Info from KCTS on a series coming later this month. It will air on two consecutive Wednesdays, 1/10 and 1/17 from 9:00-11:00 PM each night (two episodes per night).

CHINA FROM THE INSIDE is a series of documentaries, shot in high-definition, that explore China through Chinese eyes to see how their history has shaped them — and where their present is taking them. Few programs have gone beyond China's economic miracle to deal with the issues that this series takes on: governance, women, nature and freedom. Filmmaker Jonathan Lewis was granted access to regions deep inside China where few, if any, Western journalists have been permitted.

Episode descriptions:

101 "Power and the People"--How do you run China? Do it successfully, and you have a hugely prosperous, innovative and powerful empire to rival any the world has seen. Mess it up, and the chaos is vast and terrible. Today, the Communist Party faces a range of challenges. How is it dealing with corruption and rural unrest as well as the ideological by-products of burgeoning capitalism?

102 "Women of the Country"--"Women hold up half the sky," Mao said. Yet for centuries their feet were bound and their horizons were narrow. Deprived of opportunities, China's women suffered terribly. Today, Chinese women are starting to witness changes. The young in the cities have opportunities unimaginable to their grandmothers, who survived the Great Leap Forward, and their mothers, who denounced parents and teachers in the Cultural Revolution. Yet for millions of women in rural China, change remains painfully slow.

103 "Shifting Nature"--Episode three of CHINA FROM THE INSIDE deals with nature and the environment. The challenges of health, pollution and nutrition are mind-boggling. The Chinese are nearly a quarter of the world's population, yet they only have 7 percent of the world's arable land. Two hundred years before Christ, the Qin emperor built a one thousand-mile-long canal. Now the Chinese have proposed re-routing the Yellow River. At what price can China control nature?

104 "Freedom and Justice"--Can China have freedom without chaos? Capitalism without democracy? Education without independence of mind? What price do people pay for acting and thinking as individuals? China has a history of sometimes brutal repression. Religious belief affords a refuge from official dogma, but some faiths are seen as dangerous. The series closes with an exploration of this interlocking conflict between personal freedom and governance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING FOR 2007 FESTIVAL

Seattle, WA -- January 8, 2007 -- Northwest Asian American Film Festival announces its official selections for the 2007 edition of the festival taking place January 25-28, 2007. The largest showcase for Asian American films and videos in Washington, this year's lineup includes eight feature films and over three dozen films from the United States and Canada. Screenings will be at the Theatre Off Jackson in Seattle's International District except for the opening night features which will take place at Northwest Film Forum on Capitol Hill.

The festival will open with two films that were featured at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006 and have since received numerous awards and critical raves: EVE AND THE FIRE HORSE by Vancouver, BC director Julia Kwan, and JOURNEY FROM THE FALL by Vietnamese American filmmaker Ham Tran. These films will be presented in glorious 35mm film at Northwest Film Forum, a first for NWAAFF.

Other features include the family drama RED DOORS (dir. Georgia Lee), the underground film SCUMROCK (dir. Jon Moritsugu), and the Asian American musical COLMA: THE MUSICAL (dir. Richard Wong). Feature documentaries include MIGHTY WARRIORS OF COMEDY (dir. Sung H. Kim), THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI (dir. Linda Hattendorf), and THE SLANTED SCREEN (dir. Jeff Adachi).

Other programming highlights include the following:

• A program of short films exclusively showcasing works by Pacific Northwest filmmakers
• A program of award-winning short films curated by the Media That Matters Film Festival
• A special animation showcase curated by the San Diego Asian Film Festival
• A mid-festival party featuring CINEOKE (karaoke set to movies) hosted by Three Dollar Bill Cinema, producers of the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

Other special events include a pre-festival kickoff party which will feature a preview of the entire festival program and a closing night party.

SCHEDULE: Complete film listings are available at the festival's online schedule at www.nwaaff.org/schedule.

TICKETING: Advance tickets are now available for purchase online at www.nwaaff.org or by phone at 1-800-838-3006. Ticket prices are $10 for evening programs and $7 for afternoon shows with discounts available for students and seniors. Full festival passes good for all festival screenings and events are also available for purchase.

SPONSORS: Sponsors of NWAAFF 2007 include the Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Northwest Film Forum, Screaming Flea Productions, Theatre Off Jackson, Arts Engine, San Diego Asian Film Festival, Three Dollar Bill Cinema, Colors NW Magazine, Georgetown Brewing Company, Scarecrow Video, and Theresa Pan Hosley and Associate Travel.

The festival is a co-production of Theatre Off Jackson.

In other Asian American film festival news...

---------- Forwarded message ----------

AAIFF now accepting entries
Deadline (postmarked): Feb 9, 2007

Calling all filmmakers of Asian descent! The AAIFF is turning 30! Come celebrate with us July 19-28, 2007 this momentous occasion. We are now accepting film and video works for both features and shorts. Narrative, documentary, new media, animation, experimental, music video -- we consider all. We accept works produced, written and/or directed by media makers of Asian descent from any nationality. Deadline is Feb 9, 2007 (postmarked).

Submit your film online here, http://www.withoutabox.com/login/5751

Or you can also download the entry form here, http://www.asiancinevision.org/pdf/07AAIFF_CFE.pdf

Founded in 1978, the AAIFF is proudly known as the "First Home to Asian American Cinema." It was the nation's first festival dedicated to screening works by media artists of Asian descent and, 30 years later, the festival continues to be a leading showcase for Asian and Asian American film and video. The festival has many showcase categories, including Features, Shorts, Screenplay, Music Video, Works-in-Progress and For Youth By Youth.

For more about the festival and call for entries, go to http://www.asiancinevision.org/festival.html#cfe