NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL JANUARY 25-28, 2007 | SEATTLE, WA
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FINAL REMINDER: JOURNEY FROM THE FALL & THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI opening Friday 4/20!


Don't forget to catch JOURNEY FROM THE FALL and THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI on the big screen in Seattle this weekend!

JOURNEY FROM THE FALL
Official website: www.journeyfromthefall.com
SEATTLE (DOWNTOWN), WA: Regal Meridian 16
SEATTLE (COLUMBIA CITY), WA: Columbia City Cinema

APRIL 20-26 Fri-Thurs at 7, 9pm
NORTHWEST FILM FORUM, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle WA 98122
Official website: www.thecatsofmirikitani.com
Buy tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/11048


// posted by W on Thursday, April 19, 2007  /  0 comments  /links to this post  
 

NWAAFF update, April 13, 2007


Lots going on in the next couple weeks (see below for details):

  • Tomorrow, April 14: A free screening of the powerful documentary SENTENCED HOME at Northwest Film Forum
  • Friday, April 20: Seattle theatrical premieres for our two most popular films from NWAAFF 2007, JOURNEY FROM THE FALL and THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI

If you were unable to watch JOURNEY or CATS at our festival, here's your chance to see what you missed!

Other news of note:

Also, lots of great pictures from NWAAFF 2007 on flickr.com. (Follow the link or search for the tag "nwaaff2007.")

P.S. Save the date: NWAAFF 2008 takes place January 24-27, 2008. Call for entries coming soon!

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APRIL 14 Sat at 4pm
NORTHWEST FILM FORUM, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle WA 98122
ITVS COMMUNITY CINEMA AND NORTHWEST FILM FORUM PRESENT:
SENTENCED HOME
(Nicole Newnham & David Grabias, USA, 2006, DVD, 73 min.)

Filmed in Seattle and Cambodia, SENTENCED HOME tells the stories of three young Cambodian refugees who each made a rash decision as a teenager that irrevocably shaped their destiny. Now facing deportation back to Cambodia years later, they find themselves caught between a tragic past and an uncertain future by a system that doesn’t offer any second chances. Local participants will attend. Admission free with RSVP to rsvp@communitycinemaseattle.org or (800) 930-6060.

Outreach website: www.itvs.org/outreach/sentencedhome

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JOURNEY FROM THE FALL

Inspired by actual events, JOURNEY FROM THE FALL follows one family's fight for freedom in the wake of war-torn Vietnam, communist political prison camps, and the mass exodus of boat people.

On April 30th, 1975, Long Nguyen chooses to stay in Vietnam against his wife's wishes and fight for his beloved country. Knowing that his decision may separate him from his family forever, he asks his wife, Mai, to leave their homeland for safer shores. Together with her son and mother-in-law, Mai reluctantly boards a tiny fishing boat bound for America and they begin a perilous journey across the sea, with nothing but hope to keep them alive.

Meanwhile, as the city of Saigon falls under communist rule, Long is captured and imprisoned in a series of re-education camps. There, he endures solitary confinement and witnesses the death of his friends, spiraling him downwards into a deep despair. Believing his family is dead, Long's faith is revived when a mysterious visitor brings news of their survival in the new world. In one moment his fate becomes clear, and he sets in motion a dangerous plan to escape and join his family in freedom.

Special Jury Prize, Newport Beach Film Festival • Audience Award, San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival • Grand Jury Award, San Diego International Film Festival

Official website: www.journeyfromthefall.com

STARTING 4/20/2007

SEATTLE (DOWNTOWN), WA: Regal Meridian 16
SEATTLE (COLUMBIA CITY), WA: Columbia City Cinema

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APRIL 20-26 Fri-Thurs at 7, 9pm
NORTHWEST FILM FORUM, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle WA 98122
SEATTLE THEATRICAL PREMIERE
CATS OF MIRIKITANI
(Linda Hattendorf, USA, 2006, 35mm, 74 min)

Unsentimental and frequently funny, CATS OF MIRIKITANI shows how individual goodness can mitigate against greater evils. “Make art not war” is Jimmy Mirikitani's motto. He’s a fiercely independent octogenarian artist. By 2001, however, he was living on the streets of New York City. Filmmaker Linda Hattendorf first noticed him bundled against the weather, concentrating on his colorful drawings. She began documenting their meetings. On 9/11/01, she found Jimmy still outdoors, coughing in the toxic dust. Bringing him to her apartment, they become impromptu roommates. The unassuming filmmaker and elderly artist explore Mirikitani’s painful past and seek out his long-lost relatives-aided and abetted by Hattendorf's pet cat. Mirikitani even travels back to the camp where he was interned, to make peace with the past. But most importantly, he shares his story with someone who listens.

After the Friday 7pm screening, special guests Linda Ando (2006 Tule Lake Pilgrimage Participant and Seattle CATS rep) and Cassie Chinn (Wing Luke Asian Museum Deputy Director of Programs and organizer of Jimmy Mirikitani's Seattle art exhibit in July 2006) will be available for Q&A.

After the Saturday 7pm screening, special guests Stan Shikuma (Tule Lake Pilgrimage Committee Member and Northwest CATS rep) and Linda Ando, (2006 Tule Lake Pilgrimage Participant and Seattle CATS rep) will be available for Q&A.

Official website: www.thecatsofmirikitani.com

Buy tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/11048

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New DVD from the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors!

"… biting, incisive, devastating comedy …"

—Ossie Davis, activist/actor, Do the Right Thing, Get on the Bus

Female Circumcision. Dancing Testicles. Bruce Lee Cooking. Chinese Geishas. These subjects are the basis for an average day of side-splitting sketch comedy from the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, an audacious pan-Asian comedy troupe from California. Hailed as one of the most devastatingly funny acts of the past decade, most of America has never heard of them. Mighty Warriors of Comedy provides a rousing introduction to the members and a thoughtful exploration of whether or not after twelve years of performing, the group will break out. The film traces the struggle that fringe artists face, and how that battle is complicated further by cultural identification.

To purchase:
http://catalog.asianamericanmedia.org/film/249

Official website: www.mightywarriorsofcomedy.com

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// posted by W on Friday, April 13, 2007  /  0 comments  /links to this post  
 

KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab


For filmmakers from the Korean diaspora...


Wanted: Overseas Korean Filmmakers

KOFIC(Korean Film Council) continues 2 nd Filmmakers Development Lab in Association With the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaii.
March 26, 2007 (Los Angeles) - In a major initiative to nurture and encourage emerging Overseas Korean filmmakers to bring their stories to the screen, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) announced today KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab 2007.

After the sensational success of the first Filmmakers Development Lab in 2006, the KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab will this year broaden its reach to include not only North American but to all international Korean filmmakers around the world. The Lab will be held in Hawaii from August 26 th to September 2nd, in partnership with the ACM(the Academy for Creative Media) at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu; CAAM(Center for Asian American Media) in San Francisco, and the IFP in New York. Following in September and October, the Lab Fellows will attend the IFP in New York and PPP (Pusan Promotion Plan) in Pusan International Film Festival in Korea to meet with relevant film industry representatives and organizations whom could potentially produce their projects.

"Through this incubator type of project, we will be able to promote a sharing and a merging of ideas between Korean and filmmakers of Korean descent around the world," states Ms. An Cheong Sook, KOFIC's Chairperson. "It is important to us that through this cross cultural experience, these filmmakers will be able to bring their talents and stories to markets and audiences around the world."

"Following the tremendous success of last year's inaugural KOFIC Filmmaker's Development Lab in partnership with the Academy for Creative Media (ACM) at the University of Hawaii, all of us at the ACM are thrilled and honored to continue our association with the Korean National Film Council's 2007 Filmmaker's Development Lab. We look forward to hosting old friends and new ones this year in Hawaii and the opportunity to discover and nurture emerging Korean filmmakers from around the world." said Chris Lee, Director of the Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaii.

Stephen Gong, Executive Director of CAAM adds "The Center for Asian American Media is absolutely thrilled to be part of KOFIC's 2007 Filmmaker Development Lab. This is one of KOFIC's many groundbreaking activities that illustrates their visionary leadership in the development of artists in international cinema."

Selected participants will be paired with industry mentors from both Korea and the United States, in an intensive week-long retreat. The goal of the Filmmakers Development Lab is to enable participants to develop a high quality script that could be presented to financiers and production companies. In addition, KOFIC is announcing that one of five Filmmaker Development Lab projects this year will be awarded USD 40,000 from KOFIC's Production Subsidy fund.

"These are exciting times for filmmakers and films from non-traditional sources," expresses KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab director, Roger Garcia, a well-regarded international film consultant and producer. "(The Lab) not only looks to identify the talent but also to present real-world scenarios to participants in developing and presenting their projects."

"While this project is an ambitious one, we believe the talent is there throughout the Korean diaspora," adds Garcia. "And through this incubator program, we hope to develop the next generation of great new filmmakers."

"IFP applauds KOFIC in its smart approach to developing Korean talent worldwide, irrespective of national borders," says Michelle Byrd, Executive Director of IFP. "We are pleased to welcome the Lab participants to this year's IFP Market Emerging Narrative program, a talent showcase which provides forty diverse screenwriters and writer/directors a forum to present new feature projects, meet with producers, and network with industry professionals who can help accelerated the development of their work, as well as their filmmaking careers."

The Korean Film Council is based in Seoul , Korea with a satellite office in Los Angeles. Its mission is to raise the standard of Korean films, and to promote the Korean film industry at home and abroad. KOFIC provides and supports programs to develop creative filmmakers, improve the production of low-budget films, raise the profile of Korean cinema, and create a network between filmmakers in the Korean, overseas Korean and international communities.

The Academy for Creative Media at the University of Hawaii, founded just three years ago, emphasizes digital cinema, computer animation and videogame design, and critical studies. Its student films have been screened at major national and international festivals. It is developing a Center for Indigenous Filmmaking, which will embrace story-tellers from Hawaii, the Pacific and Asia.

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM do es this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media.

IFP is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building the community for a full range of independent film. Headquartered in New York City, its year-round and annual programs offer education, mentorship and worldwide industry access to members and the independent film community at large. The IFP Market is a five-day national program connecting close to 200 projects with financiers, producers and programmers before they're completed and on the festival circuit.

Information on the KOFIC Filmmakers Development Lab, and how to apply is available online at http://fdl.kofic.or.kr

The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2007.

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// posted by W on Sunday, April 08, 2007  /  0 comments  /links to this post  

northwest asian american film festival is a production of northwest asian american theatre