January 23, 2018 – Los Angeles The FRONTLINE (PBS) documentary ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL, directed by award-winning filmmaker Steve James (Life Itself, Hoop Dreams) and produced by Mark Mitten (LifeItself) and Julie Goldman (Life Animated, Buck), has been nominated for an Academy Award® in the Documentary Feature category.
This nomination marks the first Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary Feature for Steve James; Mark Mitten’s first Academy Award® nomination; and Julie Goldman’s second Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary Feature. For the acclaimed PBS documentary series FRONTLINE produced out of WGBH/Boston, this is a first Academy Award® nomination.
Co-producer Fenell Doremus, Producer Mark Mitten, Jill Sung, Vera Sung, Chanterelle Sung, Heather Sung, Producer Julie Goldman, Director Steve James. Photo by Lia Chang
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL chronicles the Chinese-American Sung family’s fight to clear their names after their small bank in New York City’s Chinatown became the only U.S. bank indicted for mortgage fraud related to the 2008 financial crisis. The documentary follows how the bank’s indictment and subsequent trial forced the Sung family to defend themselves — and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community — over the course of a five-year legal battle.
Thomas Sung, Hwei Lin Sung, Heather Sung, Chanterelle Sung, Vera Sung and Jill Sung. Photo by Lia Chang
“I’m so pleased and grateful. This is such a wonderful recognition for all of the ABACUS team, but especially for the Sung family. It has been a joy being able to follow their story,” said director James.
Jill Sung, Vera Sung, Chanterelle Sung, Heather Sung and Director Steve James. Photo by Lia Chang
One of 2017’s most critically-acclaimed documentaries, ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL was previously nominated for “Best Documentary” by both the National Board of Review and by The Chicago Film Critics Association, and was awarded “Best Political Documentary” by the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards last November. Steve James is a nominee for Best Director by the DGA for his work on ABACUS.
The 90th Academy Awards® nominations were announced today by the Academy. Also nominated in the Documentary Feature category was the POV documentary, Last Men in Aleppo. This year’s Oscars ceremony will take place Sunday, March 4, 2018.
ABOUT ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL ABACYS SMALL ENOUGH TO JAILis a Mitten Media, Motto Pictures, and Kartemquin Films Production for WGBH/FRONTLINE and Independent Television Service (ITVS). It is co-presented with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM). The director is Steve James. The producers are Mark Mitten and Julie Goldman. The co-producers are Fenell Doremus and Nick Verbitsky. The executive producers are Gordon Quinn, Christopher Clements, Betsy Steinberg and Justine Nagan. The executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath. The executive producer of ITVS is Sally Jo Fifer.
HBO has launched HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries, a short film competition dedicated to showcasing emerging APA directors with unique perspectives of the Asian Pacific American experience. Three winning films will be awarded cash prizes and make their premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in April 2017 and offered the opportunity to license their film to premiere exclusively on HBO (and/or its on-demand, digital and/or social platforms) during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2017. The deadline for entries is November 7, 2016. Join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #hbovisionaries.
The first competition of its kind for HBO, APA Visionaries aims to help further the dialogue about race, diversity and representation in Hollywood while offering unique and creative depictions of the Asian Pacific American experience.
General criteria for submission includes:
Running time: 10-15 minutes, inclusive of credits
Films must have been directed by a person of Asian or Pacific Islander descent
Director must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident 18 years of age or older, and of legal age of majority in his/her state of residence
Films must be in the English language or contain English subtitles (common phrases acceptable)
Films must be a festival premiere
Films must have commenced principal photography on or after October 1, 2015
Films must not have had any previous exhibition on broadcast, cable or online.
Employees of HBO and any other Time Warner entity and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate
For complete details, visit www.hbovisionaries.com.The judging panel is comprised of HBO executives and a panel of industry experts, including representatives from the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment.
“At a time when the most personal of stories are also the most universal, the diversity of our storytellers is more important than ever,” stated Jackie Gagne, VP Multicultural Marketing at HBO. “Our competition is designed to celebrate the unique experiences and unsung talent that exist within the Asian Pacific American community. We are also delighted and honored to have the support of incredible organizations with unparalleled legacies of promoting APA visionaries.”
“It’s inspiring to see a global entertainment brand like HBO take a leadership role in creating opportunities for Asian Pacific American filmmakers,” said Francis Cullado, Executive Director of Visual Communications, the organization that produces the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. “The exposure provided for the winners of this competition is truly incredible and worthy of our community’s full support.”
“This competition aligns directly with our organization’s mission to champion AAPI filmmakers and artists,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, Executive Director of CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment). “We are proud to work with HBO to identify and empower new voices in the community.”
ABOUT HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world’s most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 131 million subscribers worldwide. The services offer the popular subscription video-on- demand products HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand®, as well as HBO GO® and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. HBO NOW®, the network’s internet-only premium streaming service, provides audiences with instant access to HBO’s acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
The Bella Abzug Leadership Institute (BALI) is launching a new, cutting-edge, two-day entrepreneur training program for college women this August, 2016 in New York City. BALI has created this program in honor of Millie King, mother of long-time BALI supporter, trainer and mentor, Kathleen King. Kathleen is the founder of Tate’s Bake Shop, a multi-million dollar bakery that she started in the kitchen of her family’s Southampton, New York farm at the age of 11.
Millie King
In collaboration with Kathleen and with the support of the Kathleen King Charitable Fund, the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute will offer a FREE two-day entrepreneurial training program to college aged young women from New York City and around the U.S. The program will be hosted at Hunter College on Tuesday, August 2 and Wednesday, August 3, 2016.
“My mother Millie King was there for me, always encouraging and supporting my entrepreneurial spirit,” says Kathleen King. I am very proud to be part of theMillie King Entrepreneurial Program and, with Liz Abzug and BALI at the helm, I know that these young women will receive the inspiration, guidance and encouragement they will need on their paths to success.”
Liz Abzug and her mother, Bella Abzug.
“The Millie King Entrepreneurship Program at BALI is a dream that I have had — to launch a new BALI training program for college age young women that provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary to learn how to become entrepreneurs, business owners and to work in the field of corporate social entrepreneurship,” says BALI founder/CEO Liz Abzug. “I am so thrilled that the very successful and esteemed entrepreneur Kathleen King, Founder and former CEO of Tate’s Bake Shop, is BALI’s partner in launching and supporting this important new program in honor of her late mother, whom I was honored to know. We thank Kathleen King for her very strong support in assisting us in establishing this program and for her previous support of BALI’s work. We believe that by creating this very unique program we will be generating our future female CEO’s, entrepreneurs and 21st century visionary leaders in business,” Abzug said.
This new cutting edge program will be comprised of a series of workshops, lectures and seminars led by some of the most successful entrepreneurs and professionals who work in the area of small business, start-ups and social entrepreneurship. The seminars will cover business strategies, development and social entrepreneurship and topics covered will include brand marketing including digital and social media, financial structuring, “one for one” company models and much more. Accomplished professional women and men from all sectors will mentor and train BALI students by offering them critical skills and guidance needed to grow as dynamic 21st century entrepreneurial business owners and visionaries.
Kathleen King, founder of the nationally-acclaimed Tate’s Bake Shop, is truly an entrepreneurial success story. Born and raised on Southampton’s North Sea Farm, she began baking at age 11 to earn money for her school clothes. By the time she was in high school she was baking 12 hours a day. Baking put her through college and as the demand for the cookies kept growing, she moved her business out of the family’s kitchen and opened her own bakery at age 20. King then launched a wholesale business, naming it after her father, Tate King. Today, Tate’s Bake Shop is a widely-recognized brand, and top-rated by Consumer Reports and TV personality Rachel Ray. Her award-winning cookies are sold in well over 16,000 gourmet retailers throughout the US and on her robust e-bakery www.tatesbakeshop.com
BALI honorees PRISA’s Marcus Vinicius Ribeiro and Judy Collins with Liz Abzug, CEO of the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute (BALI) at the 10 year anniversary celebration at the Princeton Club in New York on April 12, 2016. Photo by Lia Chang
Founded in 2005, BALI’s mission is to inspire the current and next generation of girls and young women to take on leadership roles in all professions and to effectuate positive social change in their own communities and in the world. BALI utilizes the signature leadership skills of the late Bella Abzug, the legendary Congresswoman, lawyer and feminist leader, to mentor and train middle, high school and college age women in leadership and debate skills. BALI provides on-going mentoring to all of our trainees so they develop the confidence and critical leadership skills needed to be effective, dynamic and visionary 21st century leaders.
For additional information on BALI please visit www.abzuginstitute.org and on Twitter @AbzugLeaders
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Lia Chang and Garth Kravits during Facebook live interview. Photo by Geoffrey Guerrero
Bev’s Girl Films’ is thrilled that our debut short, HIDE AND SEEK, starring Lia Chang and Garth Kravits, is among the top 14 shorts which have screened since January in the Katra Film Series, to compete in the 2016 Katra Film Series – 2nd Round event on Saturday, July 16, 2016, for $1600 in prizes sponsored by Pond5, Moviemaker Magazine, CreatorUp, Goze Zone, Socially Relevant Film Festival.
The Katra Film Series is NYC’s premier film series dedicated to the exhibition and promotion of quality independent cinema and innovative short-form videos. The winners of the 2nd Round – chosen by pair of industry judges and audience vote – advances to the 5th Annual Grand Finale Series in January 2017. Katra is located at 217 Bowery btw. Rivington and Prince St. in New York. The evening begins at 5pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.
The 2nd round includes an international lineup of filmmakers from Israel, Japan, Georgia, Moldova, Ecuador and Greece, with diverse topics ranging from the Syrian Refugee crisis to the lives of plantation workers in Liberia to the inhumane treatment of animals and nature. The lineup also includes shorts with cast members from hit TV shows The Blacklist, The Americans, and Orange is the New Black.
LINEUP (not in order):
Hide and Seek – directed by Garth Kravits
A short film starring Lia Chang and Garth Kravits, that speaks to the societal challenge that women, and especially women of color, endure every day. Check out our Facebook Live interview with Geoffrey Guerrero, filmmaker and founder of Katra Film Series.
Notes from Liberia – directed by Judd Ehrlich & Ryo Murakami
Tracing the journey of the late Japanese cinematographer Ryo Murakami to the Firestone Tire and Rubber Plantation in Liberia.
Chocolate Cake – Benjamin Shweky
A nostalgic tale about a boy who doesn’t quite fit in. Instead, he finds all the company he needs in his mother’s delicious chocolate cake.
The Promise – directed by Alex Leu
When his fiancée is abducted by an evil warlord, a lone soldier struggles to save her before she is turned to the dark side.
The Exam – directed by William Speruzzi
A psychological thriller about a man whose promotion hinges on him taking a medical exam.
White Privilege Frankenstein – directed by Chris Carfizzi & Ken Dashow
When an angry mob comes for Frankenstein’s Monster, Victor Frankenstein must find a way to get him off the hook.
The Small Time – Created by Jack Canfora & Andrew Rein
A struggling literary agent, Ben Bernstein, tries to find the one writer who can be the next big thing.
The Bear – directed by Avtandil Chachibaia
A moral fable about a revenge-seeking bear who nobly forgives the humans for their wrongdoings.
Fortress – directed by Amir Arison
April and Kalev meet at an Italian restaurant after agreeing to go on their first on-line date.
Emma Inspired – directed by Nicole Machon
Emma is a recent college grad, unsure of her next move in life.
Other People’s People – directed by James Fauvell
An ensemble comedy about the intersecting and competing loves, lies and indiscretions of three couples in Brooklyn, NY.
People of Nowhere – directed by Lior Sperandeo
A short doc about the Syrian refugee crisis in Lesvos, Greece.
The Skull – directed by Graceann Dorse
It’s moving day, and the Gorden family must deal with a long forgotten family heirloom that has re-surfaced.
47 Secrets to a younger you – directed by Ryan Blackwell
A comedic webseries about working moms, everyday disasters and middle-aging not so gracefully.
Do you have a short film, web series, short doc, music video you’d like to submit? Katra is looking for short content of any genre/form no longer than 45 minutes in length. Visual art, experimental, animations are welcome! Submit via Film Freeway.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 683 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2016.
18 individuals (noted by an asterisk) have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches. These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership.
New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception in the fall.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
By popular demand, the deadline to submit a short film to Interpretations and a chance to direct a project produced by STAR TREK BEYOND director Justin Lin has been extended to July 15, 2016.
YouoffendmeYouoffendmyfamily.com (YOMYOMF), the blog and entertainment website devoted to Asian American culture founded by Hollywood director Justin Lin (BETTER LUCK TOMORROW, FAST AND FURIOUS series, STAR TREK BEYOND) has launched the second edition of the highly successful INTERPRETATIONS Initiative that was previously held in 2010 to find the next generation of Asian American filmmakers. Comcast and NBCUniversal are lead sponsors of the initiative.
The official call for entries began March 31st at CAAMFest and the deadline has been extended until July 15th at 11:59 PM PST. Judging will commence in July and August with the announcement of the Top 15 on September 6, with online voting kicking off that day through October 6. The final 3 winners will be announced online on October 10 and they will be invited to attend the NBCUniversal Short Film Festival on October 19 at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles. Participants must be a resident of the United States of America and at least 13 years old.
What is Interpretations?
INTERPRETATIONS is a way of encouraging aspiring filmmakers to develop their own original and unique voice. All participants will “interpret” a four line script, and can produce and shoot it any way they wish. The only caveat is that the lines are static and must be in that order and the actual film itself is no more than 3 minutes long. Therefore, everyone is shooting their films from the same material and leveling the playing field in a way that traditional filmmaking competitions cannot. Three shorts will be selected from the entries and these winning filmmakers will have an opportunity to produce a project for one of the Comcast or NBCUniversal platforms under the mentorship of Justin Lin and other industry professionals.
The first Interpretations Initiative kicked off in the spring of 2010 with nine commissioned shorts by the likes of YouTube stars Wong Fu Productions, Danny Pudi (NBC’s COMMUNITY), Far East Movement, and other industry professionals, to showcase the varied interpretations of the same script. In the end, over 275 shorts were submitted online and was whittled down to five winners.
Justin Lin. Photo by Lia Chang
“The first Interpretations Initiative was such a success that I am very excited to be launching it again and with a stronger fortitude to really make this more than just a contest but an opportunity to actually incubate potential careers for budding filmmakers.” says YOMYOMF founder Justin Lin, who is currently in post-production on his latest tentpole film, STAR TREK BEYOND (coming out this July). “Interpretations 2016 is a part of the bigger picture of YOMYOMF 2.0, where we want to establish and nurture an Asian American creative community of content creators and enthusiasts where ideas and collaboration is exchanged regularly and we can see what projects we can develop with emerging talent. I never had something like YOMYOMF when I first started my career. It’s an exciting time to be an emerging filmmaker.”
David Henry Hwang. Photo by Lia Chang
For this edition of Interpretations, the 4-line script was written by Tony Award winning playwright and screenwriter David Henry Hwang (M BUTTERFLY, CHINGLISH, Showtime’s THE AFFAIR). “It’s not as easy as one would think to just come up with 4 lines of dialogue.” says Hwang. “The script needs to be broad and fluid enough so that one director could craft a comedy from it, another a speculative fiction story, another an action film, another an experimental work of animation, and so on.”
Here’s this year’s four-line script: Don’t do that.
Of course.
I have my doubts.
What is it?
As lead sponsors for this year’s Interpretations Initiative, Comcast and NBCUniversal intend to support new talent and discover new opportunities for various elements of Comcast and NBCUniversal.
“We are always looking out for new talent and Interpretations is a fun and unique way to find these voices.” says Karen Horne, Senior Vice President of Programming Talent Development & Inclusion at NBCUniversal Television.” I am also honored to have Interpretations bookmarked with the launch at CAAMFest and ending in October at the NBCUniversal Short Film Festival, where we will present the final winning shorts.”
“Interpretations is a great way to form a community of Asian American content creators and filmmakers. We look forward to providing a platform that highlights this community by showcasing the short films on Xfinity Asia and Xfinity On Demand,” says Javier Garcia, Vice President and General Manager for Multicultural Consumer Services at Comcast.
“I am honored to be partnering with Comcast and NBCUniversal,” says Justin Lin. “We have the same like-minded goal to make Interpretations a scalable program that will help us identify emerging talent and work with them in sustainable way.”
And check out the winners and highlights from Interpretations 1.0 here. And if you want a refresher:
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Free Documentary Film Series Examines War & Citizenship at Go For Broke Launch on Memorial Day Weekend May 28, 2016
Filmmakers David Ono, Sharon Yamato, Sandra Robbie & Joan Mandell Screen Documentaries followed by Q&A with Mitch Maki
Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC) will launch its new Defining Courage exhibition on Saturday, May 28, 2016, with a Free Homecoming Festival and Film Screening in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles. Honoring Memorial Day, the film series examines the war and civil rights in the past and present. Focusing on stories from World War II, the struggle for civil rights in California and the current political climate, these films create a dialogue that links our past with the future. Each film is followed by a Q&A with the director and Mitch Maki, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Dominguez Hills. To learn more, please visit www.GoForBroke.org. All films are free to the public.
An expert on the issue of redress for the survivors of the incarceration camps, Maki says he is led by the desire to “make a difference in people’s lives for the better and wanting to empower individuals and communities to address issues of social justice.”
Film Schedule: 1:00 PM Unknown Warriors of World War II Screening followed by Q&A with Director and Producer David Ono
In December 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The U.S. was at war. Americans of Japanese descent suddenly found themselves labeled “Enemy Alien.” Over 110,000 Japanese Americans were sent to incarceration camps. From behind the barbed wire, young men volunteered for military service by the thousands. The U.S. Army put them in their own segregated units–the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. These became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history. In the Pacific, other Japanese American (JA) soldiers fought heroically in the Military Intelligence Service. “Unknown Warriors of World War II” shines light on the brave, patriotic legacy of the JA soldiers of World War II.
2:00 PM a Flicker in Eternity Screening Followed by Q&A with Director, Producer and Writer Sharon Yamato
In November of 1942, Stanley Hayami began keeping a diary that captured the harsh reality of living in an incarceration camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, and his personal struggles as a student, son, brother, friend, and citizen of the world, who despite all obstacles, held onto his dreams of the future. Stanley’s diary serves as witness to a dark time in our history and is told through the eyes of a teenager who will soon be expected to take up the responsibility of a man. As you read his diary, you will discover Stanley’s creative talents, as well as his idealism, his optimism, and his aspirations as he shares his quirky sense of humor, his more serious side, and his dream of a “United Nations of Earth.”
3:00 PM Mendez vs. Westminster: For All The Children /Para Todos Los Niňos Screening Followed by Q&A with Writer and Producer Sandra Robbie
During WWII and the Japanese American incarceration, a Mexican American father and his Puerto Rican wife led a lawsuit including five Latino families against four Orange County, CA school districts that would help to make California the first state in the nation to end school segregation. In 1947, the case of Mendez vs. Westminster helped pave the way to the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education seven years later. Among many surprises, then-California Governor, Earl Warren, and NAACP attorney, Thurgood Marshall, were involved in both cases.
4:00 PM Voices in Exile: Immigrants and the First Amendment Screening Followed by Q&A with Director Joan Mandell
“Voices in Exile” succinctly documents the beginnings of the longest running deportation case in U.S. history: the 20 year trial of the “LA8”. This riveting video examines plans for rounding up Arab Americans, reminiscent of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, and foreshadowing Guantanamo. The ACLU and Center for Constitutional Rights take on the FBI, INS and Justice Department in a courtroom battle over First Amendment rights for all non-citizen residents.
Go for Broke National Education Center’s Defining Courage Exhibition:
Pearl Harbor changed the lives of all Americans, but one group of citizens was affected beyond compare. Japanese Americans were literally stripped of their rights as citizens, and sent to incarceration camps. Defining Courage provides an opportunity for visitors to experience the results of fear mongering and discrimination and reminds us that as Americans, we are all citizens. Through the stories of the Japanese American soldiers of World War II, visitors learn how to act with similar courage in their own lives.
GFBNEC will debut its new interpretive exhibition and facilities to the public on Saturday, May 28, 2016. GFBNEC is located at 355 E. 1st St., Suite 200 in Los Angeles, CA 90012. For additional information, visit http://www.goforbroke.org.
About Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC)
Since its formation in 1989, Go For Broke National Education Center has been committed to educating the public about the responsibilities, challenges, and rights of American citizenship by using the life stories of the Japanese American soldiers of World War II. In order to share these stories, they began video recording the oral histories of Japanese American veterans, and today they have the largest collection of its kind in the country. The interviews have been incorporated into a complete curriculum with lesson plans and web-based project learning to share their story with youth across the country.
In 1999, GFBNEC dedicated the Go For Broke Monument in the Little Tokyo District of Los Angeles. On the monument are the insignias of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Military Intelligence Service (MIS), 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, 232nd Combat Engineer Company, and the 1399 Engineer Construction Battalion. For more information, visit http://www.goforbroke.org.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Congratulations to Ed Moy, an actor, an award-winning journalist and filmmaker, who has two films screening at the 2016 Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival on Friday, May 27, 2016 in the Comedy/Documentary block of films from 3:00pm -5:50pm.
Moy’s documentary short Aviatrix: The Katherine Sui Fun Cheung Story will premiere at the 2016 SAPFF in the Guild Theater, 2828 35th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817. Click here purchase a full festival pass or tickets.
Katherine Sui Fun Cheung (1904-2003), was one of the nation’s first licensed Asian aviatrix and became a member of the “99 Club”, an exclusive club of women pilots that elected Amelia Earhart as president. Cheung was born in Enping, China and studied music at USC and LA Music Consevatory. After learning to fly, she participated in air shows and air races. But after an inexperienced pilot crashed her plane, she promised her dying father that she would give up flying. After World War II, she operated a flower shop with her husband. The Santa Monica Flying Museum honored her with a plaque in their Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame and she is recognized with a plaque along LAX Flight Path Walk of Fame as the first Chinese Aviatrix to earn a license to fly. http://www.aviatrixmovie.org
Moy’s Up in the Clouds, a delightful animated short he wrote and directed which was inspired by Katherine Sui Fun Cheung, and features the voices of Katherine Park (Red Dress) and Raymond Ma (The Muppets, Horrible Bosses 2, and Lethal Weapon 4), will screen first. Up in the Clouds is an Asians on Film Festival Summer Quarter 2015 Winner for Best Animation.
Below is a Q & A with writer/producer Ed Moy.
Ninety-Nines Members Photo of Katherine Sui Fun Cheung with Ethel Sheehy courtesy of Dottie Leschenko.
Lia: Were Katherine Sui Fun Cheung’s accomplishments eclipsed by Amelia Earhart’s legend? Ed: I would say that Amelia was obviously the most famous aviatrix of the 1930s. But what stands out about Katherine is she was a minority woman doing something that was seen as primarily a man’s sport at that time.
It should also be pointed out that Chinese women were still looked at as docile homemakers, who worked in the kitchen, raised kids, and took care of the house.
Katherine broke through all of those limiting traditional expectations during a period in history when gender equality and equal rights weren’t always given freely to minorities.
Daring young women such as Katherine and Bessie Coleman (the first female pilot of African American descent) were often seen as sideshow curiosities at air circuses and county fairs around the country.
In many ways, they are pioneers who deserve to be remembered for their roles in aviation history. Our goal is to share Katherine’s fun and adventurous story with a new generation that may not know about her accomplishments.
Katherine Sui Fun Cheung was not the only Chinese female to get her pilot license in the 1930s. There’s some confusion on who was the first though. The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum recognizes Katherine as the first Asian American aviatrix but others point to Hazel Ying Lee.
Although both Hazel and Katherine were licensed in 1932, according to various newspaper articles from that time period, Katherine got her license in March of 1932, whereas Hazel completed her training and got her license in October of 1932.
A number of other Chinese females also earned pilots license during the 1930s including Leah Hing, Rose Lok, Lee Ya-Ching and Hilda Yen.
There were also several Chinese women that learned to fly but were not licensed in the early years of aviation, including Anna Low in 1918 and Frances E. Lee, who died tragically falling from a plane in 1920.
We will feature a segment with Aviation historians and academics talking about these women and their accomplishments in our documentary and web series.
Biplane Katherine Sui Fun Cheung and Walter Chan with biplane photo courtesy of Dottie Leschenko.
Lia: In 1932, one percent of American pilots were female. What were some of the issues involved with Cheung being a pilot? Ed: Around 1931, Katherine sought training through the Chinese Aeronautical School, which at that time had begun teaching young Chinese American men to become pilots so they could aid in the fight against Japanese invaders in China.
According to family and various news articles, Katherine was not allowed to train with them at first because she was a woman.
But she refused to take no for an answer and eventually paid for lessons from civilian instructors.
Once she got her license Katherine did participate in the local Chinese Flying club with the other men.
She was the only female member, although there was another young woman who came from a well-to-do family that helped finance the club’s activities.
Later, Katherine was invited to join the 99s, an exclusive all-women flying club, whose members included Amelia Earhart.
Lia: How did you discover Katherine’s story? Ed: My first exposure to an Asian Aviatrix was actually in 2007.
I read about Hazel Ying Lee’s story at a Chinese History museum in Honolulu’s Chinatown.
I later wrote a piece for Asiance Magazine and 13 Minutes Magazine about Hazel after talking to filmmaker Alan H. Rosenberg, who had made a documentary about Hazel, entitled “A Brief Flight: Hazel Ying Lee and the women that flew pursuit.”
But it wasn’t until 2012, that I heard about Katherine’s story after East West Players created a Theatre for Youth production called “Taking Flight” written by Judy Soo Hoo.
I had written the original script for a short film about actor Keye Luke, which filmmaker Timothy Tau later turned into his award-winning short film, which spanned the 1930s-1940s film era.
Having developed an interest in that 1930s time period, when I heard about the “Taking Flight” production, it piqued my interest in Katherine’s story.
But I did not follow up again until October 2013 when I was tossing around ideas for a project with actress Katherine Park, who I originally had cast to play the young Katherine Sui Fun Cheung in dramatization scenes for the documentary.
Those dramatization scenes were later shelved in favor of turning it into the animated short film Up in the Clouds.
Lia: In 2004, Lucy Liu attempted to pitch a Katherine Sui Fun Cheung project to HBO with the family. How will yours finally tell Cheung’s story? Ed: At a charity luncheon in 2004, Lucy Liu did have a brief meeting with family members.
According to grandson Alan Wong who was in attendance, Lucy spoke with Katherine’s granddaughter Judy Wong about pitching Katherine’s story to HBO.
However, no project was ever funded and Lucy moved onto other projects. Judy unfortunately passed away last year from cancer.
This was not the first attempt by filmmakers to tell Katherine’s story. Chinese actresses Luo Yan and Josephine Chien also attempted to create projects.
Hazel Ying Lee documentary filmmaker Alan H. Rosenberg had also proposed making a film about Katherine and several other Asian Aviatrix of that same era.
Lia: What’s the goal of your documentary? Ed: Our primary project goal is to share Katherine’s story in a fun and entertaining way.
Our half-hour documentary film version will premiere at the 2016 Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival, and a longer form web series in the works.
I also plan to add additional footage and interviews to create a one-hour television broadcast version to submit for PBS and/or online content providers, along with making a limited edition DVD with bonus material, as well as a companion photo book with biographical information.
The end goal is to reach out to schools and museums with the web series and DVD in hopes that new audiences will find Katherine’s story an informative, inspiring and entertaining piece of Asian American history.
Katherine was a visionary who pursued her dreams with a passion and we want to honor that with a project that reflects her legacy as a pioneering aviatrix.
About Up in the Clouds
Up in the Clouds. Illustrated by Ruby Chen
Up in the Clouds was originally conceived as black and white animatic style sketches illustrating Katherine’s story of falling in love with flying while learning to drive a car with her dad next to a dusty airfield in Los Angeles.
Up in the Clouds. Illustrated by Ruby Chen
Ruby Chen’s hand drawn illustrations features 1920’s period cars and planes in a cartoon style meets modern anime caricature, which visual effects editor Chris Trinh animated with motion and movement.
Up in the Clouds. Illustrated by Ruby Chen
Additional production credits include David Cu (sound and music editor), Nicole Echegoyen (graphic artist) and Birdie Sawyer (trailer video editor). Additional funding was provided by executive producer Tau for the color illustrations, and by Moy for the colorized cartoon.
Up in the Clouds. Illustrated by Ruby Chen
Edmund Moy (director, producer, writer)
Ed Moy is an award-winning journalist. His series of feature news articles about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training fundraising programs helped raise awareness for their mission while touching the lives of thousands of readers and earned him their National Print Media Award for Excellence in Journalism.
In addition to working on the Aviatrix documentary film and web series project about Chinese women aviators of the 1930, Moy was co-writer on director Timothy Tau’s award-winning short film Keye Luke about the life of pioneering Asian American actor Keye Luke. It won an Audience Award at the 2014 Hollyshorts Film Festival and was nominated for Best Short Film at the 2013 Dragon*Con Short Film Fest.
The 2016 Sacramento Asian Pacific Film Festival runs May 27 – 28, 2016 at The Guild Theater, 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA 95817, and will screen 30 films. Ticket purchasers may buy either a Full Festival Pass for access both days; all day Friday (3PM – 10:30PM); all day Saturday (11AM – 10:30AM); Half-Day Saturday day (11AM-4:30PM), or Half-Day Saturday evening (5PM -10:30PM). Click here purchase a full festival pass or tickets.
FULL FESTIVAL PASS
Access all Screenings, both Festival days!
Fri 5/27 3PM – 10:30PM
Sat 5/28 11AM – 10:30PM
Full Festival Pass, Advance Price (ends 5/20)
General FFP: $40 ($50 after 5/20)
Students/Seniors FFP: $21 ($25 after 5/20)
Students may be requested to provide a valid student ID. Seniors are 62 years young and up.
ABOUT SAPFF
The signature event of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Cultural Village, SAPFF serves alongside a continuum of events and programming in support of traditional and contemporary Asian and Pacific Islander artistic expression within the Sacramento Region. Since 2013, SAPFF has been a champion of independent films featuring the works of Asian Pacific Islanders in front of and behind the camera.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Maulik Pancholy and Peter Gadiot in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW.
Stage and screen actors Maulik Pancholy (Broadway: It’s Only A Play) “Weeds,”“30 Rock”) and Peter Gadiot (“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland”) lead the cast as Katherina and Petruchio respectively in Ed Sylvanus Iskandar’s bold new interpretation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). Iskandar, known for his striking and immersive directorial style, completes STC’s 2015–2016 season with this production, playing in Sidney Harman Hall from May 17 to June 26, 2016.
The Taming of the Shrew begins preview performances on May 17, celebrates Opening Night on Tuesday, May 24, and continues through June 26 at STC’s Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW). To purchase tickets or to learn more, patrons can call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit ShakespeareTheatre.org.
André De Shields. Photo by Lia Chang
Telly Leung
The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare’s notorious comedy about courtship, marriage and individuality, last seen on STC stages in the 2007–2008 Season, also includes two-time Tony nominee André De Shields (Broadway: Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Wiz, The Full Monty, Play On!, STC’s Ghosts) as Gremio/Curtis/Vincentio; Oliver Thornton (West End: Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the 40th anniversary production of The Rocky Horror Show, Children of Eden, Rent, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and Chicago) as Bianca; Drew Foster (Broadway: Doctor Zhivago, National tour of West Side Story) as Biondello; Rick Hammerly (a participant in STC’s 2015–2016 Directors’ Studio and last seen in Volpone) as Widow; Telly Leung (Broadway: Allegiance, Godspell, Rent, Pacific Overture and Flower Drum Song) as Lucentio; Gregory Linington (STC’s Othello, The Tempest and Tartuffe) as Grumio; Matthew Russell as Tranio; STC Affiliated Artist Tom Story who has appeared in numerous STC productions, most recently in the Free For All remount of The Winter’s Tale as Hortensio; Bernard White as Baptista; with James Crichton, Stephen Elrod (STC’s Othello), Jamison Foreman, Jackson Knight Pierce (STC’s Othello), Brian Reisman (STC’s Othello) and Nicholas Yenson rounding out the Ensemble.
Spilling from the stage into the lobbies and the street, director Ed Sylvanus Iskandar’s production presents a provocative new approach to The Taming of the Shrew and an utterly unique audience experience. Iskandar will use an all-male cast to examine the fluidity of identity, the authenticity of self-performance and the economics of love in one of Shakespeare’s most notorious texts. Set in the arena of high fashion with influences from both Renaissance and 1950s Italy, Iskandar is working to craft a spectacular world for STC audiences.
Founding Artistic Director of the theatre collective Exit, Pursued by a Bear and an emerging artist noted for his innovative interpretation of classic texts, Iskandar creates performances that shift beyond the proscenium, reconnecting audiences and artists and working to establish a thriving social community within the theatre. Iskandar’s previous projects include the 2014 Drama Desk Award-winners The Golden Dragon and The Mysteries—a collaboration with 50 playwrights that reimagined the stories of The Bible over six hours—as well as These Seven Sicknesses, a five-hour adaptation of all seven of Sophocles’ plays, and Restoration Comedy, both Drama Desk Award-nominated.
Speaking about his concept for Shrew, Iskandar explains, “Shakespeare’s central narrative is about Kate, an ‘other’ who chooses to transform and rejoin society on her own terms. I want to create a world in which otherness can manifest in as visible a way as possible. I am interested in using a widely diverse canvas to express universality: the world will be specific, but the story no less universal.” Regarding his all-male cast, Iskandar continues, “With an all-male cast, we are attempting to shift the focus from the war of the sexes to the war within the self. The Public Theater has just announced an all-female production of Shrew in the Park with exactly the same running date as ours, which I can’t wait to see.” He concludes, “It seems a single-gender cast allows us to unlock this play in an important new way.”
Noted for his epic and immersive style, Iskandar will extend the world of the production beyond the stage, creating a deeply engaging experience for audience members. In line with this vision, STC will invoke the atmosphere of an Italian piazza (the Piazza d’Amore) in the Harman lobbies and will offer audience and community members the opportunity to engage with the performers of The Taming of the Shrew off-stage. Supporting Iskandar’s desire to create a community with theatre, STC has also invited local artists, makers and restaurants to lead a series of make-and-take workshops, life-hack seminars and tastings and demonstrations in STC lobbies during the run of the show. The workshop series, called The Padua Finishing School, is open to the public and can serve as a standalone event or can accompany a ticket to The Taming of the Shrew. Workshop fees range from $12–$65.
The exciting off-stage elements of this production echo Iskandar’s distinctive artistic approach to Shakespeare’s comedy. This production includes a musical intermezzo and will incorporate movement and contemporary pop music to complete the world. “I use three major elements to tell the story, of which text is the primary one;” Iskandar explains, “music and dance will also play major roles to create a richer world where each character in the show is treated as an individual with a full dramatic arc.”
Iskandar joins STC as the first director in the Clarice Smith Series: New Directors for the Classics, having been invited by STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn after Kahn saw Iskandar’s production of The Mysteries (The Flea, NYC). “I found his style appealing, profound and very moving,” Kahn explains. “His artistic choices, paired with STC’s engagement and outreach activities, will further humanize the characters on stage for our audiences—and I also believe his choices will create a dialogue about authenticity and identity, something which is particularly relevant in our times.”
Maulik Pancholy (Katherina) makes makes his STC debut, having recently starred opposite Martin Short and Matthew Broderick in the Broadway hit It’s Only a Play, directed by Jack O’Brien. Pancholy is best known for playing Jonathan on the Golden Globe® and Screen Actors Guild® Award-winning NBC comedy 30 Rock and for playing Sanjay on Showtime’s award-winning dramedy Weeds, in addition to many other voiceover, television, film and theatre credits.
Peter Gadiot (Petruchio) has appeared in the films The Forbidden Girl, Night Wolf and 13 Hours. He plays Cyrus on television show Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and has also appeared in many other television and stage productions. Gadiot will soon star in the highly-anticipated new television show USA Network’s Queen of the South, set to air in the summer of 2016.
Ed Sylvanus Iskandar (Director) joins STC as the first in the Clarice Smith Series: New Directors for the Classics. Iskandar’s previous projects include the 2014 Drama Desk Award-winner The Mysteries, a collaboration with over 50 playwrights that reimagined the stories of The Bible over six hours. The Founding Artistic Director of theatre collective Exit, Pursued by a Bear, Iskandar has also hosted a series of labs and salons in his New York loft, featuring intimate performances and meals cooked by Iskandar himself. Combining theatre with food and community, Exit, Pursued by a Bear has become the talk of the New York theatre scene, utilizing a performance model as old as Homer and as radical as anything on stage today. While in New York, he has directed shows at myriad theatres including the Playwrights Realm, the National Asian American Theatre Company, The Flea Theater and The Play Company, as well as at his own collective. He is the winner of multiple awards including the Drama Desk Special Award for conception and direction of The Mysteries at The Flea Theater (in collaboration with 50+ playwrights) and The Golden Dragon at The Play Company, the National Theatre Conservatory Emerging Professional Award, the New York Theatre Workshop Emerging Artist Fellowship and the Drama League Directing Fellowship.
THE DESIGNERS
Iskandar brings a new and talented creative team to STC with Scenic Designer Jason Sherwood, Costume Designer Loren Shaw, Lighting Designer Seth Reiser, Sound Designer Jeremy S. Bloom, Choreography by Chase Brock, Music Supervisor/Arranger David Dabbon and Music Director Jody Schum.
Duncan Sheik is best known as the composer of the 2006 Broadway musical Spring Awakening, as well as a pop songwriter and performer. His recordings include Legerdemain (2015), Covers 80s (Sneaky Records, 2011), Whisper House (Sony, 2009), White Limousine (Rounder, 2006), Daylight (Atlantic Records, 2002), Phantom Moon (Nonesuch, 2001), Humming (Atlantic Records, 1998) and Duncan Sheik (RIAA Certified Gold, Atlantic Records, 1996). For his work on Spring Awakening, Sheik won Tony Awards® for Best Original Score and Orchestrations and a Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album. His self-titled album Duncan Sheik also earned him a Grammy® nomination for Best Male Vocal.
THE ARTISTIC TEAM
The production team also includes Associate Costume Designer Dana Burkart and Assistant Lighting Designer Jimmy Lawlor. Iskandar is supported by Voice and Text Coaches Gary Logan and Ellen O’Brien, and assisted by Production Stage Manager Joseph Smelser and Assistant Stage Manager Robyn M. Zalewski. Craig Baldwin serves as Immersive Designer and Iskandar’s Assistant Director.
ABOUT THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY
Recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award®, the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) is the nation’s leading premier classical theatre company. Today, STC is synonymous with artistic excellence and making classical theatre more accessible to audiences in and around the nation’s capital.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Kahn and Executive Director Chris Jennings, STC’s innovative productions inspire dialogue that connects classic works to the modern human experience. The Company focuses on works with profound themes, complex characters and poetic language written by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and the playwrights he influenced in order to preserve and promote classic theatre—ambitious, enduring plays with universal themes—for all audiences.
A leader in arts education, STC has a stable of initiatives that teach and excite learners of all ages, from school programs and adult acting classes to accessible community programming like play-relevant discussion series and the Free For All. For the past 25 years the Free For All program has offered an annual remount of a popular production completely free of charge to all audience members.
Located in downtown Washington, D.C., STC performs in two theatres, the 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre and the 774-seat Sidney Harman Hall. In addition to STC productions appearing year-round, these spaces also accommodate presentations from outstanding local performing arts groups and nationally renowned organizations. The Company has been a fixture in the vibrant Penn Quarter neighborhood since 1992.
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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
Pasadena based Incorgnito Publishing Press is presenting a national tour screening of the cult classic The Last Dragon with personal appearances by the movie’s co-star Taimak Guarriello. The tour includes the launch of Taimak’s autobiography, Taimak, The Last Dragon.
You can meet Taimak today in Detroit at The Maple Theater, 4135 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301. A Q & A with Taimak will follow each screening.
• FREE copy of Taimak, The Last Dragon hardcover – $25 value
• PLUS Meet & Greet and Photo Opp with Taimak
• Popcorn eating Chopsticks
NOTE: Please make certain you are at the event by 5:00pm for the first showing and by 7:45pm for the second showing. The Meet & Greet has a limited time availability before the movie begins!*
The Glow tickets are limited by event and sell out so reserve them now! They may be gone before the performance night!! General Tickets without the glow benefits on sale via the Maple Theater website.
General Ticket $12 / Luxury Club Seat $17. Purchase online at theMaple Theater or call (248) 855-9091
Note: VIP & General tickets will also be on sale at the Maple Theater if available.
The Last Dragon is a cult martial arts film originated by Motown legend, Berry Gordy. The film debuted in 1985 and though critically not well received, it was a financial success, grossing over $33 million, making it the highest grossing martial arts film of the time. The film pays tribute to marital arts legend Bruce Lee. Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, producer Berry Gordy’s cult favorite features an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity, and DeBarge performing “Rhythm of the Night.” Directed by Michael Schultz. Prince protege Vanity, Taimak’s co-star, recently passed away from kidney failure, the result of drug abuse in her early years.
In The Last Dragon, a martial arts student (Taimak) on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow” must battle the evil, self-proclaimed Shogun of Harlem—a kung fu warrior known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III)—and rescue a beautiful singer (Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter.
The Last Dragon was released on Blu Ray by Sony in August of 2015 to celebrate the 30 th anniversary of the film. It has since been screened to sold-out audiences in select cities and remains a favorite to decades of inspired fans. The film launched Taimak onto the Hollywood scene and introduced a few notable actors including Chazz Palminteri and William H. Macy.
This eighties cult classic film is a unique blend of action, comedy, romance, fantasy, martial arts philosophies and Motown music. Featuring the unforgettable larger-than-life villain “Sho’nuff”, the meanest, prettiest, baddest mofo, lowdown around town! It’s also an underdog story that resonates with anybody who’s ever felt bullied, underestimated or a little different. From helping people to understand it’s ok to be different or teaching the power of believing in yourself, Berry Gordy’s ‘The Last Dragon’ is an inspirational action film with a deeper message that connects with generations of fans. Taimak Official Website.
About the Actor/Author – Taimak is a versatile actor, director and writer as well as a nationally recognized marital arts expert. At the age of eighteen, he won the New York State Kickboxing Championship and was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame in 2010. He has worked as choreographer with such notables as Debbie Allen, Jaime King, Madonna, former rock band Bush, and many others. He has guest starred on several national television shows including “A Different World,” “Alley McBeal,” “Red Shoes Diaries” and “Malcolm and Eddie.” His stage appearances include the highly successful Roadhouse the Comedy at the Barrow Street Theater in New York City and in the national tour of Cheaters. He is making his directorial debut with a film noir detective story titled, “I’ve Seen Things” (in pre-production).
When asked why he chose to write his autobiography now Taimak replied, “I wrote the book in part because my fans thought I left them prematurely and I wanted to explain. And, because I wanted to give people of all backgrounds, something inspiring that would help them through their journey of life”.
The tour kicked off in Seattle at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) on April 1st and continues throughout 2016. A complete listing of cities can be found at here.
About Incorgnito – Incorgnito Publishing Press is a small indie press that launched in January of 2015. The first two volumes of their 8 volume series, Chronicles of Ara, is in development with Ovation Television for an 8-hour miniseries.
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.
THE LAST DRAGON
Full disclosure. My big screen debut was in The Last Dragon as a student in Bruce Leroy’s dojo and it was wonderful to reconnect with Taimak at a recent screening of Black Salt presented by the Urban Action Showcase at HBO in New York. Check back for my in-depth interview with Taimak.
Taimak, Lia Chang and Kinyumba Mutakabbir attend The Urban Action Showcase & Expo’s premiere screening of Owen Ratliff’s BLACK SALT at HBO in New York on April 27, 2016. Photo by 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 is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the filmsWolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Examiner.com, Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
This nomination marks the first Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary Feature for Steve James; Mark Mitten’s first Academy Award® nomination; and Julie Goldman’s second Academy Award® nomination for Best Documentary Feature. For the acclaimed PBS documentary series FRONTLINE produced out of WGBH/Boston, this is a first Academy Award® nomination.
HBO has launched HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries, a short film competition dedicated to showcasing emerging APA directors with unique perspectives of the Asian Pacific American experience. Three winning films will be awarded cash prizes and make their premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in April 2017 and offered the opportunity to license their film to premiere exclusively on HBO (and/or its on-demand, digital and/or social platforms) during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2017. The deadline for entries is November 7, 2016. Join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #hbovisionaries.
1:00 PM Unknown Warriors of World War II Screening followed by Q&A with Director and Producer David Ono 
2:00 PM a Flicker in Eternity Screening Followed by Q&A with Director, Producer and Writer Sharon Yamato 
3:00 PM Mendez vs. Westminster: For All The Children /Para Todos Los Niňos Screening Followed by Q&A with Writer and Producer Sandra Robbie
4:00 PM Voices in Exile: Immigrants and the First Amendment Screening Followed by Q&A with Director Joan Mandell
Pasadena based Incorgnito Publishing Press is presenting a national tour screening of the cult classic The Last Dragon with personal appearances by the movie’s co-star Taimak Guarriello. The tour includes the launch of Taimak’s autobiography, Taimak, The Last Dragon.
You can meet Taimak today in Detroit at The Maple Theater, 4135 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301. A Q & A with Taimak will follow each screening.
