23rd SAN FRANCISCO 
INTERNATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 
MARCH 10-20, 2005 IN SAN FRANCISCO, BERKELEY, AND SAN JOSE

The largest and most prestigious showcase of movies by and about Asians and Asian Americans

With more than 130 feature-length and short films and videos from 23 countries, the 23rd San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF) spans the globe to offer the largest and most prestigious showcase of movies by and about Asians and Asian Americans. The SFIAAFF unspools March 10-20 in San Francisco (AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres and Castro Theatre), Berkeley (Pacific Film Archive), and San Jose (Camera 12 Cinemas). For more information or tickets please telephone (415) 865-1588 or visit www.naatanet.org/festival on the Internet.

Opening Night, Featuring SAVING FACE

Kick off the nation's largest Asian American film festival in style with Alice Wu's SAVING FACE, starring local silver screen luminary Joan Chen. Afterwards, head to the opulent Asian Art Museum for an exclusive after-party with sounds from Dan the Automator, Dhamaal, DJ King Kong and SambAsia.

SAVING FACE marks a triumphant feature-length directorial debut for San Jose-born-and-raised Alice Wu, who puts all her heart and soul into this inspiring romantic comedy about living life honestly amidst the expectations of a traditional community. Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusied) is a successful young surgeon and a dutiful daughter, but alsoÑto the chagrin of her 48-year-old widowed Ma (Joan Chen)Ñstill single. During weekly socials in the tightly knit Chinese community of Flushing, Queens, Ma and her chatty cronies nudge eligible bachelors toward Wil, but her eyes are fixed instead on a gorgeous young woman, Vivian (Lynn Chen), who smiles back. One fortuitous encounter, some stammering and a few clumsily romantic (and steamy) moments later, Wil finds herself in love with Vivian, yet unable to come out to her own mother. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when it's Ma who suddenly shows up at Wil's doorstep pregnant, unwilling to name the father and disowned by her own parents. Filmmaker Wu and members of the cast are expected to attend the screening.

At the Closing Night gala, THE MOTEL and a party at the War Memorial Building

After a week of films from all points on the globe the Festival winds down with Michael Kang's heartfelt coming of age story THE MOTEL. When a hapless and chubby Chinese American teen meets the new tenant at his parent's motel, a cool-handed vagrant (Sung Kang, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW, SFIAAFF '02), his life is about to change. Kang's film offers refreshing life lessons about masculinity and ethnicity as seen through the eyes of a confused 13-year-old, all while evoking a slightly shady side of childhood reminiscent of Todd Solondz's WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE.

Close the curtain on this year's Festival with the Closing Night Gala party at San Francisco's historic War Memorial Building. Enjoy a drink on the balcony while overlooking the warm glow of The City's lights, or mingle inside with filmmakers and special guests under the Green Room's fabulous gold and ivory vaulted ceiling. Savory and sweet treats and good company will make this an evening to remember.

Three World Premiere Films at the Festival

This year's Festival offers the world premieres of three feature-length films of local interest: Curtis Choy's WHAT'S WRONG WITH FRANK CHIN?, Satsuki Ina's FROM A SILK COCOON, and Anita Wen-shin Chang's 62 YEARS AND 6500 MILES BETWEEN.

Author, activist and curmudgeon: these are just some of the ways Frank Chin has been described. For three decades now, Chin has distinguished himself through rich, imaginative writings and controversial critiques on the state of Asian American culture. WHAT'S WRONG WITH FRANK CHIN?, a new documentary by Curtis Choy (FALL OF THE I-HOTEL, SFIAAFF '83) captures Chin in all his full complexity and contradictions, unflinchingly displaying both his literary accomplishments and his many personal controversies.

Most are aware that Japanese Americans were imprisoned in concentration camps after the start of WWII. But what happened to those families for whom the injustice was so unbearable that they renounced their citizenship and repatriated to Japan? Bay Area director Satsuki Ina was born in Tule Lake, her brother Kiyoshi in Topaz. FROM A SILK COCOON weaves, through documents, diaries and letters collected by her mother, the tangled skein of a woman's torn allegiance and her efforts, despite pregnancy and illness, to keep hope alive for a husband charged with sedition, and for the children who constantly asked for him.

Asking her grandmother what advice she has for young people, perennial Festival fave filmmaker Anita Chang (SHE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU, SFIAAFF '02) receives a simple reply: "Politics!" Despite a third stroke and a century of struggle, "Democratic Grandma" remains true to the ideals that earned her acclaim and that memorable nickname in Taiwan. However, she also knows that progress exacts a priceÑa realization rendered vividly and with poignant candor in Chang's 62 YEARS AND 6500 MILES BETWEEN, a loving portrait of her headstrong amah.

Special Presentations, don't miss them

In addition to the terrific opportunity of seeing films first, the SFIAAFF is proud to showcase selected films as special presentations: the US premiere of Evans Chan's documentary look at Margaret Leng Tan, SORCERESS OF THE NEW PIANO, is this year's Centerpiece Presentation; the Bay Area premiere of James Stern and Adam Del Deo's documentary THE YEAR OF THE YAO and a revival screening of French filmmaker Alain Resnais' 1959 masterpiece HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR are this year's Special Presentations.

Hailed by The New Yorker as "the diva of avant-garde pianism," Singapore-born, New York-based artist Margaret Leng Tan may be one of the most important, yet under-appreciated, figures in contemporary music. Tan's life and contributionsÑand her famous toy pianosÑfinally take center stage in an engrossing documentary, SORCERESS OF THE NEW PIANO, that invites the viewer to literally get inside the piano and discover the sublime sonic universe conjured by this musical force of nature. Stick around after the screening when Margaret Leng Tan will step off the screen and onto the stage for a live performance.

THE YEAR OF THE YAO follows Yao Ming through one of the most exciting rookie debuts in the game's history. The scrutiny that greets any highly drafted player was compounded exponentially for Yao, a native Chinese B-baller. Not only was the 22-year-old struggling with culture shock, he was also representing the hopes of a nation of 1.2 billion people. And waiting for him in Los Angeles was Shaquille O'Neal, the game's dominant big center. However, it's Yao's gentler collisions with this new cultureÑhilarious teammates and Fortune Cookie Night at an opponent's stadiumÑwhich give THE YEAR OF THE YAO its substantial charm.

French filmmaker Alain Resnais' 1959 masterpiece HIROSHIMA, MON AMOUR, starring Eiji Okada and Emmanuelle Riva, offers a lingering, internalized look at the long shadow cast by the atomic bomb in postwar Japan. With a screenplay by Marguerite Duras, the film tells the tale of an affair between a French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) who is staying in Hiroshima for a few days shooting a movie about peace and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada). This unique specimen of the French New Wave delivers a profound and romantic meditation on how humans incorporateÑby accepting with their bodies and mindsÑthe destruction of war, and is part of a special focus on the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and the end of the Pacific War.

Spotlight on Academy Award-winning Japanese American filmmaker Steven Okazaki

With a career spanning over 25 years, Steven Okazaki is one of the most celebrated and prolific documentary filmmakers working today. This Japanese American's body of workÑencompassing more than two dozen filmsÑis a cornerstone of Asian American cinema, unparalleled in its depth, influence and impact, and pioneering in bringing untold stories to the screen.

The Festival presents "AN EVENING WITH STEVEN OKAZAKI," an onstage interview with award-winning journalist and author Nguyen Qui Duc, preceded by the world premiere screening of Okazaki's latest film THE MUSHROOM CLUB. In his 1982 documentary SURVIVORS, Steven Okazaki interviewed men and women who had lived through the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 2005, he returns to this subject and its many unresolved questions to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.

The Festival will also screen his winsome indie romantic comedy LIVING ON TOKYO TIME (1987). The tribute is rounded out by "THREE BY OKAZAKI," a trio of short docs: HUNTING TIGERS (1988), AMERICAN SONS (1994), and DAYS OF WAITING (1990), winner of the 1991 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short.

A special tribute to the 25th Anniversary of NAATA, choice cuts from their vault

Since its founding in 1980, NAATA, the Festival's producer, has been the nation's leading Asian American media arts organization. Over the course of its 25 years, NAATA has awarded over $3 million in grants to filmmakers, and supported more than 1000 Asian American projects through educational distribution, public television broadcast and festival exhibition. To celebrate its landmark 25th anniversary, NAATA has asked three Guest ProgrammersÑRenee Tajima-Peña, Justin Lin and the team of Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda BergesÑto select films from its past which embody the spirit, history and diversity of its work.

Robert Nakamura's MANZANAR (1971), Curtis Choy's DUPONT GUYÐTHE SCHIZ OF GRANT AVENUE (1976), and Arthur Dong's SEWING WOMAN (1982) are Renee Tajima-Peña's choices. Renee Tajima-Pe–a is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, scholar and film critic. Justin Lin picks two: Spencer Nakasako's A.K.A. DON BONUS and Nathan Adolfson's PASSING THROUGH. Justin Lin is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker whose works include the hit BETTER LUCK TOMORROW and the influential SHOPPING FOR FANGS. His short documentary SPOTLIGHTING will make its world premiere at this year's Festival. Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges' selection is Deann Borshay Liem's FIRST PERSON PLURAL. Gurinder Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges are the writer/director creative team behind the celebrated films BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM and BRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Berges was the director of the SFIAAFF in 1994.

A Plethora of International and American features

After spending the last year trotting the globe in search of the latest feature fare, this year's Festival is pleased to announce a packed slate. In addition to the Festival's Opening and Closing Night films, featured from the United States and Canada are Quentin Lee's ETHAN MAO, Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana's CAVITE, Steven E. Mallorca's SLOW JAM KING and the United States Premiere of Gaurav Seth's PINK LUDOOS.

Films from Asia aboundÑfrom Taiwan, Sylvia Chang's 20:30:40; from Hong Kong, Yan Yan Mak's BUTTERFLY and the North American premiere of Fruit Chan's DUMPLINGS; from China, Liu Fendou's THE GREEN HAT; from Thailand, Nonzee Nimibutr's BAYTONG; from South Korea, Park Chan-wook's OLDBOY; from Philippines, Quark Henares' KEKA and Lav Diaz's ten-and-a-half hour epic EVOLUTION OF A FILIPINO FAMILY; from Japan, Hideaki Anno's CUTIE HONEY, Shunji Iwai's HANA & ALICE and the North American Premiere of Junji Sakamoto's OUT OF THIS WORLD; and from India, Ashutosh Gowariker's SWADES.

Films from Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East are also includedÑfrom the United Kingdom, Ken Loach's A FOND KISS and the North American Premiere of Kenny Glenaan's YASMIN; from Kazakhstan, Guka Omarova's SCHIZO; and from Iran/Iraq comes Bahman Ghobadi's TURTLES CAN FLY.

Droves of Documentaries, 'bout peace, love and food

Non-fiction films are once again a highlight of the Festival. Slated are the United States Premiere of Ali Kazimi's CONTINUOUS JOURNEY; the North American Premiere of Cheuk Kwan's (SONG OF THE EXILE, SFIAAFF '04) CHINESE RESTAURANTS: THREE CONTINENTS; and the World Premieres of Satsuki Ina and Stephen Holsapple's FROM A SILK COCOON, Grace Lee's THE GRACE LEE PROJECT; and Anita Chang's 62 YEARS AND 6500 MILES BETWEEN. Also featured are Rithy Panh's (S21: KHMER ROUGE KILLING MACHINE, SFIAAFF '04) THE PEOPLE OF ANGKOR; Roddy Bogawa's I WAS BORN, BUT...; Julie Mallozzi's MONKEY DANCE; and Hosup Lee's AND THEREAFTER.

5th anniversary of "Directions In Sound," the Festival's Music Sidebar

Celebrating its fifth year as a delightful musical diversion, "Directions In Sound" returns with two nights of live music and phonography to encourage movie lovers to get out of their seats and boogie down. The first night, held at San Francisco's CafŽ du Nord offers an amazing evening of electronic and indie pop, with live performances from: IQU (Olympia), Seksu Roba (Los Angeles) and Citizens Here And Abroad (Oakland). Night two mixes a worldwide blend of Hip-hop, dub, dancehall, old school R&B and nu soul at San Francisco's StudioZ, with live sets from DJs Vinroc (5th Platoon) and Apollo (Invisibl Skratch Piklz) from the world-famous Triple Threat DJs; San Francisco's Mike Nice (Word Life Promotions); Panty RobBer and Proof from the Bay Area's singular music promoter and record label Massive Selector, and a live hip hop set from Kero One, courtesy of the Plug Label. If recorded music is more your bag, then don't miss "MUSIC VIDEO ASIA," a collection of 23 new eye-popping music videos from all points of the planet.

Festival Panel Discussions

The SFIAAFF is also pleased to present two engaging panel discussions for filmmakers and audiences alike. In "Thinking Outside of the Box: New Directions in Financing and Distributing Asian American Films", filmmakers Grace Lee (The Grace Lee Project, SFIAAFF '05) and Victor Vu (FIRST MORNING, SFIAAFF '04) will discuss new strategies and trends in feature filmmaking with Paul Yi, Managing Director of MKB Los Angeles and former president of E Pictures, a Korean production and sales company.

The panel "In Living Color: The State of Minority Voices Above and Below the Line" will feature a distinguished panel of experts discussing the many "diversity" initiatives which have been created to bring more color to television and theater screens, and what their impact has been. Panelists include: Pamela Tom, Director of Diversity at IFP/LA, Carmen Smith, Vice President of Talent Development Programs at ABC, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Jessica Yu (IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL), actor Ken Narasaki, and Mitsy Wilson, Senior Vice President of Diversity Development at FOX. Belva Davis, television host on KQED and KRON will moderate.

The SFIAAFF gratefully acknowledges its sponsors

The 23rd San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, presented by NAATA and Asia Street on International Channel is supported in part by the Asian Art Museum, Canadian Consulate Trade Office, Comcast, Grants for the Arts, Koret Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Noon, Oscar Printing, Procter & Gamble, Radisson Miyako Hotel, San Francisco Tobacco Free Project, Wallace Alexander

Gerbode Foundation, and Wells Fargo. NAATA is supported with major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, runs March 10-17, 2005 at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres, 1881 Post Street, and the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street in San Francisco; and the Pacific Film Archive, 2575 Bancroft Way in Berkeley and March 18-20 at the Camera 12 Cinemas, 201 South Second Street in San Jose. For more information, please telephone (415) 865-1588 or visit www.naatanet.org/festival on the Internet.