Hey NYC, the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) kicks off today. (See our previous posts on the shorts line up and our recommendations.) The festival will run from July 23 through 26 at Clearview’s Chelsea Cinemas, the Visual Arts Theater and the Museum of Chinese in America. Not only will films be shown, they have also announced a number of non-screening events, including workshops, panels and parties, to be held throughout the Festival in addition to feature and short film screenings.

This year’s Work-in-Progress workshop, which leads filmmakers toward the final stages of a film production, will present a new documentary on Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress to reach critical acclaim in Hollywood. New this year is a workshop on Red One cameras, a new tool in digital recording that makes filmmaking technology substantially more accessible and affordable to the general public. (The Lumina Series was shot with Red cameras.)

Carrying on in its mission to engage emerging Asian and Asian American filmmakers, AAIFF will host one of its staple events: a one-on-one conversation with a well known filmmaker. In the spotlight at this year’s Festival is Ivy Ho, Hong Kong screenwriter and director of AAIFF’s Opening Night Presentation, “Claustrophobia”. This event provides a great opportunity for audience to engage in a more intimate dialogue with the writer. AAIFF is also proud to present a staged reading of its ninth Screenplay Competition winner. “The Emperor Has Arrived”, written by Jay Paramsothy and Catherine Torphy, is a fish-out-of-water tale of a young Indian American architect who must fly from New York to Malaysia to perform traditional Hindu rituals for his recently deceased father.

In addition to the informational panels and workshops, parties will be hosted on every night of the Festival. Unique among these events is AAIFF SoundMiX, a party and entertainment event that will feature music videos as well as live performances by local artists Big Phony and P.I.C.

Here’s some details on the events:

*Work-in-Progress Workshop*

Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words dir. Yunah Hong

Time: Friday, July 24, at 7:00 p.m.

Location: Tribeca Cinemas

*Red One Workshop*

Time: Saturday, July 25, at 1:00 p.m.

Location: Museum of Chinese in America

*One-on-One with Ivy Ho*

Time: Saturday, July 25, at 3:00p.m.

Location: Museum of Chinese in America

*Copyright, Independent Media, and the Internet—New Tools and Controversies*

Time: Sunday, July 26, at 3:30p.m.

Location: Museum of Chinese in America

*Screenplay Reading*

The Emperor Has Arrived written by Jay Paramsothy and Catherine Torphy

Time: Sunday, July 26, at 1:00p.m.

Location: Museum of Chinese in America

*Opening Night Gala*

Time: Thursday, July 23, at 9:00p.m.

Location: BLVD, 199 Bowery

Time: Friday, July 24, at 10:00p.m.

Location: Slate, 54 West 21st Street

*Centerpiece Reception*

Time: Saturday, July 25, at 9:00p.m.

Location: 310 Lounge, 310 Bowery

Closing Night Gala

Time: Sunday, 26, at 9:00p.m.

Location: Velour, 297 Tenth Aveune

2009 Asian American International Film Festival Trailer