In case you're still catching your breath after the big San Francisco fest, watch out, because the Chicago Asian American Showcase starts tonight with a screening of Eric Byler's AMERICANESE. Eric won the Audience Award for Best Feature at SXSW back in 2002 with his debut feature CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES, and he came roaring back to SXSW this year with his adaptation of local author Shawn Wong's seminal novel AMERICAN KNEES. Once again, Byler took the Audience Award for Best Feature and added an ensemble acting prize as well. Here's some background for y'all.

• Official site of the Chicago Asian American Showcase: The Foundation for Asian American Independent Media
  
  
• Chicago Sun-Times write-up of the Chicago Asian American Showcase: Art house films
  
  
• Roger Ebert review of AMERICANESE: :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews :: Americanese
  
  
• Interview with Eric Byler at SXSW in the Austin Chronicle: The Austin Chronicle: Screens: After the Crash
  
  
• Jeff Yang's ASIAN POP column on AMERICANESE: ASIAN POP / The Man Show
  
  
• AsianAmericanFilm.com interview with Eric Byler: Asian American Film: Features