Haitao Guo
LAAPFF Filmmaker
“Lao Tang” | Saturday May 4 | 2:45pm | Directors Guild of America 2 | LAAPFF Page
What were you doing ten years ago (2003)?
“I was doing some bench work in a biology lab for a living after I graduated with a biochemistry major.”
What is your favorite memory of LAAPFF?
“It is my first time to attend the LAAPFF. I am very excited. I believe I will have a lot of wonderful memories over there.”
Tell us why we should watch your film in this year’s film festival.
“It is a film about an illegal Chinese immigrant made by a biologist. You will see a man’s life in one day but it reflects a country’s change in years.”
Marie Jamora
LAAPFF Filmmaker
“What Isn’t There (Ang Nawawala)” | Saturday May 4 | 9:30pm | CGV Cinemas 2 | LAAPFF Page
What were you doing ten years ago (2003)?
“In 2003, I was on my second year of graduate film school at Columbia University in NYC. I was the Directing Supervisor’s Assistant for the Chair of the Film Division (Bette Gordon) and abused this fellowship by stealing most of the free American Cinematographer magazines at the office. “
What is your favorite memory of LAAPFF?
“I have never been to the LAAPFF before.”
Tell us why we should watch your film in this year’s film festival.
“Everyone should watch “What Isn’t There” because I guarantee some sex, drugs, and awesome Filipino indie rock, in addition to our hot twin actors!”
Kelly Li
LAAPFF Filmmaker
“Arrival” | Saturday, May 4 | 4:45pm | Directors Guild of America 2 | LAAPFF Page
What were you doing ten years ago (2003)?
“Ten years ago I was in high school in Ohio dreaming about the day I’d be in LA making films… and probably thinking about girls at the same time.”
What is your favorite memory of LAAPFF?
“My favorite memory of LAAPFF had to be last year, screening my film “Café Elevé” at the Director’s Guild of America for the first time ever. That theater has such an amazing history, and it was an honor and hopeful glimpse into a day in which I’ll hopefully be able to fill the entire place with an audience waiting to see my feature film.”
Tell us why we should watch your film in this year’s film festival.
“I think “Arrival” and the other shorts in our program really tell stories from an amazing female perspective. Although I am a male filmmaker, I think that female voices/ perspectives, especially strong ones, need a higher presence within mainstream Hollywood. While hopefully helping support that ideal, our film is hopefully touching and entertaining at the end of the day. We can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Reena Dutt
LAAPFF Filmmaker
“…Or Die” | Friday May 3 | 9:45 pm | Directors Guild of America 2 | LAAPFF Page
“3 Puffs of Gold” | Monday, May 6| 9:30pm | CGV Cinemas 2 | LAAPFF Page
What were you doing ten years ago (2003)?
“I was making up excuses to move back to LA from NYC. SO…I started creating project ideas that would “only make sense to do it in LA” – then I got on a plane, and here I am!”
What is your favorite memory of LAAPFF?
“I went with a friend two years ago who had a film at LAAPFF and he introduced me to a couple of the Asian Film Festival programmers – and I was wow-ed by their classy, fun, laid back and super fashionable selves. Damn, South Asians need to catch up 
”
Tell us why we should watch your film in this year’s film festival.
“Try me out on Friday night the 3rd – if you like fancy screenings like the DGA, go! If you absolutely hate me as a producer, give me a second shot, and attend my LA short film directorial debut on Monday night the 6th at CGV. If you hate me as a director too, just cast me in something and let’s be done with this relationship. Your parents loved me, and I thought we were gonna get married (insert tears here). ”
Gregory Bonsignore
LAAPFF Filmmaker
“… Or Die” | Friday, May 3 | 9:45pm | Directors Guild of America 2 | LAAPFF Page
What were you doing ten years ago (2003)?
“I was in New York working on a Broadway musical.”
What is your favorite memory of LAAPFF?
“My friends Danny, Parv and I watching Fast Five together on the big screen, having a surprisingly ridiculously good time.”
Tell us why we should watch your film in this year’s film festival.
“It’s about the challenges facing Asian actors, and in many ways all actors, in Hollywood, so though it got laughs in San Fran and New York, the LA audiences often see it as much more tragicomic as what we’re portraying was often not so fictional, just their normal Tuesday. The cast is incredible, and it does elicit those uncomfortable laughs, the “I shouldn’t be laughing” laughs, which are my favorite.”
Eunsoo Jeong
LAAPFF Filmmaker
“A Knock On My Door” | Friday, May 3 | 7 pm | CGV Cinemas 2 | LAAPFF Page
What were you doing ten years ago (2003)?
“I was a freshmen in high school, San Francisco, just immigrated from South-Korea.”
What is your favorite memory of LAAPFF?
“This is my first year attending, so I don’t really have any memory. However, the film lineup looks really exciting and can’t wait to attend the events to meet fellow filmmakers in LA.”
Tell us why we should watch your film in this year’s film festival.
“I helped my professor’s short animation film, “Knock on My Door.” It is such a sweet immigration story of his father through endearing animation. As an Asian immigrant myself, I could relate to many moments in the film. The film makes you to revisit immigration stories that you hear from your friends or family members. It’s clever, witty, and heartwarming father’s story retold by son and his students! It’s a beautiful film!”
Suju Vijayan
LAAPFF Filmmaker
“The Playback Singer” | Friday, May 3 | 9:30pm | CGV Cinemas 2 | LAAPFF Page
What were you doing ten years ago (2003)?
“In 2003 I was day dreaming about making a movie, wondering if it would ever happen. I worked in reality TV as a writer, producer and director but didn’t know if I’d ever get a chance to make a movie of my own.”
What is your favorite memory of LAAPFF?
“My favorite memory is of my short film, Blessing, screening there. Sitting in the audience and hearing the reaction was the moment I believed I could be a filmmaker.”
Tell us why we should watch your film in this year’s film festival.
“You should watch my film because it will make you laugh and cry! Because it is a story about difficult people in difficult relationships that we can all relate to. And because it defies what many people think of when they think of Asian American cinema.”
Back in January of this year, AKB48 member Minegishi Minami was demoted to trainee status after she was caught coming out of her boyfriend’s home the morning after she spent the night. Since then, she’s been seen less in the spotlight, although she was seen sporting a wig in a past public appearance. However, Minegishi finally has spoken up about her scandal in an in-depth interview with Japanese womens’ magazine Fujin Koron, but was met with criticism because the interview didn’t seem heartfelt.
Click on to see more pictures below the cut!
Vivien Ong walks along the line of menswear and womenswear – while playing with wild prints and bold colors in this fun editorial for Elle Italia. Check out the rest under the cut!
DEPT The Market
Issue Spring 2013
Author Paul Nakayama
In an age where “check her out” means online and not from across the room, columnist Paul Nakayama wonders if internet pre-screening makes for better and more efficient dating.

A lot’s changed in the dating scene in the 10 years I’ve been with Audrey Magazine. I was recently re- minded of how much that is true when my editors asked me if guys also engaged in Internet stalking, particularly prior to going on a date. I remember this little website called Asian Avenue where all of a sudden there was this tremendous pool of girls you could potentially date. I say “potentially” because there’s also this little thing called probability and the chances are that more girls just mean more “no’s.” But back then, if you put a person’s name in a search field, you didn’t get much. Whatever a girl wanted you to know, she herself had to plant. It was a tenuous representation at best and a case of Catfish usually. I mean, if you wanted to see some photos, you usually had to sift through fuzzy misrepresentations that had a lot of shadows or a conspicuous amount of floor plants covering her face. Or maybe it was just me, and I just happened to get IM’ed by girls that admired the style of Bigfoot photos. These days, it’s a wholly different battlefield.
