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

After watching the screening of Key of Life (Go HERE for my review of Key of Life), I made my way over to the posh Fashion Island to partake in the festivities of the Asian Showcase Gala.  The Pacific Rim themed party took place around the famous Fashion Island koi pond, underneath a cool Orange County night sky.

Alcohol flowed freely courtesy of Absolut and Stella Artois while sushi, cream puffs and Asian tapas were served by local award-winning restaurants.  Paper parasols and lanterns dotted the landscape, giving a nice pacific flavor to the environment as guests enjoyed live performances from local organizations.  There were taiko drummers, a beat-boxing didgeridoo, martial artists and lion dancers who gave us a taste of Asian-Pacific culture to really top off the night.

If you weren’t able to make it out to this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival Asian Showcase Gala, you really missed out on a fantastic time.  But don’t just take my word for it; check out the photos below for a glimpse of one of the best parties that I’ve been to this year!

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer

Running for a whopping 10 days and coinciding with Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival will feature 148 films as well as educational and industry panels.

This is also a great opportunity for some star-gazing as past years have drawn the likes of Sung Kang, John Cho, Kelly Hu and many others to the red carpet and after-parties.

Go HERE for more information about the L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival which runs May 2nd to May 12th, 2013.

Stay tuned to Asians On Film for festival coverage and behind the scenes interviews with your favorite filmmakers!

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and after-party fixture

Official synopsis:

“After moving to a small village, young Suni encounters a bedraggled orphan boy hiding under a bush and takes him in out of pity. Called a “wolf boy” by some for his feral behavior and uncommon strength, Suni begins teaching the boy to act like a civilized person. However, when Suni is threatened, the boy’s deadly beastial instincts are exposed and he quickly becomes the subject of the villagers’ fears.”

A Werewolf Boy is a story about “a kind of love that you have never seen before,” and a misunderstanding that leaves the main character torn between a regular life and her protector.  Check out the trailer below:

Go HERE for more information on A Werewolf Boy and to purchase tickets. Don’t forget about the $5 discount code: AOFNBFF

A Werewolf Boy screens on April 29th at 7:30 pm as part of the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Asian Showcase.

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer

DisOrient uses the W.E.B. DuBois standard of “for us, by us, or about us” when selecting new films for the festival, and Asians On Film is excited to have so many of our friends featured in the festival this year!

If you’re near Eugene, Oregon this weekend, definitely make an effort to attend DisOrient and see some great films and soak up lots of culture!

Go HERE for more information on DisOrient 2013.

Here is a partial list of films that will be featured in the festival.  Click on the links to see interviews with the cast and crew!

Starting From Scratch - Elizabeth Sandy and James Huang interview

Saigon Electric - Stephane Gauger interview

I Am a Ghost – H. P. Mendoza interview

Seeking Asian Female – Debbie Lum interview

A Flicker In Time – Ann Kaneko interview

Lil’ Tokyo Reporter – Chris Tashima interview

Keye Luke – Timothy Tau and cast interview

30 1/2 – Phoenix Liu and Terry Chan interview

Hang Loose

- Ryan Kawamoto interview

- James Sereno interview

- Justin Chon interview

- Dante Basco interview

- Kevin “KevJumba” Wu interview

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and DisOriented film lover

One Mile Above official synopsis:

“After his brother dies unexpectedly, a young man from Taiwan takes on his brother’s quest to ride his bike from Southern China up to Lhasa. He is somewhat ill prepared for a long bike ride, but using his brother’s journal, he sets out on the journey. This long ride will require him to bike up and over 8 major peaks in the Himalayas as winter snows begin to fall. Along the way he meets a mentor, stays with families in small mountain villages, crosses paths with a nun on a pilgrimage and falls over a cliff, and that is just part of the ride.”

Check out the powerful trailer below about one boy’s determination and brotherly love.

Go HERE for more information on One Mile Above and to purchase tickets. Don’t forget about the $5 discount code: AOFNBFF

One Mile Above screens on April 29th at 8:00 pm as part of the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Asian Showcase.

- Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer

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

“Failed actor Sakurai, despondent and suicidal, has a chance encounter with a very prosperous man who, after a fall in a bathhouse, develops amnesia.  Sakurai, seeing an opportunity, switches identities with the man, not realizing that he’s stepped into the shoes of a dangerous criminal.  As he’s forced to deal with yakuza members in his new life, the former crime boss, thinking himself Sakurai, tries to live the dismal reality left to him, only to meet a woman he quickly falls for.”

Sounds intriguing doesn’t it?  Check out the trailer for a glimpse at the dramedy that ensues after the ultimate identity theft occurs.

Go HERE for more information on Key of Life and to purchase tickets.  Don’t forget about the $5 discount code: AOFNBFF

Key of Life screens on April 29th at 7:15 pm as part of the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Asian Showcase.

- Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer

The Newport Beach Film Festival Asian Showcase, scheduled for the evening of April 29th, will “pay homage to the film industry and celebrate the extensive Asian history and culture whose influence has inspired many aspects of art across all mediums.”  The evening will feature three film screenings, followed by a gala celebration of Asian film, food and culture.  This year’s spotlight films are:  A Werewolf Boy, One Mile Above and Key of Life.

As an official partner of the Newport Beach Film Festival Asian Showcase, Asians On Film is delighted to offer a $5 discount code that can be applied to any of the three Asian Showcase films mentioned above.  Enter code AOFNBFF during the checkout process on the Newport Beach Film Festival’s website to apply the discount.

Make sure you also get tickets to the Asian Showcase gala celebration so you can mingle with your fellow film buffs and enjoy hors d’oeuvres from award-winning restaurants along with a hosted bar (read: free alcohol) by Stella Artois and Absolut!

I hope to see everyone at the Newport Beach Film Festival Asian Showcase.  This is an opportunity to show the world that there is a market and a demand for Asian and Asian-American cinema!

Go HERE to learn more about the films that will be screened at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

- Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and lover of long walks on the beach

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