Category Archives: filmfestival

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2009 Trailer

The 25th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival takes place April 30 through May 7, 2009, at various venues in Los Angeles. That’s right the Silver Anniversary. This year, 35 feature films and 146 shorts and videos will be showcased throughout the 8-day fest. Here’s some of the highlights:

* OPENING NIGHT – CHILDREN OF INVENTION

* CENTERPIECE SPOTLIGHT – TREELESS MOUNTAIN

* CLOSING NIGHT – OSCAR® WINNING FILM – DEPARTURES

Also check out All About Dad, Dim Sum Funeral, White on Rice, Whatever It Takes, and Who Killed Vincent Chin? BTW – look for Wong Fu Productions shorts invading the festival.

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2009 Trailer

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Silver Anniversary Trailer

2009 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival

Yo Oregon!! Get ready for the return of the Fourth Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon, a truly grassroots celebration of the art of filmmaking and community. Over the last couple of years, DisOrient has garnered a national reputation for organizing a unique and quality film festival amongst industry and filmmaking professionals.

Here’s some highlights for the 2009 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival:

Opening film – Children of Invention

Centerpiece film – Karma Calling

Closing Film – White on Rice

Vincent Who?

I am that Girl – World premiere

The film festival takes place April 17-19, 2009 at the Bijou Art Cinemas in Eugene, Oregon. More details at the 2009 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival website here.

2009 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival Trailer

More Dirty Hands

We wrote about Dirty Hands : The Art & Crimes of David Choe. Looks like the film is making its way through the Asian American film circuit. It’s the opening film for the 2009 Chicago Asian American Showcase. Hey Chicago, get out and watch this film. It rocks!! Not only does the film rock, David Choe’s art rocks too!!

Here’s short profile of graffiti artist David Choe searching for a new direction and using art to find his way. Original air date: July 2004. (This actually uses some clips from the film.)

KQED Spark – David Choe

Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam

This film makes it’s world premiere today at the 2009 Vietnamese International Film Festival. If you are in the Los Angeles area check out the film. Here’s a synopsis:

“Operation Babylift” was a $2 million dollar US initiative that airlifted over 2,500 Vietnamese orphans out of a war-torn country to protect them from the impending threat of the Communist Regime. Coined by some as “one of the most humanitarian efforts in history,” it was also plagued by lawsuits and political turmoil. Even with the best intentions, these adoptees grew up facing a unique set of challenges in America, including prejudice overshadowed by a controversial war and cultural identity crisis. Now, almost thirty five years later, this documentary takes a candid look at a significant yet untold event as seen through the eyes of the volunteers, parents, and organizations directly involved, as well as uncovers the “lost” stories of the the adoptees and who they have become as adults. This documentary is a contemporary look at Babylift and its relevance to international adoption today through the eyes of the adoptees themselves. The movie features compelling and insightful interviews from a cross-section of adoptees and Babylift volunteers.

Learn more about Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam here. Also a shoutout to reader K. Pham for the assist.



Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam Trailer

2009 Chicago Asian American Showcase

Hey Chicago readers. The 2009 Asian American Showcase is coming your way April 3 – 16 at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The film festival spotlights film and videos, along with music and visual art, produced by Asian American artists from across the United States and Canada, in a varied range of format and genre. Highlights include:

Opening Night Film – Dirty Hands: The Arts and Crimes of David Choe

Dim Sum Funeral

Karma Calling

Half-life

Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown

You Don’t Know Jack:The Jack Soo Story

Closing Night – Treeless Mountain

Have fun out in Chicago!!

Dim Sum Funeral Trailer

2009 Vietnamese International Film Festival

If you are in the Los Angeles area, the 2009 Vietnamese International Film Festival is a few days away. The eight day showcase of Vietnamese and Vietnamese Diasporic filmmakers takes place from April 2 – 12, 2009. Screenings will take place at UC Irvine, UCLA, and Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. Some of this year’s featured events include:

Thu, April 2, 6:00pm – Opening Night Screening of FOOTY LEGENDS

Fri, April 3, 7:30pm – World premiere of OPERATION BABYLIFT: THE LOST CHILDREN OF VIETNAM, directed by Tammy Nguyen Lee.

Sat, April 4, 5:00pm – World premiere of SAD FISH, directed by Le-Van Kiet, starring Kieu Chinh, Long Nguyen, Jayvee Hiep Mai, and introducing Orchid Lam Quynh

Sat, April 11, 6:00pm – Spotlight Award Presentation to Dustin Nguyen (21 Jumpstreet, Little Fish, The Rebel, The Legend Is Alive) (UC Irvine campus, Irvine, CA)

Sun, April 12, 6:00pm – Closing Night Screening of ALL ABOUT DAD, directed by Mark Tran

For more details of the 2009 Vietnamese International Film Festival, visit their site here.

2009 Vietnamese International Film Festival