February 2012

LOST YEARS is an epic documentary mini-series touching on the largest exodus in humankind, covering over 150 years of history of the Chinese in Canada and abroad.

An epoch that delivers an important message, namely, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." (Spanish philosopher, George Santayana (1863-1952), in Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason.)

We witness how man's inhumanity to man continually plays out in world history and affairs, in part through the advances of new media and the vastness of our global village.

The journey in Lost Years begins in old China in 1910 and concludes with the movement to embrace redress as a concept of social justice in the modern world of Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia, exactly one century later.

Upcoming Community/Non-Profit Screenings

CBC TV National Telecast (PREMIERE)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2012
Episode 1 (of 2) - The Loh Wah Kiu - Absolutely Canadian

Live Times (CBC TV)
1:00 PM - ATLANTIC
1:30 PM - NEWFOUNDLAND
12 PM - EASTERN
11 AM - CENTRAL
10 AM - MOUNTAIN
9 AM - PACIFIC
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Lost Years - An epic Documentary Mini-Series on the Chinese Diaspora

(See Screenings)

A timely and timeless journey from the world's diverse regions that unravels injustice on an international stage, "Lost Years" follows the exodus and turbulent history of China's diaspora as witnessed through the digital inter-leafing of four successive Chinese-Canadian generations.

Produced by Lost Years Productions, Inc.

New York, NY – Feb 07, 2012— Two of Hollywood’s top Asian Pacific American actors star in the follow-up film to the 2008 hit, “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” Chinese-Filipino American actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens (Disney’s “High School Musical” series) and Samoan American Dwayne Johnson (“Fast Five”) take center stage in this year’s anticipated family adventure film, JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. The 3D movie is a New Line Cinema presentation of a Contrafilm production and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film will be released in IMAX® theaters worldwide on February 10, 2012. For more information about the film, visit http://www.themysteriousisland.com.

About “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”
In this follow-up to the 2008 worldwide hit “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” the new 3D family adventure “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” begins when young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role from the first film) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. It’s a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret.

Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest. Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.
"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island", is directed by Brad Peyton ("Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore"). It also stars Michael Caine as Sean’s grandfather, Alexander Anderson, and Kristin Davis as Sean’s mom, Liz Anderson.

The film is produced by Beau Flynn & Tripp Vinson, and Charlotte Huggins from a screenplay by Brian Gunn & Mark Gunn, screen story by Richard Outten. Serving as executive producers are Michael Bostick, Evan Turner, Marcus Viscidi, Richard Brener, Samuel J. Brown and Michael Disco. David Tattersall ("Gulliver’s Travels") is the director of photography; Bill Boes ("Fantastic Four"), the production designer; Denise Wingate ("Wedding Crashers"), the costume designer; and Academy Award© nominee Boyd Shermis ("Poseidon"), the visual effects supervisor.

Presented in IMAX 3D, this film has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience.

About Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens began her career in the world of musical theatre at the age of eight, with roles in such productions as “Evita,” “Carousel,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “The King & I,” “The Music Man,” “Cinderella” and “Damn Yankees,” and most recently appeared as Mimi in a stage production of “Rent” at The Hollywood Bowl, directed by Neil Patrick Harris.

The recognition Hudgens received for her early work quickly brought her to the screen, and she made her feature film debut in Catherine Hardwicke’s “Thirteen,” starring Holly Hunter and Evan Rachel Wood. Soon thereafter, she co-starred in the action-adventure film “Thunderbirds,” and was a recurring guest star on Disney Channel’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” Her other television credits include appearances on “Quintuplets,” “The Brothers Garcia,” “Still Standing” and “Robbery Homicide Division.”
It was Hudgens’ role in Disney Channel’s breakaway sensation “High School Musical” that garnered her the most praise and attention. She played Gabrielle Montez, the sweet girl torn between her attraction to both basketball jock Troy Bolton and the school musical auditions. With critics and fans clamoring for more, Hudgens reprised her role in the highly successful follow ups, “High School Musical 2” and the feature film “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” She then followed up those hits by starring in “Bandslam,” a film which centers around a high school misfit and a popular girl who form an unlikely bond through their love for music.
Hudgens most recently starred in Zack Snyder’s “Sucker Punch” and in “Beastly,” a modern-day take on Beauty & the Beast. Her upcoming film projects include the Ron Krauss drama “Gimme Shelter,” Scott Walker’s thriller “The Frozen Ground,” with Nicolas Cage and John Cusack, and the crime drama “Spring Breakers.”

About Dwayne Johnson
DWAYNE JOHNSON has solidified himself as a global box office success with gross film revenues in excess of 1.5 billion dollars worldwide.

Born into a family of unique entertainers, Johnson had the opportunity to develop a grass roots understanding of the nuances of live performance as he watched both his father and grandfather achieve tremendous success in the world of professional wrestling. Watching them perform throughout the country gave Johnson a primary education that was unlike any other. With a move to Pennsylvania in his latter teen years, Johnson focused his natural athletic abilities on football attracting the attention of the University of Miami. After receiving a full football scholarship, Johnson joined the powerhouse football program and won his first National Championship with the team in 1991. He played again for the National Championship in 1992, closing out his illustrious football career by competing for a third National Championship in 1995 against the University of Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

Upon graduation Johnson capitalized on his inherent drive and discipline to turn his passion for entertainment into a life-changing career. Following in the footsteps of his World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame grandfather and father, Dwayne quickly utilized his past life lessons to develop the iconic character 'The Rock.' Johnson performed to over 10 million fans a week on television as well as both domestic and international live audiences that reached in excess of 70,000 people. Johnson consistently sold out venues such as the Houston Astrodome, Madison Square Garden and Toronto Sky Dome. As the character 'The Rock,' Dwayne achieved unprecedented success becoming a New York Times bestselling author for his autobiography entitled The Rock Says as well as a platinum recording artist for his WWE compilation CD, performing with such artists as Grammy Award-winner Wyclef Jean.

Johnson pursued his desire to expand his entertainment mediums and transitioned from television to film where he played the Egyptian man/god 'the Scorpion King' in the 2001 blockbuster The Mummy Returns, leading to his first starring role in The Scorpion King in 2002. The success of that film led to subsequent leading roles in The Rundown (as a bounty hunter out of his element in South America), Walking Tall (as a returning Persian Gulf War hero who protects his hometown from drug dealers) and Gridiron Gang (as a compassionate, yet tough corrections officer inspiring a team made of teenage inmates). He also gave an acclaimed standout performance in the ensemble hit Be Cool, as a colorful gay Samoan bodyguard.

Johnson has traversed the world of animation by lending his voice to Planet 51 as astronaut 'Captain Charles Baker.' The actor returned to big-family comedy this past January with his starring role in The Tooth Fairy.

Faster is Johnson's highly anticipated return to the action genre. Dwayne then will be introducing United States DSS Special Agent 'Lucius Luke Hobbs' in Universal's Fast and Furious 5 which wraps filming October 2010. Additionally, this Fall Johnson begins production on Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (which is the sequel to Journey To The Center of the Earth).

A global philanthropist, Johnson founded The Rock Foundation in 2006. During its first year, the foundation focused its efforts on The Rock's Toy Chest, a program that assisted in recovery and created hope in the lives of children hospitalized for various medical conditions. The current mission of The Rock Foundation is to illustrate and inspire people of all ages, backgrounds and economic means to understand the power that integrity, hard work and unwavering perseverance has in achieving ones goals and then in turn, the gratification of lending a hand to others so that may also do the same.

In addition to serving as Chairman/Founder of his foundation, Johnson is also a committed Celebrity Cabinet Member for The American Red Cross, has served on the National Advisory Board for The Make-A-Wish Foundation where he serves as a Wish Ambassador, and has served as the National Spokesperson for After School All-Stars (f.k.a. The Arnold Schwarzenegger Youth Foundation). The Giving Back Fund recognized Dwayne in 2006 as one of the top 30 celebrities who made the largest public charitable donations (University of Miami). In June 2008, the United States Congress, the Joint Leadership Commission and the United States Congressional Award Foundation recognized Johnson with the prestigious Horizon Award, the U.S. Congressional Award given to an individual in the private sector who has contributed to expanding opportunities for all Americans through their own contributions, and who has set exceptional examples for young people through their successes in life.

(Contributor: Ellie Lee IW Group)

If you thought the Anti-China evil professor video's didn't anger enough people or Asian Americans, then the Republicans will repeat the same crime again, except this time using an Asian girl.

Amid spring-loaded babies and Ferris Bueller flash-backs, there was one Super Bowl ad that had few people laughing. While it ran only in Michigan, U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra’s campaign ad featuring an Asian woman speaking broken English is being criticized around the country today.

In the ad, Hoekstra, a former U.S. House Representative, dubs his Democratic Senate rival Debbie Stabenow “Debbie Spend It Now” for supporting policies that cause American jobs and investments to be outsourced to China.

“Debbie spend so much American money, you borrow more and more from us,” says a young Asian woman riding her bike through rice paddies at the beginning of the 30-second ad. “You’re economy get very weak. Ours get very good. We take your jobs. Thank you Debbie ‘Spend It Now.’”

It is the racial undertones of the ad that have critics up in arms. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said she was “appalled” by the ad and called for Hoekstra to take it down and apologize.

“I am appalled at the Hoekstra campaign’s offensive and insensitive Super Bowl ad that relies heavily on negative Asian stereotypes,” Chu said in a statement. “Politics of fear and division will never bring the American people together around the solutions they so desperately need, and I am calling on former Rep. Hoekstra to take down this atrocious ad and issue an apology immediately.”

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote’s Michigan chapter also condemned the ad as “very disturbing.”

“It is very disturbing that Mr. Hoekstra’s campaign chose to use harmful and negative stereotypes that intrinsically encourage anti-Asian sentiment,” the group said in a statement Sunday.

Hoekstra responded to the barrage of criticism Sunday night, writing on his Facebook page that “Democrats trying to make this an issue of race demonstrates their total ignorance of job creation policies.”

He said today that he thinks the ad has been “very effective.” (effectively racist and sinophobic more like it).

(Source from ABC)

Following the airing of former Congressman Pete Hoekstra’s racially charged political ad during the Super Bowl last night, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), released the following statement:

“Thirty years ago, a Chinese-American man named Vincent Chin was brutally murdered on the streets of Detroit by angry workers who blamed Japan for the plight of the U.S. auto industry,” said Chu. “Three decades later, Pete Hoekstra is stoking the flames of these same anti-Asian sentiments as he runs for the U.S. Senate in the very same state.  I am appalled at the Hoekstra campaign’s offensive and insensitive Super Bowl ad that relies heavily on negative Asian stereotypes.  Politics of fear and division will never bring the American people together around the solutions they so desperately need, and I am calling on former Rep. Hoekstra to take down this atrocious ad and issue an apology immediately.”

(Source: CAPAC)

Personally I think Judy was actually too lenient to go only back as far as Vincent Chin incident, had she gone further we would see much worse, the early beginning of racist America.