Mar. 19-28: 16th Anniversary Disorient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon Lineup; Sneak Preview in February

The DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon is  celebrating 16 years of uplifting Asian American and Pacific Islander stories and voices this year and will be a held virtually from March 19-28, 2021. The curated program includes narrative and documentary films, livestreamed events and recorded Q&A’s to enrich your film experience.

DisOrient 2021 Sneak Preview

Down a Dark Stairwell

Down A Dark Stairwell: Screening February 27-28, 2021; Tickets required, $9. Click here for tickets. Livestreamed Q&A: Sunday, February 28 @ 3:00 PST. Moderated by DisOrient founder Jason Mak; with Director Ursula Liang and Documentarian and film editor JM Harper. Panel Discussion–Livestream. This content can only be viewed in authorized regions:Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii.

(Left to Right) Karen Ishizuka, Tadashi Nakamura, Hisonni Mustafa, Ursula Liang, Daisy Truong

The role of Asian American filmmakers in supporting Black Lives Matter: Saturday, March 21 @ 3:00pm PST. Tickets required—“Pay what you can”. Moderated by DisOrient Founder Jason Mak. Panelists: Daisy Truong, Hisonni Mustafa, Karen Ishizuka, Tadashi Nakamura and Ursula Liang. Click here for tickets.

Haven Everly, Emy Coligado and Paolo Montalban in Mallorie Ortega’s THE GIRL WHO LEFT HOME.

Life Imitates Art for Emy Coligado with Dream Role in Mallorie Ortega’s THE GIRL WHO LEFT HOME

Film Highlights: Opening Night film: The Girl Who Left Home: A live-action, musical feature film by writer/director/lyricist/producer Mallorie Ortega, and producer Angelo Santos. The film will be followed by  two short films, Looking Back, and Ode to a Seafaring People. Livestreamed Q&A on Saturday, March 20 @ 4:00pm PST/7:00pm EST. Click here for tickets.

Centerpiece film: Cane Fire: Pacific NW Premiere; Feature Documentary. Merging film history with the personal and political, filmmaker Anthony Banua-Simon offers an eye-opening look at the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The film will be preceded by two short films, Where Smoke Rises and The Pākalā Kids. Livestreamed Q&A on Friday, March 26 @  6:30pm PST/9:30pm EST. Click here for tickets.
Closing Night Film: Coming Home Again: PNW Premiere. Feature film by Wayne Wang, based on a personal essay by Chang Rae Lee, and starring Justin Chon, Jackie Chung, and Christina July Kim.

Our film, When the World Was Young, directed by Garth Kravits and starring Virginia Wing, Jason Ma, Lia Chang and Jo Yang, will screen before Coming Home Again. Livestreamed Q&A on Sunday March 28 @ 4:00pm PST/7:00pm EST. Click here for tickets.

Garth Kravits’ Short Film WHEN THE WORLD WAS YOUNG Starring Virginia Wing, Jason Ma, Lia Chang and Jo Yang is an Official Selection of The 16th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon

Other film highlights include:

Water Like Fire: Mainland US premiere. Lovely, poetic, Hawaii-made indie film.

Sansei Granddaughters’ Journey : 5 artists honor their ancestors and the 120,000 people ofJapanese ancestry who were unjustly incarcerated during WWII.

See You Then: Feature Narrative by award-winning filmmaker Mari Walker. After 15 years, Kris is finally ready to explain her transgender journey to college girlfriend Naomi (Lynn Chen). Screening with Kaye: This Life Around, the artistic journey of a musician rediscovering her music.

Take Out Girl, Feature film by award-winning director Hisonni Mustafa, with an Asian American hip-hop soundtrack; screening with the world premiere of Blue Lanterns.

4 shorts programs: Emerging Voices, Japanese American Voices Past and Present, Voices of Family, Raising Our Voices

All-access passes ($48) and tickets for all films may be purchased online at www.disorientfilm.org. Check out the website for the full festival schedule, program, and film trailers.

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Jan. 30-31: A-DOC: Asian American Documentary Network, Open Your Eyes & Think MF (OYEATMF) Highlight AAPI Documentary Awards Contenders Hao Wu, Ramona S. Diaz, Bao Nguyen, Richard Lui, Yung Chang, Ursula Liang, S. Leo Chiang, Diane Quon, Jiayan “Jenny” Shi, Carol Nguyen, Jeff Orlowski, Yi Chen, Elizabeth Lo, Annie Katsura Rollins, Joanna Vasquez Arong and More

The awards season is in full swing and this year, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) documentary filmmakers represent a record number of 17 features and 5 short films that are now recognized as documentary awards contenders.  This weekend, A-DOC: Asian American Documentary Network – which works to increase the visibility and support of Asian Americans in the documentary field and the virtual cinema screening platform Open Your Eyes & Think MF (OYEATMF) are teaming up to highlight some of this year’s AAPI documentary awards contenders with interviews and fireside chats online through their respective You Tube channels. 

Starting at 10AM PST/1PM EST on Saturday January 30 and continuing through Monday, February 1, their respective online channels will feature virtual discussions/talkbacks with this year’s impressive group of AAPI filmmakers including Hao Wu, Ramona S. Diaz, Bao Nguyen, Richard Lui, Yung Chang, Ursula Liang, S. Leo Chiang, Diane Quon, Jiayan “Jenny” Shi, Carol Nguyen, Jeff Orlowski, Yi Chen, Elizabeth Lo, Annie Katsura Rollins, Joanna Vasquez Arong and more. 

Log in to their YouTube channels beginning at 10AM PT on January 30, 31 and February 1 for these conversations and celebrate the ASIAN AMERICAN DOC FILMMAKERS CONTENDERS 2021.

A-DOC            http://bit.ly/adoc-youtube
OYEATMF      https://bit.ly/39u0iua

2021 FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES

DIRECTED AND/OR PRODUCED BY AAPI FILMMAKERS

1. 76 DAYS
2. A THOUSAND CUTS
3. A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM
4. ASWANG
5. BE WATER
6. BELLY OF THE BEAST
7. CODED BIAS
8. THE DONUT KING
9. DOWN A DARK STAIRWELL
10. FINDING YINGYING
11. FIRST VOTE
12. KID FROM CONEY ISLAND
13. OUR TIME MACHINE
14. SKY BLOSSOM
15. THE SOCIAL DILEMMA
16. STRAY
17. THIS IS NOT A MOVIE

2021 SHORT DOCUMENTARIES

DIRECTED AND/OR PRODUCED BY AAPI FILMMAKERS

1. CALL CENTER BLUES
2. NO CRYING AT THE DINNER TABLE
3. PANDEMIC19
4. SING ME A LULLABY
5. TO CALM THE PIG INSIDE

Masters at Work: Producers Nina Yang Bongiovi and Oscar nominated Diane Quon on The Art of Producing

Sky Blossom: Yung Chang with Director Richard Lui and Producer Alex Lo

Finding Yingying: Claire Aguilar interviews Jiayan “Jenny” Chi, Diane Quon and Brent E. Huffman

Masters at Work: Ramona S. Diaz (A Thousand Cuts) and Jeff Orlowski (The Social Dilemma)

Be Water/No Crying at the Dinner Table: Bao Nguyen and Carol Nguyen in conversation with Viet Tank Nguyen

Masters at Work: S. Leo Chiang (Summit Our Time Machine) and Hao Wu (76 Days)

Pandemic 19: Annie Katsura Rollins and Yung Chang in conversation with Richard Lui

 

The New Breed: Alice Gu (The Donut King), Yi Chen (First Vote), Jenny Shi (Finding Yingying) with Nanfu Wang 

To Calm the Pig Inside: Joanna Vasquez Arong with Ramona S. Diaz

 

The New Breed: Ursula Liang (Down a Dark Stairwell) and Yu Gu (A Woman’s Work: the NFL’s Cheerleader Problem)

 

Click here to watch Sing Me A Lullaby.

Feb. 1

6PM PST/9PM EST 

Watch Party- Finding Yingying followed by Q & A with filmmakers and Janet Yang

ABOUT:  A-DOC:ASIAN AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY NETWORK
A-Doc is a national network that works to increase the visibility and support of Asian Americans in the documentary field.  Asian American documentary filmmakers who have come together as one, multi-generational force to advocate for our vital presence in the field.  A-DOC is committed to sharing ideas and resources, providing mutual support and mentorship, and advocating for equity and diversity in the production and distribution of non-fiction storytelling.

ABOUT: OPEN YOUR EYES AND THINK MF – OYEATMF
Established in 2020 by film publicists David Magdael and Vince Johnson, OPEN YOUR EYES AND THINK MF supports films and filmmakers that may not fit within the current distribution and exhibition system. The goal is to provide access to films that are challenging and changing the landscape of truth telling and story creation. These include BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and other content creators who are on the margins.  OYEATMF provides exhibition opportunities, resources, and the creation of meaningful discussions for and by filmmakers who are challenging us to think.

Gold Open Teams With CAPE For Inaugural Gold List To Honor Asian And Pacific Islanders In Film; MINARI Wins in 7 Categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay

For your awards consideration, explore outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander filmmakers, talent, and films.

Gold Open has partnered with the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment CAPE to launch the inaugural Gold List which honors the most outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander (API) achievements in film each year. Gold Open is part of Gold House, which bolsters multicultural movies to box office success — most notably, the movement brought shine to Parasite and Crazy Rich Asians.

Featuring 10 categories, Gold List is voted on by the Gold Open Advisory Council, Gold House Members (the premier nonprofit collective of leading API creatives, executives, and founders), CAPE Board Members and Advisors (the premier API-entertainment nonprofit), and other entertainment leaders. Future Gold Lists will endeavor to include additional categories and communities.

Gold House and CAPE have hosted conversations with various Gold List honorees which can be watched here.  Please view the honorees’ pages below for these conversations, and subscribe and follow here for future announcements. 

Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari  tops the inaugural Gold List in seven categories including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for Steve Yeun, Best Actress for Yeri Han, Best Supporting Actor for Alan Kim, and Best Supporting Actress forYuh-Jung Youn. Check out the Q & A below, moderated by Janet Yang.

Check out the full list of Gold List selections below.

Best Picture
Minari and Sound of Metal Honorable Mentions: The Half of It, The White Tiger, Yellow Rose

Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
Honorable Mentions: Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Alice Wu (The Half of It), Alan Yang (Tigertail)

Best Actor
Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Steven Yeun (Minari)
Honorable Mentions: Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger), Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield), Harry Shum Jr. (All My Life) 

Best Actress
Yeri Han (Minari) and Leah Lewis (The Half of It)
Honorable Mentions: Hong Chau (Driveways), Tsai Chin (Lucky Grandma), Eva Noblezada (Yellow Rose)

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Kim (Minari) and Orion Lee (First Cow)
Honorable Mentions: Lucas Jaye (Driveways), Tzi Ma (Mulan), Rajkummar Rao (The White Tiger)

Best Supporting Actress
Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) and Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari)
Honorable Mentions: Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The White Tiger), Gong Li (Mulan), Lea Salonga (Yellow Rose)

Best Original Screenplay
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) and Alice Wu (The Half of it)
Honorable Mentions: Mong-Hong Chung and Yao-Sheng Chang (A Sun), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca), Alan Yang (Tigertail) 

Best Adapted Screenplay
Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger) and Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)

https://goldopen.com/nominee_category/best-adapted-screenplay/

Best Documentary Feature
Be Water and A Thousand Cuts
Honorable Mentions: 76 Days, The Donut King, The Social Dilemma

Best Animated Feature
Bombay Rose and Over the Moon
Honorable Mentions: Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, On-Gaku: Our Sound, A Whisker Away

Lee Isaac Chung’s MINARI Receives 6 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Male Lead For Steven Yeun and Best Supporting Female for Yeri Han and Yuh-Jung Youn; Full List of Film and TV Nominees

Alan S. Kim, Steven Yeun, Noel Cho and Yeri Han in ‘Minari’Courtesy of David Bornfriend/A24

Lee Isaac Chung’s story about a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream has been nominated for six 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards including Best Feature, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Chung; acting nods include Best Male Lead for Steven Yeun and Best Supporting Female for Yeri Han and Yuh-Jung Youn. 

The Spirit Awards are the primary fundraiser for the nonprofit Film Independent’s year-round slate of programs, which cultivates the careers of emerging filmmakers and promotes diversity and inclusion in the industry. Film Independent President Josh Welsh introduced the prerecorded video announcements this morning, which featured guest presenters Laverne Cox (Disclosure, Promising Young Woman) and Spirit Award winners Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk, Moonlight, The Underground Railroad) and Olivia Wilde (Booksmart, Don’t Worry Darling).

Other Best Feature nominees included First Cow, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Nomadland. Also announced – for the first time in Spirit Awards history – were the nominees of five new TV awards: Best New Scripted Series, Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series, Best Male Performance in a New Scripted Series, Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series and Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.

One Night in Miami… was selected to receive the Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast. The Robert Altman Award was created in 2008 in honor of legendary director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts.

Winners, who are selected by Film Independent Members, will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Thursday, April 22, 2021. In a one-time break from tradition, the awards ceremony will move from its usual spot as a live daytime event to prime time on Thursday, broadcast live exclusively on IFC at 10:00 pm ET / 7:00 pm PT.

2021 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

FILM CATEGORIES

 
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

First Cow
Producers: Neil Kopp, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington, Dany Wolf

Minari
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh

Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Producers: Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski

Nomadland
Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao
 
 
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to director and producer)

I Carry You With Me
Director/Producer: Heidi Ewing
Producers: Edher Campos, Mynette Louie, Gabriela Maire

The Forty-Year-Old Version
Director/Producer: Radha Blank
Producers: Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Jordan Fudge, Rishi Rajani, Jennifer Semler, Lena Waithe

Miss Juneteenth
Director: Channing Godfrey Peoples
Producers: Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Jeanie Igoe, James M. Johnston, Theresa Steele Page, Neil Creque Williams

Nine Days
Director: Edson Oda
Producers: Jason Michael Berman, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Matthew Linder, Laura Tunstall, Datari Turner 

Sound of Metal
Director: Darius Marder
Producers: Bill Benz, Kathy Benz, Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche
 
 
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD – Given to the best feature made for under $500,000 (Award given to the writer, director and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

The Killing of Two Lovers
Writer/Director/Producer: Robert Machoian
Producers: Scott Christopherson, Clayne Crawford

La Leyenda Negra
Writer/Director: Patricia Vidal Delgado
Producers: Alicia Herder, Marcel Perez

Lingua Franca
Writer/Director/Producer: Isabel Sandoval
Producers: Darlene Catly Malimas, Jhett Tolentino, Carlo Velayo

Residue
Writer/Director: Merawi Gerima

Saint Frances
Director/Producer: Alex Thompson
Writer: Kelly O’Sullivan
Producers: James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Raphael Nash, Roger Welp
 
 
BEST DIRECTOR

Lee Isaac Chung
Minari

Emerald Fennell
Promising Young Woman

Eliza Hittman
Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Kelly Reichardt
First Cow

Chloé Zhao
Nomadland
 
 
BEST SCREENPLAY

Lee Isaac Chung
Minari

Emerald Fennell
Promising Young Woman

Eliza Hittman
Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Mike Makowsky
Bad Education

Alice Wu
The Half of It
 
 
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Kitty Green
The Assistant

Noah Hutton
Lapsis

Channing Godfrey Peoples
Miss Juneteenth

Andy Siara
Palm Springs

James Sweeney
Straight Up
 
 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Jay Keitel
She Dies Tomorrow

Shabier Kirchner
Bull

Michael Latham
The Assistant

Hélène Louvart
Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Joshua James Richards
Nomadland
 
 
BEST EDITING

Andy Canny
The Invisible Man

Scott Cummings
Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Merawi Gerima
Residue

Enat Sidi
I Carry You With Me

Chloé Zhao
Nomadland
 
 
BEST FEMALE LEAD

Nicole Beharie
Miss Juneteenth

Viola Davis
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Sidney Flanigan
Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Julia Garner
The Assistant

Frances McDormand
Nomadland

Carey Mulligan
Promising Young Woman
 
 
BEST MALE LEAD

Riz Ahmed
Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Adarsh Gourav
The White Tiger

Rob Morgan
Bull

Steven Yeun
Minari
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Alexis Chikaeze
Miss Juneteenth

Yeri Han
Minari

Valerie Mahaffey
French Exit

Talia Ryder
Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Yuh-jung Youn
Minari
 
 
BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Colman Domingo
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Orion Lee
First Cow

Paul Raci
Sound of Metal

Glynn Turman
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Benedict Wong
Nine Days
 
 
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD – Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast

One Night in Miami…
Director: Regina King
Casting Director: Kimberly R. Hardin
Ensemble Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.
 
 
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

Collective
Director/Producer: Alexander Nanau
Producers: Hanka Kastelicová, Bernard Michaux, Bianca Oana

Crip Camp
Directors/Producers: Jim LeBrecht, Nicole Newnham
Producer: Sara Bolder

Dick Johnson is Dead
Director/Producer: Kirsten Johnson
Producers: Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness

The Mole Agent
Director: Maite Alberdi
Producer: Marcela Santibáñez

Time
Director/Producer: Garrett Bradley
Producers: Lauren Domino, Kellen Quinn
 
 
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Bacurau
Brazil
Directors: Juliano Dornelles, Kleber Mendonça Filho

The Disciple
India
Director: Chaitanya Tamhane

Night of the Kings
Ivory Coast
Director: Philippe Lacôte

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
Hungary
Director: Lili Horvát

Quo Vadis, Aida?
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Director: Jasmila Žbanić
 
 
PRODUCERS AWARD – The Producers Award, now in its 24th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Kara Durrett

Lucas Joaquin

Gerry Kim
 
 
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 27th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

David Midell
Director of The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Ekwa Msangi
Director of Farewell Amor

Annie Silverstein
Director of Bull
 
 
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 26th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Cecilia Aldarondo
Director of Landfall

Elegance Bratton
Director of Pier Kids

Elizabeth Lo
Director of Stray

TELEVISON CATEGORIES

 
BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children
Executive Producers: Jeff Dupre, Joshua Bennett, Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius

City So Real
Produced by: Zak Piper, Steve James
Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, Jolene Pinder

Immigration Nation
Executive Producers: Christina Clusiau, Shaul Schwarz, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin, Brandon Hill, Christian Thompson
Co-Executive Producers: Andrey Alistratov, Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, Lauren Haber

Love Fraud
Executive Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing, Amy Goodman Kass, Vinnie Malhotra, Jihan Robinson, Michael Bloom, Maria Zuckerman

We’re Here
Creators/Executive Producers: Stephen Warren, Johnnie Ingram
Executive Producers: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Peter LoGreco
Co-Executive Producers: Erin Haglund, Sabrina Mar
 
 
BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES (Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

I May Destroy You
Creator/Executive Producer: Michaela Coel
Executive Producers: Phil Clarke, Roberto Troni

Little America
Executive Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Joshuah Bearman, Joshua Davis, Arthur Spector, Alan Yang, Siân Heder, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon

Small Axe
Executive Producers: Tracey Scoffield, David Tanner, Steve McQueen

A Teacher
Creator/Executive Producer: Hannah Fidell
Executive Producers: Michael Costigan, Kate Mara, Louise Shore, Jason Bateman, Danny Brocklehurst
Co-Executive Producer: Daniel Pipski

Unorthodox
Creator/Executive Producer: Anna Winger
Creator: Alexa Karolinski
Executive Producer: Henning Kamm
 
 
BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Elle Fanning
The Great

Shira Haas
Unorthodox

Abby McEnany
Work in Progress

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan
Never Have I Ever

Jordan Kristine Seamón
We Are Who We Are
 
 
BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Adam Ali
Little America

Nicco Annan
P-Valley

Conphidance
Little America

Amit Rahav
Unorthodox

Harold Torres
ZeroZeroZero
 
 
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

I May Destroy You
Ensemble Cast: Michaela Coel, Paapa Essiedu, Weruche Opia, Stephen Wight

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

Film Independent is the nonprofit arts organization that champions creative independence in visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff and constituents are comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a Member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional or a film lover.

In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces Film Independent Presents, a year-round screening series for its members that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public. Through annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. 

Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

The winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards are voted upon by Film Independent Members. Membership is open to the public. For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.
 

Feb. 20: Murdoch Mysteries Returns to Ovation TV for Fourteenth Season

William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy) and Detective Llewelyn Watts (Daniel Maslany) in Murdoch Mysteries. (Ovation TV)

Los Angeles, CA: Ovation TV, America’s only arts network, celebrates the return of one of its most successful series, Murdoch Mysteries, with the exclusive U.S. television premiere of season 14. Adhering to strict health and safety protocols, the long-running drama series filmed in Toronto during the coronavirus pandemic. The new season, which consists of 11 episodes, will begin airing in the U.S. on Ovation TV on Saturday, February 20, 2021. Episodes will air at 7pm ET / 4pm PT, as part of the network’s Mystery Alley programming block on Saturday nights; episodes will be available to cable subscribers on demand and the Ovation NOW app the following day.

Season 14 will continue to explore new developments in the lives of Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy), Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), Constables George Crabtree (Jonny Harris), Henry Higgins-Newsome (Lachlan Murdoch) Violet Hart (Shanice Banton) and Detective Llewelyn Watts (Daniel Maslany) as they tackle Toronto’s toughest mysteries, from the serious and historic to the comical and unusual. Returning cast members also include Arwen Humphreys, and Siobhan Murphy. In the first episode alone, historic character highlights include a young Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton.

Star Yannick Bisson returns to the director’s chair for the first two episodes of the season. Other episodes will be directed by Peter Mitchell, Gary Harvey, Warren Sonoda, Mina Shum and Ruba Nadda.

The year is 1908 as season fourteen of the internationally acclaimed series begins. Detective Murdoch continues his inventive detective work with Ogden’s unflinching support even after an investigation leads him to a family member that he never knew about. Brackenreid and Margaret’s marriage, now on the mend, is tested once more, and Crabtree’s relationship with Effie Newsome is threatened by a potentially volatile interloper. Family relations also loom large for Higgins now that Ruth is pregnant. Unfortunately, Watts’ secret love affair faces dangerous scrutiny, while Violet Hart’s now public liaison with a wealthy playboy causes social outrage.

For viewers that need to catch up on past seasons, Ovation TV has made seasons eleven, twelve, and thirteen available and free to watch under the Mystery Alley banner on the Ovation NOW app and at http://www.ovationtv.com/watch. These seasons are available now and will be available throughout season fourteen’s run.

Murdoch Mysteries is based on Maureen Jennings’s popular Detective Murdoch series of novels and premiered in Canada in January 2008. Murdoch Mysteries is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Yannick Bisson, Hélène Joy, and Peter Mitchell, who also serves as showrunner, and produced by Stephen Montgomery and Julie Lacey. Murdoch Mysteries is developed and produced by Shaftesbury, in association with CBC, ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment and UKTV, and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the IPF’s COGECO Television Production Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and Ontario Creates. Shaftesbury Sales Company and ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment hold worldwide distribution rights for the series.

About OVATION TV America’s Only Arts Network

As an independent television, production, and digital media company, OVATION TV has an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture, and captivating entertainment.  Showcasing a lineup of critically-acclaimed premium dramas, specials, documentaries, and iconic films, OVATION TV salutes innovative storytelling with popular programming that includes Inside the Actors Studio, Murdoch Mysteries, Riviera, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Fall, Luther, Midsomer Murders, Landscape Artist of the Year, Grand Designs, Amazing Hotels, Chasing the Sun, and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Ovation also powers JOURNY, the dedicated streaming service where art, culture, and travel intersect.  The company has provided more than $15M in contributions and in-kind support to arts institutions and arts education.  Its signature advocacy platform, STAND FOR THE ARTS, includes a coalition of over 60 arts organizations, cultural institutions, and arts leaders throughout the country raising awareness about art’s positive impact, protecting access for everyone, and encouraging action on behalf of the arts.  OVATION TV is available on major providers via cable, satellite and telco systems including Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV/AT&T U-verse, SPECTRUM, Verizon FiOS, as well as on demand.  You can follow OVATION TV on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, OvationTV.com, and through our App, OVATION NOW.

Jan: 13: Visual Communications Celebrates Korean American Day with Advance Virtual Screening of Lee Isaac Chung’s MINARI

Visual Communications is celebrating Korean American Day on Wednesday, Jan 13th with an advance virtual screening and Q&A for Minari (dir. Lee Isaac Chung), a tender and sweeping story about what roots us. Minari follows a Korean American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. Minari stars Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, and Yuh-Jung Youn.

Emmy award nominee Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey’s Anatomy), will moderate a special post-screening Q&A with writer/director Lee Isaac Chung and actors Steven Yeun, Yuh-jung Youn, and Yeri Han, along with special guests, first Korean American Congressman Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and newly elected Korean American Congresswoman Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA).

The film is available to watch virtually for 24 hrs beginning at 12am PT. Please note that tickets are limited and based on a first come, first serve basis. Click here to RSVP.

Please note that tickets are limited and based on a first come, first serve basis. If you’re unable to watch the film during this time, A24 will release MINARI on Friday, February 12. 

It’s the 1980s, and David, a seven-year-old Korean American boy, is faced with new surroundings and a different way of life when his father, Jacob, moves their family from the West Coast to rural Arkansas. His mother, Monica, is aghast that they live in a mobile home in the middle of nowhere, and naughty little David and his sister are bored and aimless. When his equally mischievous grandmother arrives from Korea to live with them, her unfamiliar ways arouse David’s curiosity. Meanwhile, Jacob, hell-bent on creating a farm on untapped soil, throws their finances, his marriage, and the stability of the family into jeopardy.

Inspired by his own upbringing, writer-director Lee Isaac Chung creates a gorgeous, delicate American Dream story by infusing it with Korean melodrama and the playful charm of a Yasujiro Ozu film, as the Yi family embraces their highs and endures their lows. Each character is drawn with loving authenticity and depth, while Steven Yeun shines as Jacob, a man determined to achieve his dreams at all costs.

Lee Isaac Chung grew up in Lincoln, Arkansas, on a small farm in the Ozark Mountains. He is an award-winning writer and director. His first feature film was the Rwandan family drama Munyurangabo, which premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival to great acclaim. His other feature films are Lucky Life and Abigail Harm. He received his BA in biology at Yale University and his MFA in film studies at the University of Utah.

A24’s Minari Korean American Day screenings will be held nationwide with THOUSANDS watching across the country, hosted by Korean Consulate of Los Angeles, Council of Korean Americans CKA, Asians in LA and numerous other Korean and AAPI organizations and film festivals including Center for Asian American Media Center (CAAM), Hawai‘i International Film Festival, Asian CineVision, Seattle Asian American Film Festival, Boston Asian American Film Festival,  Austin Asian American Film Festival, DC APA Film Festival, Houston Asian Pacific Islander Film Festival, NAKASEC, Pacific Arts Movement, Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Gold House and many more.

 

ABOUT A24: The studio behind MOONLIGHT, LADY BIRD, EX MACHINA, THE WITCH, EIGHTH GRADE, HEREDITARY & more.

 

Richard Lui’s Documentary Film ‘SKY BLOSSOM: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation’

The documentary film SKY BLOSSOM: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation will premiere on November 11^th in salute of Veterans Day and National Family Caregivers Month, honoring the 24.5 million children and millennials who step forward as caregiving heroes to care for family members.

Led by award-winning MSNBC journalist Richard Lui in his directorial debut, SKY BLOSSOM: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation follows five families across the U.S. whose children are helping to provide essential care services often seen only in hospitals for veteran family members at home. Named a “Top Documentary Feature Contender” by Variety Magazine, the documentary highlights how these young care heroes – cheerleaders, part-time workers and college students – are living double lives, quietly growing up as America’s next greatest generation.

On November 11^th, SKY BLOSSOM: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation will make its world premiere in Washington, DC at a first-ever drive-in cinema event at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It will also be available to moviegoers at complementary screenings across the 50 states for one night only. A list of theaters can be found at www.skyblossom.com.

Richard Lui. Photo by Lia Chang

Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation, is a raw, candid look at the millions of teens and millennials caring for injured veterans and service members in homes across America. It’s also a highly personal documentary for the filmmaker, award-winning MSNBC news anchor Richard Lui. Lui’s own experience of caring for his disabled father inspired him to explore how military kids and teens cope with providing this kind of care for injured parents every day, and how they are struggling to find balance in their lives as a result of these injuries. The families featured in Sky Blossom share a new perspective of what it means to be a military family and the film reveals rare insights into the experiences of military children nationwide.

Richard Lui and Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.

 

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2020 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Katori Hall’s P-VALLEY Starring Brandee Evans, Nicco Annan, Shannon Thornton, Elarica Johnson, Skyler Joy, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Parker Sawyers, Harriett D. Foy, Tyler Lepley, and Dan J. Johnson, Renewed for Season 2 at Starz

After only three episodes airing, “P-Valley,” which currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has been renewed for a second season at Starz. Season two will feature 10 episodes.

Katori Hall. Photo by Lia Chang

Down deep in the Mississippi Delta lies an oasis of grit and glitter in a rough patch of human existence where beauty can be hard to find. This southern-fried, hour-long drama tells the kaleidoscopic story of a little-strip-club-that-could and the big characters who come through its doors-the hopeful, the lost, the broken, the ballers, the beautiful, and the damned. Trap music meets film noir in this lyrical and atmospheric series that dares to ask what happens when small-town folk dream beyond the boundaries of the Piggly Wiggly and the pawnshop.

Based on her play Pussy Valley, creator Katori Hall (The Mountaintop, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) serves as showrunner as well as executive producer. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to be bringing this passion project into living rooms all across America,” says Hall. “For too long, exotic dancers have been dismissed and shamed, while their culture has been appropriated by the mainstream. This project moves past the blue lights and haze of the main stage, where dancers take to the air like super-sheroes, to the locker room and beyond, where these women-inspired by the dozens of dancers I’ve interviewed-live their lives unapologetically.”

The series also features all-women directors, including award-winning music video director Karena Evans (Drake: Nice for What, SZA: Garden), who directed the premiere episode, as well as Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry), Millicent Shelton (“30 Rock”), Tamra Davis (“Single Ladies”), Geeta V. Patel (“Superstore”), Tasha Smith (“Black Lightning”), Sydney Freeland (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Barbara Brown (“Scream Queens”).

“P-Valley” stars Brandee Evans (“The Bobby Brown Story”) as Mercedes, Nicco Annan (“This is Us”) as Uncle Clifford, Shannon Thornton (“Power”) as Miss Mississippi, Elarica Johnson (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) as Autumn Night, Skyler Joy (Ma) as Gidget, J. Alphonse Nicholson (“Chicago P.D.”) as Lil’ Murda, Parker Sawyers (Southside With You) as Andre, Harriett D. Foy (“Elementary”) as Pastor Woodbine, Tyler Lepley (“The Haves and the Have Nots”) as Diamond, and Dan J. Johnson (“Underemployed”) as Tyler. Chernin Entertainment also serves as Executive Producer.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2020 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

‘Be Water’: How to watch and stream ESPN’s Bruce Lee documentary by Bao Nguyen

When it comes to martial arts and the movies, no star has shone quite as bright as Bruce Lee. Fans can get a glimpse into his journey this Sunday as ESPN’s 30 for 30 “Be Water,” a documentary by Bao Nguyen, will be broadcast at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

How to watch “Be Water”:
Watch on ESPN: Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV

Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access.

Don’t have ESPN+? Get it here.

Before ESPN’s 30-for-30 premiere of “Be Water,” Director Bao Nguyen chatted with W. Kamau Bell and Steve Aoki about what Bruce Lee meant to each of them and how Bruce’s fight for inclusion mirrors much of what we’re seeing in the world today.

In 1971, before his superstardom, Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong to get the opportunities to be a lead actor that eluded him in America. In the two years before his untimely death, Lee completed four films, which changed the history of film and made him a household name. Through rare archival footage, memories of family and friends, and his own words, the story of that time and Lee’s prior experiences are told with an intimacy and immediacy that have infrequently been used in earlier tellings of his legend.

Growing up and living between the West and the East, Lee was ahead of his time in thinking about the transnational audience. He experienced the racist reaction of an American film industry inundated by a subservient and menacing image of Asian people—and learned he’d have to tell his own stories to escape it. Director Bao Nguyen elegantly weaves Lee’s personal struggle for visibility with that of his times and reminds us that though it was for a short time, Lee’s star burned so brightly we still see it today.
Bao Nguyen is an award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles and Saigon. As the child of Vietnamese war refugees, he first pursued law to appease his parents but soon found his passion in film. His directorial debut, Live from New York!, opened the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. He is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents and the Firelight Media Documentary Lab. He earned his BA at New York University and his MFA at the School of Visual Arts.

Website

arsTechnica: After ESPN’s Bruce Lee doc, you’ll see Enter the Dragon through a whole new lens

essentiallysports.com: WATCH: When Lakers Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Fought Bruce Lee For a Movie

scmp.com: ESPN’s Bruce Lee 30 for 30 ‘Be Water’ documentary returns spotlight to the ‘Grandfather of MMA’

indie wire.com: ‘Be Water’: Bruce Lee Documentary Celebrates Career of Legendary Martial Artist and Actor

usatoday.com: ESPN’s new Bruce Lee documentary, ‘Be Water,’ is a ‘must-watch’ look at racism in Hollywood, critics say

Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2020 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Major Film Festivals Across the World Join with YouTube For We Are One: A Global Film Festival Starting May 29

NEW YORK, NY– April 27, 2020 – Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube jointly announced today We Are One: A Global Film Festival, an unprecedented 10-day digital film festival exclusively on YouTube, bringing together an international community of storytellers to present festival programming for free to audiences around the world. Set to begin on May 29 on YouTube.com/WeAreOne, the festival will feature programming curated by the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Guadalajara International Film Festival, International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM), Jerusalem Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Marrakech International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and more, immersing audiences in stories from around the world and providing a voice for filmmakers on a global stage

Core to the DNA of film festivals is the belief that artists and creators have the power to bring people together and create meaningful connections during a time when the world needs it most. Through We Are One: A Global Film Festival , audiences will not only get a peek into different cultures through a new lens, they’ll be able to support local communities by directly donating to organizations helping the relief efforts for those affected by COVID-19. The festival will benefit the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as local relief partners in each region.

“We often talk about film’s uniquely powerful role in inspiring and uniting people across borders and differences to help heal the world. All of the world needs healing right now,” said Tribeca Enterprises and Tribeca Film Festival Co-Founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal. “We Are One: A Global Film Festival unites curators, artists and storytellers to entertain and provide relief to audiences worldwide. In working with our extraordinary festival partners and YouTube we hope that everyone gets a taste of what makes each festival so unique and appreciates the art and power of film.”

“One of the most unique and inspiring aspects of the world staying home is our ability to come together and experience an event as one, and We Are One: A Global Film Festival is just that,” said Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer, YouTube. “Along with Tribeca Enterprises and our incredible partners, we are bringing fans the opportunity to experience the curated programming each of these festivals provides as part of our ten-day long event. It’s an event that’s never been done before and we’re proud to be the home for this fantastic content that is free to fans around the world.”

“We are proud to join with our partner festivals to spotlight truly extraordinary films and talent, allowing audiences to experience both the nuances of storytelling from around the world and the artistic personalities of each festival,” said Pierre Lescure, President of the Cannes Film Festival, and Thierry Fr é maux, Cannes Film Festival General Delegate.

We Are One: A Global Film Festival will run from May 29 – June 7 on YouTube.com/WeAreOne. Programming will be available for free, and will include films, shorts, documentaries, music, comedy, and conversations. A full schedule will be available closer to the festival start date.

About Tribeca Enterprises
Tribeca Enterprises is a multi-platform storytelling company, established in 2003 by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. Tribeca provides artists with unique platforms to expand the audience for their work and broadens consumer access to experience storytelling, independent film, and media. The company operates a network of entertainment businesses including the Tribeca Film Festival; the Tribeca TV Festival; and its branded entertainment production arm, Tribeca Studios.

Lia Chang. Photo by Garth Kravits

Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers,  musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2020 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com