HISTORY

THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL: A BRIEF HISTORY

VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, established the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival in 1983 as a vehicle to promote Asian and Asian Pacific American cinema. The Festival has grown from its humble beginnings as a weekend-long series into a major annual showcase presenting the best of Asian Pacific American and Asian international media in the United States. Along the way the Festival has taken up residence in various local venues before settling into its signature venues, the Directors Guild of America and the Aratani/Japan America Theatre.

The Festival serves as a crucial launching ground for Asian Pacific American cinema through the premiere screenings of important new works as well as the development and nurturing of emerging talents via innovative programming initiatives including the VC Digital Academy and the Armed With a Camera Fellowship. Award-winning artists presented in past Festivals have included:

• Erika Surat Andersen (TURBANS)
• Gregg Araki (THE LONG WEEKEND (’O DESPAIR))
• Timothy Linh Bui (GREEN DRAGON)
• Gene Cajayon (THE DEBUT)
• Kip Fulbeck (BANANA SPLIT)
• Philip Kan Gotanda (LIFE TASTES GOOD)
• Doan Hoang (OH, SAIGON)
• Keiko Ibi (THE PERSONALS)
• Amyn Kaderali (CALL CENTER; KISSING COUSINS)
• Eric Koyanagi (HUNDRED PERCENT)
• Ang Lee (A FINE LINE; PUSHING HANDS)
• Chris Chan Lee (YELLOW)
• Georgia Lee (RED DOORS)
• Justin Lin (BETTER LUCK TOMORROW; FINISHING THE GAME)
• Rico Martinez (DESPERATE)
• Anurag Mehta (AMERICAN CHAI)
• Sarab Neelam (OCEAN OF PEARLS)
• Charlie Nguyen (THE REBEL)
• Greg Pak (ROBOT STORIES)
• Gene Rhee (THE QUEST FOR LENGTH)
• Mina Shum (DOUBLE HAPPINESS)
• Ham Tran (JOURNEY FROM THE FALL)
• Tran Trang (ALETHEIA)
• Wayne Wang (CHAN IS MISSING)
• Alice Wu (SAVING FACE)
• Richard Wong (COLMA: THE MUSICAL)
• Jessica Yu (SOUR DEATH BALLS; THE LIVING MUSEUM; PING PONG PLAYA)

and many others.

The Festival has also brought the works of such renowned Asian international filmmakers to the attention of Southland moviegoing audiences:

• Tony Ayres (THE HOME SONG STORIES)
• Lino Brocka (BAYAN KO)
• Yung Chang (UP THE YANGTZE)
• Mabel Cheung (THE SOONG SISTERS)
• Dang Nhat Minh (THE RETURN; NOSTALGIA FOR COUNTRYLAND)
• Buddhadeb Dasgupta (THE WRESTLERS)
• Mike DeLeon (3RD WORLD HERO)
• Nia diNata (ARISAN!; CHANTS OF LOTUS)
• Ann Hui (SONG OF THE EXILE; SUMMER SNOW)
• Hur Jin-ho (HAPPINESS)
• Im Kwon-taek (SOPYONGE)
• Chen Kaige (LIFE ON A STRING; TEMPTRESS MOON)
• Kore-eda Hirokazu (AFTER LIFE)
• Julia Kwan (EVE & THE FIRE HORSE)
• Stanley Kwan (ROUGE; RED ROSE, WHITE ROSE)
• Lee Myung-se (NOWHERE TO HIDE)
• Miike Takashi (THE BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA; GOZU)
• Amir Muhammad (THE LAST COMMUNIST)
• Nonzee Nimibutr (NANG NAK)
• Danny and Oxide Pang (THE EYE)
• Park Kwang-su (TO THE STARRY ISLAND)
• Pen-ek Ratanaruang (LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE; INVISIBLE WAVES)
• Royston Tan (15)
• Taika Waititi (EAGLE VS. SHARK)
• “Beat” Takeshi (ZATOICHI)
• Wong Kar-wai (CHUNGKING EXPRESS)
• John Woo (BULLET IN THE HEAD; ONCE A THIEF)
• Shinobu Yaguchi (MY SECRET CACHE; WATERBOYS)

The Festival’s ongoing spotlight programs afford a snapshot of the national cinemas of countries that are little seen in this country, including China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, among others.

Visual Communications will present the 26th edition of The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival April 29 – May 8, 2010 at the Directors Guild of America, Laemmle’s Sunset 5 Theatre, and Aratani/Japan America Theatre, among others. The Film Festival will include the latest new works by established and emerging filmmakers and video artists; a slate of provocative and highly entertaining feature-length productions showcasing the talents of Asian American acting and producing talents; new works by Asian international artists; and filmmaker seminars, panel discussions and symposiums on topics relevant to Asian Pacific cinema. The Film Festival continues and expands its commitment to nurturing new talent and promoting the development of Asian Pacific Americans both behind and front of the camera through presentation of the annual Grand Jury Awards and Special Jury Awards (feature-length narrative and non-fiction film), Festival Golden Reel and Linda Mabalot New Director/New Visions Awards (short film), and Festival Audience Awards for favorite feature-length narrative and documentary film.

VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
120 Judge John Aiso Street, Basement Level
Los Angeles, California 90012
Voice 213/680-4462 • facsimile 213/687-4848
E-mail: info@vconline.org • Web: www.vconline.org
“Connecting Communities Through Media Arts”