I remember attending the pageants with my parents as a young boy, and later as a college student I got involved with the pageant as a talent recruiter.  Try to picture me approaching shy and reserved Asian girls in my most un-creeper way, and asking them if they wanted to strut their stuff on a stage.  The girls would usually shoot me a nasty look and run in the opposite direction, but occasionally I would get lucky and approach someone who had aspirations of being Miss Chinatown.

The journey of a Miss Chinatown Pageant contestant is a complex one; a coming of age for many young Asian-American women.  Each contestant’s road to the crown is unique, and writer/director Daisy Lin has captured the trials and tribulations, both on the stage and off the stage, in an award winning documentary called Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown.

The film uncovers the intimate stories of three young women who vie for the Miss Chinatown crown and is just as much a commentary on social and cultural issues as it is a documentary of the pageant itself.  Can a Miss Chinatown contestant be successful if she’s of mixed ethnicities?  Can a family accept a boyfriend of a different ethnicity?  These are only some of the issues that are brought to light in Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown.

There are very few films that explore the struggles of young Asian-American women and Daisy Lin doesn’t pull any punches with her directorial debut.  It’s an uncensored look at what it’s like to navigate two cultures with conflicting values.

Expand your cultural horizons by watching Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown in its entirety below, courtesy of SnagFilms.

UPDATE: If you’re having trouble viewing the embedded video above, please try clearing your browser’s cookies and refreshing the page.  Or go HERE to watch the film on SnagFilms.com

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and Mr. Chinatown hopeful

The following interviews are a bit different than the ones you’re used to seeing on Asians On Film, especially with yours truly being thrown in front of the camera, armed with only a microphone and my wit (or lack there of).  I hope you enjoy the end results.  Hit the jump below for a plethora of fun and insightful interviews from the 2013 L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival!

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CHINK – Interview with Jason Tobin and Eugenia Yuan

LINSANITY – Interview with Evan Jackson Leong

YELLOWFACE – Interview with Jeff Liu

ABIGAIL HARM – Interview with Lee Isaac Chung and Tetsuo Kuramochi

SAKE-BOMB – Interview with Juniya Sakino and Eugene Kim

HARANA – Interview with Florante Aguilar

A FLICKER IN ETERNITY – Interview with Sharon Yamato

WHAT ISN’T THERE – Interview with Marie Jamora

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? – Interview with Arvin Chen

CHINK – Interview with Stanley Yung

JAKE SHIMABUKURO: LIFE ON FOUR STRINGS – Interview with Tad Nakamura

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and microphone hog

The film stars Jason Tobin (Better Luck Tomorrow and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), Eugenia Yuan (Memoirs of a Geisha), Rane Jameson (The People I’ve Slept With), Shoshana Bush (Dance Flick), Kenzie Dalton, and Tzi Ma (Rush Hour).

The Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival runs May 2-12, 2013. For complete information and to purchase tickets visit their website: Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival“>LAAPFF

Short Drama
Hew (Laurie Tsou, Director) – Winner
Disconnection (Steven Krimmel, Director) – Honorable Mention

Short Comedy/Musical
Waiting For Godot (Caitlin Pashalek, Director) – Winner

Short Action-Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Horror
Edge of Destruction (Fei Xiang) – Winner
Ms. 3PM (Alain Matz, Director) – Honorable Mention

Short Documentary
Inter-Mezzo (Stephen Chen, Director) – Winner
I’m Fine, How Are You (Chinnapat Potheing, Director) – Honorable Mention

Short Animation
Stronger (Max Zhang, Director) – Winner

Best Actor Short Film
Allen Theosky Rowe (Relativity) – Winner

Best Actress Short Film
Joyce Liu (Hew) – Winner
Mara Measor (I Think About You Sometimes) – Honorable Mention

Best Supporting Actor Short Film
Eijiro Ozaki (Lil Tokyo Reporter) – Winner

Best Supporting Actress Short Film
Keiko Agena (Lil Tokyo Reporter) – Winner
Damara Reilly (Flawless) – Honorable Mention

Best Ensemble Cast Short Film
Relativity (Davis Wyn, Director) – Winner
Keye Luke (Timothy Tau, Director) – Honorable Mention

Best Director Short Film
Laurie Tsou (Hew) – Winner
Davis Wyn (Relativity) – Honorable Mention

Best Cinematographer/DP Short Film
Ryo Rex (Lil Tokyo Reporter) – Winner
Richard Wong (Box of Hearts) – Honorable Mention

Best Editing Short Film
Steven Krimmel (Disconnection) – Winner

Best Original Score Short Film
George Shaw (Keye Luke) – Winner
Roger Suen, Greg Kuehn & Ted Korsmo (Box of Hearts) – Honorable Mention
Kalyan Subramanian (Flawless) – Honorable Mention

Their two worlds collide when one day, having enough of her stale marriage and insensitive husband (Ken Narasaki), Emma packs a bag and runs away from home. With nowhere else to go, she turns up at Elliot’s doorstep. In their odd couple living situation, Emma begins to discover her zest for life again. She comes alive through her accidental friendship with Elliot’s eccentric neighbor. With no choice but to see her son for who he is, she learns how to love him just the way he is.

And what about Elliot? His whole life, he’s been playing it safe, cooking the same dishes at the family restaurant, staying under the radar, and avoiding relationships that require real emotional vulnerability. When an intriguing man enters his world, he finds himself torn between exploring this chance for love and the fear of disappointing his mother. Just as Emma must find her way, so too must Elliot transform from boy to man.

We’ll start with my favorite picks of the month: Roseanne Liang’s hilarious web series “FLAT3” and Wesley Du’s powerful short film “Dumpling”.

I sat down with the intention of watching just the first episode of “FLAT3”, but ended up going through all six episodes in one sitting! I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud while watching this witty comedy about three “Chinese-Kiwi” girls trying to find their direction in life. Go HERE for episodes 1 through 5 of “FLAT3”.

Wesley Du’s award winning short film “Dumpling” is a gripping story about a father trying to understand and bond with his son, but isn’t quite sure how. As an ex-boxer, the father believes that you don’t know a man until you fight him, but when it comes to addressing his son’s uncertain sexual identity, fists just won’t do. Go HERE for the full 16 minute short film along with interviews with director Wesley Du and actors Jesse Wang and Jake Won Lee.

Here’s a quick look at all of the Asians On Film interviews from March:

Murphy Yang shares his audition experience from “So You Think You Can Dance” season 9 and talks about his ambitions for SYTYCD season 10.

Wesley Du, Jesse Wang and Jake Won Lee talk about the filmmaking process for “Dumpling”.

Jake Choi discusses the racially charged themes for the Spike Lee advised short film “Hypebeasts”.

Johnny Young talks about how he quit college and went through being disowned from his family in order to pursue acting. His upcoming projects are “Crossing Over”, “The Forest” and “Lonely Boy”.

Sean Richard from “Jejoongwon” tells us how he got his start in Korean cinema and his transition to Hollywood. Part 1 Part 2

West Liang shares his experience on writing and starring in “Someone I Used To Know”.

Eddie Mui from “Rice On White” and “Unidentified” talks about his favorite, and unfortunately unaired, guest star role in the defunct series “Threat Matrix”.

Vincent Lin discusses taking acting lessons in order to become a better director and working with Jake Choi in “Benchmark”.

Nadine Truong, Brian Yang, Emily Chang and Tzi Ma share their experiences on working in “Someone I Used To Know”, including a scene involving a “shroom” trip.

John Wusah talks about how his stunt work enhances him as an actor, and shares his experiences in the overseas film industry. Part 1 Part 2

Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer

ViFF is held mainly at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), with some screenings at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Westminster, Southern California. Each edition, ViFF attracts around 4,000 people coming from all over the world.

The festival opens with Van Pham’s BEYOND THE MAT about a rivalry and friendship between two wrestlers, one of them Vietnamese American (John Wynn).

Check out interviews:
Producer Kurt David Anderson & Actor John Wynn (BEYOND THE MAT)
Director Andy DeJohn (MOTHER’S MILK)
Director Steven Nguyen (HIBAKUSHA)
Director Nadine Truong (EGG BABY)
Director/Cinematographer “>Bao Nguyen (JULIAN & RUN), and “>MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON
Director Frank Lin and cast/crew Jeff Lam, Richie Greefield, John Kreng, Melissa Tracy & Alison Dahlstrom, and Megan Nguyen (BATTLE B-BOY)
Director Vincent Tran and cast Michael Simmons, Riyaana Hartley, Kristina Kruz & Duncan Tran (BBOY)
Director/Actress Mye Hoang (VIETTE)

DREAMER IN EXILE will have its Los Angeles Premiere on April 6, 2013 at WeWork LA. For information visit their FB page: DREAMER IN EXILE

DREAMER IN EXILE will also be screened April 27, 2013 at the Sacramento International Film Festival. For information visit their website: SIFF