Awards
On the occasion of NAATA's 25th anniversary, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival underscores its commitment to supporting Asian American filmmakers and recognizing their achievements by introducing a juried competition in two categories, narrative features and documentary features.
The Best Narrative Award is given to the best feature-length narrative film by or about Asian Americans or Asian Canadians, as chosen by a three-person jury. The winner will be announced during the Closing Night Gala party on Thursday, March 17.
Nominees
The Jury
Mark Decena
Mark Decena is a San Francisco-based filmmaker. His first feature film DOPAMINE premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Alfred P. Sloan Prize. DOPAMINE was the Closing Night Film of the 2003 San Francisco International Film Festival, and was picked up for theatrical distribution by the Sundance Channel's Film Series. Decena and his writing partner Tim Breitbach were recently selected for Fox Television's New Voices Program to develop a workplace drama pilot. They are represented by Creative Artists Agency. He is currently in post-production on a short called THE LIGHT.
Kayo Hatta
Kayo Hatta is the director/co-writer of PICTURE BRIDE, one of the first indie films from Hawaii. The film won the Audience Award at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival and was an Official Selection at Cannes. Hatta has taught filmmaking at UCLA and was selected for a TV directing fellowship at Warner Bros. as part of the John Wells TV Directing Program. She recently completed FISHBOWL (world premiering at the SFIAAFF this year), a dramatic short based on Hawaii writer Lois-Ann Yamanaka's novel WILD MEAT AND THE BULLY BURGERS.
Marcus Hu
Marcus Hu is Co-President of Strand Releasing, which will be celebrating its 16th anniversary this year (their upcoming films include Fatih Akin's HEAD-ON, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's TROPICAL MALADY and Matteo Garrone's PRIMO AMORE). Hu has worked in distribution for such companies as the Samuel Goldwyn Co, Vestron Pictures, United Artists and Columbia Pictures. Hu has served as a producer on such films as Gregg Araki's THE LIVING END, the films of Bruce LaBruce, Todd Verow's adaptation of Dennis Cooper's FRISK and Charles Busch's PSYCHO BEACH PARTY. Hu is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and serves on the board of IFP/West, and is on the Advisory Board for the Sundance Film Festival.
