The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival - March 11-21, 2010 – is now accepting submissions for its 28th festival. Submit early and save on submission fees!

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.

Details and guidelines can be found online at www.festival.asianamericanmedia.org/submissions/information/.

For my trip to Seattle, I took a flip camera with me to capture some of the sights and sounds of this beautiful city during the Seattle Int’l Film Festival. Great movies, flying fish, and lots and lots of coffee!

By Vicci Ho

Red carpets, celeb spotting, la Croisette…Oh! The glamorous Festival de Cannes! When I told others I would make my maiden voyage to the South of France, they expected to ’spot me on television’ and ‘rub shoulders with Brangelina.’ Well…wouldn’t that be nice?

Attending the Cannes Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, is certainly an exciting adventure for me. It is important to dispel the myths right away: most people attending the festival are not going to be seen on television worldwide. Between hundreds of screenings, meetings, receptions and parties on a daily basis, time is never on your side. As a first-timer there, I had to get to speed with how to navigate the festival quickly.

Between finding the venues for screenings (and am still struggling to learn how to pronounce Salle du Soixanteme), one thing I learned quickly is if your badge doesn’t give you priority (mine didn’t), get used to queuing up for screenings and getting turned away once it is full or when the film commences. For Official Selection screenings at the Grand Theatre Lumiere, a ticket is required, and involves a complicated point system that will determine when and whether you have enough points to secure an ‘Invitation.’ The hottest ticket this year is Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds: everywhere you go there are signs pleading for a ticket. One explanation for the glamour: when the ticket says ‘Evening Dress Required,’ which are for all evening screenings at the Lumiere, they enforce the black tie rule!

While there are films that I didn’t manage to see in Cannes, I saw plenty that will surely be appearing in cinemas and festivals around the world in upcomng months. While Cannes veterans tell me that there are less people at the festival this year as a result of the global economic downtown, it is impossible not to sense the enthusiasm from attendees eager to discover new films by both newcomers and veterans from across the world. Not one day goes by in Cannes without a discussion of films amongst friends and colleagues, via twitter, over meetings, lunches and dinners…be it civil or heated, it is always passionate.

For the record, while I did spot some filmmakers and celebrities during the festival, I did not get a ticket to Inglorious Basterds and see Brangelina. I did, however, see Tarantino in the audience at a market screening!

“This year’s Festival, from the films to the filmmakers to the audiences reconfirmed the dynamism of Asian American cinema – incredible films are being made, and audiences are hungry for them. We look forward to seeing many of this year’s films on screens nation-wide in the coming months.” - Festival Director Chi-hui Yang

The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (March 12 – 22, 2009), presented by the Center for Asian American Media, wrapped with an estimated attendance of over 25,000, including over 200 filmmakers, actors and industry guests. 50 of 97 shows—more than half—sold out, creating an exciting buzz throughout the event. The program featured seven world premieres, one North American premiere and two U.S. premieres of feature length films.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
The festival opened and closed with films from Korea, with Lee Yoon-ki’s breezy portrait of Seoul, MY DEAR ENEMY, at the Castro Theatre and So Yong Kim’s coming-of-age tale TREELESS MOUNTAIN closing out the San Francisco portion of the festival at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas. Both directors graced the stages to answer questions about their films.

In between, highlights included a screening of Ang Lee’s LUST, CAUTION at the PFA, with Lee in conversation with UCB professor Linda Williams. Other panels included Alex Tse, screenwriter for WATCHMEN discussing screenwriting in Hollywood, while CAAM unveiled its HAPAS.US website, which focuses on bringing the multiracial Asian American community together.

A retrospective of the works of Kiyoshi Kurosawa offered screenings of many of his under-seen films including: THE REVENGE: THE SCAR THAT NEVER FADES (1997) and THE REVENGE: A VISIT FROM FATE (1997). Also screening was Kurosawa’s latest film TOKYO SONATA, which won the prestigious Un Certain Regard prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Another spotlight, on the work of Takahiko Iimura, showcased his experimental works, featuring rarely screened films and videos in two programs: “’60s Experiments & Early Conceptual Videos” and “On Time in Film.” Kurosawa and Iimura were both on hand at screenings to discuss their cinematic influences and answer questions.

Other film luminaries in town to present films included Lynn Chen (WHITE ON RICE), Joan Chen (24 CITY), and Julia Nickson and Leonardo Nam (HALF-LIFE).

This year’s Directions In Sound, the festival’s annual live music event, featured gritty/sultry hip-hop artist Nosaj Thing and the avante-garde fusion of Mochipet, among several other SF sensations. The day-long Festival Forum, in Japantown’s Peace Plaza, showcased another selection of local musicians and dancers, including b-boys and b-girls, Japanese bluegrass artist Toshio Hirano (featured in Oscar Bucher’s WAITING FOR A TRAIN: THE TOSHIO HIRANO STORY), and indie-rock trio Cast of Thousands. The free, outdoor event ended with a screening of the Japanese mockumentary BIG MAN JAPAN and this year’s ever-popular installment of Music Video Asia.

World Premieres
The Festival’s Centerpiece presentation this year was the sold-out, energetic world premiere at the Castro of local talent H.P. Mendoza’s directorial debut, FRUIT FLY. Adding directorial and editing credits to his usual as writer and composer (COLMA: THE MUSICAL), Mendoza unspooled another singing and dancing romp through the local environs. The large local cast and crew attended the gala with Mendoza to present the film and answer the adoring audience’s queries.

Other World Premieres included colorful comedy KARMA CALLING (Sarba Das, USA), humorous family film WHITE ON RICE (David Boyle, USA), poignant portrait of youthful love and dating THE PANDA CANDY (Peng Lei, China), inspiring South Bronx high school documentary WHATEVER IT TAKES (Chris Wong, USA), and biopic YOU DON’T KNOW JACK: THE JACK SOO STORY (Jeff Adachi, USA).

Attending Guests
Some of the guests who graced the 27th SFIAAFF were: actor Hiroshi Watanabe (WHITE ON RICE), journalist and subject Asra Nomani (THE MOSQUE IN MORGANTOWN), filmmakers ED RADTKE (THE SPEED OF LIFE), Jennifer Phang (HALF-LIFE), Senain Kheshgi and Geeta Patel (PROJECT KASHMIR), Christopher Wong (WHATEVER IT TAKES) Brittany Huckabee (THE MOSQUE IN MORGANTOWN), Kimberlee Bassford (PATSY MINK: AHEAD OF THE MAJORITY), Sarba Das (KARMA CALLING), Tze Chun (CHILDREN OF INVENTION), and Public Defender cum filmmaker Jeff Adachi (YOU DON’T KNOW JACK: THE JACK SOO STORY). Many shorts filmmakers were in attendance as well, including Carol Ho and Mei Ann Teo (NOT HERE), Sergio De La Torre (NUEVO DRAGON CITY), A. Moon (OBJECT LOSS) and Aram Collier (THE OTHERS).

New to the festival this year were seven student delegates, selected from colleges and universities across the country. The students sat in private meetings with filmmakers and attended specially organized screenings to engage more deeply with Asian American cinema. In addition, over 40 delegates representing 15 Asian American film festivals from various U.S. and Canadian cities attended and participated in the Festival’s annual national convening of film festivals.

JURIED & AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The Festival is pleased to announce the winners of its two juried competitions for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature, and the winners of its Comcast Audience Award. The winners are:

Narrative Competition
Best Narrative Feature: HALF-LIFE, Dir. Jennifer Phang
Special Jury Prize: CHILDREN OF INVENTION, Dir. Tze Chun

The Narrative Competition Jury included: Variety critic Justin Chang, filmmaker Alice Wu (SAVING FACE) and Manami Iiboshi, Director of Program and Distribution at Viz Pictures. Of the winning film, HALF-LIFE, the jury stated:
“It’s rare to encounter a film with both a sensitive dramatic touch and an extraordinary visual imagination. For these reasons and more, the jury is pleased to present its narrative award to Half-Life, a film that provocatively, and with no small measure of dark humor, considers the end of the world through the salvation of one family. It announces Jennifer Phang as a striking and original new voice in independent film.”

Of the Special Jury Prize winner CHILDREN OF INVENTION:
“Children of Invention was blessed with strong presence of actors. Especially Cindy Cheung’s true and delicate performance as a struggling Chinese single mother was outstanding. The heartbreaking child actors were unforgettable as well. Tze Chun succeeded to capture the chemistry of each character by using precise and insightful observations.”

Documentary Competition:
Best Documentary Feature: THE MOSQUE IN MORGANTOWN, Dir. Brittany Huckabee Special Jury Prize: DIRTY HANDS: THE ART AND CRIMES OF DAVID CHOE, Dir. Harry Kim

The Documentary Competition Jury included: Santhosh Daniel, Director of Programs at the Global Film Initiative, Eddie Wong, Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and filmmaker Satsuki Ina (FROM A SILK COCOON). Of the winning film, THE MOSQUE IN MORGANTOWN the jury stated:

“This film demonstrated an exceptional skill with camera, editing and the ability to objectively respect—rather than objectify—its subject. The narrative was given room to speak and not deified or vilified, which is often the case with such an obvious and volatile political subject—that a director will choose to draw conclusion, rather than draw out the story. This patience by which the story is revealed reflects directorial maturity, and the use of music as a contextual and transitional modifier speaks to this, both underscoring the emotional and cultural location of a “mosque in Morgantown,” and serving as an intelligent metronome to the unfolding conflict.”

Of the winner of the Special Jury Prize, DIRTY HANDS, the jury stated:
“This is a film like no other about an individual that has no comparison. And it is what every artist working with film hopes to experience and achieve: a perfect, almost sublime, match between camera and subject. Stimulating, profane and sometimes uncomfortable, both move in step with each other, screaming and dragging the audience into an insanely energized and zig-zag narrative that is impossible to separate from the artist, or his wildly kinetic art. Entirely refreshing, beneath the intoxicating pace and intensity is a noteworthy choice to frame the individual first through his work, rather than through his Asian American identity.”

COMCAST AUDIENCE AWARD:
Best Narrative Feature: FRUIT FLY, Dir. H.P. Mendoza
Best Documentary Feature: PATSY MINK: AHEAD OF THE MAJORITY, Dir. Kimberlee Bassford

THE SFIAAFF gratefully acknowledges its sponsors
The 27th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), is supported in part by Comcast, Toyota, Asian Art Museum, Macy’s, Noon, Hotel Tomo, Oscar Printing Company, Southwest Airlines, University of San Francisco Center for the Pacific Rim & Master of Arts in Asia Pacific Studies Program, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, Grants for the Arts, Koret Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, San Francisco Tobacco Free Project, Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, and The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. CAAM is supported with major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

For more information about the festival, e-mail festival[at]asianamericanmedia[dot]org.

JURIED & AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!

The Festival is pleased to announce the winners of its two juried competitions for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature, and the winners of its Comcast Audience Award. The winners are:

Narrative Competition

Best Narrative Feature: HALF-LIFE, Director Jennifer Phang

Special Jury Prize: CHILDREN OF INVENTION, Director Tze Chun

The Narrative Competition Jury included: Variety critic Justin Chang,
filmmaker Alice Wu (SAVING FACE) and Manami Iiboshi, Director of Program and
Distribution at Viz Pictures.

Documentary Competition

Best Documentary Feature: THE MOSQUE IN MORGANTOWN, Director Brittany Huckabee

Special Jury Prize: DIRTY HANDS: THE ART AND CRIMES OF DAVID CHOE, Director
Harry Kim

The Documentary Competition Jury included: Santhosh Daniel, Director of
Programs at the Global Film Initative, Eddie Wong, Executive Director of the
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and filmmaker Satsuki Ina (FROM
A SILK COCOON).

COMCAST AUDIENCE AWARD

Best Narrative Feature: FRUIT FLY, Director H.P. Mendoza

Best Documentary Feature: PATSY MINK: AHEAD OF THE MAJORITY, Director
Kimberlee Bassford

Check out the videos shot by your fellow festival fans! Using video cameras rented out by CAAM, the festivalgoers became filmmakers, capturing their own perspectives on different people and events at the 2009 SFIAAFF Festival Forum.

See them all HERE!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

by Lauren Winsor Stenmoe

My head is swimming. The festival moved down south this weekend to downtown San Jose and talk about an entirely different experience from San Francisco. The festival is lighter and the space is smaller, but I’ve run into more directors and had more fascinating conversations than I had the opportunity to do through the whole week in San Francisco.

The first night was WHITE ON RICE, a family comedy about a Japanese-American family in the United States. With all the heaviness that has permeated the festival, this film gave a sigh of comedic relief. What I found was most fascinating about this film was that it was written by an American Mormon Missionary who learned Japanese while living in Australia. Who would have thought, right? But unlike many American directors who have tackled Japanese culture, he pinned it down for the win and played on that knowledge to give it a comedic kick.

Saturday, Van and I were treated to THE EQUATION OF LOVE AND DEATH and CHILDREN OF INVENTION. Love and Death was a phenomenal thriller that pushed genres and literally kept you at the edge of your seat each moment. The lead actress, Xing Zuo, was mesmerizing, I made a note to go and check out other things that she has been in. She plays the character of Su perfectly, juxtaposing her tough woman taxi driver act with the tortured lovesick girl buried just beneath the surface. Her goal is to find her lost lover and every person who gets in her cab is shown a magazine filled with pictures of him, just in case they have seen him. I don’t want to give any of it away since the suspense lies completely in the fact that you are constantly in the dark, but still one step ahead of any of the characters.

CHILDREN OF INVENTION (winner of the Special Jury prize) like many of the films at the festival, deals with abandoned children. Set in Massachusetts, a single Chinese-American mother and her two children lose their home to foreclosure when their mother loses thousands in a multi-level marketing scheme. Their father, who has relocated to Hong Kong, is significantly deficient in his child support payments. When the mother again gets entangled in a second make money quick pyramid scheme, her children are left to fend for themselves. Based on much of the director’s real experiences, it’s a powerful portrayal of what many of us are experiencing in this bad economy and the struggles of one Asian-American family.

Today I saw the collection of shorts MIXTAPE 4: MSG, which was a trip to say the least. While experimental work is usually not my thing, I did enjoy the imagination and courage of these films to go where most films would tread away from. That’s exactly what shorts are meant to do.

MOSQUE IN MORGANTOWN was my final film of the festival (insert sadness here) and what a way to go out. As the documentary competition winner, I set the bar high for this one and it did not let me down. The filmmaker, Brittney Hucklebee did a phenomenal job tackling a tough and controversial subject. Asra Nomani is known for her dedication to bring equality to the sexes in Islam, and leaders are known for being against it. It was interesting to see both sides of the story. Hucklebee played these sides equally, giving opportunity for the audience to draw their own conclusions. I could easily see where they were both coming from and how they both are extremists in their own right. I agree that women (or men for that matter) should never be beaten for any reason whatsoever. I also strongly believe that women are entitled to the same rights as men regardless of how childbearing capabilities separates us. But I could see where the Islamic leaders were coming from in their principles. They believe the Koran to be the ultimate truth and a woman’s place is explicitly dictated and that’s something I can respect.

But at the same time, I didn’t agree with how Nomati went about it. There was one moment in the film where one of the more progressive leaders was having a discussion with Nomati and her supporters about the issue. I felt like she almost had a all or nothing stance on the issue, much like the leaders but in the other direction. Neither was willing to budge. But the progressive leader seemed willing to take baby steps. He wanted to work on a more subtle integration of women’s rights and I believe that would have worked. By calling attention to it by calling news stations and writing reports, it felt like the leaders only dug their heels in harder. Sometimes a lot of noise needs to be made to make a change, but I almost wonder if a quiet movement, one mosque at a time, would accomplish more to come up with independent solutions that appease both.

What I never understood is the issue of the men being too attracted to the women for them to be in the front of the Mosque. Why do you have to isolate them on a balcony with a wall that blocks their view? Why not put them in the front but on the sides or in the back? It still would be separated but at least then they would be allowed to worship in the same space and feel apart of the community. I don’t know as much about Islam as I would like to and I tend to be one who compromises instead of confronts, so maybe it’s just not something that I personally am able to understand.

It’s so sad to think that the festival is over now. I can’t even begin to express how amazing this whole experience was and how much I feel like I’ve grown in just this short time. I’m so inspired to make films now; I can barely contain it. Especially after seeing THE SPEED OF LIFE, which I ended up seeing twice and probably would have gone a third time if it showed again. Something in it resonated with me and I know it’s a film that I’m going to carry with me for a long time. I only hope my films can evoke the amount of emotion that Ed Radtke was able to achieve in that film. Meeting him also made it seem so reasonable, like filmmaking is not some magic goal that only a couple of people can aspire to. If you are driven and passionate and believe in your work, you can have it made.

Thank you to everyone at CAAM for such an incredible festival!! And to my fellow delegates, you guys rock. It’s been amazing to get to know you and go through this experience with you. This has been almost beyond what words can properly describe.

Congratulations to EVERETT CHAN, grand prize winner of the Best Fest Photo Contest! Everett wins two roundtrip tickets to Las Vegas, a three night stay at the Wynn Las Vegas and a $500 Macy’s shopping spree, courtesy of Southwest Airlines, Wynn Las Vegas and Macy’s! Congratulations Everett!

Photo by Everett Chan

Congrats to our finalists, Elaine Go, Yuki Chung and Michael Jeong! Check out their photos HERE!
Check out all contest submissions here!

by Rebecca Chan

I seem to focus heavily on the big pieces (besides FRUIT FLY), opening night’s MY DEAR ENEMY and last night’s closing feature, TREELESS MOUNTAIN. But anyhow, the story follows two sisters whose mother leaves them behind and they’re left to take care of themselves.

(L-R: Kim Song-Hee as little sis, Bin, and Kim Hee-Yeon as big sis, Jin)

Director So Yong Kim said to the audience after the screening last night that she didn’t create this film or the story based on themes, but on emotions or the universality of human emotion through a child. But despite that, the film is pretty clear in touching thematic aspects that the audience picked up.

Jin and Bin and their mother live in the urban setting of Korea in the beginning, and even though they’re poor, it’s still a pretty modern environment. When their mother leaves them with their alcoholic-prone-hence-amazingly-negligent big aunt, the girls are transported to a much suburban town with only their clothes and a disturbing looking piggy. Okay, I don’t blame Bin for messing around with the pig because I have two of those at home and they’re not the most attractive things on planet Earth. Mother dearest tells them that once they fill it all up with coins, she’ll come back for them. The audience is all, “Fat chance kiddos.” But we hope they will persevere because they’re our protagonists. And well, they’re cute.

Big Aunt’s village is pretty barren, there’s a lot of rubble and grasshoppers, which Jin cleverly uses as profit commodities until she burns them and kids are basically paying to eat ash. But Jin is no longer enrolled in school so she and her sister have to amuse themselves while their aunt is off doing who knows what. What gets me during the girls’ stay at their aunt’s is when they realize they can turn all their big coins into small coins to fill up their piggy bank faster. Too bad the whole thing is a big let down, sitting at the bus stop, waiting for their mother…until Jin reaches the tragic revelation for a child that mom? Ain’t coming back.

Aunt’s finally fed up with them and makes up a letter (or not) that she pretends their mother has written them, telling them that it’s time to move in with Grandpa and Grandma. If you thought Big Aunt’s town sucked, wait until you see Grandpa and Grandma’s place; it’s out in the freaking BU-FU. This place is so rural, it’s primitive. Electricity? Right, there’s a fireplace. At least with Big Aunt, there were other people around, other kids to play with. With Grandpa and Grandma, the girls work. By this time, Jin’s and Bin’s clothes are quite worn out, the faux fur on Bin’s dress is grey, and Jin’s clothes probably have holes if inspected closely. Food has progressed from some relevance of meals (fishcake soup, sweet buns) to sweet potatoes being roasted in the ashes.

At one point in the bu-fu, Bin says to her sister, “I miss home, I miss mom…I even miss Big Aunt.” There’s nothing like saying you miss a person that hardly even paid attention to you, forgot to feed you, was so stingy that buying just something a little new for you would be impossible. And being in the bu-fu nowhere, that shows exactly how lonely it is with no one but two people who are too old to do all that labor.

We know the piggy bank is symbol of false hope, of a burden that Jin and Bin carries around until Jin sees Grandma’s shoes has holes in them and she gives up the piggy bank to her to get new shoes. At that moment, the burden is lifted and Jin has reached a place of understanding, of acceptance of her and her sister’s new life. Yes, we know, she grew up.

Throughout the movie, I felt claustrophobic, mainly because there were so many tight frames and not a lot of wide frames (understandable because So Yong Kim tells us that she literally sat/stood next to the kids and delivered their lines for them and if it wasn’t tight, she’d be in frame). And the lack of musical score? Definitely helped enhance the loneliness the girls face, the barren landscape, etc.

Man, what a film. And the kids had no idea they were making such a thing.

Stuff I must catch later because of midterms: TOKYO!, HALF-LIFE

by Rebecca Chan

Today’s agenda consisted of me running up Post street. It was cold, the wind was blowing into my face, and it was uphill; I felt like I was jogging in place. And more forgetfulness on my point to take any pictures. Geez.

Multimedia/Multiracial Panel with Michella Rivera-Gravage, Ed Radtke, and Jennifer Phang

In which lots of notes were taken and I asked a question about the lack of diverse representation in mainstream media and how “we” can outreach the “multi-ethnic” identity to a wider audience. It may or may not have been answered but that’s okay. Never knew about hapa until they brought it up (basically mixed race if you didn’t know either). Intriguing topic, have notes but too lazy to take them out.

Met with Ed Radtke, director of THE SPEED OF LIFE

He’s chill…man. It was also quite chilly outside; thank goodness I ordered something hot to drink. We discussed stuff–to be more elaborate, how he fleshed out his characters, the process of doing something you like… Sevgi Sungun Stephenson from Turkey was also present; she was so sweet. :)

Kashmir–location, tucked in the north between Pakistan and India, a regional conflict that the documentary has shown that it is too complex to really talk about, to show, to write about. Is the violence a product of religious clash? Or are the conflicts religiously motivated political move on behalf of the majority Muslims in retaliation to the Indian Army based in the region? What is going on? Made by two American friends, an Indian (Geeta Patel) and a Pakistani (Senain Kheshgi), the film attempts to show the ongoings through the eyes of these outsiders, basically portraying their confusion, their inability to grasp the situation. Because as the movie comes to an end, you know that despite everything they showed you, you don’t know any better than in the beginning besides acknowledging and being aware. The only people that do, well, they’re in Kashmir.

[Incredibly raw eye-opener, wears down your protective shields, might make you tear up a bit but so worth seeing–just fyi.]

Directed by Christopher Wong. Takes place in the South Bronx, the nation’s poorest location as well as the worst education made available. Follows first year principal, Edward Tom (Asian dude!) and his school, the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics. The kids, a hundred of teenagers who are not exactly your epitome of squeaky-clean students, especially Sharifea. It’s a good look at kids, who are often not given a chance in the world of academia, immediately discarded as those with no hope. I think that it is a very rigorous effort on behalf of Ed Tom, yet at the same time, what about those who are just not made for the educational system? What do we do for them?

Tomorrow, last day with my fellow delegates what? D: It’d be cool if we could have hung out some more…and if the festival didn’t fly flat on our midterms….