If you’re like me, you’ll be happy to hear that this week you can watch some gourmet food trucks specializing in Asian Far battle it out to be the best. But if for some reason food isn’t your thing, you can test your poker face a celebrity poker tournament, check out the premieres of two movies, both filled with drama, violence and conflict.
13th Annual Summer Festival on the Courtyard: Food Trucks and Tea Festival
When: Saturday, August 13 11:00 am
Where: Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First St., Los Angeles, CA, 90012
How: Free for the Summer Festival and food truck contest; $15 for concert tickets which can be purchased here; and tickets for the Tea Festival can be purchased here for $15.
It’s a family-friendly event today with crafts, music, tea tastings and a special concert. Have your photo taken and make your own frame; make one-of-a-kind coasters for your tea parties; and make origami with the kids. Vocalist Yoko Fujimoto and composer/arranger/pianist Derek Nakamoto will fuse traditional Japanese folk songs with a twist of impressionistic jazz, classical and R&B tunes.
You’ll also be in the center of the battle over what food truck makes the most mouths water. The Battle of the Asian/Fusion Food Trucks is the first event of its kind, where all the Asian food trucks in L.A. will be brought together to have attendees vote for their favorite.The truck with the most votes will win the “2011 Fan Favorite” award.
If you’re a tea lover like me (only way to get a boost of caffeine without having to binge on coffee), you’ll love the L.A.’s first tea festival. Admission gives you access to tastings of teas from different origins and learn the culture and history behind the traditional Asian drink from established authors and tea company exhibitors. The featured guest speaker is author and historian James Norwood Pratt.
“Bang Bang” New York Premiere
When: Thursday, August 18, 9:00 pm
Where: Cinema Village Theater, 22 E. 12th St., New York, NY, 10003
How: Ticket prices vary. Buy them here.
Check out the award-winning Indie gangster drama Bang Bang, starring Jessika Van (The Boondocks, Without a Trace), David Huynh (Jack and Jill, Without a Trace) and newcomer rapper/actor Thai Ngo. A troubled teen, Justin, is trying to get out of the gang lifestyle, while his best friend Charlie is living the life as a rich Taiwanese kid. Seeking refuge from his home life, Justin stays with Charlie while his parents are out of town. But after the death of a fellow gang member, the two teens are caught in the middle of a whirlwind of chaos, including alienation and figuring out what path to take.
It first appeared at the 2011 L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival to a sold out audience and later won the Grand Jury Award for Best 1st Feature. Peter Jae from KTown Cowboys will be hosting the event.
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) Hosts 1st Celebrity Poker Tournament
When: Friday, August 19, 8:00 pm
Where: The W Hotel, 6250 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
How: Ticket prices vary. Purchase here.
Whether you want to unleash the gambling addict in you or simply watch celebrities show their poker face, you should head out to CAPE‘s first celebrity poker tournament. The tournament includes Brenda Song (The Social Network), Kelly Hu (The Scorpion King), Leondardo Nam (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and Archie Kao (CSI). The tournament follows a red carpet walk and “virgin” poker lessons for the less experienced. And the best part: the event proceeds support CAPE educational programming.
“Amigo” Released in Select Theatres
When: Friday, August 19
Where: AMC Empire 25, 34 West 42nd St., New York, NY 10036; Laemmle’s Monica 4-ples, 1332 2nd St., Santa Monica, 90401
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker John Sayles releases his newest drama, Amigo. It’s set during the 1900 Philippine-American War and Filipino actor Joel Torre who plays a village mayor caught in the war’s murderous crossfire. Torre’s character’s brother is the head of a group of guerrilla fighters — the same group of people who he has been told to help bring down.
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