BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//B-Side Presents: San Diego Asian Film Festival 2008//iCal4j 1.0 //EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T184300 SUMMARY:Please Vote For Me DESCRIPTION:Winner of the Sterling Audience Award at the AFI Silverdocs F ilm Festival\, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME is one of the most insightful and enjo yable documentaries of the year. In a school of Wuhan\, China\, it’s ti me to elect a class monitor. Three 8-year-old contenders are chosen to square off: an incumbent known for his harsh dictatorship\, the smart ye t shy girl\, and the class clown. While their parents coach and strateg ize as the free election approaches\, the children face their fears and their challengers in a no-holds-barred series of classroom debates. The election elicits betrayals\, tears and laughter\, revealing the hardshi ps of campaigning and the lessons of dealing with defeat.\n \nIn this im mensely entertaining snapshot of a culture going through change and the growing pains of their children\, Weijun Chen’s expertly crafted film wi ll have you on the edge of your seat as the winner is announced. – Natal ie McMenemy\, AFI FEST\n \nFree screning on Oct 16 is made possible by B urkett & Wong Engineering CATEGORIES:Children, Chinese, Comedy, Documentary, Election, Family, Feat ure, Free LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/pleasevoteforme_sdaff2008 UID:161746266-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T181000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T190700 SUMMARY:Oh Saigon DESCRIPTION:On April 30\, 1975\, the final day of the Vietnam War\, Doan Hoang’s family departed Saigon on the last helicopter out of the country . On that day\, a nation was reunified\, but Doan’s family was torn asu nder\, as brother was separated from brother and Doan’s half-sister\, Va n\, was left behind. Twenty-five years later\, Hoang began shooting doc umentary footage of her family’s story\, uncovering family secrets along the way\, finally culminating with the Hoang family’s return to Vietnam five years later. \n \nIn this astonishing look at a family divided by war\, Hoang’s camera is omnipresent\, providing the type of intimate ac cess to the Hoang family that only a family member could obtain. The re sult is the creation of a powerful documentary film depicting the raw em otion and natural human reactions of a family’s struggle to overcome the ramifications of wartime decisions.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Vietnamese A merican Youth Alliance CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, Vietnamese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/ohsaigon_sdaff2008 UID:161675309-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T203600 SUMMARY:Ping Pong Playa DESCRIPTION:*Jimmy Tsai and Smith Cho are scheduled to attend \n \n"[H]ip -hop comedy gold" \n- The New York Times \n\n \nChristopher “C-Dub” Wan g (Jimmy Tsai) is a young Chinese American man who spouts militant Asian American politics\, dreams of becoming a professional basketball player \, and sports the hip hop swagger 24/7. Unfortunately\, he also constan tly blames his inability to make the NBA on his genetics\, struggles to hold down a low-paying job at the mall and spends most of his free time playing video games and daydreaming of easy money. In short\, C-Dub is every Asian American parent’s worst nightmare. Thankfully for the Wang family\, C-Dub’s older brother Michael (Roger Fan) is everything that C- Dub is not. He is a doctor and national ping pong champion\, who genera tes business for his family’s ping pong school and store. \n \nUnfortuna tely\, things are turned upside down when Michael and Mrs. Wang are both hurt in a car accident. C-Dub is forced to step up and take over teach ing duties at the ping pong school\, and fend off a rival ping pong play er who threatens the family business by stealing students. The stakes a re taken even higher when C-Dub must shake off his reputation as a chron ic underachiever and defend his family’s honor by replacing his brother in the national ping pong tournament.\n \nCo-writer and star Jimmy Tsai steals the show with his incredibly charismatic performance as the unfor gettable C-Dub. Sharply directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmake r Jessica Yu (IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL)\, making her narrative featur e directing debut\, PING PONG PLAYA is the rare sports comedy that will have you rolling with laughter\, while effectively tackling important As ian American identity issues.\n \nCo-presented by:\n San Diego Table Ten nis Association \nRaytheon CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese American, Comedy, Family, Feature, Spo rt LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/pingpongplaya_sdaff2008 UID:161674740-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T194500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T212300 SUMMARY:Scene in San Diego DESCRIPTION:A collection of short films produced by filmmakers in America 's Finest City. CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/sceneinsandiego_sdaff2008 UID:161936779-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T220700 SUMMARY:Public Enemy Returns DESCRIPTION:West Coast Premiere\n \nThe original PUBLIC ENEMY told the st ory of a corrupt\, burnt-out cop\, Chul-Joong Kang\, whose professional passions are reignited when he crosses paths with a pampered\, spoiled t hrill killer. This time around\, Kang is ready to retire after a lifetim e of fighting crime\, injuries\, and a zero credit rating. He can’t affo rd a house\, and caring for his family is out of the question. \n \nOn t he other end of the social spectrum is Lee Won-Sul\, a successful busine ssman with hundreds of investments\, a country house\, and a doting fami ly. He’s much-loved\, highly respected and a great man in all the ways t he irascible\, corner-cutting\, deadbeat Kang is not. \n \nSo when Kang comes up with a link between Lee and some recent murders\, people tend n ot to believe him. The more he tries to prove that everyone’s favorite f ella is a slimy crook commanding an empire of crime\, the more he’s dism issed as jealous\, crazy and\, finally\, downright dangerous. \n- Adapte d by New York Asian Film Festival CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Featured, Korean, Thriller LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/publicenemyreturns_sdaff2008 UID:161636088-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T201500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T215300 SUMMARY:Foster Child (John John) DESCRIPTION:The emotional bonds between foster-parents-for-hire and the a bandoned babies they care for are examined in the highly acclaimed drama FOSTER CHILD by prolific filmmaker Brillante Mendoza (see pg for SLINGS HOT). Based on a true story\, it’s a slice in the life of a poor foster family in Manila\, comprised of Mother Thelma (played by the multi-award winning actress Cherry Pie Picache)\, husband Dado and sons Gerald and Yuri. The film sees Thelma on the day she’s forced to part with a precio us three-year-old named John-John\, who has just been adopted by an Amer ican family. \n \nMendoza gives viewers a rare glimpse into the slums of the Philippines. Like his fixed cameras lens\, viewers are forced to ta ke in and contemplate – if only for an hour and a half – on the Third Wo rld living conditions so many Filipino families must endure. What’s more \, the film refers to the alarming number of foster homes interspersed t hroughout the island nation. \n \nThe world premiere of FOSTER CHILD was held at the Cannes International Film Festival and culminated in a rous ing standing ovation at the Directors’ Fortnight. \n \n-Adapted by Paul Ventura\, HIFF\n CATEGORIES:Drama, Family, Feature, Filipino LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/fosterchildjohnjohn_sdaff2008 UID:161530388-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T214500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081009T234900 SUMMARY:Assembly DESCRIPTION:Based on a true story\, ASSEMBLY follows one man’s journey in search of truth and honor in the aftermath of one of the bloodiest batt les in the Chinese Civil War.\n \nIt is the Winter of 1948 – Captain Guz idi leads an infantry unit consisting of just 46 men on a sniping missi on. Their orders are to fight until the retreat assembly call is sounde d. But that call never comes. After many hours of defense and with amm unition running out\, men are falling hard and fast. Guzidi realizes th at the call might have been missed during the heat of battle\, contribut ing to the deaths of his men. The first half of the film is mesmerizing and brutal\, containing some of the most realistic warfare scenes many critics have compared to Saving Private Ryan.\n \nThe second half of the film finds Guzidi as the only survivor on a mission to prove the herois m of his men and to honor their glorious deaths. Overall ASSEMBLY’s unf linching look at war can be too much for viewers to digest\, but that is also what makes it so rewarding.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nChinese Conso lidated Benevolent Association\n The House of China CATEGORIES:Action, Chinese, Epic, Feature, Featured, Historical, War LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/assembly_sdaff2008 UID:162699303-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T184500 SUMMARY:Around the World DESCRIPTION:Whether rockin' in a freer world or entering a woman's domain \, a revealing collection of stories traversing across time and place.\n \nCo-presented by:\n City College World Cultures Program\n UCSD Cross-C ultural CATEGORIES:Shorts Program, World LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/aroundtheworld_sdaff2008 UID:162023839-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T183400 SUMMARY:Against the Grain: An Artist's Guide to Surviving Peru DESCRIPTION:In 1989\, Peruvian artist Alfredo Marquez was sentenced to 20 years in prison for depicting a lipstick-wearing Chairman Mao in his ar twork. The reason was that Mao has been the symbol for the guerilla org anization the Shining Path\, which has battled against the Peruvian gove rnment for decades. However\, this specific instance of artistic repres sion soon became a symbol for the important role that artists have had a s a leading force for political activism in Peru. \n \nFor six years\, filmmaker Ann Kaneko traveled throughout Peru during the aftermath of th e regime of Alberto Fujimori\, the Japanese Peruvian former President of Peru\, whose brutal authoritarian rule did much to inspire brave acts o f protest from Peruvian artists. AGAINST THE GRAIN highlights several o f these Peruvian artists who have helped shape social consciousness in P eru\, including Marquez and Japanese Peruvian artist Eduardo Tokeshi\, w ho had suffered from the anti-Japanese backlash of the post-Fujimori era . Through the telling of their stories\, AGAINST THE GRAIN helps us gai n a greater appreciation for the freedom of expression and its role in f acilitating change.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nThe House of Peru\n Japan S ociety of San Diego and Tijuana\n Media Arts Center San Diego\n San Dieg o Latino Film Festival CATEGORIES:Artsy, Documentary, Feature, Japanese, Peruvian LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/againstthegrainanartistsguidetosurv ivingperu_sdaff2008 UID:161670885-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T193100 SUMMARY:Half-Life DESCRIPTION:*Leonardo Nam scheduled to attend\n \nSet in a world where gl obal warming is more than just a theory\, HALF-LIFE tells the story of t he Wu family\, a suburban family reaching the breaking point. The Wu fa mily - Saura (Julia Nickson)\, older sister Pam (Sanoe Lake)\, and eight -year-old Timothy (Alexander Agate) - have their lives shaken up by the arrival of Wendell (Ben Redgrave)\, an outwardly pleasant young man who has entered into a relationship with Saura. The directionless Pam respo nds to the problems at home by seeking solace in the company of a young gay man Scott (Leonardo Nam)\, whose religious parents remain in complet e denial of their son’s open sexuality. In the meantime\, young Timoth y becomes aware of the supernatural powers he possesses. As the natural disasters escalate and the air quality deteriorates\, the tension withi n the family continues to boil until it reaches the story reaches its su rreal conclusion.\n \nDeftly blending CG animation with live action\, HA LF-LIFE is a bold and original debut feature film from director Jennifer Phang. A selection at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival\, HALF-LIFE stam ps Phang as an aggressive filmmaker wiling to take risks and definitely an independent director to watch. \n \n"HALF-LIFE marks the debut of a p romising\, truly independent film artist" \n- The Hollywood Reporter \n Review of HALF-LIFE (The Hollywood Reporter) CATEGORIES:Artsy, Asian American, Drama, Feature, Gay LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/halflife_sdaff2008 UID:161672738-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T193000 SUMMARY:Hollywood Chinese DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker Arthur Dong acheduled to attend Oct. 10th.\n \nFro m 1916\, when the first Asian American feature-length film was produced\ , to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN ninety years later\, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE comprehen sively documents the contributions Chinese American have made to America n cinema. Featuring interviews with notable artists such as Ang Lee\, W ayne Wang\, Joan Chen\, David Henry Hwang\, Nancy Kwan\, Justin Lin\, B. D. Wong\, Lisa Lu\, and James Hong\, this fine documentary blends the fi rst-person accounts of the earlier pioneers with interviews with some of today’s most influential stars. The film also contains rare footage\, including clips from reels that director Arthur Dong re-discovered from the 1916 film CURSE OF QUON GWON\, the earliest known Asian American fil m. All important eras in Asian American film are covered\, including the yellow-face era of exploitation films. \n \nWith HOLLYWOOD CHINESE\, A ward-winning filmmaker Arthur Dong has succeeded in creating an entertai ning and extraordinarily informative documentary film. Truly a landmark achievement in Asian American film\, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE is a film that s hould seen by all persons with interest in American film.\n \nCo-present ed by the New Americans Museum of San Diego. \n \n Review of HOLLYWOOD C HINESE (The New York Times) CATEGORIES:Chinese American, Documentary, Feature LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/hollywoodchinese_sdaff2008 UID:161673421-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T192000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T211400 SUMMARY:I Heart U DESCRIPTION:A collection of shorts about love and dating\, from our heart s to yours! CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/iheartu_sdaff2008 UID:161769569-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T212000 SUMMARY:Chocolate DESCRIPTION:When Zin\, a collector/moll for a Thai kingpin\, falls for a Japanese Yakuza\, an illegitimate child named Zen is produced. Raised a lone by her mother\, Zen turns out to be an autistic girl with amazing a crobatic skills\, quick reflexes – and a sweet tooth for chocolate candi es. Watching old Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee movies nonstop\, Zen is a marti al arts master in training. Then when her mother becomes ill with cancer \, it is up to her and her older cousin to use her skills to collect old debts in order to pay her mother’s medical bills.\n \nCHOCOLATE is a no -frills story about revenge brought to you by the makers of Ong Bak. In similar vein to the Tony Jaa films\, there are no tricks or special eff ects here. It’s a spectacular and jaw-dropping display of many years of Muay Thai training. Stay through the credits and see proof of the dang er and the injuries the actors had to overcome. The fight scenes in Cho colate will not disappoint and when you see newcomer Yanin “Jeeja” Vismi tananda (only 14 years old!)\, you’ll want to see it twice to believe it .\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nSan Diego Thai Language and Culture Exchange Meetup Group San Diego Meetup of Asian Professionals \nNational Associat ion of Asian American Professionals San Diego Chapter \nUSANA CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Thai LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/chocolate_sdaff2008 UID:161561744-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T201500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T212800 SUMMARY:Manila and Beyond DESCRIPTION:A collection of stories celebrating Pinoy Pride and the d iverse Filipino American experience.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Miramar Coll ege Diversity/International Education Committee CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/manilaandbeyond_sdaff2008 UID:161770986-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T223900 SUMMARY:L: Change the World DESCRIPTION:A group of fanatical eco-terrorists have decided to unleash a biological weapon on the planet. When the virus wipes out an entire vi llage in Thailand the authorities call upon L (Kenichi Matsuyama)\, the greatest detective in the world\, to save humanity. Assisting him are two young children\, a young boy who was the only survivor of the Thai v illage attack and the daughter of the creator of the virus antidote. Of course\, L’s always reliable partner Watari is available as always to p rovide able support.\n \nA spinoff of the wildly popular “Death Note” se ries of manga (Japanese comics)\, anime TV show and live action films\, director Hideo Nakata (RING) takes L\, the quirky\, sweet-toothed\, slig htly goth hero of “Death Note” and places him in a position where he mus t save the world. A huge box office success in Japan\, this film has c learly established Kenichi Matsuyama as a superstar and matinee idol. L : CHANGE THE WORLD is fun for everyone and definitely required viewing for fans of the “Death Note” franchise.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Soc iety of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Japanese, Manga LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/lchangetheworld_sdaff2008 UID:161674025-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T223000 SUMMARY:Blowfish DESCRIPTION:Come kick off SDAFF 2008 with out third annual music and vide o showcase. A dynamic convergence of Asian American talent\, Blowfish is an exploration of the intersection of beats\, rhymes and film\, through live performance and projected videos. Don't miss this party\, a deadly but delicious mix of West Coast party-rocking with San Diego flavor.\n \nWhen:\nFriday October 10\, 2009\n8pm-2am\n \nWhere:\nCanes Bar & Grill \n3105 Ocean Front Way\nSan Diego\, CA 92109\n(858)488-1780\n \nTickets: \n$10 at the door\n$7 w/ festival ticket stub\n21+ only\n \nSPECIAL!\n$7 Discounted Guest List: please RSVP to blowfish@sdaff.org by noon\, 10/0 9.\n \nFeatured Performers:\n \nTHE BLUE SCHOLARS\nA Seattle hip-hop duo with a progressive underground style all their own.\n \n\nFAR*EAST MOVE MENT\nRepresenting the Fresh Coast with their party rocking new school s ound.\n \n\nPAUL DATEH\nWith Violin in hand\, Paul Dateh and Inka One wi ll bring a whole new meaning to classical music. \n \n\nASHLEY ROBLES \n Local singing sensation…\n \n\nSpinning Fresh Beats \nDj Icy Ice of the World Famous Beat Junkies\n \n\n\nFeaturing Music Video Premieres By:\n \nBlue Scholars\nLoyalty \nDir: Zia Mohajerjasbi\n \nFar East movement \nDance Like Michael Jackson \nDir: Wong Fu Productions\n \nDaedelus \nF air Weather Friend\nDir: Jordan Kim\n \nLyrics Born \nI like it\, I love it\nDir: Neon\n \nHosts for the evening:\nDan aka Dan of afterschoolspe cial and Hula from A.J.'s Playhouse 9.33 CATEGORIES:Music LOCATION:Canes Bar & Grille URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/blowfish_sdaff2008 UID:162234260-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T215000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T232200 SUMMARY:Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe DESCRIPTION:Director scheduled to attend\n \nFrom 2000 to 2007\, director Harry Kim documented the “life and crimes” of artist David Choe\, as he rose from unknown “tagger” to reach his current level of fame as a mura list\, painter\, and illustrator. We see everything from Choe’s search for dinosaurs in the heart of the Congo to the way Choe literally beats himself up physically while painting\, as the film takes us along on a r eckless ride befitting the colorful and idiosyncratic street artist. No t only do we receive a firsthand look into Choe’s creative process\, we also watch as he grows and matures as a man.\n \nDIRTY HANDS successfull y captures the manic desire for both adventure and excess that fuels bot h Choe’s manic creativity and self-destructive compulsions such as his u ncontrollable kleptomania\, using a dazzling\, high-energy visual style that incorporates a variety of mediums and Choe’s art. By pushing the l imits of the documentary film medium\, Harry Kim has truly succeeded in giving us the true David Choe experience.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego's Film Program CATEGORIES:Artsy, Asian American, Documentary, Feature, Featured, Korean American LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/dirtyhandstheartandcrimesofdavidcho e_sdaff2008 UID:161671588-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T220000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T234300 SUMMARY:Big Man Japan (Dainippon-Jin) DESCRIPTION:"[T]ears-down-the-face funny and a genuine\, jaw-dropping odd ity" \n- Variety \n \n\nA television camera crew follows around middle -aged loser Dai Sato (Hitoshi Matsumoto) as he goes through his daily ro utine. The details of his life appear far too mundane to be the subject of even the worst reality television\, until he receives a call from th e “Department of Baddie Prevention”. It is then that Dai Sato springs i nto action by heading over to a power station to receive the electrocuti on treatments that transform him into Dainipponjin (Big Man Japan)\, a 5 00-foot tall superhero. As Dainipponjin\, Dai Sato protects the people of Japan by battling against a vast array of bizarre giant monsters\, in cluding an eyeball monster and the ever repulsive Stink Monster. \n \nH owever\, life as a crime-fighting television celebrity is not exactly th e glamorous life for Dainipponjin. As a sixth-generation superhero\, D ainipponjin is faced with modern day problems that none of his predecess ors could have ever dreamt of. When he is not arguing with his manager o ver the usage of his body as a advertising billboard or getting berated by environmentally-minded protestors\, he must face the realities of dec lining television ratings. And things get even worse for him when a dem onic beast from North Korea shows up to terrorize Japan.\n \nBy parodyin g everything from classic Japanese kaiju television shows such as Ultram an to the world of pro wrestling\, this side-splittingly hilarious mocku mentary does more to deconstruct the superhero myth than any other recen t film. Featuring a brilliantly deadpan comedic performance by Matsumot o\, Japan’s most popular comedian\, BIG MAN JAPAN delivers big-time laug hs mixed with sharp satire.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana \n \n Review of BIG MAN JAPAN (Variety) CATEGORIES:Artsy, Comedy, Feature, Japanese, Manga LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/bigmanjapandainipponjin_sdaff2008 UID:161671277-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081010T221500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T001100 SUMMARY:200 Pounds Beauty DESCRIPTION:One of the top grossing romantic comedies in South Korean his tory\, 200 POUNDS BEAUTY is based on a best-selling Japanese comic book series that centers on the life of Hanna\, an extremely overweight singe r with an unbelievable voice. Although she had dreamed of becoming a po p-singer\, her appearance always stood in the way. Instead\, she is hir ed as a faceless singer\, providing vocals for pop-star Ami\, who lip-sy ncs because she can’t carry a note to save her life. \n \nAs Hanna is ta rgeted with countless jokes about her full figure\, she remains lighthea rted and works hard to please Ami’s music producer\, Sang-jun\, with who m she has developed a secret crush. Ami sees that Sang-jun is being kin d to Hanna\, and in a fit of jealousy\, humiliates Hanna in front of him \, causing her to run away. Fed-up of being ill-treated due to her weig ht\, Hanna undergoes an extreme makeover which changes her life and her identity. \n \nWhile 200 POUNDS BEAUTY will make you laugh\, it ultimat ely pokes fun at society’s obsession with plastic surgery\, while challe nging viewers to seek the meaning of one’s true beauty. \n \n\nScreenin g Sponsored by KCCLA\n Co-presented by: \nSan Diego Meetup of Asian Pr ofessionals National Association of Asian American Professionals - San D iego Chapter CATEGORIES:Comedy, Feature, Korean, Romance, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/200poundsbeauty_sdaff2008 UID:161523895-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T103000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T105500 SUMMARY:Ni Hao\, Kai Lan: Halloween Episode DESCRIPTION:World Premiere\n \nBring out the kids for the world premiere screening of one of Nick Jr.’s most popular shows - Ni Hao\, Kai-Lan. T rick or treat\, it’s Halloween! Kai-lan and her friends dress up to go t rick or treating with YeYe (grandpa). Kai-lan is a dinosaur\, Tolee’s a panda\, Hoho’s the Monkey King\, and Rintoo is his favorite – a dragon! But just when they set out to trick or treat\, Rintoo sprains his ankl e. YeYe helps him and tells him that he needs to stay in bed and rest. Rintoo realizes that means he can’t go trick or treating\, and he start s to cry. It’s up to Kai-lan and the viewer to figure out how make thin gs better for Rintoo. Kai-lan has a great idea – they can make Rintoo’s bed into a huge dragon costume\, attach some wheels\, and zoom around t he backyard to go trick or treating\, without Rintoo ever getting out of bed! Rintoo is thrilled\, and everyone has an amazing Halloween.\n \nJ oin us for a free book reading immediately following Ni-Hao\, Kai-Lan at the Barnes & Noble bookstore upstairs from the theater at Hazard Center \, starting at 11AM. \n CATEGORIES:Children, Family, Free LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/nihaokailanhalloweenepisode_sdaff20 08 UID:162233749-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T133000 SUMMARY:Celebrity Panel DESCRIPTION:It’s an annual tradition at SDAFF – we sit down the stars of our fest and ask them candid questions about how they got their foot in the door\, their best and worst gigs\, plus try to squeeze out a little insider Hollywood gossip. \n \nScheduled to attend:\n \nLeonardo Nam (Ha lf-Life\, Fast and Furious 3) \n\nJimmy Tsai (Ping Pong Playa) \n\nAaron Yoo (21\, Disturbia\, The Wackness) \n\nSmith Cho (Knight Rider\, Ping Pong Playa) \n\nSheetal Sheth (The World Unseen)\n \nSnacks provided by Southwest Airlines \n \nText your questions during this panel\, thanks t o VERIZON WIRELESS \n \n Sheetal Sheth video interview (Odeo) CATEGORIES:Asian American, Celebrity, Panel LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/celebritypanel_sdaff2008 UID:162233973-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T140000 SUMMARY:Blowfish Unplugged DESCRIPTION:Experience the Local-Motion of some of SoCal’s most talented unplugged musicians. \n \nSaturday\, October 11\, 2009\n12pm-6pm\nFREE\n \nWhere:\nHosted on the Future Rockstars of America Stage in the Hazard Center UltraStar Cinemas Lobby\n \nACTS TBA\n \nBlowfish is proudly pre sented by:\nRaytheon\nFuture Rockstars of America \nwww.futurerockstarso famerica.com\nActive Sports Wear (pending as a sponsor) CATEGORIES:Free, Music LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/blowfishunplugged_sdaff2008 UID:162234414-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T121500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T134000 SUMMARY:Masala Bites DESCRIPTION:A scrumptious mix of films\, perspectives\, and lives represe nting the diversity of the South Asian experience.\n \nCo-presented by:\ n Intuit Indian Organization\n San Diego Indian American Society CATEGORIES:Indian, Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/masalabites_sdaff2008 UID:161777818-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T122500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T135900 SUMMARY:Drawing Paper DESCRIPTION:Sang-won has the dream of being a professional singer\, so sh e becomes a member of her vocational high school band\, Magnolia. The me mbers of Magnolia begin to practice with the band of a neighboring boy’s high school as recommended by their seniors. As they work together\, fe elings develop\, and friends quickly become competitors for the affectio n of a boy. Through the relationships of Sang-won\, Soi\, and Su-ah\, t he three girls learn the need to make their own decisions and take respo nsibilities for them. In the process of their growing pains\, they disc over their true love.\n \nSet in a vocational girls’ high school\, this coming-of-age film interweaves the themes of friendships between schoolg irls\, their lives\, and their strong determination to hold onto their d reams of making music in spite of the harsh realities of growing up in K orea. Performing in traditional schoolgirl attire in the spirit of Ores kaband\, “Drawing Paper” features the young cast actually doing a decent job creating their own music in the all-girl band. The unabashed hopef ulness in the lyrics that Sang-won sings harkens back to the age of inno cence\, and reminds us of how to dream\, and what it was like to fall in love with music for the first time.\n \nNo trailer available at this ti me. CATEGORIES:Drama, Family, Feature, Korean, Teen LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/drawingpaper_sdaff2008 UID:161936342-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T131000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T141000 SUMMARY:Family Inc. DESCRIPTION:*Producer scheduled to attend Oct. 11th screening.\n \nWhen f ilmmaker Emily Ting was asked by her father to return to Asia and take o ver the family business\, she didn’t exactly know how to say ‘no.’ Promi sing herself she would try it out for just one year\, she traded in her friends\, her filmmaking pursuits\, and her love of New York for a gruel ing new life as CEO in training in one of Hong Kong’s most notorious toy companies. \n \nTwo years later\, she’s still there – with no end in si ght. \n \nFrom picking up the slack left behind by a runaway brother to steering a sinking company on the brink of bankruptcy\, Emily finds hers elf getting more and more stuck in a life she didn’t choose for herself. But her biggest challenge yet is in trying to reconnect with an absente e father whose passion for his business far outshines his relationship w ith his family.\n \nIn an attempt to come to terms with her new life\, E mily turns the camera on herself and her family and the result is an inc redibly honest and at times bittersweet family portrait that examines th e price we end up paying when business and family become one.\n \nCo-pre sented by:\n Chinese School of San Diego Burkett and Wong Engineering\n \nFree screening on Oct 15 is made possible by Burkett & Wong Engineeri ng CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese, Chinese American, Documentary, Featur e, Free LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/familyinc_sdaff2008 UID:161529617-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T141000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T155400 SUMMARY:All in the Family DESCRIPTION:Together under one roof\, a collection of short films and fam ily quirks\, dysfunctions and the ties that bind us.\n \nCo-presented by :\n Asian Accountants of San Diego\n UCSD Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/allinthefamily_sdaff2008 UID:161765312-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T142000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T154600 SUMMARY:ANIMATION: The Illusion of Life DESCRIPTION: How do you coax life out of thin air? Come and find out in this program dedicated entirely to the Magical Art of Animation. \n\n **Mature Content\n Co-presented by:\n Platt College\n Art Institute CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/animationtheillusionoflife_sdaff200 8 UID:162889304-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T143500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T160000 SUMMARY:Santa Mesa DESCRIPTION:*Director scheduled to attend\n \nNew York-based filmmaker Ro n Morales makes a striking feature debut with this beautifully filmed co ming-of-age tale of a Filipino American boy who must return “home” after the death of a loved one. Young Hector loses his mom during a critical time in his life as an impressionable young teen. With no other family c onnections\, he is taken in by his estranged grandmother in the Philippi nes. Unable to speak Tagalog\, Hector strug¬gles in this unfamiliar hom e (and an even more unfamiliar country)\, and soon falls into the wrong crowd with some local street kids.\nThings seem to turn around for Hecto r as he befriends Jose\, an older photographer who takes him in and begi ns to mentor him. Simultaneously he also finds comfort in a developing f riendship and crush with Sel (Maria Lopez)\, as they commiserate over is sues of isolation at home. His worlds begin to collide as he notices tha t Jose has a mysterious connection with one of his random photography su bjects. His attempt to bridge their connection backfires\, and begins a tragic chain of events which threaten his most important friendships in the Philippines.\n \nWith excellent performances\, SANTA MESA convincing ly captures the beauty and awkwardness of cultural isolation and teen an gst amidst the tender sadness of losing a loved one. \n —Adapted by Erne st Mark\n \nCo-presented by:\n Filipino American National Historical Soc iety\n Mabuhay Alliance\n Philippine-American Youth Organization\n \nThi s film repeats at the Chula Vista UltraStar \n \n Review of SANTA MESA ( Variety) CATEGORIES:Asian American, Drama, Feature, Filipino LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/santamesa_sdaff2008 UID:161636718-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T145000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T162000 SUMMARY:An American in China DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker scheduled to attend\n \nTwenty-two year old David Braddock is floundering - stuck in that lazy period between college and “what am I going to do with the rest of my life?” Even David’s best fr iend\, Sha is concerned with David's aimless attitude. When David’s par ents pressure him to either choose a career path or join the family busi ness\, he decides to follow his father’s urging to “Go East Young Man.” \n \nOnce in China\, he finds that it is much different from what he ima gined: full of bustling modern cities as well as charming little village s. He travels to a town that the modern world hasn’t yet altered and mee ts Mei: a beautiful\, ambitious young girl who works two jobs in order t o save enough money to follow her dream of going to the prestigious Beij ing University. Despite their differences\, a romance blossoms during th e few short weeks that David is with Mei.\n \nThis coming of age\, fish out of water story takes us on a fascinating journey to a world full of strange customs and people. But cultural differences\, politics or dista nce cannot change the fact that we all share the same basic desire: to l ove and be loved.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nSan Diego Chinese Women's Ass ociation The House of China CATEGORIES:Chinese, Drama, Feature, Romance LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/anamericaninchina_sdaff2008 UID:161556524-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T162000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T173500 SUMMARY:The Killing of a Chinese Cookie DESCRIPTION:"... a thoroughly amusing look at the fortune cookie -- its d isputed origins\, pop-culture profile and every other possible angle" \n - Variety \n \nWhat do Powerball\, the planet Mars and sexual innuendos have in common? Fortune cookies of course! Filmmaker Derek Shimoda invi tes us to take a closer look at a little something taken for granted at the end of nearly every Chinese restaurant meal. Who started it all? Was it a Japanese landscape designer\, a Japanese confectioner or a Chinese noodle maker? Was its birthplace in San Francisco or Los Angeles? And w ho writes those fortunes anyway?\n \nShimoda takes us on an irreverent a nd comical journey revealing the enigmatic and sometimes contentious bac k story of the famous fortune cookie. Depending on who you ask\, those f olded golden circles with slips of paper inside are a little bit of poet ry\, a little bit of advice\, and a little bit of what the future holds- -or maybe just a little dessert. A colorful cast of characters weighs in on the ubiquitous act of cracking open a cookie and trying to discern o ne’s destiny. Martin Yan from “Yan Can Cook\,” Miss South Carolina\, and Giant Robot founder Eric Nakamura offer their take. Meanwhile\, a myste rious figure divulges which fortunes didn’t get past the all-powerful “f ortune approving committee.”\n \nWhether you think they’re harmless fun\ , worry they perpetuate stereotypes of Asian culture or secretly believe they’ll lead you to happiness and a pot of gold\, fortune cookies have become an indelible part of not only Chinese American dining\, but Ameri can pop culture and beyond\, making cameos in everything from “Mr. Roger s” to the “The Simpsons” to outer space. What do they reflect about us? And most importantly\, what does your fortune say?\n \n-San Francisco In ternational Asian Film Festival\n \nCo-presented by:\n San Diego Chinese Historical Museum San Diego Chinese Service Center \nNational Associat ion of Asian American Professionals San Diego Chapter \n \n Review of TH E KILLING OF A CHINESE COOKIE (Variety) CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese, Documentary, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/thekillingofachinesecookie_sdaff200 8 UID:162697741-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T165000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T182900 SUMMARY:Kissing Cousins DESCRIPTION:*Cast and crew scheduled to attend\n \nAmir\, 29\, is a heart breaker. Literally. As a relationship termination specialist\, providi ng dumping services for disgruntled daters\, Amir spends his days delive ring bad news to unsuspecting lovers across Los Angeles. Though Amir cl aims he is just the messenger\, the job has made him hard-hearted and as a result\, he is the last bachelor in his group of friends. When Amir returns to his family’s Bay Area home for Thanksgiving\, he is reunited with Zara\, his charming and beautiful cousin from Britain who he has no t seen in twenty years. The two cousins do not get along right away. As the days go by\, Zara grows sympathetic towards Amir’s sad state of per petual bachelorhood and decides to help him by being his partner in crim e. Over time\, Amir starts to soften from Zara’s influence and perhaps even begins to develop\, god forbid... feelings? An undercurrent of sex ual tension develops between them as the charade comes dangerously close to going too far. Will his friends find out the truth? Will Amir fall for his own cousin?! Or will he become one of his own victims?” \n \nWri tten and directed by Amyn Kaderali\, best know for his popular viral sho rt film Call Center (2005)\, Kissing Cousins bursts with razor sharp wit and smartly written dialog. The sexual tension between the cousins is unnervingly palpable\, creating many wacky moments of hilarity. Memora ble cameos by David Alan Grier (In Living Color) as Amir’s fellow bachel or buddy\, and Jaleel White (Urkel in Family Matters) as his antagonisti c bro-in-law round out the excellent cast.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nIntu it Indian Organization\n San Diego Indian American Society CATEGORIES:Asian American, Comedy, Feature, Indian, Romance LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/kissingcousins_sdaff2008 UID:161560202-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T170500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T185200 SUMMARY:My Father DESCRIPTION:West Coast Premiere\n \nBased on a true story\, MY FATHER tra ces the journey of a Korean American adoptee to South Korea in search of his biological parents. Though raised by a loving family in America\, J ames Parker (played by Daniel Henney) has always dreamed of meeting his birth parents. While serving in the U.S. military in Korea\, he befriend s a Korean soldier to help him track down his old orphanage where he lea rned his birth name was “Gong Eun Cheol." \n \nWhile holding a large bab y photo of himself\, Parker goes on national Korean television pleading for information about his birth parents. Soon after\, a priest comes fo rward claiming to know Parker’s father and arranges a high-profile reun ion… in prison. His father – played by veteran actor Young-cheol Kim - is a convicted killer on death row. The two men find an undeniable fath er-and-son bond that transcends the walls of prison and any language bar rier. \n \nKorean adoptee Aaron Bates\, who MY FATHER is based on\, wil l attend the Oct 11 screening for Q&A\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nKorean Am erican Bar Association of San Diego Arthouse Movies Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Adoption, Drama, Family, Feature, Korean LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/myfather_sdaff2008 UID:161562536-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T172000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T194200 SUMMARY:The White Silk Dress DESCRIPTION:Prior to the collapse of French colonial rule in Vietnam\, Da u (Trong Anh Ngoc) and Gu (Nguyen Khanh Quoc) are lovers as well as serv ants from two different households in the picturesque Vietnamese town of Ha Dong. Both have suffered harshly at the hands of their cruel master s and lack the means to get married in the accepted sense. However\, wh en Gu's master is assassinated\, Dau and Gu flee south and eventually en ding up in the central Vietnamese seaside town of Hoi An. There\, they r aise a family with Dau eventually giving birth to four girls. Despite t heir impoverished conditions\, Dau and Gu succeed in building a loving a nd supportive household. Unfortunately\, their loving family life becom es threatened when Gu learns how his wife Dau has been secretly earning money to support their family and as the horrors of the war begin to hit closer to home. \n \nConsidered controversial by some\, THE WHITE SILK DRESS was the Vietnamese representative at the 80th Academy Awards in t he Best Foreign Language film category and the winner of the Audience Aw ard at the Pusan International Film Festival. A tribute to the strength and heart of Vietnamese women\, even when faced with war\, this evocati ve and elegant epic film will be sure to leave a lasting impression.\n C o-presented by:\n \nSD Viet Meetup Group\n SDSU Vietnamese Student Assoc iation CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Historical, Vietnamese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/thewhitesilkdress_sdaff2008 UID:161935925-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T204100 SUMMARY:Secret (Bu Neng Shuo De Mi Mi) DESCRIPTION:Arguably the world’s most popular Mandarin-language recording artist\, Jay Chou has successfully forayed into acting through roles in Initial D and Curse of the Golden Flower. With his directorial debut f ilm SECRET\, Chou establishes himself as a gifted performer and a skillf ul auteur\, directing a script based on his own original story. Not bad for a Taiwanese pop superstar.\n \nChou plays Lun\, a music student at a secondary school who one day meets Yu while she is playing an evocativ e tune on the piano. “What’s the melody you played the first day we met ?” asks Lun\, “That’s my secret\,” Yu whispers back. What evolves is an innocent and seemingly typical young romance between the two talented p ianists. But the real intrigue of the film begins when Lun discovers an old photograph of Yu with his father (Anthony Wong) which triggers him t o investigate the mystery of Yu and the secret melody she plays. SECRET is a fun for-all-ages sort of film with a surprise twist you’ll enjoy t aking your girlfriend\, parents or teenage kids to. CATEGORIES:Chinese, Drama, Feature, Hong Kong, Romance, Taiwanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/secretbunengshuodemimi_sdaff2008 UID:161641170-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T192000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T205800 SUMMARY:Love is Queer DESCRIPTION:Love is family. Love is true. Love is fleeting. But queer affairs of the heart are never boring!\n \nCo-presented by:\n Asian Amer ican Journalists Association SD Chapter FilmOut San Diego First UU Chur ch Rainbow Outreach Greater San Diego Business Association Guys Like U s Long Yang Club of SD P.F.L.A.G. SD Chapter Pride Resource Office of SD SU Family Health Centers of San Diego SD LGBT Community Center - Women 's Resource Center\, SD POZabilities UCSD LGBT Resource Center CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/loveisqueer_sdaff2008 UID:162026661-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T194500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T212000 SUMMARY:Black Belt DESCRIPTION:BLACK BELT is a well acted\, deliberately nuanced drama about the moral dilemma of a young man forced to choose between his principle s and his obligation to defend the helpless. Trouble develops in Japan’ s late Showa dynasty (1932)\, in the wake of that country’s invasion of Manchuria\, when a company of military police arrogantly disrupts the ka rate studies of three young men at the rural dojo of their old wise mast er. Convinced that their skills can help in battle\, the army wants to acquire their services as fight instructors.\n \nThe fact that actual ka rate masters portray the main characters guarantees a great martial arts flick. No wires\, no stunts and no elaborate special effects. It’s a no-frills fistacuffs that is all simply quick and brutal. \nCo-presented by:\n \nJapan Society of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Featured, Japanese, Karate, Martial Arts LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/blackbelt_sdaff2008 UID:161559407-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T200500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T213800 SUMMARY:Fight Night DESCRIPTION:In this collection of films\, young men confront moral dilemm as and seeingly impossible situations. Whether they are seeking vengean ce\, exploring the limits of loyalty or even channeling the supernatural \, it's always time for some action! CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/fightnight_sdaff2008 UID:161931736-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T232500 SUMMARY:Magazine Gap Road DESCRIPTION:High above the commerce and crowds of Hong Kong winds Magazin e Gap Road\, a secluded enclave of wealth and privilege. Samantha is a c urator for a private museum in a world where her past - a life spent in the Japanese flesh trade - is her most well-kept secret. One day\, it ca tches up with her in a single phone call from Kate\, another escort\, wh o's in trouble. For Samantha\, helping Kate means going back to the worl d she escaped and risking everything - her budding romance with a wealth y antiques collector\, the deadly men who run Hong Kong's high-class pro stitution ring\, and most importantly\, her own fears that beneath the v eneer of respectability\, she will always be for sale.\n \nMAGAZINE GAP ROAD is a followup to director Nicholas Chin’s short film Tai Tai (Offic ial Selection at Cannes 2002) and touts an accomplished cast and crew in cluding Beijing actress Qu Ying\, Jessey Meng (Mummy III)\, cinematograp her Chan Yuan Kai (Ashes of Time) and Oscar award-winning editor Jean Ts ien. It is an understated film set away from the crowded Hong Kong that most audiences have seen and takes them to a world of \n Click Here Fo r Movie Trailer CATEGORIES:Chinese, Drama, Feature, Hong Kong LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/magazinegaproad_sdaff2008 UID:161558248-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T215000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T233900 SUMMARY:Vexille DESCRIPTION:In the year 2067\, Japan makes key breakthroughs in robot tec hnology and isolates itself off from the rest of the world against UN re gulations. A decade later\, the Americans believe Japan is a threat\, s o they send in a special forces unit led by Vexille (voiced by Meisa Kur oki) to investigate. After infiltrating Japan's security\, they discover something shocking: a previously unknown technology which has managed t o blend human tissue with robot engineering\, resulting in androids that are virtually indiscernible from real humans. The mission quickly goes awry. Ambushed and left for dead\, Vexille is rescued by local rebel M aria (Yatsuko Matsuyuki) who shares a common desire to take back their h umanity and end the cybernetic tyranny. Together\, they team up with a rag-tag crew of insurgents to prevent the rest of the world from meeting the same sinister fate.\n \nFrom the creators of Appleseed comes this e dgy\, futuristic\, animated thriller directed by Japanese filmmaker Fumi hiko Sori. Sori’s vivid depiction of dystopian Japan and its brooding u ndertones pays homage to Bladerunner\, even down to its ass-kicking femm e fatales. Heavily inspired by Ghost In The Shell\, The Matrix\, Star W ars\, and Road Warrior\, Vexille is packed full of jaw-dropping action s equences and eye-popping visuals that rival the best of Hollywood films. An official selection in prestigious Toronto Int’l Film Festival\, Ani me Insider calls Vexille\, “A Must See!” \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Soci ety of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Animation, Anime, Feature, Sci-fi LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/vexille_sdaff2008 UID:161639153-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081011T220000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T000700 SUMMARY:Public Enemy Returns DESCRIPTION:West Coast Premiere\n \nThe original PUBLIC ENEMY told the st ory of a corrupt\, burnt-out cop\, Chul-Joong Kang\, whose professional passions are reignited when he crosses paths with a pampered\, spoiled t hrill killer. This time around\, Kang is ready to retire after a lifetim e of fighting crime\, injuries\, and a zero credit rating. He can’t affo rd a house\, and caring for his family is out of the question. \n \nOn t he other end of the social spectrum is Lee Won-Sul\, a successful busine ssman with hundreds of investments\, a country house\, and a doting fami ly. He’s much-loved\, highly respected and a great man in all the ways t he irascible\, corner-cutting\, deadbeat Kang is not. \n \nSo when Kang comes up with a link between Lee and some recent murders\, people tend n ot to believe him. The more he tries to prove that everyone’s favorite f ella is a slimy crook commanding an empire of crime\, the more he’s dism issed as jealous\, crazy and\, finally\, downright dangerous. \n- Adapte d by New York Asian Film Festival CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Featured, Korean, Thriller LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/publicenemyreturns_sdaff2008 UID:161636179-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T130000 SUMMARY:Reel Voices Teen Video Project Showcase DESCRIPTION:A collection of short documentaries prodcued by our Reel Voic es high school interns.\n \nCo-presented by Bank of America\n \nThe REEL VOICES program is sponsored by Bank of America Sempra Foundation Junio r Seau Foundation Bob Hoffman Video\n \nQ&A and Reception to follow scr eening CATEGORIES:Documentary, Election, Free, Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/reelvoices_sdaff2008 UID:162021650-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T121500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T134300 SUMMARY:A Cricket in the Court of Akbar DESCRIPTION:World Premiere\n \nNorth Indian classical music\, a centuries -old musical tradition of great depth and richness\, has influenced gene rations of composers around the world. Although many of these musicians consider it the highest form of musical expression\, North Indian class ical music remains unfamiliar to most Western ears. Furthermore\, the r apid influx of Western culture in today’s era of globalization now threa tens this music with tragic obsolescence.\n \nIn an unusual reversal of this cultural current\, Andrew Mendelson\, a 32-year-old native Texan\, has dedicated his life to the study of the sitar under his guru. A CRIC KET IN THE COURT OF AKBAR is a documentary that follows Mendelson as he travels to India to compete for the grand prize in the Tournament of Cha mpions\, the Sur Sadak gold medal. As he prepares to vie for the champi onship as the only American competitor\, he struggles to reconcile his w estern identity with his embrace of the sitar. The film offers a variet y of experts from India and the US with insight into the timely issue o f global cultural exchange and the timeless appeal of the musical tradit ion.\n Co-presented by:\n San Diego Indian American Society Raag and Taa l Academy Intuit Indian Organization Qualcomm\n\n\n \nTrailer video avai lable on YouTube CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, Indian, Music LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/acricketinthecourtofakbar_sdaff2008 UID:161561315-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T124000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T143400 SUMMARY:Hellcats DESCRIPTION:Ah-mi (Kim Min-hee) is a struggling 29-year-old screenwriter who one day catches her boyfriend\, Won-suk\, a musician in an unsuccess ful rock band\, cheating on her. To drown her sorrows\, Ah-mi begins to drink heavily and recklessly until she meets a kindhearted young accoun tant. Despite her desire for independence\, Ah-mi lives with her older sister\, Young-mi (Lee Mi-sook)\, and Young-mi’s teenaged daughter\, Kan g-ae (An So-hee). Young-mi\, an attractive and successful 41-year-old i nterior designer\, has just entered into an affair with a young actor\, but must also deal with a piece of unwelcome news from her doctor. Kang -ae is busy getting love advice from an exotic female friend as she trie s to gain attention from her apathetic boyfriend.\n \nBased on the comic book series “10\, 20 and 30″ and directed by Kwon Chil-in (SINGLES)\, H ELLCATS is a sweet\, sexy and smart romantic comedy that takes a realist ic view of the modern Korean single woman. Terrifically acted and conf idently directed\, this is a film that transcends the “chick flick” genr e to create an intelligent and entertaining film that will appeal to all audiences.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nSan Diego Women's Film Festival\n \ n \n Review of HELLCATS (KoreanFilm.org) CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Korean, Romance, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/hellcats_sdaff2008 UID:161672989-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T143000 SUMMARY:The World Unseen DESCRIPTION:*Cast and crew scheduled to attend\n \nIn 1950's South Africa \, the dawn of apartheid places every detail of life under strict scruti ny. Yet here's free-spirited Amina (Sheetal Sheth\, “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World”) scandalizing her Indian community. She's broken a ll the rules by running a café\, a safe haven of laughter\, music\, and a grey area for those who fall outside the strict black and white rules of the apartheid-led government.\n \nMiriam (Lisa Ray\, Water)\, on the other hand\, is a doting mother to her children and a demure and subserv ient wife to her chauvinistic husband\, Omar. Quietly intelligent\, Miri am has never assumed that she may have choices in life. When Miriam mee ts Amina\, their unexpected attraction throws them both off balance. Alt hough Miriam manages to subdue her fascination with unconventional Amina \, she finds herself slowly inspired to confront familiar and familial c onstraints. Shortly after their encounter Miriam moves to an isolated li fe in the country\, but even here apartheid is placing its cruel footpri nt on society\, and these injustices bring the two women together again\ , cementing the basis of their growing feelings.\n \nEven the fearless A mina starts doubting herself as she is faced with the strength of her fe elings and with the reality of Miriam’s situation. Miriam finds herself making some courageous choices that will change her own life forever.\n \nBringing her award-winning novel to the screen\, Director Shamim Shari f's debut contains not one but two of this year's steamiest kisses! Rom ance aside\, THE WORLD UNSEEN is also a revealing look at a rarely exami ned community that divides white from black and women from men\, but als o one that might just allow an unexpected love to survive.\n Co-presente d by:\n Intuit Indian Organization\n Qualcomm \n \n Red carpet interview with Sheetal Sheth (video) CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Indian, Justice, South Asian LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/theworldunseen_sdaff2008 UID:162233398-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T160400 SUMMARY:Assembly DESCRIPTION:Based on a true story\, ASSEMBLY follows one man’s journey in search of truth and honor in the aftermath of one of the bloodiest batt les in the Chinese Civil War.\n \nIt is the Winter of 1948 – Captain Guz idi leads an infantry unit consisting of just 46 men on a sniping missi on. Their orders are to fight until the retreat assembly call is sounde d. But that call never comes. After many hours of defense and with amm unition running out\, men are falling hard and fast. Guzidi realizes th at the call might have been missed during the heat of battle\, contribut ing to the deaths of his men. The first half of the film is mesmerizing and brutal\, containing some of the most realistic warfare scenes many critics have compared to Saving Private Ryan.\n \nThe second half of the film finds Guzidi as the only survivor on a mission to prove the herois m of his men and to honor their glorious deaths. Overall ASSEMBLY’s unf linching look at war can be too much for viewers to digest\, but that is also what makes it so rewarding.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nChinese Conso lidated Benevolent Association\n The House of China CATEGORIES:Action, Chinese, Epic, Feature, Featured, Historical, War LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/assembly_sdaff2008 UID:161642326-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T143000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T160000 SUMMARY:From Comics to Film (Panel) DESCRIPTION: In recent years\, films adapted from comic books have domina ted the global box offices - from gigantic blockbuster summer movies su ch as THE DARK KNIGHT\, 300 and IRON MAN to critically-acclaimed films s uch OLDBOY\, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and ROAD TO PERDITION. Due to the st rong representation of Asian Americans within the comic book industry\, this trend will surely have an effect on the Asian American arts communi ty. \n \nJoin acclaimed artist Jim Lee (“X-Men”\, “Batman: Hush”) and wr iter/filmmaker Greg Pak (“Planet Hulk”\, ROBOT STORIES – SDAFF ’03) for a lively discussion on the comic book creation process and the adaptatio n of comics for the big screen from an Asian American perspective. Mart in Wong (co-editor of Giant Robot magazine) will moderate this panel. \n \n Book Signing with Greg Pak \nSaturday\, October 11th at 3:00 pm \nC omickaze \n5517A/B Clairemont Mesa Blvd. \nSan Diego\, CA 92117 \n(858) 278-0371 \n\n\n \n \n Jim Lee draws Superman and Batman (YouTube video) \n Greg Pak interview (YouTube video) CATEGORIES:Comics, Panel LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/fromcomicstofilmpanel_sdaff2008 UID:161672450-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T152000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T164300 SUMMARY:Mystic Ball DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker scheduled to attend\n \nSome 20 years in the makin g\, MYSTIC BALL is a testament to the passion and perseverance of Canadi an director Greg Hamilton – not only as a filmmaker but as a champion of chinlone\, the national sport of Myanmar. \n \nAs its leading foreign e xpert and player\, Hamilton thoroughly introduces Western audiences to t his unknown\, mesmerizing game. Invented over 1500 years ago and conside red by many to be the oldest form of soccer\, chinlone is a mix of hack ey sack\, tai chi\, dance and a lot of meditation. Teams composed of bot h men and women\, form an ever-morphing circle\, to keep a woven rattan ball from touching the ground by employing any of the 200 different kick s that have evolved over the centuries. In chinlone\, which is played to music\, no score is kept\; the focus is not on winning or losing but ra ther the sheer beauty and joy of the play. \n \nEven more relevant in th e wake of the unrest coursing through Myanmar this fall\, MYSTIC BALL – like the game it portrays – shows the importance of play for the prospec t of unity and peace.\n \nCo-presented by Rescue Task Force\n \n Click H ere For Trailers CATEGORIES:Burmese, Canadian, Documentary, Feature, Sport LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/mysticball_sdaff2008 UID:161562993-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T153000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T163000 SUMMARY:Yours Truly\, Miss Chinatown DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker scheduled to attend\n \nEver since the very first Miss Chinatown was crowned in 1958\, the titleholder has been a highly r ecognizable Asian American icon at once admired and reviled. Her dazzlin g smile\, perfumed coif\, tight Chinese dress and impeccable English is the picture of contentment - the perfect blend of East and West\, old wo rld continuity and modern sensibilities.\n \nOr\, what some call\, a car icature of the feminine and ethnic ideal\, exploited and outdated.\n \nY OURS TRULY\, MISS CHINATOWN goes behind the scenes of the 2003 Los Angel es Miss Chinatown pageant\, delving into the lives of two pageant contes tants during the pageant and the aftermath. Added to the mix is the ant i-heroine\, a Miss Chinatown imposter who dares to take on the myth\, an d playfully molds the symbol to reflect her own coming of age experience s. \n \nFollowing these women over several years\, at a pivotal time in their lives\, what emerges are some of the rarely heard voices of young Asian American women at the turn of the 21st century.\n \nCo-presented b y: Families with Children from China - San Diego Chapter San Diego Mes a College Asian Pacific American Studies Program Committee San Diego Me sa College Women's Union SDSU Alpha Phi Gamma SDSU Alpha Phi Gamma San Diego Women's Film Festival UCSD Women's Center CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese, Chinese American, Documentary, Featur e, Featured, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/yourstrulymisschinatown_sdaff2008 UID:161639853-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T182300 SUMMARY:Accuracy of Death DESCRIPTION:In the same vein as Always: Sunset on Third Street\, ACCURACY OF DEATH is a charming tale about the Grim Reaper and his talking dog t hat celebrates the idea that life is worth living. Taiwanese/Japanese he artthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro (The Returner) plays an angel of God who is a ssigned to spend a week with the unfortunate humans chosen for a sudden demise. His task is to decide whether the person deserves a second chan ce\, or if he is to “proceed.”\n \nStretched across thirty years – in wh ich Kaneshiro’s character never ages – the charismatic but lonely Grim R eaper encounters three lost souls. In 1988\, he considers the case of a young office lady who lives an unlucky life she hardly considers worth l iving. In 2008\, he has to judge the death-worthiness of a middle-aged yakuza trapped in the middle of a gang war. And in the future\, he meet s a feisty hair stylist who has reached the end of her life but also man aged to alienate her entire family.\n \nKaneshiro\, who has appeared in films by Wong Kar-Wai\, Zhang Yimou and John Woo\, takes an unpromising part and turns in an amazing performance\, telegraphing emotion with a w ell-timed tilt of the head or a slight smile. By the time the movie end s\, he has single-handedly sold the audience on the idea that death is a n inevitable part of being alive and there’s never a need to fear the re aper.\n \nCo-presented by: Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana San D iego Japanese Language & Culture Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Drama, Family, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/accuracyofdeath_sdaff2008 UID:161748576-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T183400 SUMMARY:Ocean of Pearls DESCRIPTION:*Screenwriter scheduled to attend\n \nAs a Sikh man with a fu ll beard and turban\, Dr. Amrit Singh (Omid Abtahi) is often faced with the realities of racial profiling. But when he sees his dreams of becomi ng Chief of Surgery at a state-of-the-art transplant center dwindle beca use of his appearance\, Amrit makes a wrenching decision. He goes agains t a tradition he's maintained his whole life and cuts his hair.\n \nDesp ite his resolve to abandon tradition\, he hides this decision from his g irlfriend and family\, which marks the beginning of a series of compromi ses as he deals with hospital politics and health care injustices. When the condition of patient Mary Stewart (Brenda Strong\, “Desperate Housew ives”) turns grim\, Amrit begins to reexamine the value of the religious traditions he'd turned his back on. When a family secret is finally re vealed\, Amrit begins to understand the meaning behind the Sikh traditio n.\n \nAmong the first feature-length narrative films portraying the Sik h experience\, the award-winning OCEAN OF PEARLS is a powerful look at o ne man's balancing act between faith\, family\, and getting ahead.\n \n2 008 Grand Jury Award\, Audience Award Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Fes tival\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nIntuit Indian Organization San Diego Ind ian American Society South Asian Bar Association of San Diego Arthouse Movies Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Asian American, Drama, Feature, Justice, Sikh, South Asian LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/oceanofpearls_sdaff2008 UID:162233108-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T172000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T182000 SUMMARY:The Story of Spirits DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker scheduled to attend\n \nIn Vietnam\, legend has it that a person who dies far from home will wander the earth forever unti l they are commemorated…until their story is told. THE STORY OF SPIRITS documents Tien Nguyen's escape from Vietnam with her father and her thr ee siblings while her mother and unborn sister stayed behind following t he fall of Saigon in 1975.\n \nThirty years after her disappearance\, a mother's ghost returns\, channeled through her husband's new wife. This sudden appearance however\, leads her daughter to question her lifelong belief that her mother abandoned her children. As her questions turn to doubt\, the daughter embarks on a journey to shatter years of family dec eption and silence. She traces the path of a woman that she has never kn own\, from their wealthy life in Saigon\, to 1975 when the family fled t o America without her mother\, to her mysterious disappearance at sea\, and finally\, to her father's struggle living with the ghost of his dead wife. Using in-depth interviews with her family in California\, Michiga n\, New Jersey and ultimately Vietnam\, she is able to piece together on e story\, but several conclusions.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Vietnamese Ame rican Youth Alliance CATEGORIES:Asian American, Documentary, Feature, Vietnamese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/thestoryofspirits_sdaff2008 UID:161557600-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T184900 SUMMARY:Unspoken Passion DESCRIPTION:Water flows through this beautiful Filipino film like the lif e force it is — pouring down upon or flooding into the key moments in th e lives of two young men who meet as boys in a rural town and end up as male prostitutes in Manila. Whether it’s the river where they play as bo ys\, the holy water sprayed at a religious festival\, the filthy water t hat seeps through the Manila slums\, the steaming water in the bathhouse s where the young men ply their trade\, or just the ever-present rain\, these guys are always getting wet. They also spend a lot of time getting naked\, which isn’t a bad thing. \n \nHandsome puppy Ken Escudero as En zo and hot hunk Wil Sadejas as Adong play the friends as young men. Thei r lifelong bond seems broken when Adong elopes with Melay (Ashley Silver io)\, leaving Enzo heartbroken and alone in the river (of course)\, wher e the two had been happily skinny-dipping until she came along. Enzo soo n embarks on a search for his friend that takes five years. They finally meet again — and have sex for the very first time in front of a paying audience — when they are unwittingly booked as performers in the same ga y sex show. Will the unspoken passion shared by these beautiful young me n be forced into the open?\n\n \n- Frameline CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Filipino, Gay, Romance LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/unspokenpassion_sdaff2008 UID:162236387-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T205000 SUMMARY:Chocolate DESCRIPTION:When Zin\, a collector/moll for a Thai kingpin\, falls for a Japanese Yakuza\, an illegitimate child named Zen is produced. Raised a lone by her mother\, Zen turns out to be an autistic girl with amazing a crobatic skills\, quick reflexes – and a sweet tooth for chocolate candi es. Watching old Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee movies nonstop\, Zen is a marti al arts master in training. Then when her mother becomes ill with cancer \, it is up to her and her older cousin to use her skills to collect old debts in order to pay her mother’s medical bills.\n \nCHOCOLATE is a no -frills story about revenge brought to you by the makers of Ong Bak. In similar vein to the Tony Jaa films\, there are no tricks or special eff ects here. It’s a spectacular and jaw-dropping display of many years of Muay Thai training. Stay through the credits and see proof of the dang er and the injuries the actors had to overcome. The fight scenes in Cho colate will not disappoint and when you see newcomer Yanin “Jeeja” Vismi tananda (only 14 years old!)\, you’ll want to see it twice to believe it .\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nSan Diego Thai Language and Culture Exchange Meetup Group San Diego Meetup of Asian Professionals \nNational Associat ion of Asian American Professionals San Diego Chapter \nUSANA CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Thai LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/chocolate_sdaff2008 UID:161561825-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T191000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T205700 SUMMARY:Cinephile's Journey DESCRIPTION:A collection of award-winning and challenging short films for the more-than-average movie lovers. CATEGORIES:Artsy, Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/cinephilesjourney_sdaff2008 UID:161768736-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T214200 SUMMARY:Always: Sunset on Third Street DESCRIPTION:Back by popular demand is one of the most charming and heartw arming films you will see. ALWAYS: SUNSET ON THIRD STREET played to sold -out audiences at SDAFF ‘06\, and we brought it back as a companion to o ur closing night film\, ALWAYS 2. \n \nBased on a popular manga and se t in post-war Japan in the late 1950's\, rebuilding began in Tokyo where construction of the magnificent Tokyo Tower was underway and houses acr oss the city were acquiring their first washing machines\, refrigerators and the most holy of holies--televisions. The story centers around Mr. Chagawa\, who dreams of writing the Great Japanese Novel. His dreams are no more deluded than those of Mutsuko\, a countryside schoolgirl who th inks she's taken a job with a thriving car manufacturer only to discover that she's working in a one-garage mechanic's shop. Then there's Hiromi who opens a bar down the street and is saddled with the abandoned child of the nightspot's previous owner. \n \nWinner of 13 of Japan's 14 Acad emy Awards (including "Best Picture\," "Best Director\," "Best Screenpla y\," and "Best Actor")\, ALWAYS – SUNSET ON THIRD STREET is a movie that guarantees you'll cry at the end\, so be prepared for this emotional an d visually lavish journey. \n \nCo-presented by Charles Schwab Japan S ociety of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Drama, Family, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/alwayssunsetonthirdstreet_sdaff2008 UID:161526193-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T194500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T220400 SUMMARY:Dororo DESCRIPTION:"A swashbuckling flight of fancy" \n The Japan Times \n \nSet during the turbulent Sengoku period of Japanese history\, DORORO is the story of Hyakkimaru (Satoshi Tsumabuki)\, a young man who had 48 body p arts sacrificed to 48 demons before birth by his power-hungry father\, K agemitsu Daigo (Kiichi Nakai). As a result this demonic pact\, Kagemits u becomes the most powerful man in Japan and his limbless and nearly lif eless son Hyakkimaru is discarded and left to die. However\, a country doctor discovers Hyakkimaru and saves him by utilizing alchemy to artifi cially replace the missing body parts. The doctor then raises Hyakkimar u as his adopted son\, until one day Hyakkimaru comes to the realization that his destiny is to regain his humanity by reclaiming his body parts by slaying each of the 48 demons. \n \nThankfully for Hyakkimaru\, the good doctor has incorporated awesome weaponry into Hyakkimaru’s appenda ges\, including arms that transform into swords. Hyakkimaru is soon joi ned on his journey by a tomboyish female orphan named Dororo (Kou Shibas aki)\, the self-proclaimed greatest thief in the world. Together\, they slay a spectacular array of demons\, until they reach inevitable confro ntation with the evil Kagemitsu. \n \nBased on the classic comic series by Osamu Tezuka\, the godfather of Japanese manga\, DORORO combines ter rific swordplay action with inventively creative special effects. A str ong performance by dashing lead actor Satoshi Tsumabuki (JOSEE\, THE TIG ER\, AND THE FISH\, SDAFF ’04) is ably supported by a star-studded cast of Japanese stars including the Shibasaki (BATTLE ROYALE). All of thes e elements come together to make DORORO wonderful fantasy film that shou ld not be missed.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nJapan Society of San Diego an d Tijuana UCSD Multi-Asian Student Association \n \n Review of DORORO ( The Japan Times) CATEGORIES:Fantasy, Feature, Featured, Japanese, Manga, Martial Arts LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/dororo_sdaff2008 UID:161672231-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T212500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081012T231700 SUMMARY:Open City DESCRIPTION:The big budget and star-studded Korean film OPEN CITY is an u rban crime story loaded with action and sexual tension. Set in the grit ty streets of Seoul\, the story is a cat and mouse game involving a netw ork of professional pickpockets. Sexy actress Son Ye-jin shows off in the lead role as Baek Jang-mi (White Rose)\, the boss of a dangerous gan g of pickpockets affiliated with the Japanese Yakuza. Jang-mi aspires t o expand her turf by conquering Seoul’s hot spots like Dongdaemun and My eong-dong\, but she’ll need the help of a young and handsome detective p layed by Kim Myung-min\, who falls for her beauty.\n \nOPEN CITY deliver s as the slick action thriller with relentless violence\, a pretty reali stic portrayal of the underground crime world - and bonus\, beautiful wo men in off-the-runway fashions.\n \nCo-presented by:\n San Diego Dragon Boat Team CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Korean, Thriller LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/opencity_sdaff2008 UID:161752358-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T171000 SUMMARY:Red Race DESCRIPTION:Against the backdrop of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and escalating international condemnation and demonstrations over Chinese po licies from Tibet to Darfur\, THE RED RACE presents a detailed insight i nto the Chinese passion for gymnastics.\n \nShot in an observational sty le\, the film beautifully captures the contradictions of modern China: p oor families crowded into run-down\, older apartment complexes while in the distance we see lights\, skyscrapers\, and prosperity.\n \nThe Lu Wa n District Youth Athletic School in Shanghai seems to value competitive sports over academics for its kindergarten-aged students – many of whom come from rural provinces and live with grandparents or surrogate caret akers. Their parents hope to give them opportunities not available in th e countryside. Some children voice hope that they will eventually become national gold medalists\, successful enough to build homes for their fa milies who live in poverty. Yet the path won't be easy. The trainers oft en “teach” by humiliation and punishment\, and reward with candy. Two gi rls hanging from an overhead bar show pain and tears as a coach shouts f rom the sidelines. As the film progresses\, one question persists: at w hat price is the New China?\n \n- Adapted by Gail Silva\, Silverdocs\n \ nThe Oct. 13th free screening of THE RED RACE is sponsored by Burkett & Wong Engineers CATEGORIES:Children, Chinese, Documentary, Family, Feature, Free, Sport LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/redrace_sdaff2008 UID:161891384-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T182500 SUMMARY:Masala Bites DESCRIPTION:A scrumptious mix of films\, perspectives\, and lives represe nting the diversity of the South Asian experience.\n \nCo-presented by:\ n Intuit Indian Organization\n San Diego Indian American Society CATEGORIES:Indian, Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/masalabites_sdaff2008 UID:162760312-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T171500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T182500 SUMMARY:Passing Poston DESCRIPTION:*Filmmakers scheduled to attend\n \nFor Ruth Okimoto\, the sc ars from her internment during World War II have never healed. The need to confront the past brings her back to the desert of Arizona where she spent her childhood years behind barbed wire -- back to where Poston was built.\n \nThe Poston Relocation center\, built on the Colorado River I ndian Reservation\, served as one of ten internment camps built in seven states. Between 1942 and 1945\, the Poston camps housed over 18\,000 Ja panese and Japanese American detainees. PASSING POSTON follows Ruth’s mo ving journey as she searches for meaning in the inexplicable while disco vering the true story of how the Poston camp came into being. Ruth's ans wers become an awakening and a road to revelation as the film examines t he emotional and haunting stories of several other former internees of P oston. Each person is shadowed by a tragic past\, each struggling in the ir own painful way to reconcile the trauma of their youth\, each yearnin g during the last chapter of their lives to find their rightful place in this country.\n \nCo-presented by: \nBuddhist Temple of San Diego Japa nese American Citizens League Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana C SUSM Cross Cultural Center CSUSM Asian Pacific Islander Faculty Staff A ssociation Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego Phi Alpha Theta (Alpha Zeta Chi Chapter)/History Club CATEGORIES:Asian American, Documentary, Feature, Historical, Japanese, Ju stice LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/passingposton_sdaff2008 UID:162700957-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T184400 SUMMARY:The Meaning of Tea DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker scheduled to attend\n THE MEANING OF TEA\, gorgeou sly filmed by Gordon Arkenberg\, explores the romance and complexities s urrounding tea\, a universally beloved and widely consumed beverage. The film travels through eight countries\, unveiling many reasons behind te a’s mysterious appeal. From afternoon tea in the Midwestern United State s to tea estates in India\, from the traditional tea ceremony of Japan t o modern tea life in Morocco\, the film explores the rituals and ceremon ies of tea celebrated and enjoyed by a myriad of unique cultures. The co mmon thread weaving together these individual stories is the question of whether there is any inherent meaning to be found in tea\, particularly in an era increasingly dominated by mass-marketing and fast food. The f ilm also examines the role certain modern forces pay in threatening the survival of tea and its cultural significance. By visiting places where tea is still revered and by investigating its role in these societies\, THE MEANING OF TEA suggests the profoundly positive role tea may play in our future.\n \nCo-presented by:\n San Diego Alliance for Asian Pacific Islander Americans Infusions of Tea CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, World LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/themeaningoftea_sdaff2008 UID:162232868-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T193000 SUMMARY:Happy Slip: Uncensored DESCRIPTION:A talented comedian\, and internet celebrity with one of YouT ube’s most subscribed channels\, Christine Gambito\, better known by her online name as HAPPY SLIP\, has an international following of her onlin e comedy sketches\, in which she impersonates members of her Filipino Am erican family. \n \nGambito's video Mixed Nuts was nominated for the 20 06 YouTube Video Awards for Best Comedy\, ultimately winning second plac e\, and recently\, she was appointed ambassador for Philippine tourism. Not bad for a woman who performs\, shoots\, and edits her sketches entir ely by herself!\nSo\, where does HAPPY SLIP come from\, you may ask? \n \n“As a child\, my Filipino mom would always remind me to wear a half-s lip with skirts. However\, the way she would pronounce the phrase was mi sleading: "Your hap e-slip! Be sure to wear your hap e-slip!" So I natur ally went around calling the thing a 'happy slip\,' until friends at sch ool corrected me by asking if I had a 'sad slip' as well.” \nHear more a bout HAPPY SLIP\, with Gambito in-person to share her personal journey\, how she usurped conventional Hollywood channels to become a superstar i n this comedic presentation of Gambito’s videos and lively discussion. \n \nCo-presented by:\n Miramar College Diversity/International Educatio n Committee Mabuhay Alliance\n \nThis panel discussion will repeat at 8P M Wednesday\, October 15 as part of the Philippine Cinema Showcase\, loc ated at the Chula Vista Center UltraStar. For more information\, go to: www.philippinecinemashowcase.org CATEGORIES:Celebrity, Comedy, Filipino, Panel LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/happyslipuncensored_sdaff2008 UID:162701949-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T203600 SUMMARY:Ping Pong Playa DESCRIPTION:*Jimmy Tsai and Smith Cho are scheduled to attend \n \n"[H]ip -hop comedy gold" \n- The New York Times \n\n \nChristopher “C-Dub” Wan g (Jimmy Tsai) is a young Chinese American man who spouts militant Asian American politics\, dreams of becoming a professional basketball player \, and sports the hip hop swagger 24/7. Unfortunately\, he also constan tly blames his inability to make the NBA on his genetics\, struggles to hold down a low-paying job at the mall and spends most of his free time playing video games and daydreaming of easy money. In short\, C-Dub is every Asian American parent’s worst nightmare. Thankfully for the Wang family\, C-Dub’s older brother Michael (Roger Fan) is everything that C- Dub is not. He is a doctor and national ping pong champion\, who genera tes business for his family’s ping pong school and store. \n \nUnfortuna tely\, things are turned upside down when Michael and Mrs. Wang are both hurt in a car accident. C-Dub is forced to step up and take over teach ing duties at the ping pong school\, and fend off a rival ping pong play er who threatens the family business by stealing students. The stakes a re taken even higher when C-Dub must shake off his reputation as a chron ic underachiever and defend his family’s honor by replacing his brother in the national ping pong tournament.\n \nCo-writer and star Jimmy Tsai steals the show with his incredibly charismatic performance as the unfor gettable C-Dub. Sharply directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmake r Jessica Yu (IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL)\, making her narrative featur e directing debut\, PING PONG PLAYA is the rare sports comedy that will have you rolling with laughter\, while effectively tackling important As ian American identity issues.\n \nCo-presented by:\n San Diego Table Ten nis Association \nRaytheon CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese American, Comedy, Family, Feature, Spo rt LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/pingpongplaya_sdaff2008 UID:161674816-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T210000 SUMMARY:Dance of the Dragon DESCRIPTION:Korean country boy Tae (Jang Hyuk)\, has dreamed of being a f amous ballroom dancer since his first encounter with the beautiful art f orm when he was a young boy. Twenty years later\, self taught with the a id of dance videos\, Tae knows the only way to take the next step is to leave Korea for Singapore where he can be trained by Emi Lim (Fann Wong) \, a former ballroom dancing champion renowned for her ability to take d ancers to great heights.\n \nAs the only student in the class without a partner\, Tae sometimes partners with Emi in training. Before long it be comes apparent that he has developed feelings for her. Tae struggles wi th life in his new environment so far away from home\, but none loom lar ger than Cheng (Jason Scott Lee) – Emi’s boyfriend and former martial ar ts champion. Threatened by the new student\, Cheng warns Tae to stay aw ay from ‘his girl’. It is a warning that soon turns to threats. \n \nDan ce Of The Dragon is an enchanting tale of love\, passion\, courage and h ope\, with the demanding and visually stunning disciplines of ballroom d ancing and martial arts woven as backdrops into the plot. Exquisitely s hot and lushly scored\, renowned Singaporean actress and singer Fann Won g brings poignancy to Emi while Korean heartthrob Jang Hyuk imbues Tae w ith innocent vulnerability. But it is Jason Scott Lee (Only The Brave\, SDAFF 2005) who steals the show with the sheer intensity and depth of h is portrayal of Cheng.\n \nCo-presented by:\n SingMa Club of San Diego CSUSM Jam Control World Dance Organization San Diego Alliance for Asian Pacific Islander Americans CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Singaporean LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/danceofthedragon_sdaff2008 UID:161529301-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T193500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T215100 SUMMARY:Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea DESCRIPTION:Shinichiro Sawai’s GENGHIS KHAN is a Japanese-Mongolian produ ction that topped the box office in Japan. This biopic tells the story of the vast ambitions of Genghis Khan using thousands of extras to recre ate the spectacular battles and military feats of the great legend. Tak ashi Sorimachi stars as Temujin (aka Genghis) as the story covers his do ubts over the secret of his birth\, the betrayal of his sworn friend and his mixed feelings for his son.\n \nSimilar to the earlier released fil m Mongol\, Sawai’s film offers a humanization of the infamous icon\, a l eader that is stoic patient stong and emphatic. Beautifully shot on loc ation in Mongolia\, the film is an epic not to be missed on the big scre en.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Action, Epic, Feature, Historical, Japanese, Mongolian LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/genghiskhantotheendsoftheearthandse a_sdaff2008 UID:161640655-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081013T215200 SUMMARY:Shadows in the Palace DESCRIPTION:Set during the Chosun Dynasty\, SHADOWS IN THE PALACE begins with the death of a maid-in-waiting\, who has hung herself within the pa lace walls. While performing the autopsy\, imperial medic Chun-ryung (P ark Jin-hee) begins to suspect murder and starts her own investigation i nto the matter. Standing in her way are the barren queen and the royal concubine who has mothered a child for the previously heir-less king\, a mong others. As she begins to unravel the vast array of deceptions\, Ch un-ryung is soon confronted by a secret more powerful than she could hav e ever imagined. \n \nSHADOWS IN THE PALACE is the first feature film d irected by Kim Mee-jung\, a young woman who served as assistant director on the 2005 Korean blockbuster film KING AND THE CLOWN. This thrilling and surprising film is a visual feast\, from the authentic costumes to the spectacular cinematography and sets. Notable for its all-female cre w\, the director has succeeded in creating a masterfully genre-bending f ilm that combines elements of the historical costume drama\, murder myst ery\, and even Asian horror genres with a deft touch. Not just a beauti ful and wildly entertaining movie\, SHADOWS IN THE PALACE is truly a rem arkable film that boldly crosses lines.\n \n Review of SHADOWS IN THE P ALACE (KoreanFilm.org) CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Featured, Korean, Thriller, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/shadowsinthepalace_sdaff2008 UID:161742217-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T173100 SUMMARY:Follow Your Heart: China's New Youth Movement DESCRIPTION:FOLLOW YOUR HEART is Duncan Jepson’s first venture in filmmak ing. By day\, Jepson is a corporate lawyer in Hong Kong. His daring do cumentary explores the life and ideals of a new generation of Chinese\, focusing on the beliefs\, work and family of a number of China's success ful independent Hip Hop artists. The group\, spread across China\, belie ve in Old School values: self-expression\, freedom and truth to one-self . The film investigates the dynamic between the inflexible political env ironment and a modernizing ancient culture\, the issues that are affecti ng Chinese youth such as Chinese-ness\, geography\, freedom\, family\, i nformation\, consumerism\, wealth and individuality. Finally the film se ts out to describe the high optimism of this new generation and the futu re that they want to build.\n \nThis FREE screening is sponsored by Burk ett & Wong\n CATEGORIES:Chinese, Documentary, Feature, Free, Hong Kong, Music, Teen LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/followyourheartchinasnewyouthmoveme nt_sdaff2008 UID:161642991-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T190000 SUMMARY:Wings of Defeat DESCRIPTION:In the West\, World War II Japanese kamikaze pilots are commo nly remembered as a symbol of suicidal fanaticism. In Japan\, the kamik aze pilots are held in reverence as patriots for committing the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their nation. Few outside of Japan realize tha t by the spring of 1945\, all Japanese combat aircraft were reassigned t o kamikaze missions and that hundreds of kamikaze pilots survived World War II. \n \nWhen director Risa Morimoto discovered that her late uncle was one these kamikaze pilots who survived the war\, she was inspired t o go to Japan and film interviews with other survivors. Through these i nterviews\, we learn that the desperate Japanese military government\, u nwilling to face the inevitable defeat\, forced young men to take on mis sions with no chance of survival. By blending these extraordinary inte rviews with rare combat footage and interviews with American military me n who survived kamikaze attacks\, WINGS OF DEFEAT pains a very different picture of kamikaze pilots\, one that shatters the commonly held mythol ogy.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Asian American, Documentary, Feature, Historical, Japanese, Wa r LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/wingsofdefeat_sdaff2008 UID:161743329-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T174000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T191600 SUMMARY:The Fish Fall in Love DESCRIPTION:Atieh’s singular passion is food\, and her small but popular restaurant on the sleepy Caspian coast is her pride and joy. But when Az iz\, her former fiancé\, appears after a twenty-year absence\, the women believe he has intentions of closing the restaurant\, so Atieh prepares his favorite dishes\, one after the other\, in a desperate effort to co nvince him otherwise. Loosely based on the Persian fable of Shahrazad an d the Thousand Myths (A Thousand and One Nights)\, director Ali Raffi us es the language of food to paint a richly textured portrait of life and love on the northern coast of Iran.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Persian Cultu ral Center of San Diego Persian Institute at SDSU/LARC CATEGORIES:Feature, Iranian LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/thefishfallinlove_sdaff2008 UID:161638470-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T194000 SUMMARY:Reel in the Vote DESCRIPTION:A collection of short 7 films that confront Asian Pacific Isl ander voter apathy\, but also celebrate API heroes of democracy.\n \nRec eption will follow the screening. CATEGORIES:Documentary, Election, Free, Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/reelinthevote_sdaff2008 UID:162019811-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T202700 SUMMARY:Always: Sunset on Third Street DESCRIPTION:Back by popular demand is one of the most charming and heartw arming films you will see. ALWAYS: SUNSET ON THIRD STREET played to sold -out audiences at SDAFF ‘06\, and we brought it back as a companion to o ur closing night film\, ALWAYS 2. \n \nBased on a popular manga and se t in post-war Japan in the late 1950's\, rebuilding began in Tokyo where construction of the magnificent Tokyo Tower was underway and houses acr oss the city were acquiring their first washing machines\, refrigerators and the most holy of holies--televisions. The story centers around Mr. Chagawa\, who dreams of writing the Great Japanese Novel. His dreams are no more deluded than those of Mutsuko\, a countryside schoolgirl who th inks she's taken a job with a thriving car manufacturer only to discover that she's working in a one-garage mechanic's shop. Then there's Hiromi who opens a bar down the street and is saddled with the abandoned child of the nightspot's previous owner. \n \nWinner of 13 of Japan's 14 Acad emy Awards (including "Best Picture\," "Best Director\," "Best Screenpla y\," and "Best Actor")\, ALWAYS – SUNSET ON THIRD STREET is a movie that guarantees you'll cry at the end\, so be prepared for this emotional an d visually lavish journey. \n \nCo-presented by Charles Schwab Japan S ociety of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Drama, Family, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/alwayssunsetonthirdstreet_sdaff2008 UID:161526263-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T205400 SUMMARY:House of Sharing DESCRIPTION:During WWII\, eight Korean girls survived kidnapping\, tortur e and sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army. They returned home\, only to spend the next sixty years outcast by society. These eight wome n are among an estimated 200\,000 victims. Now in their eighties\, the w omen continue to fight for justice\, even as their time is running out.\ n \nIn HOUSE OF SHARING\, first-time director Hein Seok captured the can did lives of these eight survivors for over a year\, as they shared thei r life stories through heartfelt words\, paintings and songs. During the ir seemingly hopeless ordeals before and after the war\, the women find a collective strength in their outrage. Also revealed is a hidden side t o these women\, who are simply called halmoni (grandmother). They are l ively\, loving\, and unexpectedly humorous. It is all the more poignant as the halmonis are rapidly failing in health.\n \nIn the end\, HOUSE OF SHARING captures a personal portrait of some of the last living “comfor t women\,” who are living legacies to the atrocities of war\, and the st rength of the human spirit\n \nPreceded by\nWIAMBU – COMFORT WOMAN \nDir ected by James Bang\nUSA/S. Korea | Korean & Japanese w/ E.S. | Video | 2008\nA seventeen-year-old Korean girl is brought to a Japanese military camp during WWII\, where her catastrophic future awaits.\n \nCo-present ed by:\n Thomas Jefferson School of Law - Center for Law and Social Just ice CSUSM Women's Studies Program Gabriella Network - San Diego San Di ego Women's Film Festival UCSD Kamalayan Kollective CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, Korean LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/houseofsharing_sdaff2008 UID:161555630-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T194500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T214100 SUMMARY:200 Pounds Beauty DESCRIPTION:One of the top grossing romantic comedies in South Korean his tory\, 200 POUNDS BEAUTY is based on a best-selling Japanese comic book series that centers on the life of Hanna\, an extremely overweight singe r with an unbelievable voice. Although she had dreamed of becoming a po p-singer\, her appearance always stood in the way. Instead\, she is hir ed as a faceless singer\, providing vocals for pop-star Ami\, who lip-sy ncs because she can’t carry a note to save her life. \n \nAs Hanna is ta rgeted with countless jokes about her full figure\, she remains lighthea rted and works hard to please Ami’s music producer\, Sang-jun\, with who m she has developed a secret crush. Ami sees that Sang-jun is being kin d to Hanna\, and in a fit of jealousy\, humiliates Hanna in front of him \, causing her to run away. Fed-up of being ill-treated due to her weig ht\, Hanna undergoes an extreme makeover which changes her life and her identity. \n \nWhile 200 POUNDS BEAUTY will make you laugh\, it ultimat ely pokes fun at society’s obsession with plastic surgery\, while challe nging viewers to seek the meaning of one’s true beauty. \n \n\nScreenin g Sponsored by KCCLA\n Co-presented by: \nSan Diego Meetup of Asian Pr ofessionals National Association of Asian American Professionals - San D iego Chapter CATEGORIES:Comedy, Feature, Korean, Romance, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/200poundsbeauty_sdaff2008 UID:161524227-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T222500 SUMMARY:Lovers DESCRIPTION:LOVERS begins as a young photographer\, Jeremy\, arrives in S hanghai on the night of his first solo exhibition in the city. Elsewhere \, on that same winter's night\, a young woman\, 'Qiu Sen' quickly and s ilently snaps photos of a random couple while stalking closely behind th em. She is eventually led into a small street corner art gallery adverti sing Jeremy’s exhibition.\n \nAs she follows the couple inside\, her lif e will pause for a moment - and in that moment\, Jeremy will see her. An d she will see him. And in the moment their eyes lock\, they will fall f or each other for the second time. . .\n \nThe film asks the question\, what would you do if you had a chance to heal the wounds of a loved one you hurt deeply? Or would the emotional baggage and pain of past mistake s be too much to overcome? Set against the beautiful\, glowing backdrop of modern Shanghai\, LOVERS deals with the subjects of love both lost an d found\, and the fragility of a second chance.\n \n \nClick here for t railer and official site.\n CATEGORIES:Artsy, Chinese, Drama, Feature, French, Hong Kong, Romance LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/lovers_sdaff2008 UID:161560993-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081014T225200 SUMMARY:Open City DESCRIPTION:The big budget and star-studded Korean film OPEN CITY is an u rban crime story loaded with action and sexual tension. Set in the grit ty streets of Seoul\, the story is a cat and mouse game involving a netw ork of professional pickpockets. Sexy actress Son Ye-jin shows off in the lead role as Baek Jang-mi (White Rose)\, the boss of a dangerous gan g of pickpockets affiliated with the Japanese Yakuza. Jang-mi aspires t o expand her turf by conquering Seoul’s hot spots like Dongdaemun and My eong-dong\, but she’ll need the help of a young and handsome detective p layed by Kim Myung-min\, who falls for her beauty.\n \nOPEN CITY deliver s as the slick action thriller with relentless violence\, a pretty reali stic portrayal of the underground crime world - and bonus\, beautiful wo men in off-the-runway fashions.\n \nCo-presented by:\n San Diego Dragon Boat Team CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Korean, Thriller LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/opencity_sdaff2008 UID:161752394-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T170000 SUMMARY:Family Inc. DESCRIPTION:*Producer scheduled to attend Oct. 11th screening.\n \nWhen f ilmmaker Emily Ting was asked by her father to return to Asia and take o ver the family business\, she didn’t exactly know how to say ‘no.’ Promi sing herself she would try it out for just one year\, she traded in her friends\, her filmmaking pursuits\, and her love of New York for a gruel ing new life as CEO in training in one of Hong Kong’s most notorious toy companies. \n \nTwo years later\, she’s still there – with no end in si ght. \n \nFrom picking up the slack left behind by a runaway brother to steering a sinking company on the brink of bankruptcy\, Emily finds hers elf getting more and more stuck in a life she didn’t choose for herself. But her biggest challenge yet is in trying to reconnect with an absente e father whose passion for his business far outshines his relationship w ith his family.\n \nIn an attempt to come to terms with her new life\, E mily turns the camera on herself and her family and the result is an inc redibly honest and at times bittersweet family portrait that examines th e price we end up paying when business and family become one.\n \nCo-pre sented by:\n Chinese School of San Diego Burkett and Wong Engineering\n \nFree screening on Oct 15 is made possible by Burkett & Wong Engineeri ng CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese, Chinese American, Documentary, Featur e, Free LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/familyinc_sdaff2008 UID:161529760-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T175900 SUMMARY:Under the Skin DESCRIPTION:Mario Barth guides the viewer inside The Horitoshi family\, m asters of the ancient art of Tebori\, a traditional Japanese technique o f tattoo that dates back for centuries. The Japanese government has outl awed Tebori tattoos due to their underworld ties . For the first time ev er\, viewers will be able to see the small and secret society of the Hor itoshi Family\, as well as their rich culture\, exotic land\, the histor y and mythology of Japanese tattooing. While in Tokyo\, Barth participat es in underground festivals\, rituals and gets tattooed on camera. Barth has gained much respect from the Horitoshi Family throughout his career and is the only Westerner welcomed to immerse into this highly guarded world\, which until now\, the average person would have zero access. It is only through Barth's accomplishments and stellar reputation that the viewer is given the key to this veiled community.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/undertheskin_sdaff2008 UID:161900310-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T171500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T182500 SUMMARY:Sleepwalking Through the Mekong DESCRIPTION:SLEEPWALKING THROUGH THE MEKONG follows Los Angeles band Deng ue Fever on their journey to Cambodia to perform 60s and 70s Cambodian r ock n' roll in the country where it was created and very nearly destroye d. The odyssey is a homecoming for singer Chhom Nimol and a transformat ion for the rest of the band as they perform with master musicians and r ecord new songs along the way.\n \nMore than a rockumentary\, the film s erves up a portrait of modern Cambodia as the band tours through Phnom P enh and beyond\, crossing a great cultural chasm with the same spirit of Cambodia's original rock pioneers. It is a celebration of this long-ov erlooked music and reveals the power of music to weave a common thread b etween extremely different cultures.\n \nShot in ten days\, the real sta r of this film is the unique and intoxicating Cambodian music that also heals the generations of wounds from the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge . In the last thirty some years\, the music has transmuted and returned to find a new voice and\, perhaps\, a new audience. SLEEPWALKING THROU GH THE MEKONG is a testament to the power of this music. It’s no wonder Variety calls this "An engagingly different rock 'n' roll documentary.. ."\n \nCo-presented by:\n UCSD Cambodian Student Association CATEGORIES:Cambodian, Documentary, Feature, Music LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/sleepwalkingthroughthemekong_sdaff2 008 UID:161896117-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T184000 SUMMARY:Red Race DESCRIPTION:Against the backdrop of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and escalating international condemnation and demonstrations over Chinese po licies from Tibet to Darfur\, THE RED RACE presents a detailed insight i nto the Chinese passion for gymnastics.\n \nShot in an observational sty le\, the film beautifully captures the contradictions of modern China: p oor families crowded into run-down\, older apartment complexes while in the distance we see lights\, skyscrapers\, and prosperity.\n \nThe Lu Wa n District Youth Athletic School in Shanghai seems to value competitive sports over academics for its kindergarten-aged students – many of whom come from rural provinces and live with grandparents or surrogate caret akers. Their parents hope to give them opportunities not available in th e countryside. Some children voice hope that they will eventually become national gold medalists\, successful enough to build homes for their fa milies who live in poverty. Yet the path won't be easy. The trainers oft en “teach” by humiliation and punishment\, and reward with candy. Two gi rls hanging from an overhead bar show pain and tears as a coach shouts f rom the sidelines. As the film progresses\, one question persists: at w hat price is the New China?\n \n- Adapted by Gail Silva\, Silverdocs\n \ nThe Oct. 13th free screening of THE RED RACE is sponsored by Burkett & Wong Engineers CATEGORIES:Children, Chinese, Documentary, Family, Feature, Free, Sport LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/redrace_sdaff2008 UID:161891427-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T200500 SUMMARY:Shame DESCRIPTION:*Director scheduled to attend\n \nEvery day\, horrific world events evade justice. SHAME is the story of a courageous woman who fough t back. During the summer of 2002\, in a remote village of Pakistan\, 33 -year-old Mukhtaran Mai's life changed when the village's tribal council sanctioned a punishment against her for a crime allegedly committed by her younger brother. Following the tribal custom of "honor for honor\," Mai was gang-raped and then publicly paraded around as an example. \n \n Her family cowered in shame. The village shunned her. Normally the only recourse for such a woman would be suicide. Instead\, Mai set out to see k justice and shook the very core of Pakistan's decaying judicial system . In her quest\, she endured public scrutiny and exposure to the alien w orld outside her village\, losing friends\, family and her life\, as she knew it.\n \nThroughout this incredible journey\, Mai maintains an ast onishing resilience and belief in herself. Journalists may visit less fr equently\, but her work and the work of women like her - is not yet over . There is still plenty of shame to be faced and conquered. \n \n-Thom P owers\n \nReception immediately following screening hosted by Project C oncern International\n Co-presented by:\n Amnesty Group 137 Project Con cern International SDSU Women's Resource Center San Diego Women's Film Festival CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, Indian, Justice, Pakistani, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/shame_sdaff2008 UID:161637379-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T202600 SUMMARY:ANIMATION: The Illusion of Life DESCRIPTION: How do you coax life out of thin air? Come and find out in this program dedicated entirely to the Magical Art of Animation. \n\n **Mature Content\n Co-presented by:\n Platt College\n Art Institute CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/animationtheillusionoflife_sdaff200 8 UID:162889350-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T205600 SUMMARY:Secret (Bu Neng Shuo De Mi Mi) DESCRIPTION:Arguably the world’s most popular Mandarin-language recording artist\, Jay Chou has successfully forayed into acting through roles in Initial D and Curse of the Golden Flower. With his directorial debut f ilm SECRET\, Chou establishes himself as a gifted performer and a skillf ul auteur\, directing a script based on his own original story. Not bad for a Taiwanese pop superstar.\n \nChou plays Lun\, a music student at a secondary school who one day meets Yu while she is playing an evocativ e tune on the piano. “What’s the melody you played the first day we met ?” asks Lun\, “That’s my secret\,” Yu whispers back. What evolves is an innocent and seemingly typical young romance between the two talented p ianists. But the real intrigue of the film begins when Lun discovers an old photograph of Yu with his father (Anthony Wong) which triggers him t o investigate the mystery of Yu and the secret melody she plays. SECRET is a fun for-all-ages sort of film with a surprise twist you’ll enjoy t aking your girlfriend\, parents or teenage kids to. CATEGORIES:Chinese, Drama, Feature, Hong Kong, Romance, Taiwanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/secretbunengshuodemimi_sdaff2008 UID:161641225-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T205300 SUMMARY:A Thousand Years of Good Prayers DESCRIPTION:"...a finely observed portrait of a father/daughter relations hip that will resonate deeply" \n- The Hollywood Reporter \n \nBest kno wn for directing “The Joy Luck Club\,” filmmaker Wayne Wang is arguably one of the most prolific Asian American independent filmmakers today. A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS is among his latest Asian-themed films t hat explore the bonds of family and Chinese identity in the modern world .\n \nDignified and quiet Mr. Shi (Henry O) arrives in Spokane\, Washing ton to visit his divorced daughter\, Yilan\, whom he has not seen for 12 years. Yilan resents what she feels will be his meddling in the affair of her failed marriage\, and finds excuses to leave her father alone in her apartment. In desperation\, he begins to visit a local park\, where he befriends an older Iranian woman living with her son. These two lonel y souls communicate perfectly\, despite their language barrier. Yilan ev entually is forced to relate to her father\, and is surprised by what sh e discovers. \n \nAdapted from a short story written by Chinese émigré\, Yiyun Li\, A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS is a personal narrative abo ut a man who survived the Cultural Revolution and struggles to understan d a daughter who has become as different as the country she now lives in .\n \nCo-presented by:\n Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association Sa n Diego Chinese Historical Museum \n \n Wayne Wang isn't missing (Salon. com) \n Review of A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS (The Hollywood Repor ter) CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese, Chinese American, Drama, Family, Feat ure LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/athousandyearsofgoodprayers_sdaff20 08 UID:161641863-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T203500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T222000 SUMMARY:Around the World DESCRIPTION:Whether rockin' in a freer world or entering a woman's domain \, a revealing collection of stories traversing across time and place.\n \nCo-presented by:\n City College World Cultures Program\n UCSD Cross-C ultural CATEGORIES:Shorts Program, World LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/aroundtheworld_sdaff2008 UID:162024069-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T212000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T225200 SUMMARY:Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe DESCRIPTION:Director scheduled to attend\n \nFrom 2000 to 2007\, director Harry Kim documented the “life and crimes” of artist David Choe\, as he rose from unknown “tagger” to reach his current level of fame as a mura list\, painter\, and illustrator. We see everything from Choe’s search for dinosaurs in the heart of the Congo to the way Choe literally beats himself up physically while painting\, as the film takes us along on a r eckless ride befitting the colorful and idiosyncratic street artist. No t only do we receive a firsthand look into Choe’s creative process\, we also watch as he grows and matures as a man.\n \nDIRTY HANDS successfull y captures the manic desire for both adventure and excess that fuels bot h Choe’s manic creativity and self-destructive compulsions such as his u ncontrollable kleptomania\, using a dazzling\, high-energy visual style that incorporates a variety of mediums and Choe’s art. By pushing the l imits of the documentary film medium\, Harry Kim has truly succeeded in giving us the true David Choe experience.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego's Film Program CATEGORIES:Artsy, Asian American, Documentary, Feature, Featured, Korean American LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/dirtyhandstheartandcrimesofdavidcho e_sdaff2008 UID:161671641-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T233900 SUMMARY:L: Change the World DESCRIPTION:A group of fanatical eco-terrorists have decided to unleash a biological weapon on the planet. When the virus wipes out an entire vi llage in Thailand the authorities call upon L (Kenichi Matsuyama)\, the greatest detective in the world\, to save humanity. Assisting him are two young children\, a young boy who was the only survivor of the Thai v illage attack and the daughter of the creator of the virus antidote. Of course\, L’s always reliable partner Watari is available as always to p rovide able support.\n \nA spinoff of the wildly popular “Death Note” se ries of manga (Japanese comics)\, anime TV show and live action films\, director Hideo Nakata (RING) takes L\, the quirky\, sweet-toothed\, slig htly goth hero of “Death Note” and places him in a position where he mus t save the world. A huge box office success in Japan\, this film has c learly established Kenichi Matsuyama as a superstar and matinee idol. L : CHANGE THE WORLD is fun for everyone and definitely required viewing for fans of the “Death Note” franchise.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Soc iety of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Japanese, Manga LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/lchangetheworld_sdaff2008 UID:161674104-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T215500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081015T234700 SUMMARY:Shadows in the Palace DESCRIPTION:Set during the Chosun Dynasty\, SHADOWS IN THE PALACE begins with the death of a maid-in-waiting\, who has hung herself within the pa lace walls. While performing the autopsy\, imperial medic Chun-ryung (P ark Jin-hee) begins to suspect murder and starts her own investigation i nto the matter. Standing in her way are the barren queen and the royal concubine who has mothered a child for the previously heir-less king\, a mong others. As she begins to unravel the vast array of deceptions\, Ch un-ryung is soon confronted by a secret more powerful than she could hav e ever imagined. \n \nSHADOWS IN THE PALACE is the first feature film d irected by Kim Mee-jung\, a young woman who served as assistant director on the 2005 Korean blockbuster film KING AND THE CLOWN. This thrilling and surprising film is a visual feast\, from the authentic costumes to the spectacular cinematography and sets. Notable for its all-female cre w\, the director has succeeded in creating a masterfully genre-bending f ilm that combines elements of the historical costume drama\, murder myst ery\, and even Asian horror genres with a deft touch. Not just a beauti ful and wildly entertaining movie\, SHADOWS IN THE PALACE is truly a rem arkable film that boldly crosses lines.\n \n Review of SHADOWS IN THE P ALACE (KoreanFilm.org) CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Featured, Korean, Thriller, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/shadowsinthepalace_sdaff2008 UID:161742253-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T165800 SUMMARY:Please Vote For Me DESCRIPTION:Winner of the Sterling Audience Award at the AFI Silverdocs F ilm Festival\, PLEASE VOTE FOR ME is one of the most insightful and enjo yable documentaries of the year. In a school of Wuhan\, China\, it’s ti me to elect a class monitor. Three 8-year-old contenders are chosen to square off: an incumbent known for his harsh dictatorship\, the smart ye t shy girl\, and the class clown. While their parents coach and strateg ize as the free election approaches\, the children face their fears and their challengers in a no-holds-barred series of classroom debates. The election elicits betrayals\, tears and laughter\, revealing the hardshi ps of campaigning and the lessons of dealing with defeat.\n \nIn this im mensely entertaining snapshot of a culture going through change and the growing pains of their children\, Weijun Chen’s expertly crafted film wi ll have you on the edge of your seat as the winner is announced. – Natal ie McMenemy\, AFI FEST\n \nFree screning on Oct 16 is made possible by B urkett & Wong Engineering CATEGORIES:Children, Chinese, Comedy, Documentary, Election, Family, Feat ure, Free LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/pleasevoteforme_sdaff2008 UID:161746330-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T173100 SUMMARY:Follow Your Heart: China's New Youth Movement DESCRIPTION:FOLLOW YOUR HEART is Duncan Jepson’s first venture in filmmak ing. By day\, Jepson is a corporate lawyer in Hong Kong. His daring do cumentary explores the life and ideals of a new generation of Chinese\, focusing on the beliefs\, work and family of a number of China's success ful independent Hip Hop artists. The group\, spread across China\, belie ve in Old School values: self-expression\, freedom and truth to one-self . The film investigates the dynamic between the inflexible political env ironment and a modernizing ancient culture\, the issues that are affecti ng Chinese youth such as Chinese-ness\, geography\, freedom\, family\, i nformation\, consumerism\, wealth and individuality. Finally the film se ts out to describe the high optimism of this new generation and the futu re that they want to build.\n \nThis FREE screening is sponsored by Burk ett & Wong\n CATEGORIES:Chinese, Documentary, Feature, Free, Hong Kong, Music, Teen LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/followyourheartchinasnewyouthmoveme nt_sdaff2008 UID:171384705-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T182600 SUMMARY:ANIMATION: The Illusion of Life DESCRIPTION: How do you coax life out of thin air? Come and find out in this program dedicated entirely to the Magical Art of Animation. \n\n **Mature Content\n Co-presented by:\n Platt College\n Art Institute CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/animationtheillusionoflife_sdaff200 8 UID:170946918-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T171500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T190900 SUMMARY:Hellcats DESCRIPTION:Ah-mi (Kim Min-hee) is a struggling 29-year-old screenwriter who one day catches her boyfriend\, Won-suk\, a musician in an unsuccess ful rock band\, cheating on her. To drown her sorrows\, Ah-mi begins to drink heavily and recklessly until she meets a kindhearted young accoun tant. Despite her desire for independence\, Ah-mi lives with her older sister\, Young-mi (Lee Mi-sook)\, and Young-mi’s teenaged daughter\, Kan g-ae (An So-hee). Young-mi\, an attractive and successful 41-year-old i nterior designer\, has just entered into an affair with a young actor\, but must also deal with a piece of unwelcome news from her doctor. Kang -ae is busy getting love advice from an exotic female friend as she trie s to gain attention from her apathetic boyfriend.\n \nBased on the comic book series “10\, 20 and 30″ and directed by Kwon Chil-in (SINGLES)\, H ELLCATS is a sweet\, sexy and smart romantic comedy that takes a realist ic view of the modern Korean single woman. Terrifically acted and conf idently directed\, this is a film that transcends the “chick flick” genr e to create an intelligent and entertaining film that will appeal to all audiences.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nSan Diego Women's Film Festival\n \ n \n Review of HELLCATS (KoreanFilm.org) CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Korean, Romance, Women LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/hellcats_sdaff2008 UID:161673051-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T174500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T183500 SUMMARY:Children of the Stars DESCRIPTION:Hundreds of thousands of families in China are affected by au tism. These families often face a desperate situation. With little to no knowledge of the developmental disorder\, they do not know how to teach or cope with their children. They are also largely excluded by a societ y that does not understand or accept them. \n \nCHILDREN OF THE STARS is a very personal documentary on a group of families seeking help for the ir severely autistic children. Among them is the Wei family. Their five -year-old boy is violent\, cannot speak\, and does not seem to even reco gnize his parents. No schools would accept him\, causing his family so much shame and despair\, they even considered family suicide.\n\nBut the y regained hope\, when accepted into a program at a little charity schoo l in Beijing called “Stars and Rain”. Here\, they would join other famil ies to learn behavioral techniques that will enable them to teach and ma nage their son. \n \nA deeply moving journey\, CHILDREN OF THE STARS fol lows the progress of the Wei family over three months\, resulting in an extraordinary story of parental love.\n\n \nCo-presented by: \nSD Autism Society CATEGORIES:Chinese, Documentary, Feature LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/childrenofthestars_sdaff2008 UID:161526774-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T193500 SUMMARY:Black Belt DESCRIPTION:BLACK BELT is a well acted\, deliberately nuanced drama about the moral dilemma of a young man forced to choose between his principle s and his obligation to defend the helpless. Trouble develops in Japan’ s late Showa dynasty (1932)\, in the wake of that country’s invasion of Manchuria\, when a company of military police arrogantly disrupts the ka rate studies of three young men at the rural dojo of their old wise mast er. Convinced that their skills can help in battle\, the army wants to acquire their services as fight instructors.\n \nThe fact that actual ka rate masters portray the main characters guarantees a great martial arts flick. No wires\, no stunts and no elaborate special effects. It’s a no-frills fistacuffs that is all simply quick and brutal. \nCo-presented by:\n \nJapan Society of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Featured, Japanese, Karate, Martial Arts LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/blackbelt_sdaff2008 UID:161559559-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T212700 SUMMARY:Always 2: Sunset on Third Street - Closing Film DESCRIPTION:ALWAYS 2 takes place four months after the original ended (se e our repeat screenings of Always part 1) – Tokyo Tower is now complete\ , though family patriarch Norifumi Suzuki (Shinichi Tsutsumi) is too sca red to actually go up in it – and re-introduces audiences to all the maj or characters (played by the same actors from the original). There's the car repair shop-owning Suzuki and his wife (Hiroko Yakushimaru)\; their country-bred\, lovelorn mechanic and de facto daughter Mutsuko (Maki Ho rikita)\; frustrated novelist neighbor Chagawa (Hidetaka Yoshioka) and h is adopted son Junnosuke (Kenta Suga)\; and sad\, kept woman Hiromi (Koy uki)\, who left Third Street at the end of the first film despite Chagaw a's love for her\, and is now working downtown as a dancer in a burlesqu e club. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics have been announced\, and the entire cou ntry has begun an enthusiastic rush towards affluence and modernity\, sy mbolized here by the arrival of Junnosuke's birth father in a fancy fore ign car\, who demands that Chagawa hand him over. Able to arrange a deal wherein Junnosuke can stay on Third Street if his standard of living re mains adequately comfortable\, Chagawa sets forth on the task that drive s much of the film: trying to complete a new novel and win the coveted A kutagawa Literary Prize\, and thus the respect of Junnosuke's father\, w ith the entire neighborhood rooting for him. Meanwhile\, the Suzuki hous ehold plays host to a new family member\, in the form of Mika\, a former ly affluent cousin whose father has fallen on hard times. The spoiled gi rl slowly insinuates herself into the Suzuki home\, at first a playmate then as an innocent first love for son Ippei\, but continually provides a rude reminder of just how bad the family's financial situation really is. Will the Suzukis and their hardscrabble neighbors be left behind in Tokyo's great rush forward into the second half of the 20th Century? Wil l their traditional values of friendship\, hard work\, sacrifice and fam ily commitment be lost when the Japanese economy goes "boom?" And just h ow does Godzilla figure into all of this? \n \nIf you already know the r esidents of Third Street\, you'll be entranced by their continued advent ures and the sly nods to popular 50s icons scattered throughout the film \, but even if you haven't seen the first one - keep in mind that we'll also be showing it for anybody who wants to follow the saga from the beg inning - you'll catch up quickly and soon become embarrassed at just how hard a cynical 21st century American can fall in love with a feel-good blockbuster about poor Japanese people in the 1950s. \n(reprinted from N ew York Asian Film Festival)\n \nPost-reception will follow the film. (I ncluded with ticket)\n \nCo-presented by:\n Buddhist Temple of San Diego Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana San Diego Japanese Language & Culture Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Drama, Epic, Family, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/always2sunsetonthirdstreetclosingfi lm_sdaff2008 UID:161897361-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T210200 SUMMARY:My Father DESCRIPTION:West Coast Premiere\n \nBased on a true story\, MY FATHER tra ces the journey of a Korean American adoptee to South Korea in search of his biological parents. Though raised by a loving family in America\, J ames Parker (played by Daniel Henney) has always dreamed of meeting his birth parents. While serving in the U.S. military in Korea\, he befriend s a Korean soldier to help him track down his old orphanage where he lea rned his birth name was “Gong Eun Cheol." \n \nWhile holding a large bab y photo of himself\, Parker goes on national Korean television pleading for information about his birth parents. Soon after\, a priest comes fo rward claiming to know Parker’s father and arranges a high-profile reun ion… in prison. His father – played by veteran actor Young-cheol Kim - is a convicted killer on death row. The two men find an undeniable fath er-and-son bond that transcends the walls of prison and any language bar rier. \n \nKorean adoptee Aaron Bates\, who MY FATHER is based on\, wil l attend the Oct 11 screening for Q&A\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nKorean Am erican Bar Association of San Diego Arthouse Movies Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Adoption, Drama, Family, Feature, Korean LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/myfather_sdaff2008 UID:161562586-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T194000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T210600 SUMMARY:Slingshot (Tirador) DESCRIPTION:*Director and cast are scheduled to attend\n \nProlific filmm aker Brillante Mendoza premieres his work at the San Diego Asian Film Fe stival this year with a double-header of FOSTER CHILD and SLINGSHOT\, bo th shot on the streets of Manila in what’s been described as “real time” filmmaking. Though fictional\, Mendoza’s impressive skill is to impose a calculated narrative onto Manila’s constant unpredictability\, shapin g its ground-level chaos into art. \n \nSLINGSHOT opens with a bravura s equence: a nighttime raid on one of Manila’s squatter neighborhoods. The camera chases plain-clothes police wielding massive automatic weapons t hrough the narrow laneways as they ransack homes\, break in on couples m aking love and herd dozens of people out into the open. Only some of the m are guilty. But in this neighborhood\, stealing puts food in your bell y. Some snatch wallets and jewelry\, some shoplift\, others prefer more intimate forms of thievery. \n \nA showcase of Mendoza’s rapidly maturin g abilities with digital cinema\, SLINGSHOT also presents the full range of human behavior\, especially the ironies of greed and vanity. \nThe s tories climax at a rally where politicians give high-minded speeches to thousands holding candles aloft in the night. But even there\, the harsh economics of life on the streets rules the evening. \n- Adapted by Came ron Bailey\n \nSLINGSHOT will also screen at the Chula Vista UltraStar ( 555 Broadway) as part of the Philippine Cinema Showcase October 17-23. For more info: www.philippinecinemashowcase.org\n CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Filipino LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/slingshottirador_sdaff2008 UID:161637920-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T201000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T220300 SUMMARY:Accuracy of Death DESCRIPTION:In the same vein as Always: Sunset on Third Street\, ACCURACY OF DEATH is a charming tale about the Grim Reaper and his talking dog t hat celebrates the idea that life is worth living. Taiwanese/Japanese he artthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro (The Returner) plays an angel of God who is a ssigned to spend a week with the unfortunate humans chosen for a sudden demise. His task is to decide whether the person deserves a second chan ce\, or if he is to “proceed.”\n \nStretched across thirty years – in wh ich Kaneshiro’s character never ages – the charismatic but lonely Grim R eaper encounters three lost souls. In 1988\, he considers the case of a young office lady who lives an unlucky life she hardly considers worth l iving. In 2008\, he has to judge the death-worthiness of a middle-aged yakuza trapped in the middle of a gang war. And in the future\, he meet s a feisty hair stylist who has reached the end of her life but also man aged to alienate her entire family.\n \nKaneshiro\, who has appeared in films by Wong Kar-Wai\, Zhang Yimou and John Woo\, takes an unpromising part and turns in an amazing performance\, telegraphing emotion with a w ell-timed tilt of the head or a slight smile. By the time the movie end s\, he has single-handedly sold the audience on the idea that death is a n inevitable part of being alive and there’s never a need to fear the re aper.\n \nCo-presented by: Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana San D iego Japanese Language & Culture Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Drama, Family, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/accuracyofdeath_sdaff2008 UID:161748658-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T212000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T233900 SUMMARY:Dororo DESCRIPTION:"A swashbuckling flight of fancy" \n The Japan Times \n \nSet during the turbulent Sengoku period of Japanese history\, DORORO is the story of Hyakkimaru (Satoshi Tsumabuki)\, a young man who had 48 body p arts sacrificed to 48 demons before birth by his power-hungry father\, K agemitsu Daigo (Kiichi Nakai). As a result this demonic pact\, Kagemits u becomes the most powerful man in Japan and his limbless and nearly lif eless son Hyakkimaru is discarded and left to die. However\, a country doctor discovers Hyakkimaru and saves him by utilizing alchemy to artifi cially replace the missing body parts. The doctor then raises Hyakkimar u as his adopted son\, until one day Hyakkimaru comes to the realization that his destiny is to regain his humanity by reclaiming his body parts by slaying each of the 48 demons. \n \nThankfully for Hyakkimaru\, the good doctor has incorporated awesome weaponry into Hyakkimaru’s appenda ges\, including arms that transform into swords. Hyakkimaru is soon joi ned on his journey by a tomboyish female orphan named Dororo (Kou Shibas aki)\, the self-proclaimed greatest thief in the world. Together\, they slay a spectacular array of demons\, until they reach inevitable confro ntation with the evil Kagemitsu. \n \nBased on the classic comic series by Osamu Tezuka\, the godfather of Japanese manga\, DORORO combines ter rific swordplay action with inventively creative special effects. A str ong performance by dashing lead actor Satoshi Tsumabuki (JOSEE\, THE TIG ER\, AND THE FISH\, SDAFF ’04) is ably supported by a star-studded cast of Japanese stars including the Shibasaki (BATTLE ROYALE). All of thes e elements come together to make DORORO wonderful fantasy film that shou ld not be missed.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nJapan Society of San Diego an d Tijuana UCSD Multi-Asian Student Association \n \n Review of DORORO ( The Japan Times) CATEGORIES:Fantasy, Feature, Featured, Japanese, Manga, Martial Arts LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/dororo_sdaff2008 UID:170951659-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T214500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081017T001200 SUMMARY:Always 2: Sunset on Third Street - Closing Film DESCRIPTION:ALWAYS 2 takes place four months after the original ended (se e our repeat screenings of Always part 1) – Tokyo Tower is now complete\ , though family patriarch Norifumi Suzuki (Shinichi Tsutsumi) is too sca red to actually go up in it – and re-introduces audiences to all the maj or characters (played by the same actors from the original). There's the car repair shop-owning Suzuki and his wife (Hiroko Yakushimaru)\; their country-bred\, lovelorn mechanic and de facto daughter Mutsuko (Maki Ho rikita)\; frustrated novelist neighbor Chagawa (Hidetaka Yoshioka) and h is adopted son Junnosuke (Kenta Suga)\; and sad\, kept woman Hiromi (Koy uki)\, who left Third Street at the end of the first film despite Chagaw a's love for her\, and is now working downtown as a dancer in a burlesqu e club. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics have been announced\, and the entire cou ntry has begun an enthusiastic rush towards affluence and modernity\, sy mbolized here by the arrival of Junnosuke's birth father in a fancy fore ign car\, who demands that Chagawa hand him over. Able to arrange a deal wherein Junnosuke can stay on Third Street if his standard of living re mains adequately comfortable\, Chagawa sets forth on the task that drive s much of the film: trying to complete a new novel and win the coveted A kutagawa Literary Prize\, and thus the respect of Junnosuke's father\, w ith the entire neighborhood rooting for him. Meanwhile\, the Suzuki hous ehold plays host to a new family member\, in the form of Mika\, a former ly affluent cousin whose father has fallen on hard times. The spoiled gi rl slowly insinuates herself into the Suzuki home\, at first a playmate then as an innocent first love for son Ippei\, but continually provides a rude reminder of just how bad the family's financial situation really is. Will the Suzukis and their hardscrabble neighbors be left behind in Tokyo's great rush forward into the second half of the 20th Century? Wil l their traditional values of friendship\, hard work\, sacrifice and fam ily commitment be lost when the Japanese economy goes "boom?" And just h ow does Godzilla figure into all of this? \n \nIf you already know the r esidents of Third Street\, you'll be entranced by their continued advent ures and the sly nods to popular 50s icons scattered throughout the film \, but even if you haven't seen the first one - keep in mind that we'll also be showing it for anybody who wants to follow the saga from the beg inning - you'll catch up quickly and soon become embarrassed at just how hard a cynical 21st century American can fall in love with a feel-good blockbuster about poor Japanese people in the 1950s. \n(reprinted from N ew York Asian Film Festival)\n \nPost-reception will follow the film. (I ncluded with ticket)\n \nCo-presented by:\n Buddhist Temple of San Diego Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana San Diego Japanese Language & Culture Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Drama, Epic, Family, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/always2sunsetonthirdstreetclosingfi lm_sdaff2008 UID:170952190-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T215500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081016T234400 SUMMARY:Vexille DESCRIPTION:In the year 2067\, Japan makes key breakthroughs in robot tec hnology and isolates itself off from the rest of the world against UN re gulations. A decade later\, the Americans believe Japan is a threat\, s o they send in a special forces unit led by Vexille (voiced by Meisa Kur oki) to investigate. After infiltrating Japan's security\, they discover something shocking: a previously unknown technology which has managed t o blend human tissue with robot engineering\, resulting in androids that are virtually indiscernible from real humans. The mission quickly goes awry. Ambushed and left for dead\, Vexille is rescued by local rebel M aria (Yatsuko Matsuyuki) who shares a common desire to take back their h umanity and end the cybernetic tyranny. Together\, they team up with a rag-tag crew of insurgents to prevent the rest of the world from meeting the same sinister fate.\n \nFrom the creators of Appleseed comes this e dgy\, futuristic\, animated thriller directed by Japanese filmmaker Fumi hiko Sori. Sori’s vivid depiction of dystopian Japan and its brooding u ndertones pays homage to Bladerunner\, even down to its ass-kicking femm e fatales. Heavily inspired by Ghost In The Shell\, The Matrix\, Star W ars\, and Road Warrior\, Vexille is packed full of jaw-dropping action s equences and eye-popping visuals that rival the best of Hollywood films. An official selection in prestigious Toronto Int’l Film Festival\, Ani me Insider calls Vexille\, “A Must See!” \nCo-presented by:\n Japan Soci ety of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Animation, Anime, Feature, Sci-fi LOCATION:UltraStar Mission Valley URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/vexille_sdaff2008 UID:170951467-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T182700 SUMMARY:Oh Saigon DESCRIPTION:On April 30\, 1975\, the final day of the Vietnam War\, Doan Hoang’s family departed Saigon on the last helicopter out of the country . On that day\, a nation was reunified\, but Doan’s family was torn asu nder\, as brother was separated from brother and Doan’s half-sister\, Va n\, was left behind. Twenty-five years later\, Hoang began shooting doc umentary footage of her family’s story\, uncovering family secrets along the way\, finally culminating with the Hoang family’s return to Vietnam five years later. \n \nIn this astonishing look at a family divided by war\, Hoang’s camera is omnipresent\, providing the type of intimate ac cess to the Hoang family that only a family member could obtain. The re sult is the creation of a powerful documentary film depicting the raw em otion and natural human reactions of a family’s struggle to overcome the ramifications of wartime decisions.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Vietnamese A merican Youth Alliance CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, Vietnamese LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/ohsaigon_sdaff2008 UID:161675424-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T181500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T194500 SUMMARY:Hollywood Chinese DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker Arthur Dong acheduled to attend Oct. 10th.\n \nFro m 1916\, when the first Asian American feature-length film was produced\ , to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN ninety years later\, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE comprehen sively documents the contributions Chinese American have made to America n cinema. Featuring interviews with notable artists such as Ang Lee\, W ayne Wang\, Joan Chen\, David Henry Hwang\, Nancy Kwan\, Justin Lin\, B. D. Wong\, Lisa Lu\, and James Hong\, this fine documentary blends the fi rst-person accounts of the earlier pioneers with interviews with some of today’s most influential stars. The film also contains rare footage\, including clips from reels that director Arthur Dong re-discovered from the 1916 film CURSE OF QUON GWON\, the earliest known Asian American fil m. All important eras in Asian American film are covered\, including the yellow-face era of exploitation films. \n \nWith HOLLYWOOD CHINESE\, A ward-winning filmmaker Arthur Dong has succeeded in creating an entertai ning and extraordinarily informative documentary film. Truly a landmark achievement in Asian American film\, HOLLYWOOD CHINESE is a film that s hould seen by all persons with interest in American film.\n \nCo-present ed by the New Americans Museum of San Diego. \n \n Review of HOLLYWOOD C HINESE (The New York Times) CATEGORIES:Chinese American, Documentary, Feature LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/hollywoodchinese_sdaff2008 UID:162007029-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T203500 SUMMARY:Planet B-boy DESCRIPTION:*Director scheduled to attend\n \nAn exciting showcase of som e of the most insane dance performances and unforgettable power moves\, PLANET B-BOY depicts the global resurgence of breakdancing and the per sonal stories of those bustin’ the moves. The film follows a dancer in Las Vegas looking for his big break\, a Korean son who seeks his father’ s approval and a twelve-year-old boy in France confronting his family’s racism. From the outskirts of Paris to the suburbs of Seoul\, the film s erves as a reminder of hip-hop's influence on different and diverse cult ures.\n \nForgotten by the mainstream and written off as an embarrassing 80s fad\, breakdancing had a long climb back to being accepted by the m asses\, but on the streets and in underground clubs from Tokyo to the US A it never died\, bubbling under the surface with a huge cult following and exploding each year in international competition. This is PLANET B-B OY. \n \nFollowing four crews of ‘B-Boys’ from different nations as they prepare to battle it out at the 2005 world championships\, this freneti c documentary shows off the dizzying spectacle of the art form\, showcas ing the skill and acrobatics of break dancing’s idiosyncratic characters – such as ‘Laser’\, a Korean B-Boy who has spent a good three to four y ears spinning on his head. CATEGORIES:Asian American, Breakdancing, Dance, Documentary, Family, Feat ure, French, Korean LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/planetbboy_sdaff2008 UID:161563674-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T204500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T225200 SUMMARY:Public Enemy Returns DESCRIPTION:West Coast Premiere\n \nThe original PUBLIC ENEMY told the st ory of a corrupt\, burnt-out cop\, Chul-Joong Kang\, whose professional passions are reignited when he crosses paths with a pampered\, spoiled t hrill killer. This time around\, Kang is ready to retire after a lifetim e of fighting crime\, injuries\, and a zero credit rating. He can’t affo rd a house\, and caring for his family is out of the question. \n \nOn t he other end of the social spectrum is Lee Won-Sul\, a successful busine ssman with hundreds of investments\, a country house\, and a doting fami ly. He’s much-loved\, highly respected and a great man in all the ways t he irascible\, corner-cutting\, deadbeat Kang is not. \n \nSo when Kang comes up with a link between Lee and some recent murders\, people tend n ot to believe him. The more he tries to prove that everyone’s favorite f ella is a slimy crook commanding an empire of crime\, the more he’s dism issed as jealous\, crazy and\, finally\, downright dangerous. \n- Adapte d by New York Asian Film Festival CATEGORIES:Action, Feature, Featured, Korean, Thriller LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/publicenemyreturns_sdaff2008 UID:161636194-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T211500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081021T222800 SUMMARY:Manila and Beyond DESCRIPTION:A collection of stories celebrating Pinoy Pride and the d iverse Filipino American experience.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Miramar Coll ege Diversity/International Education Committee CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/manilaandbeyond_sdaff2008 UID:161771117-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T175400 SUMMARY:House of Sharing DESCRIPTION:During WWII\, eight Korean girls survived kidnapping\, tortur e and sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army. They returned home\, only to spend the next sixty years outcast by society. These eight wome n are among an estimated 200\,000 victims. Now in their eighties\, the w omen continue to fight for justice\, even as their time is running out.\ n \nIn HOUSE OF SHARING\, first-time director Hein Seok captured the can did lives of these eight survivors for over a year\, as they shared thei r life stories through heartfelt words\, paintings and songs. During the ir seemingly hopeless ordeals before and after the war\, the women find a collective strength in their outrage. Also revealed is a hidden side t o these women\, who are simply called halmoni (grandmother). They are l ively\, loving\, and unexpectedly humorous. It is all the more poignant as the halmonis are rapidly failing in health.\n \nIn the end\, HOUSE OF SHARING captures a personal portrait of some of the last living “comfor t women\,” who are living legacies to the atrocities of war\, and the st rength of the human spirit\n \nPreceded by\nWIAMBU – COMFORT WOMAN \nDir ected by James Bang\nUSA/S. Korea | Korean & Japanese w/ E.S. | Video | 2008\nA seventeen-year-old Korean girl is brought to a Japanese military camp during WWII\, where her catastrophic future awaits.\n \nCo-present ed by:\n Thomas Jefferson School of Law - Center for Law and Social Just ice CSUSM Women's Studies Program Gabriella Network - San Diego San Di ego Women's Film Festival UCSD Kamalayan Kollective CATEGORIES:Documentary, Feature, Korean LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/houseofsharing_sdaff2008 UID:161562042-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T203900 SUMMARY:Kissing Cousins DESCRIPTION:*Cast and crew scheduled to attend\n \nAmir\, 29\, is a heart breaker. Literally. As a relationship termination specialist\, providi ng dumping services for disgruntled daters\, Amir spends his days delive ring bad news to unsuspecting lovers across Los Angeles. Though Amir cl aims he is just the messenger\, the job has made him hard-hearted and as a result\, he is the last bachelor in his group of friends. When Amir returns to his family’s Bay Area home for Thanksgiving\, he is reunited with Zara\, his charming and beautiful cousin from Britain who he has no t seen in twenty years. The two cousins do not get along right away. As the days go by\, Zara grows sympathetic towards Amir’s sad state of per petual bachelorhood and decides to help him by being his partner in crim e. Over time\, Amir starts to soften from Zara’s influence and perhaps even begins to develop\, god forbid... feelings? An undercurrent of sex ual tension develops between them as the charade comes dangerously close to going too far. Will his friends find out the truth? Will Amir fall for his own cousin?! Or will he become one of his own victims?” \n \nWri tten and directed by Amyn Kaderali\, best know for his popular viral sho rt film Call Center (2005)\, Kissing Cousins bursts with razor sharp wit and smartly written dialog. The sexual tension between the cousins is unnervingly palpable\, creating many wacky moments of hilarity. Memora ble cameos by David Alan Grier (In Living Color) as Amir’s fellow bachel or buddy\, and Jaleel White (Urkel in Family Matters) as his antagonisti c bro-in-law round out the excellent cast.\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nIntu it Indian Organization\n San Diego Indian American Society CATEGORIES:Asian American, Comedy, Feature, Indian, Romance LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/kissingcousins_sdaff2008 UID:161561873-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T222200 SUMMARY:The White Silk Dress DESCRIPTION:Prior to the collapse of French colonial rule in Vietnam\, Da u (Trong Anh Ngoc) and Gu (Nguyen Khanh Quoc) are lovers as well as serv ants from two different households in the picturesque Vietnamese town of Ha Dong. Both have suffered harshly at the hands of their cruel master s and lack the means to get married in the accepted sense. However\, wh en Gu's master is assassinated\, Dau and Gu flee south and eventually en ding up in the central Vietnamese seaside town of Hoi An. There\, they r aise a family with Dau eventually giving birth to four girls. Despite t heir impoverished conditions\, Dau and Gu succeed in building a loving a nd supportive household. Unfortunately\, their loving family life becom es threatened when Gu learns how his wife Dau has been secretly earning money to support their family and as the horrors of the war begin to hit closer to home. \n \nConsidered controversial by some\, THE WHITE SILK DRESS was the Vietnamese representative at the 80th Academy Awards in t he Best Foreign Language film category and the winner of the Audience Aw ard at the Pusan International Film Festival. A tribute to the strength and heart of Vietnamese women\, even when faced with war\, this evocati ve and elegant epic film will be sure to leave a lasting impression.\n C o-presented by:\n \nSD Viet Meetup Group\n SDSU Vietnamese Student Assoc iation CATEGORIES:Drama, Feature, Historical, Vietnamese LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/thewhitesilkdress_sdaff2008 UID:161935974-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T212000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081022T225200 SUMMARY:Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe DESCRIPTION:Director scheduled to attend\n \nFrom 2000 to 2007\, director Harry Kim documented the “life and crimes” of artist David Choe\, as he rose from unknown “tagger” to reach his current level of fame as a mura list\, painter\, and illustrator. We see everything from Choe’s search for dinosaurs in the heart of the Congo to the way Choe literally beats himself up physically while painting\, as the film takes us along on a r eckless ride befitting the colorful and idiosyncratic street artist. No t only do we receive a firsthand look into Choe’s creative process\, we also watch as he grows and matures as a man.\n \nDIRTY HANDS successfull y captures the manic desire for both adventure and excess that fuels bot h Choe’s manic creativity and self-destructive compulsions such as his u ncontrollable kleptomania\, using a dazzling\, high-energy visual style that incorporates a variety of mediums and Choe’s art. By pushing the l imits of the documentary film medium\, Harry Kim has truly succeeded in giving us the true David Choe experience.\n \nCo-presented by:\n Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego's Film Program CATEGORIES:Artsy, Asian American, Documentary, Feature, Featured, Korean American LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/dirtyhandstheartandcrimesofdavidcho e_sdaff2008 UID:161671810-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T182300 SUMMARY:Mystic Ball DESCRIPTION:*Filmmaker scheduled to attend\n \nSome 20 years in the makin g\, MYSTIC BALL is a testament to the passion and perseverance of Canadi an director Greg Hamilton – not only as a filmmaker but as a champion of chinlone\, the national sport of Myanmar. \n \nAs its leading foreign e xpert and player\, Hamilton thoroughly introduces Western audiences to t his unknown\, mesmerizing game. Invented over 1500 years ago and conside red by many to be the oldest form of soccer\, chinlone is a mix of hack ey sack\, tai chi\, dance and a lot of meditation. Teams composed of bot h men and women\, form an ever-morphing circle\, to keep a woven rattan ball from touching the ground by employing any of the 200 different kick s that have evolved over the centuries. In chinlone\, which is played to music\, no score is kept\; the focus is not on winning or losing but ra ther the sheer beauty and joy of the play. \n \nEven more relevant in th e wake of the unrest coursing through Myanmar this fall\, MYSTIC BALL – like the game it portrays – shows the importance of play for the prospec t of unity and peace.\n \nCo-presented by Rescue Task Force\n \n Click H ere For Trailers CATEGORIES:Burmese, Canadian, Documentary, Feature, Sport LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/mysticball_sdaff2008 UID:161563065-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T201200 SUMMARY:Always: Sunset on Third Street DESCRIPTION:Back by popular demand is one of the most charming and heartw arming films you will see. ALWAYS: SUNSET ON THIRD STREET played to sold -out audiences at SDAFF ‘06\, and we brought it back as a companion to o ur closing night film\, ALWAYS 2. \n \nBased on a popular manga and se t in post-war Japan in the late 1950's\, rebuilding began in Tokyo where construction of the magnificent Tokyo Tower was underway and houses acr oss the city were acquiring their first washing machines\, refrigerators and the most holy of holies--televisions. The story centers around Mr. Chagawa\, who dreams of writing the Great Japanese Novel. His dreams are no more deluded than those of Mutsuko\, a countryside schoolgirl who th inks she's taken a job with a thriving car manufacturer only to discover that she's working in a one-garage mechanic's shop. Then there's Hiromi who opens a bar down the street and is saddled with the abandoned child of the nightspot's previous owner. \n \nWinner of 13 of Japan's 14 Acad emy Awards (including "Best Picture\," "Best Director\," "Best Screenpla y\," and "Best Actor")\, ALWAYS – SUNSET ON THIRD STREET is a movie that guarantees you'll cry at the end\, so be prepared for this emotional an d visually lavish journey. \n \nCo-presented by Charles Schwab Japan S ociety of San Diego and Tijuana CATEGORIES:Drama, Family, Feature, Japanese LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/alwayssunsetonthirdstreet_sdaff2008 UID:161936217-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T191500 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T205100 SUMMARY:Ping Pong Playa DESCRIPTION:*Jimmy Tsai and Smith Cho are scheduled to attend \n \n"[H]ip -hop comedy gold" \n- The New York Times \n\n \nChristopher “C-Dub” Wan g (Jimmy Tsai) is a young Chinese American man who spouts militant Asian American politics\, dreams of becoming a professional basketball player \, and sports the hip hop swagger 24/7. Unfortunately\, he also constan tly blames his inability to make the NBA on his genetics\, struggles to hold down a low-paying job at the mall and spends most of his free time playing video games and daydreaming of easy money. In short\, C-Dub is every Asian American parent’s worst nightmare. Thankfully for the Wang family\, C-Dub’s older brother Michael (Roger Fan) is everything that C- Dub is not. He is a doctor and national ping pong champion\, who genera tes business for his family’s ping pong school and store. \n \nUnfortuna tely\, things are turned upside down when Michael and Mrs. Wang are both hurt in a car accident. C-Dub is forced to step up and take over teach ing duties at the ping pong school\, and fend off a rival ping pong play er who threatens the family business by stealing students. The stakes a re taken even higher when C-Dub must shake off his reputation as a chron ic underachiever and defend his family’s honor by replacing his brother in the national ping pong tournament.\n \nCo-writer and star Jimmy Tsai steals the show with his incredibly charismatic performance as the unfor gettable C-Dub. Sharply directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmake r Jessica Yu (IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL)\, making her narrative featur e directing debut\, PING PONG PLAYA is the rare sports comedy that will have you rolling with laughter\, while effectively tackling important As ian American identity issues.\n \nCo-presented by:\n San Diego Table Ten nis Association \nRaytheon CATEGORIES:Asian American, Chinese American, Comedy, Family, Feature, Spo rt LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/pingpongplaya_sdaff2008 UID:161674913-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T212000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T224600 SUMMARY:ANIMATION: The Illusion of Life DESCRIPTION: How do you coax life out of thin air? Come and find out in this program dedicated entirely to the Magical Art of Animation. \n\n **Mature Content\n Co-presented by:\n Platt College\n Art Institute CATEGORIES:Shorts Program LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/animationtheillusionoflife_sdaff200 8 UID:162889432-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20091122T101910Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20081023T231700 SUMMARY:My Father DESCRIPTION:West Coast Premiere\n \nBased on a true story\, MY FATHER tra ces the journey of a Korean American adoptee to South Korea in search of his biological parents. Though raised by a loving family in America\, J ames Parker (played by Daniel Henney) has always dreamed of meeting his birth parents. While serving in the U.S. military in Korea\, he befriend s a Korean soldier to help him track down his old orphanage where he lea rned his birth name was “Gong Eun Cheol." \n \nWhile holding a large bab y photo of himself\, Parker goes on national Korean television pleading for information about his birth parents. Soon after\, a priest comes fo rward claiming to know Parker’s father and arranges a high-profile reun ion… in prison. His father – played by veteran actor Young-cheol Kim - is a convicted killer on death row. The two men find an undeniable fath er-and-son bond that transcends the walls of prison and any language bar rier. \n \nKorean adoptee Aaron Bates\, who MY FATHER is based on\, wil l attend the Oct 11 screening for Q&A\n \nCo-presented by:\n \nKorean Am erican Bar Association of San Diego Arthouse Movies Meetup Group CATEGORIES:Adoption, Drama, Family, Feature, Korean LOCATION:University Village Cinemas URL:http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/myfather_sdaff2008 UID:162862223-sdaff.bside.com/2008 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR