June 23rd 2005: Issue 36 Acclaimed young Asian American filmmaker Justin Lin, whose breakout picture Better Luck Tomorrow garnered enough press at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival to get picked up by Mtv Films, has been signed to direct the latest installment of The Fast and the Furious 3. Produced by Neal H. Moritz, who produced the first two movies in the series, the movie is set in the underground world of Japanese drift racing, and is set to shoot later in the Fall of this year. Lin is also attached to direct Strangers, as well as the American remake of the Korean hit Old Boy. Locally, a couple friends of mine will be have a pre-screening and discussion for their documentary Party, which they have been shooting over the past year about the Asian-American nightlife scene, at the upcoming Asian American Film Festival. For you food and wine lovers out there, Project by Project is hosting its First Annual Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting this Friday to benefit ECPAT-End Child Prostitution and Trafficking at the Metropolitan Pavillion. Today is the last day to purchase tickets and presale tickets are capped at 350. At $70, its a pretty good bargain considering all the different types of food you will be able to sample. - ubn

FORUM New Paradigm for South-North Korean Cooperation: The Incheon-Kaesong Joint Development Zone The Korea Society Thursday, June 23rd, 10:00 - 11:30am Columbia University William & June Warren Hall 1125 Amsterdam Avenue, Lower Level between 115th and 116th Streets New York City www.koreasociety.org | lillian.ny@koreasociety.org Resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue has been and remains one of the greatest priorities on the Korean peninsula. Even so, significant efforts have been made to foster a climate of cooperation and reconciliation between the two Koreas. Against this backdrop, The Incheon Free Economic Zone has been studying the feasibility of creating a Joint Development Zone with the Kaesong Industrial Zone in the North. The geographic proximity of Incheon and Kaesong, along with their complementary economic activities, presents the possibility of creating a new paradigm for future cooperation between South and North and has far-reaching implications for inter-Korean relations. Mayor Ahn Sang-soo has recently traveled to North Korea and will share his vision for this future. Ambassador Donald P. Gregg (The Korea Society), Professor Jeong-Ho Roh (Columbia Law School), Shin Hyun-Yoon (Yonsei University) and Seo Jung Uck (Former ROK Minister of Science & Technology) will provide commentary. This forum is cosponsored with the Center for Korean Legal Studies of Columbia Law School and the Center for American Legal Studies at Yonsei University College of Law. Presenter: Ahn Sang-Soo, Mayor of Incheon Commentators: Donald P. Gregg, The Korea Society Jeong-Ho Roh, Columbia University Hyun-Yoon Shin, Yonsei University Seo Jung Uck, Former Republic of Korea Minister of Science & Technology

BENEFIT 1st Annual Summer Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Benefit Project by Project Friday, June 24th, 7:00 - 10:00pm Metropolitan Pavilion The Gallery Room 4th Floor 123 West 18th Street between 6th& 7th Avenues New York City $75 until June 23rd (Online sales cease at midnight on June 23)* $100 Day of Event, June 24th (if still available) *Receive a $5 discount by simply completing a short PbP survey on our website Summer Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting Have you ever tasted gelato made from rose petals? Do you crave caviar or have a passion for cheese? Do you want to throw parties that your friends will talk about for months afterwards? If so, Project by Project would like to invite you to attend our 1st Annual Summer Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Benefit on Friday, June 24th at the Metropolitan Pavilion Gallery! Come taste scrumptious gourmet food while you enjoy premier wines and spirits and mingle amongst friends; take a journey through courses taught by our experts and learn how to be that impressive host or hostess who entertains at home. Our event is the first and only event of its kind, so you will not want to miss all of the innovative delights that await you! Only 350 general admission tickets will be sold this year to ensure a quality event and plenty of food for all our patrons, so buy yours early!

SCREENING & DISCUSSION The Road Taken (Seontaek) Korean Culture Service Thursday, June 30, 6:30 pm Korean Cultural Service 460 Park Ave at 57th Street New York City www.koreanculture.org The Road Taken (Seontaek) (2003) South Korea, Korean with English subtitles, color, 100m Directed by Hong Ki-seon Starring Kim Jung-ki, An Seok-Hwan, Choi Il-hwa, Ko Dong-yeob, and Kim Se-yeong For much of the 20th century, a rabid anti-communism formed the South Korean government's most important ideological pillar. Bolstered by U.S. policy and by the military threat posed by its neighbor to the north, this anti-communism spread to affect all layers of Korea's politics and culture. For filmmakers, this resulted in severe pressure to depict North Koreans and communist sympathizers as purely evil, black against white. For those South Korean citizens who openly promoted the communist cause, this resulted in long sentences in jail under the nation's oppressive National Security Law. The Road Taken depicts the true story of Kim Sun-myung, a man who was arrested in 1951 for siding with the North during the Korean War. Sentenced to life imprisonment, he spent the coming decades being transferred from one prison to the next, together with other communist sympathizers. The film follows Kim's life from the 1970s, when an unexpected thaw in relations between North and South led to hopes of reunification, up until the 1990s when Kim was recognized by Amnesty International as the longest-serving political prisoner on earth. For much of his time in jail, Kim faced a choice. (The film's original Korean title translates as "The Choice.") Prisoners who agreed to sign a disavowal of their communist beliefs would be set free immediately. Those who refused would be beaten or locked in isolation, forced to continue serving their sentences. Apart from depicting the moving story of a man who suffered for his beliefs, The Road Taken considers the meaning of this choice, and the process by which our convictions come to shape who we are.

THEATER Speed-The-Play Ma-Yi Theater Writers' Lab Monday, June 27th, 7:00pm New Dramatists 424 West 44th Street between 9th Ave & 10th Ave New York City FREE www.ma-yitheatre.org | 212) 757-6960 What happens when 9 playwrights invite 9 actors for some theatrical speed dating? Nine short plays, individually commissioned by each actor. In their continued commitment to nurture the voice of Asian American artists, Ma-Yi Theater Writers' Lab will present Speed-The-Play; a world premiere reading showcasing the talents of the Lab's playwrights. Created in 2004, the Lab serves as a forum for writers to hear their work read aloud as well as receive feedback from peers. The performance marks the end of the semester for the Lab. Sung Rno, who created the Lab as part of his tenure as Ma-Yi's Playwright in Residence, will produce the evenings presentation, along with Ma-Yi's Associate Director Suzette Porte. Please call 212) 757-6960 for Reservations!

DANCE Arirang: Myung Soo Kim Korean Shamanic Ritual Solos July 6th – 9th, 7:30pm Dance Theater Workshop 219 West 19th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues New York City Dance Theater Workshop Myung Soo Kim brings her incredible mastery of Korean dance and music to the Dance Theatre Workshop, July 6 – 9, 2005 at The Bessie Schönberg Theater for an evening steeped in Korean tradition yet modern and eclectic all at the same time. The New York audience that views Myung Soo Kim’s performances will be able to learn the uniqueness of Korean dance in which artists not only continue their heritage by mastering movements in traditional dance forms, but also evolve their tradition by re-inventing movement aesthetics from traditional dance forms. Witness the beauty of how an artist embodies personal experience into the creative process, and the significance of the artist’s life influencing the creation of the dance. Watch as tradition evolves, is re-invented and then re-created into a new tradition of art and culture.

DISCUSSION One-on-One with Maggie Cheung Asian Cinevision Thursday, July 14th, 6:30pm Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater 165 West 65th Street New York City $20 ACV / Film Society / Asia Society members, $25 non-members www.asiancinevision.org | www.filmlinc.org Join us for a rare event celebrating the special artistry of Maggie Cheung as part of the Cinevisionary Tribute at the 28th Asian American International Film festival from July 15th - 31st. Awarded Best Actress for her work in Olivier Assayas's CLEAN at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, Maggie Cheung had appeared in over 80 films and has worked with directors such as Jackie Chan, Wong Kar-wai, Johnny To, Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan, and Olivier Assayas. Clips of some of her most memorable performances will be screened, and she will discuss her career with Film Comment's Kent Jones. In addition to our One on One conversation, Asian CineVision will present a mini-retrospective that showcases the diversity of her talent. Her performances in Clean (Opening Night Presentation), Center Stage (as China's first screen legend Ruan Ling Yu), Comrades: Almost a Love Story and Heroic Trio are just samples from her illustrious career. Join us for this unique opportunity to meet the artist and woman behind these incredible works.

FESTIVAL The 28th Asian American International Film Festival Asian CineVision (ACV) July 15th - 31st Cinema Arts Center 423 Park Avenue 100 Yards South of Rt 25A, Main Street Huntington, New York Asia Society 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street New York City www.asiancinevision.org  | aaiff2005.blogspot.com The 28th Asian American International Film Festival, presented by Asian CineVision (ACV), will take place July 15th - 31st, 2005 in New York City and Long Island. AAIFF is proudly known as "The First Home to Asian American Cinema". It is the nation's first festival dedicated to screening works by media artists of Asian descent and continues to be a leading showcase for Asian / Asian American films and videos. Films, panel discussions, Q&A sessions, workshops, receptions and special events will be held in association with the Asia Society at their state-of-the-art facilities on Park Avenue in NYC. Additionally, the Festival trots out its first-ever late-night program NightVisions, at IFC Center, serving up fare that will set your heart pounding and pulse racing. Screenings will also be held at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, Long Island. For complete program lineup, the official Festival website will go live June 22nd. Tickets will go on sale June 27th. Visit our blog for festival updates, film synopses, and more.

CONVENTION Pacific Media Expo: The Crossroads of Asian Pop Culture Saturday, September 3rd - 5th Long Beach Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Long Beach, and Renaissance Hotel Long Beach www.pacificmediaexpo.com Did you grow up watching anime or looked forward to the latest Jet Li movie? Do you practice martial arts or sip boba on sunny Southern California afternoons? If you do any of the above, you are immersed in Asian pop culture in America! We are inviting you to attend Pacific Media Expo, a three-day convention highlighting Asian pop culture in America. Pacific Media Expo (PMX) will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center from September 3rd - 5th, 2005. PMX brings the cutting edge of Asian entertainment to America, whether it is the newest anime from Japan, the hottest bands from the Pacific Rim, or the most creative fusion of sports and martial arts in Hong Kong history. PMX seeks to create an entertainment community for artists, industry, and their fans. In it's first year, PMX attracted over 3,000 convention attendees and 4,000 concert-goers for T.M.Revolution! This year, we are happy to add Martial Arts to our program line up!

EXHIBITION Lee Young-Hee Museum Ongoing Lee Young-Hee Museum 2 West 32nd Street between 5th and Broadway New York City www.leeyounghee.co.kr Fashion designer Lee Young-Hee has opened a Korean culture museum in the heart of Manhattan’s Koreatown. The prominent hanbok-inspired designer has parted with more than 1,000 precious historical items from her private collection to showcase at the museum, including royal costumes, knot pendants and various other antiques that Lee has collected over the past 30 years. In addition to being able to view Lee’s personal donations, the museum functions as an art space for traditional performances and demonstrations. On the weekends, dancers will perform mask and exorcism dances wearing Lee’s costumes, accompanied by traditional instruments like the 12-string gayageum and double headed janggu drum. In the spring, the museum plans to give a series of lectures on Korean traditions such as, how to wear hanbok properly, how to make patchwork-wrapping cloths and how to make kimchi. Since 1993, Lee has presented her hanbok-style gossamer dresses at Paris fashion shows and in 1996 she displayed a series of Joseon Dynasty antiques in front of the Musee de l`Orangerie.