<< HOME

ASIAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKERS CELEBRATE AT
VC FILMFEST 2005 - THE 21 st LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL
PRESENTED BY AZN TELEVISION

Debut Asian American Films, “SAVING FACE” from Alice Wu and “RED DOORS” from Georgia Lee will Bookend Festival of Over 100 Films at Eight Day Movie Fete

APRIL 7, 2005 - LOS ANGELES - Mark your calendars for the Visual Communications (VC) Film Festival 2005 - the 21 ST Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival presented by AZN TELEVISION beginning April 28 - May 5, 2005 at the Directors Guild of America, ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood, David Henry Hwang Theatre, the Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts Theater (REDCAT), Laemmle Sunset 5, and the Aratani/Japan America Theatre.  Recognized last year as one of “LA’s Top 5 Film Festivals” by the LA Weekly , VC FILMFEST 2005 will celebrate over 21years of showcasing Asian films from the U.S. and around the world.  Beginning with a handful of friends watching Asian shorts and feature films in Little Tokyo back in the early 1980’s, VC FILMFEST has now become the largest showcase of Asian American and Asian International works in Southern California with over 100 films, videos and shorts presented throughout the eight-day exhibition.
 
VC FILMFEST 2005 is a production of Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center.  The Festival kicks off a year-long celebration to mark the 35 th Anniversary of Visual Communications, which has provided services, resources, education, exhibition, archival resources, technical assistance, networking access, and support for Asian American media arts and artists since its founding in 1970.
 
The opening night film for VC FILMFEST 2005 is the Los Angeles premiere of “SAVING FACE,” the debut feature film from Asian American director Alice Wu . “SAVING FACE” was a hit at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, and will be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics this summer.  Director Wu, whose first short film TRICK OR TREAT was showcased at VC FILMFEST 2003, garnered the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) Screenwriting Award for the script for “ SAVING FACE ” and caught the attention of producer Teddy Zee and actor/producer Will Smith . The rest is now history. The festival is proud to bring Alice Wu to the festival to premiere her first feature film starring Joan Chen, Michelle Krusiec and Lynne Chen.
 
“For VC, it is important that we continue to grow our own talent and provide them with the resources and networking opportunities so that we can continue to develop our own product and experts,” says VC Executive Director, Leslie Ito.  “We want to be sure that our stories continue to be told and are told correctly.  It is our goal to make sure that we produce and nurture our own pool of talent so that we won’t ever have to hear that there aren’t any talented Asian Americans out there.  The goal of the festival is to showcase and exhibit, as well as to inspire and educate, and being in Hollywood allows us those opportunities.”
 
Keeping in that same vein of exposing and celebrating emerging Asian American talent, the VC FILMFEST 2005 Closing Night Gala will feature another emerging Asian American filmmaker, Georgia Lee, with the Los Angeles premiere of “RED DOORS” starring Tzi Ma, Jacqueline Kim and Elaine Kao . Lee is also a VC FILMFEST alumnus, having screened her award-winning short film EDUCATED (a nominee for the Festival’s Golden Reel Award) at VC FILMFEST 2003.

This year’s festival will showcase an array of filmmakers who are returning with new works including:
 
• “ ETHAN MAO,” the new feature by the ever-provocative QUENTIN LEE
• “ SPOTLIGHTING,” a new documentary about the extremely popular classic Las Vegas lounge singers The Sun Spots, by the innovative JUSTIN LIN (BETTER LUCK TOMORROW)
• The World Premiere screening of the documentary “ QUEEN OF ASIA” by queer filmmaker JOSELITO TORRES, which sheds light on the behind the scenes stories of the super popular gay Asian beauty pageants
• “ THREE…EXTREMES ;” a trilogy of scary stories by horror meisters TAKESHI MIIKE and FRUIT CHAN
• Festival favorite SYLVIA CHANG (SIAO YU, Festival 1996) serves up a Festival double whammy—as a director with “20-30-40, ” and as a star in Kenneth Bi’s comedy “RICE RHAPSODY”
• Director DJINN of Singapore brings his latest “ PERTH ” to the Festival
•S. LEO CHIANG returns with his current heartwarming documentary “ TO YOU, SWEETHEART ALOHA ” about the life of the hit ukulele musician Bill Tapia
• Former New Directors/new Visions Award winner ANITA CHANG, who will present her first feature-length documentary “ 62 YEARS AND 6,500 MILES BETWEEN ”
•ROBERT WINN (SAIGON U.S.A., Festival 2003) World Premieres of latest non-fiction film “ GRASSROOTS RISING”
• And the ubertalented experimental filmmaker RODDY BOGAWA comes to the festival with his latest documentary “I WAS BORN BUT…”
 
“It’s always exciting and encouraging when the festival brings back returning filmmakers with their latest projects,” says David Magdael, Co-Director of the VC FILMFEST.  “It only illustrates how strong this new genre of Asian American and Asian international films is becoming.  This year is the first time that we are opening and closing the festival with Asian American works.  This is a powerful testament to the growing number of Asian American filmmakers out there taking the risk and the opportunities to make their own feature films.  We are proud to have that opportunity to bring these gems to our audiences whom will continue to support the filmmakers as they venture hopefully into theaters.”
 
In addition to the Asian American filmmakers, VC FILMFEST 2005 will also feature the best from Asian international directors such as:
 
• The stunningly beautiful “ SHAPE OF THE MOON” by Indonesian/Dutch director LEONARD RETEL HELMRICH, winner of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary
•“THREE…EXTREMES;” a horror/suspense trilogy from TAKESHI MIIKE of Japan , FRUIT CHAN, from Hong Kong, and PARK CHAN WOOK of South Korea
• Two new works from Taiwan women filmmakers – the delightful “ BEAR HUG ” from WANG SHAUDI, and “ SPLENDID FLOAT,” the gay-themed festival hit from director ZERO CHAO
• Dutch director FOW PYNG HU, whose debut feature film PARADISE GIRLS makes its U.S. Premiere
• Hong Kong screen idol and director SYLVIA CHANG’s 20-30-40 and the KENNETH BI’s comedy “ RICE RHAPSODY ”
• Two new works that cast an eye on the “new” Malaysian cinema—James Lee’s entrancing THE BEAUTIFUL WASHING MACHINE and the U.S. Premiere of AMIR MUHAMMAD’s experimental queer romance “ TOKYO MAGIC HOUR ”
• And from South Korea, ELIZABETH LEE’s “GOOD FOR HER ” and “IT GOES ON – THE UNDOCUMENTED IS DOCUMENTED” from director JOO HYUN SOOK.

“We wanted to bring forth a mix of veteran international directors together with a strong blend of new storytellers from diverse global communities,” says Abraham Ferrer, co-director of the Festival.  “We tried to find the best in global Asian cinema to introduce many of the films to our audiences and maybe help them find new fans and possibly position them for American distribution.  Asian cinema encompasses both Asian American and Asian international, and this entity is definitely beginning to make a global impact.”
 
This year, VC FILMFEST 2005 is adding a special midnight screening series taking place at the Laemmle Sunset 5 and hosted by Giant Robot and AngryAsianMan.com.  On Friday, April 29, the series kicks off with the Los Angeles sneak premiere of JET LI’ s latest action film, “UNLEASHED ,” also starring Academy Award ®winner Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins . And on Saturday, April 30, the acclaimed chilling and somewhat shocking trilogy “ THREE…EXTREMES ” from directors TAKESHI MIIKE, PARK CHANWOOK, and FRUIT CHAN .
 
A special screening in honor of the 10 th Anniversary of the groundbreaking New Zealand film “ONCE WERE WARRIORS” from LEE TAMAHORI will take place on Saturday, April 30 at the DGA.  This amazing film gave world cinema a look at the lives of Maori people living in New Zealand and opened the doors for other films about Pacific Islanders including WHALE RIDER.  Actress Rena Owen and other cast members will be present for discussion following the screening.  
 
This year’s VC FILMFEST 2005 Director’s Spotlight will be on filmmaker Gurinder Chadha who is responsible for such hits BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, WHAT’S COOKING, BRIDE & PREJUDICE , and BHAJI ON THE BEACH . Chadha has been a longtime friend of Visual Communications and continues to be an important filmmaker.  Her achievements will be highlighted opening night when she will be given the Spotlight Award.
 
Other festival special events include filmmaker workshops on cinematography, producing and financing your feature, and script pitch sessions for screenplays and a separate session on casting Asian American actors.  In addition, awards will be given out to the best short film with the Golden Reel Award and the Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award; and an Audience Award to the Festival’s favorite feature film.
 
VC FILMFEST 2005 is presented by AZN TELEVISION, and is sponsored in part by the Directors Guild of America, National Endowment for the Arts, LA County Cultural Arts Commission, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, Eastman Kodak Company, MTV Films, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The James Irvine Foundation, Focus Features, Hitachi Ltd., SAG Indie, Union Bank of California, Writers Guild of America West, Japanese American Cultural Center and Official Festival Beer - Heineken.  Reception sponsors include CineSpace, Creative Floral Designs, LA-18, NONYA, Penta Water, Switch Beverage Company, Via Café and Wahoo’s Fish Tacos.  This year’s Award Sponsors are the Write Brothers, Inc., and our LoveFest sponsors are Plan C Group - GLAM LA.  Travel Sponsors are Cathay Pacific Airways, Loew’s Beverly Hills and Miyako Hotel, and this year’s Media Sponsors are AZN TELEVISION, Giant Robot, IKON, Korea Daily, AngryAsianMan.com, Asianamericanfilm.com, APA First Weekend, LA-18 Television, Variety and LA Weekly.