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Our hard-working Film Festival programmers have recommendations for you. Be sure not to miss any of these great films!
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| Is this a documentary or mockumentary? Watch this hilarious short to find out what Manoj is all about and why you won't forget his name. | |
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Showing in Program 35, on Sunday, May, 04 03:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| This alluring short invites us into its world of gambling, hierarchies, drama, action, and romance. The cinematography and music recall the '60s with noir and flair. | |
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Showing in Program 43, on Sunday, May, 04 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| The subject of Indo-Canadian gangs is intriguing but this film becomes gripping when the protagonists emerge to the foreground. With a lot at stake for the subjects, this is a personal documentary you won't want to miss. | |
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Showing in Program 22, on Saturday, May, 03 07:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| This short creates a powerful journey into memory and childhood and its execution is beautiful and poignant. A precious mystery. | |
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Showing in Program 18, on Saturday, May, 03 05:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| With ironic twists and complex characters, this Korean school drama is entertaining, subtle and thought provoking. I love the ending. | |
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Showing in Program 18, on Saturday, May, 03 05:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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ELENA SHIZUKA BOVETTI is a Japanese and Italian American filmmaker whose short works have been screened at VC FILMFEST, SDAFF and AZN Television. After working in feature post-production she is back to working on her thesis documentary for the UCLA Asian American Studies MA program.
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| There's something emotionally simple yet true about this film. Director Chen succeeds at capturing the subtleties of life as filtered through many characters. GRANDMA will put a smile on your face or bring tears to your eyes; either way, it'll bring the emotions out of you. | |
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Showing in Program 33, on Sunday, May, 04 02:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| Director Julia Kwan (EVE & THE FIRE HORSE) does an excellent job at defining family, relationships, and the audience will get to really experience how Chinese family portraits are like. You'll be definitely smiling but I wouldn't be surprised if you'll laugh all the way throughout this film. | |
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Showing in Program 33, on Sunday, May, 04 02:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| If you are looking for a film that will keep you guessing at the edge of your feet, this is a must see film that will challenge your perceptions about hope, fate, and the real price of living in America. You'll watch it like reading a book and every chapter is as suspenseful as the next. | |
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Showing in Program 7, on Friday, May, 02 10:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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Showing in Program 60, on Saturday, May, 03 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| For anyone who has ever had crushes and need a strategic way of winning hearts, this film is cleaver, witty, and ties up all the loose ends that most romantic comedies fail to do. This film will definitely make you think, or think twice about falling in love. | |
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Showing in Program 25, on Saturday, May, 03 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| Like the title of the film, this experimental narrative piece is hot and will make you sweat after watching it. There's no way to describe it, you just have to trust me and watch it. | |
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Showing in Program 7, on Friday, May, 02 10:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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Showing in Program 60, on Saturday, May, 03 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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HUY CHHENG grew up in Echo Park. As a child, she knew she wanted to pursue arts, which developed into a passion for filmmaking after taking a family road trip to Seattle during her senior year of high school. After taking her first film course in college, she was hooked. She has directed several short films including ANGEL, playing in this year's Film Festival, in addition to directing and producing documentaries. Currently, Huy is wrapping up her feature, DEAD TREES, and is working on a feature length-documentary.
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| Director Doughrity brings a uniquely L.A. love story to the screen in this engaging and award-winning short. We're fortunate to be screening the Director's Cut, which adds even greater dimension to the story. Festival fixture, James Kyson Lee, stars. | |
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Showing in Program 2, on Friday, May, 02 07:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| Director William Lu has assembled an elite group of API actors to portray an elite police task force. Part action flick and part farce, the film is all fun. The short features some of the best API actors you'll find-and not just because of their mad martial arts skills including James Huang and Jerry Ying. Festival favorite Kathy Uyen also stars. | |
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Showing in Program 43, on Sunday, May, 04 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| Past Golden Reel Nominee Eli Akira Kaufman returns the to festival in a follow-up to his much lauded WINNING THE PEACE. The setting and tone are completely different from his previous work, demonstrating his amazing versatility as a writer and director. | |
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Showing in Program 25, on Saturday, May, 03 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| PROMISE hits the screen hard, but at its core is a tragic love story. But who's story is it? What I loved about the film was it left you wanting more-in a good way-and allows the viewer to draw a number of their own conclusions. | |
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Showing in Program 43, on Sunday, May, 04 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| Writer/Director Rain Breaw captures a heart-wrenching tale of a Cambodian family who has escaped the Khmer Rouge and come to America. The focus is the young Sann, captivatingly portrayed by Tony LaThanh, who struggles with harrowing memories. Breaw enriches the live action with beautiful animation. | |
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Showing in Program 22, on Saturday, May, 03 07:30 PM.
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JIM HERR returns for the sixth year as a shorts programmer. Jim recently became the Director of Diversity at Film Independent where he's working on creating the Center for Diverse Filmmaking. Jim serves on the board of directors for Visual Communications and East West Players.
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| Use your imagination. The title is self-explanatory. | |
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Showing in Program 57, on Wednesday, May, 07 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| This hilarious piece is bold and daring. It teaches us to never give up! | |
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Showing in Program 33, on Sunday, May, 04 02:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| A highly artistic and stylized short that will leave you more than just satisfied. | |
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Showing in Program 2, on Friday, May, 02 07:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| A heart-wrenching short about a young boy who tries to hold on to love. | |
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Showing in Program 12, on Saturday, May, 03 01:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| Two awkward stories that somehow work together to tell us that love is out there for us! | |
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Showing in Program 39, on Sunday, May, 04 06:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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EMILY LU currently works for an entertainment publicity agency promoting various films. When she is not working, she volunteers for the OBAMA campaign and finds time cooking Chinese food for others. Emily is highly inspired by her creative friends in L.A. who are all very ambitious.
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| Welcome to the Demilitarized Zone, home to one of the most preserved wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Just be careful of the land mines. | |
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Showing in Program 18, on Saturday, May, 03 05:00 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| A dark, funny tale about facing one's fears and of conquering the monster in the closet. Yes, Virginia. There was a Santa Claus. But Daddy killed him. | |
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Showing in Program 53, on Tuesday, May, 06 09:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| One guy's wild one-take skateboard ride fueled by the power of movement, gravity and words. This piece is worth watching for the "how-did-they-do-that?" factor alone. | |
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Showing in Program 35, on Sunday, May, 04 03:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| This wonderfully-crafted portrait of two aging old-school tailors and their commitment to the craft is an ode to family, tradition, and doing the job right. | |
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Showing in Program 35, on Sunday, May, 04 03:30 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| You really have to appreciate the amount of time, dedication and painstaking attention to detail put into this inventive and deeply personal piece of animation. | |
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Showing in Program 35, on Sunday, May, 04 03:30 PM.
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PHIL YU is the founder/editor of AngryAsianMan.com, a popular Asian American news/culture/commentary blog. Building a steady, loyal readership since 2001, the website has been called by the Washington Post "a daily must-read for the media-saavy, socially-conscious, pop-cultured Asian American." Originally from the Bay Area, Phil currently lives in Los Angeles.
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| A remarkable and revelatory masterwork in social realism and profound drama that reverberates in the gently observant glimpse into foster care in impoverished Philippines. Shot in dazzling verite and performed with gripping naturalism. | |
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Showing in Program 34, on Sunday, May, 04 02:30 PM.
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JOEL QUIZON is a graduate of the CSU Northridge Film School and has worked in independent films in the United States and the Philippines. He has also worked in the recording industry and currently is employed at a local cable television network. Joel has also served as a curator for Pinoy Visions, the Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture's annual film showcase.
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| When you come across a film from Indonesia that is so over-the-top spontaneous and funny you can't help but recommend the film to everyone you know-well, QUICKIE EXPRESS is that film! | |
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Showing in Program 42, on Sunday, May, 04 07:30 PM.
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HELEN SAM was the Associate Producer of the PBS series Independent Lens. Helen has extensive knowledge and experience about documentary filmmaking, funding, distribution, and producing for public television. She has participated as a panelist and mentor at various film festivals such as SXSW, AFI Fest, ImagineNative, and the Worldwide Short Film Festival.
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| Humorous, witty and blessed with a good-looking cast, KISSING COUSINS examines the thin line between "being close" and "being CLOSE" with one's cousin. Plus, Jaleel White ("Steve Urkel") makes a noteworthy cameo. | |
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Showing in Program 40, on Sunday, May, 04 06:30 PM.
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KANARA TY'S fascination with Asian cinema began with her mother's introduction to a Khmer-dubbed version of John Woo's HARD-BOILED. When she isn't keeping up-to-date with the latest Asian films, she works as a Program Assistant at the UCLA Asia Institute and contributes to an online publication, Asia Pacific Arts.
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| Duc Luu executes a cinematically breathtaking and heartfelt piece about a woman's journey to suicide. This was an award-winner at Radar Film Festival. | |
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Showing in Program 23, on Saturday, May, 03 07:45 PM.
For Program information, | |
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| This animated piece about a colorless city is not only cute to a catchy tune, it'll brighten up your day. This was featured on YouTube. | |
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Showing in Program 23, on Saturday, May, 03 07:45 PM.
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GRACE SU, also known as "Peachies" is an editor by day and jack-of-all-trades by night. Some titles include: blogger, producer, music video extra, and Facebook whore. She is a former fellow of VC's Armed with a Camera Fellowship and has a BA in Film & Digital Media from UCSC.
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