Earlier this summer, we introduced you to a young and rising Asian American actress, Nichole Bloom (to read the full interview with Bloom in our Summer Issue purchase one here). Bloom, a Japanese-Irish American, was currently filming the Warner Bros. comedy Project X when she signed on to play the lead in Model Minority. Catch Bloom, director Lily Mariye, and the rest of the cast will for the East Coast premiere in NYC!
Photo Credit: Julia Ransom
Photo Credit: Julia Ransom
Continue reading for film details and the trailer!
The 33rd Asian American International Film Festival kicks off next week, starting July 15 in New York City, and will be running until July 24. The program consists of 23 feature films from filmmakers around the globe that span a wide variety of genres, from drama and horror to musical and comedy, so there is surely something for everyone.
“This year, the AAIFF10 looks especially forward to bringing several Southeast Asian films to our audience,” states Martha Tien, Program Manager of the AAIFF 2010. “Southeast Asia has such a dynamic cinematic community, but its movies still tend to be underrepresented in most film festivals.”
And now you can go to the festival to watch to your heart’s content ’cause we’re giving away a pair of tickets to the festival for our readers! Keep reading for details.
The July 15 opening night feature film presentation is Manila Skies directed by award-winning filmmaker Raymond Red, who was the first Filipino to have won the Palme d’Or in Cannes for his 2000 short film, Anino. In Manila Skies we follow Raul (Raul Arellano), a struggling day laborer who tries to cobble together some money for a trip back to his childhood home in Romblon, where he hopes to help his ailing father. The film was inspired by true events. Red, a pioneer of contemporary Filipino cinema, will be in attendance after the screening for a special Q+A session.
"Manila Skies," the opening film of AAIFF 2010.
Watch the trailer here:
Among other films to be screened are Au Revoir Taipei (to be screened as the Centerpiece Presentation on July 17) by second-generation filmmaker Arvin Chen, which was developed from his short film Mei. The Thai horror film Slice directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri is nothing short of frightening and will have horror film fans feeling very pleased. Director Freida Lee Mock will show her documentary Lt. Watada, which follows Lt. Ehren Watada who made headlines a few years back when he refused to deploy to Iraq, claiming it was an illegal war. And check out our review of the Malaysian film Woman on Fire Looks for Water here.
The horror film "Slice" from Thailand.
The film fest closing night presentation is the critically acclaimed The People I’ve Slept With directed by Quentin Lee. Angela (Karin Anna Cheung), is a woman with a heightened sexual appetite who suddenly finds herself pregnant with five possible candidates for the father. Check out our review here.
Archie Kao and Karin Anna Cheung in "The People I've Slept With."
Watch the sexy trailer here:
Aren’t you just dying to watch? You can, and Audrey Magazine is hooking you up with a pair of free tickets. Just comment below by Tuesday, July 13. (We’ll have two more pairs of tickets that you can only win by following our Facebook and Twitter pages, coming later in the week!)
The AAIFF is the first and longest running festival in the U.S. that is devoted to showcasing films created by filmmakers of Asian descent as well as films that explore new constructs of Asian and Asian American cinema. AAIFF 2010 includes selections from both a national and international pool of filmmakers, including works from Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Screenings will take place at various venues throughout New York including Chelsea Clearview Cinema, the Quad Cinema, and the Museum of Chinese America.
For tickets and a complete listing of films and screening dates, click here.
