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July 15th 2004: Issue 13
The next few weeks, there are a lot of interesting screenings coming up. This Friday kicks off the Asian American International Film Festival, showcasing over 100 films by filmmakers of Asian descent. Its the oldest Asian film festival in the nation, and by far the biggest in New York. Also, coming up are screenings of now world-famous Old Boy, praised earlier this year by critics, winning the Grand Prix Award at Cannes and Wet Sand, by well-known Korean-American documentarian Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, who made Sa-I-Gu, about the 92 LA Koreatown riots. Wet Sand is a follow-up to that documentary.
Also being released on July 30th is Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. At first when I saw this, I thought, "Oh great, another movie where Hollywood makes Asians look like chumps". But fear not! According to screenwriters Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, they state that "When we were in high school, a lot of our friends were Indian or Korean, but they were totally Americanized. But when we'd go to the movies, people of those descents were portrayed as nerds with accents". So there is hope. We'll see.
Don't forget about the upcoming Korean Film Festival starting on August 13th. There's a few films I can't wait to see like The Spirit of Jeet Kune Do. To promote the festival, I will be helping to host a series of festival events with the theme "The Spirit of Korea", showcasing the 5 human senses inspired by Korean culture, starting off with the Pre-Opening party at one of my favorite clubs, Club LQ. Theres a little promo below.
-ubn
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SCREENING
Invisible Light
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Thurs July 15th, 6:30pm
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Walter Reade Theatre
Lincoln Center
165 West 65th Street
New York City
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New York Video Festival
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Part of the 2004 New York Video Festival at Lincoln Center screening from July 14th - 18th, Korean-born filmmaker Gina Kim's narrative debut is an intense and hypnotic examination of female depression, anxiety, and cultural identity that breaks new ground in the portrayal of Korean women on film. Invisible Light consists of two parts: the first centers on Ga-in, who's dumped by her married lover and spends her time obsessing about her body and binge eating; the second focuses on Do-heui, the wife of Ga-in's lover, who's become pregnant by another man, stocks up on abortion pills, and flies back alone to Seoul to decide whether to take the pills or not. "Kim has a terrific eye, a gift for near-wordless storytelling, a knack for generating a tense gliding rhythm between images and sounds, shots and scenes, and for yielding a quality of radiance in her actors."
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FESTIVAL
27th Asian American International Film Festival
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Asian CineVision
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Friday, July 16th - Saturday, July 24th
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Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, New York
ImaginAsian Theater, 239 East 59th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Aves, New York
Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Avenue, Huntington, Long Island
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www.aaiff.org | 212) 327-9341
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HBO and TimeWarner present Asian CineVision in association with Asia Society the 27th Asian American International Film Festival. The oldest festival in the country devoted to works by filmmakers of Asian descent annually showcases over 100 films representing countries from Bangladesh to Thailand and has premiered the works of many artists, including Ang Lee, Wayne Wang, Mira Nair, among others. Festival highlights will include the feature premieres of After the Apocalypse directed by Yasuaki Nakajima, a futuristic drama about five survivors trying to make sense of a New World after a devastating urban catastrophe challenges all their human needs; Ebolusyon directed by Lavrente Diaz, a nine-hour epic narrative about the struggles of a rural Filipino family; Night Passage directed by Trinh Minh-ha, a trans-cultural journey made in homage to Kenji Miyazawa's novel, Milky Way Railroad.
Opening Night Film and Gala
Friday, July 16th, 6:30pm
Goddess Of Mercy (Yu Guan Yin)
Directed by Ann Hui
U.S. Premiere
Closing Night Presentation
Saturday, July 24th, 6:45pm
Tomorrow May Never Come (Kal Ho Naa Ho)
Directed by Nikhil Advani
Asian CineVision (ACV) is a non-profit media arts organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Asian and Asian American media expressions.
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FORUM
The Korean Peninsula Peace Forum
With Legislators from North Korea, South Korea and the United States
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The Korea Society, and the National Committee for Peace in Korea and The National Association of Korean Americans
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Tuesday, July 20th, 10:00am - 4:00pm
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U.S. Congress Senate Dirksen Building
Room SD-562
Washington, D.C.
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$20 (includes lunch)
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nakausa@naka.org | ncpk2003@yahoo.com | 703) 267-2388
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In this historic and unprecedented gathering, lawmakers from North Korea, South Korea and the U.S. will have an opportunity to discuss viewpoints on peace and security issues facing the Korean Peninsula, in search for a
common ground in ensuring a lasting peace and security arrangement in the region. For more information, contact: . Sponsorships (Financial), Endorsements (Organizations), Contributions (Individuals) are welcomed.
Speakers:
Members of the Democratic People.s Republic of Korea (North Korea) Supreme
People's Assembly
Members of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) National Assembly: Our Open
(Uri) Party, Grand National (Hannara) Party, Democratic Labor (Min-No)
Party
Members of the United States Congress: The Senate, The House of
Representatives (Democratic and Republican Parties)
Policy experts are also invited as discussants.
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SCREENING
Wet Sand: Voices From La Ten Years Later
A Film By Dai Sil Kim-Gibson with Reception to follow
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Asian Cinevision and the Korean Culture Service
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Thursday, July 22nd, 6:00pm
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ImaginAsian Theater
239 East 59th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
New York City
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$8.00 for Members (Asian CineVision and Asia Society) $10.00 for Non-Members
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www.asiancinevision.org
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www.koreanculture.org
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New York Premiere. Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, award winning director of Sa-I-Gu, a documentary about the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest, returns to LA to explore its aftermath through the stories of the victims and witnesses from multi-ethnic communities. The film presents lives forever transformed and lays bare the deeply rooted flaws of American society, an ultimate cause of that Civil Unrest. Mrs. Jung Hui Lee who lost her only son during the 1992 upheaval says, "Unity is like holding wet sand tightly in your hand. If you hold a fistful of wet sand, it becomes a big lump. If the sand dries, it will slip through your fingers until there is nothing left."
Followed by a Q&A with the director of Wet Sand. A 20 minute narrative film, The Arena, will precede the screening of Wet Sand. Reception after the screening hosted by the Korean Cultural Service at 460 Park Avenue, 6th Floor at 57th Street, New York City.
For tickets, go to www.asiancinevision.org or call. 212) 989-1422 and for inquiries contact Dai Sil Kim-Gibson at daisil@aol.com or 917)521-2954 or the Korean Cultural Service www.koreanculture.org 212) 759-9550.
Audience comments about the film:
"A stunning piece. Moving, sobering, reflective, angry, all mixed into one human cry."
"Awesome, motivating. I want everyone in America to watch this film."
"A loving gift to the world. An extraordinary child. Wet Sand will be celebrated and misunderstood."
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SCREENING
Old Boy
The Korean Culture Service in New York is screening a film called Old Boy, directed by Park Chan-Wook that won the Grand Prix award, the second-place honor at the 57th Cannes Film Festival which was held from May 12 for a 12-day run. It is the first Korean film to win the Cannes' Grand Prix and was given by a nine-member jury headed by Quentin Tarantino.
Dae-su Oh is kidnapped and held in a solitary room for fifteen years. Upon his release, he is given one task by his captor: to find out the reasons for his kidnapping. With a decade and a half of built up aggression and rage, Dae-su Oh searches for the answers that robbed him of his life.
Winner of the 2004 Cannes Grand Prix award, Old Boy is the newest offering by writer-director Chan-wook Park, whose other films include 2000's Joint Security Area and 2002's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Old Boy was screened at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival in May. Guest speaker Yoon-jung Cho will give a short introduction to the film, and will lead an audience discussion afterwards. A reception will follow.
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THEATER
"Bicycle"
by Oh Tae-sik
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August 5th - 6th, 8:30pm
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Here
145 6th Avenue
between Spring & Broome Streets
New York City
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www.here.org | 212) 647-0202
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After the successful U.S. premiere at the historic Cherry Lane Theatre, Bicycle returns for the American Living Room Festival 2004. It is honored to be on a single bill of the Festival. Most of the original cast and designers will comes back to bring alive this Korean play of distinctive structure and timely theme. Translated by Ah-jeong Kim & R. B. Graves. Directed by Eun Young Bae. Featuring: John Hart, Arnold Kim, Haerry Kim, Sam Kim, Bart Mallard, Michael Providence, St. Clair Ripley For reservations, order online at www.smarttix.com or call 212-868-4444
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CASTING CALL
Extras for Toshi Kubota's music video
Would you like to be in Toshi's video? If you will be in the New York City area on Monday July 19th, we will be shooting the video for Toshi's first single from the new album. We need extras to be in a number of scenes, and would like to offer you the opportunity first. There is no pay, and you must be in Manhattan and available all day
from early in the morning. Bring a friend, and come ready to have a good time and paaaaarty! Please include your full name (and your friend's name, if you are bringing someone). Due to the large volume of e-mails, we can only respond to those who are chosen to attend. If you are picked, you will receive a confirmation via e-mail before Monday, with the location, time, and other pertinent details. Visit www.toshikubota.com for more info.
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JOB OPPORTUNITY
Development Assistant
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Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
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Lillian Ling, Assistant Director lling@aaldef.org
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The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy and community education. Current program priorities include economic justice for workers, immigrants?rights, voting rights and civic participation, language rights, affirmative action, the elimination of anti-Asian violence and police brutality, youth rights and educational equity, and the assistance of low-income Chinatown residents and workers affected by 9.11. AALDEF has a 16-person staff and is supported by foundation grants, individual contributions and special events. For more information about AALDEF, visit our website at www.aaldef.org.
Responsibilities:
The Development Assistant maintains donor databases and files, coordinates and tracks direct mail campaigns, prepares acknowledgments, and researches prospective donors. This person also assists in the planning, preparation and implementation of the annual benefit gala, summer cocktail party and other special events. Other responsibilities include maintaining press clippings and other educational materials, answering phones, copying, filing, faxing, organizing mailings, data entry, and general clerical.
Qualifications:
Applicants must have good planning and organizational skills and be detail oriented. Applicants must also have good verbal and written communications skills and be able to multitask and manage projects in a timely manner. Knowledge of Microsoft Word, ACCESS and Excel is required. Prior experience with event planning is a plus. Flexibility with extra hours around the time of special events is necessary. We seek an applicant who is interested in special events and fundraising and has a strong commitment to civil rights and the Asian American community.
Salary / Benefits:
Salary is commensurate with experience. Excellent health and vacation benefits.
This position is available immediately. Interested individuals should send a cover letter and resume to or mail to: AALDEF, 99 Hudson St., 12th FL, NY,NY 10013. AALDEF is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
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JOB OPPORTUNITY
YWCA-NYC Flushing Branch Youth Center Director
Qualifications:
Minimum of a B.A. in social work or social science field; M.A. in psychology, counseling or certified social work preferred
Must be bilingual in English and Korean
Prefer minimum 2 years experience in a supervisory position
Prefer minimum 2 years of experience in a not-for-profit organization
Must have excellent written/verbal communication skills.
Responsibilities/Duties:
Responsible for in-take assessment, counseling, and follow-up services
Design, schedule, and implement programs for immigrant youth
Constantly seek new ways to assist immigrant youth to develop ability to participate in American customs, culture, and society
Maintain regular contact with the youth
Ability to oversee administrative tasks related to the government funded contract obligations
Design and distribute publicity materials for the program
Reach out to the immigrant youth through community based organizations to recruit and advertise the program
Responsible for special events for youth
Ability to work as a team member- i.e., offer and receive assistance from the staff members
Must have good organizational skill with attention to details
Ability to hold multi-tasks at one time as well as an ability to be flexible as required to finish any given task Report to the Branch Director
Some evening and weekends hours
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