conversation with New York Times film critic Dennis Lim. A tribute to the late Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang featured screenings of Yi Yi, The Terrorizer, and the rarely screened four-hour masterpiece A Brighter Summer Day.

Panel discussions and talk events proved extremely popular, as did the Directions in Sound live music events, featuring artists like hip hop group No Luck Club and electro-pop sensation Ming & Ping.

Attending Guests
Some of the guests who graced the Festival were: actors John Cho (Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay; West 32nd), Daniel Wu (Blood Brothers), Henry O (A Thousand Years of Good Prayers), Ming Wen (formerly Ming-Na Wen of The Joy Luck Club) and Adinia Wirasti (Three Days to Forever), and filmmakers Michael Kang (West 32nd), Jessica Yu (Ping Pong Playa), Christine Choy (Long Story Short), Brillante Mendoza (Foster Child; Slingshot), Richard Wong (Colma: The Musical; Option 3), and Gina Kim (Never Forever).

In addition, over 50 delegates representing 15 Asian American film festivals from various U.S. and Canadian cities attended and participated in the annual Festival Programmer’s Meeting. Many filmmakers who were guests at previous festivals returned to partake in the festivities, creating a strong sense of community around Asian American cinema. “In many ways, the Festival has become the annual starting point and gathering spot for Asian American filmmaking,” said Festival Director Chi-hui Yang. “It is exciting to see the cinema grow, and gratifying to have this reflected in the Festival’s films and attendees.”

Back to Japantown
After one year away from Japantown due to renovations at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the Festival returned to the neighborhood the event had called home for 17 years. The majority of screenings were once again held at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, while the Landmark Clay Theatre—just six blocks away from the Kabuki—was added as a new venue. To celebrate its return to Japantown, the Festival presented “Festival Forum” at the Japantown Peace Plaza on March 15, a day of various activities that included taiko drummers, bands and breakdancers performing live on a stage, as well as booths with interactive experiences offered on computers. The day culminated in a free outdoor screening of Hayao Miyazaki’s 1978 anime classic The Castle of Cagliostro, attended by over 100 people. “We wanted to offer a festive environment that allowed attendees to interact and to congregate outside of the theaters,” said Festival Assistant Director Taro Goto. “We’ve always felt that the Japantown Peace Plaza was a perfect venue for something like this. I think we also reached many people for the first time due to the high visibility of an outdoor event.”

Award Winners Announced
The winners of the jury awards were announced on March 20 before the Closing Night screening. The competition films represent the best in Asian American and Canadian cinema. The winner of the Best Narrative Feature Award in the Narrative Competition section was Amal, directed by Richie Mehta. The Special Jury Award was a tie between John Kwon’s Always Be Boyz and Ron Morales’ Santa Mesa. The jury was comprised of playwright/filmmaker Philip Kan Gotanda (Life Tastes Good), producer Gina Kwon (Me, You and Everyone We Know) and screenwriter Iris Yamashita (Letters From Iwo Jima).

The winner of the Best Documentary Feature Award in the Documentary Competition Section was Planet B-Boy, directed by Benson Lee. The Special Jury Award was given to Wings of Defeat, directed by Risa Morimoto. The jury was comprised of Kathryn Lo (Associate Director of Program Development and Independent Film at PBS), filmmaker Stanley Nelson (Jonestown: The Life and Death of the People’s Temple) and scholar/filmmaker Celine Parreñas Shimizu (Super Flip).

At the conclusion of the screenings in San Jose that ran March 21 – 23, the winners of the Comcast Audience Awards were announced. The winner of the Comcast Audience Award for Narrative Features was Om Shanti Om, directed by Farah Khan, while the winner for Documentary Features was Planet B-Boy, directed by Benson Lee.

During the 2008 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, I sat down with director Gina Kim to discuss her latest film, NEVER FOREVER, which is currently playing in San Francisco at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas. Kim grew up in Seoul, South Korea where she majored in Studio Art, before turning to Video Art at CalArts. She eventually made GINA KIM’S VIDEO DIARY and then her debut feature, INVISIBLE LIGHT. She views film as a “democratic medium” and a way to share her ideas with a wide audience. In her new film, Sophie is the Caucasian wife of her depressed and (unbeknownst to him) infertile Korean American husband. Sophie plots to make him happy and save the marriage by becoming pregnant. To do this, she begins an affair with a Korean man. Her feelings about both men, marriage, and children evolve dramatically in this compelling feature film.

RC: Tell me about the genesis for NEVER FOREVER.

KIM: I was always interested in the issue of the female body and female sexuality. Those have been the themes of all of my artmaking. Even when I was painting and making video art. In 2004, I started to teach at Harvard – a film production course as well as a Korean cinema course – so I had this wonderful chance to revisit all these classic movies that were made in the 1950’s and 60’s…I was really blown away by those films, because they were really radical…The 60’s Korean films were predominately melodramas, aimed for a women’s audience. They would touch upon the idea of women’s desire – like a women who gets money and then wants to run away from her husband. Or wants to have an affair, blah blah blah. The sad part was that feminism didn’t exist back then! (Laughs) So in the end, they compromise their integrity and go back home and ask forgiveness. But I thought, maybe I could combine the issues I’ve been struggling with…and use the genre of melodrama as a platform, but then not compromise the integrity of the female heroine, so that she could keep going until she gets what she really wants. From that point, the script just poured out of me, very easily.

Also, teaching at Harvard was a really great experience, not just because of the Harvard community, but also being in Boston. I was born and raised in Korea, and I lived in LA for a short period of time – I didn’t really have a lot of social consciousness for racism. When I was living in Boston, I noticed the stereotypes of Asian men – as an Asian woman, I was aware of the sexual connotations that get placed on the Asian woman’s body. But Asian masculinity was something new and fascinating. In this culture, East Asian men are not supposed to be sexual…stereotypes exist for East Asian men in this country…They’re seen as subhuman, outcastes (on one hand), and on the other hand, they’re these math geniuses or computer science geeks. But even the most successful Asian man has this anxiety of being emasculated. So I was looking for a way to combine all these racial issues and juxtapose them with the issues of feminism, and that became the premise of NEVER FOREVER.

RC: How would you define the Gina Kim genre?

KIM: I don’t think I’m that established to have a genre! (Laughs) But I think what’s important is to understand what people want in their lives. In most of my films, at some point, that question is brought up. In all of Ang Lee’s films, who I admire very much, the genre is not important – he just uses the genre as a platform, and says whatever he wants to say ultimately. He transforms, tweaks, and transcends the genre. I always want to explore the question “what do you want in your life?” Especially for women. Because it’s very hard for women to answer that question.

RC: That was Freud’s question – “what do women want?”

KIM: Yeah…and that was a really kind of derogatory question from Freud’s side, but I really want to subvert that question. But that’s what I always ask, “what do women want?” What would happen if she actually pursues that? That’s actually more important, I think. Sophie asks the question, then goes downhill, but ultimately gets what she wants. If she ends up killing people on the way, that becomes a horror film. If she falls in love by way of finding her true desire, then that becomes a melodrama. Or if she bumps into a lot of silly questions while traveling, that becomes a road movie or comedy. So the genre is not as important as the questions, the themes, that I want to talk about.

RC: What are you personally drawing on in your films?

KIM: My films are extremely autobiographical, in terms of what my characters think and feel. But in terms of what happens – that’s not related to my personal life at all. But I dig up my own psychology to come up with a story. That’s a bit narcissistic, but I think all art is more or less narcissistic anyway. I also draw from my family, friends, and surroundings. It’s just me trying to figure out what’s going on in my life and surroundings.

RC: In your film, the husband says to Sophie that she’s the “most unselfish person” he knows…but then there’s a change. Do you see that as being selfish?

KIM: One of the aesthetic aims I had with this film was to put multiple layers of irony onto a female body, which doesn’t really exist (in cinema). Unlike the complicated male characters. We’re either mothers or whores. We’re either sexual selfish beings or non-selfish mothers. I was sick and tired of those divisions, and wanted to put…contradictions on Sophie’s body. She starts out as a mother, then becomes a whore…but what’s interesting is that she becomes a whore because she wants to become a mother! Which negates the divisions, because that’s not true to begin with.

Ravi Chandra, M.D. (www.sfpsychiatry.com) is a psychiatrist and writer in San Francisco.

Seeing only two movies in two days might put a Superfan into withdrawals, but when they’re as good as THE HOME SONG STORIES and AMAL, you feel like you’re getting your full dose. They both are truly international films, the first from Australia (THSS was the Australian selection for the Best Foreign Film category of the Oscars), and the second by an Indian Canadian, Richie Mehta, but shot in India. Just like the other great films of the festival, they expanded our understanding of humanity, raising important, and still lingering questions.

As someone who’s personally and professionally interested in psychology, emotions, and motivations, the films were especially touching. THSS starred Joan Chen as a woman rife with turbulent emotions which lead her to harm herself. We watch her story unfold through the eyes of her children, particularly her young son. This is director Tony Ayres’ real-life story, as actor Steven Vidler noted before the film. It’s a harrowing and heart-rending tale, and the most poignant moments are near the end, as the son, now a writer, looks back with longing and despair to his memories of his beautiful and tragic mother. Joan Chen was present via a recorded interview (she is now in China shooting MAO’S LAST DANCER), and she spoke with great candor and introspection about the difficulties of playing the mother, who is not exactly a sympathetic character. She noted how important her own children are to her, and how difficult it was to empathize with and understand her role in the film. She also noted the classic conflict of modern parenting: every time she takes on a project, she’s had to leave her family for some time. All in all, THSS was a truly remarkable story. We desperately need more ways to understand each other, and THE HOME SONG STORIES was a dramatic example of that need.

As the festival moved to San Jose, so did I. AMAL (this year’s recipient of the Festival Jury’s Best Narrative Feature Grand Prize Award) gives us a striking contrast in characters – the title character is an autorickshaw driver with a heart of gold, while seemingly every other character is tainted by greed or selfishness. Our moral sense of justice is engaged as we root for this underdog. I won’t give away the ending, but…it’s an indie, so you can probably guess that it’s not a Hollywoodesque miracle finale. I asked director Richie Mehta if he had considered any other endings. “The financiers wanted a different ending,” he said, but he wanted to leave some questions open for audience interpretation. “What you feel at the end wholly depends on who you are.” That is, whether you feel happy or sad for Amal will depend on what you feel happiness consists of. Interestingly, he wanted viewers to get a sense that God and every single person in the film is subtly conspiring to protect Amal and his dharma, his essence or nature. I’d love to hear what other viewers thought of this ending. (Actor Vik Sahay was also on hand for Q and A; you can also see him on NBC’s CHUCK.)

Ravi Chandra, M.D. (www.sfpsychiatry.com) is a psychiatrist and writer in San Francisco.

26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival Wraps.

The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (March 13 - 23, 2008), presented by the Center for Asian American Media, wrapped with an estimated attendance of 30,000, including over 225 filmmakers, actors and industry guests. 57 of 113 shows-more than half-sold out, creating an exciting buzz throughout the event. The program featured eight world premieres, three North American premieres and four U.S. premieres of feature length films.

Award Winners Announced

The winners of the jury awards were announced on March 20 before the Closing Night screening. The competition films represent the best in Asian American and Canadian cinema. The winner of the Best Narrative Feature Award in the Narrative Competition section was Amal, directed by Richie Mehta. The Special Jury Award was a tie between John Kwon’s Always Be Boyz and Ron Morales’ Santa Mesa. The jury was comprised of playwright/filmmaker Philip Kan Gotanda (Life Tastes Good), producer Gina Kwon (Me, You and Everyone We Know) and screenwriter Iris Yamashita (Letters From Iwo Jima).

The winner of the Best Documentary Feature Award in the Documentary Competition Section was Planet B-Boy, directed by Benson Lee. The Special Jury Award was given to Wings of Defeat, directed by Risa Morimoto. The jury was comprised of Kathryn Lo (Associate Director of Program Development and Independent Film at PBS), filmmaker Stanley Nelson (Jonestown: The Life and Death of the People’s Temple) and scholar/filmmaker Celine Parreñas Shimizu (Super Flip).

At the conclusion of the screenings in San Jose that ran March 21 - 23, the winners of the Comcast Audience Awards were announced. The winner of the Comcast Audience Award for Narrative Features was Om Shanti Om, directed by Farah Khan, while the winner for Documentary Features was Planet B-Boy, directed by Benson Lee.

Narrative Competition

Best Narrative Feature Award:
Amal, Dir. Richie Mehta

Special Jury Award (tie)
Always Be Boyz, Dir. John Kwon
Santa Mesa, Dir. Ron Morales

Documentary Competition

Best Documentary Feature Award
Planet B-Boy, Dir. Benson Lee

Special Jury Award
Wings of Defeat, Dir. Risa Morimoto

Comcast Audience Awards

Narrative Feature
Om Shanti Om, Dir. Farah Khan

Documentary Feature
Planet B-Boy, Dir. Benson Lee

Starting on March 24th until April 3rd, 4 shorts and 1 feature length documentary from the 26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival will be up LIVE and FREE on Jaman.

The films from the 26th SFIAAFF available on Jaman:

• Against the Grain: An Artist’s Survival Guide to Peru, dir. Ann Kaneko
• The Nothing Pill, dir. Yu Gu
• The Bastard, dir. Dave Quion
• Long Distance, dir. Nelson Kim
• Canada, dir. Anjali Sundaram

In addition to the films from SFIAAFF, for a limited time you can get 3 free films on Jaman at www.jaman.com/sfiaaff.

Art Of The Independents

SFIAAFF Filmmakers Discussion Panel
SAT 3/22 | 3:00PM- 5:00PM | Free Event (Limited Seating)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (San Jose)
150 E. San Fernando St. | Room 255-257, Second Floor
Moderator: Ivan Jaigirdar, 3rd i (www.thirdi.org)

From Sundance to South By Southwest to the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, independent filmmaking is alive and kicking. Unique visions, singular stories and unforgettable characters populate the bold and daring films that expand how we look at cinema, independent projects which are unafraid to venture into worlds, truths and stories not being told by mainstream films. But how are these films made? What does it take to create a non-studio financed, more personal kind of cinema?

Join us for an intimate conversation at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in San José, as three of the highlighted directors at this year’s San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF) in San José discuss the art and craft of independent filmmaking. From developing their scripts to securing financing to stories from the big time worlds of Slamdance and the Toronto Film Festival, each will delve into the vibrant, unpredictable and exciting worlds of independent filmmaking.

Panelists:

• Richie Mehta, Director, Amal
• Anjali Sundaram, Director, Canada
• Frank Chan, Director, Since You’ve Been Ong

Co-presented by Contemporary Asian Theater Scene (CATS), First Thursdays, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose Public Library.

The 26th SFIAAFF is proud to announce its 2008 award winners in the categories of Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature.

Narrative Competition

The Best Narrative Award is presented to the best feature-length narrative film by or about Asian Americans and Asian Canadians, as selected by a three-person jury that included independent filmmaker and playwright Philip Gotanda, Gina Kwon, independent producer of projects including Miranda July’s You and me and Everyone We Know, and Academy Award winning screenwriter Iris Yamashita.

This year’s Narrative Competition consisted of 9 exciting new films, including 5 world premieres, that took on issues ranging from love and sex to table tennis. These films provoke, entertain and exhibit some of the best in Asian American cinema.

Congratulations to Amal, by director Richie Mehta, winner of this year’s Best Narrative Award.

In this remarkable film debut, the director demonstrates an uncannily mature command of craft, story-telling and direction. In telling this classic tale of morality, the director has created a perfectly pitched film, full of wonderfully understated performances and subtly beautiful moments.

For the Narrative Competition Special Jury Prize, the jurors felt there were two films equally deserving the award. Both presented the best of independent filmmaking: the telling of stories full of heart and honesty; the dedication to portraying authentic worlds; and the commitment to their specific visions.

Congratulations to Always Be Boyz, directed by Johnny Kwon, and Santa Mesa, directed by Ron Morales, this year’s Special Jury Prize winners in the Narrative Competition.

Documentary Competition

The Best Documentary Award is presented to the best feature-length documentary film by or about Asian Americans or Asian Canadians, as selected by a three-person jury that included Kathryn Lo, Associate Director of Program Development and Independent Film at PBS, Stanley Nelson, Bay Area-based documentary filmmaker, and Celine Parrenas Shimizu, Associate Professor of Asian American, Film and Women’s Studies at UC Santa Barbara.

This year’s Documentary Competition included seven documentaries that explored some of the most pressing and intriguing issues in Asian America. Far-reaching, personal, uplifting and thought-provoking, these select films prove themselves heavy contenders in the genre of documentary filmmaking.

Congratulations to Planet B-Boy, directed by Benson Lee, this year’s Best Documentary Award winner.

Planet B-Boy combines form and content to tell a story that is constantly entertaining and exciting. A story that gets at universal truths while dancing it’s way to our hearts.

For the Documentary Competition Special Jury Prize, the jury chose a film that tells the story of Kamikaze pilots during WWII in a way that is both universal and personnel. A film that brilliantly uses archival footage, animation and interviews to tell this harrowing and remarkable story.

Congratulations to Wings of Defeat, directed by Risa Morimoto, winner of this year’s Special Jury Prize in the Documentary Competition.