published by ANBM on Tue, 02/07/2012 - 21:30
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.
published by ANBM on Wed, 08/31/2011 - 22:42
The One to Watch Award was presented to director Namgyal Wangchuk Trichen Lhagyari for his short film MY COUNTRY IS TIBET. Eligible films screened in the FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH: AGE AIN’T NOTHING BUT A NUMBER shorts program, which featured films directed by young adults ages 15-21. Lhagyari, a seventeen-year-old Tibetan refugee and descendant of the first Tibetan Dharma King, is fueled by a sense of responsibility to his people to present his message through film.
The Audience Choice Award for Documentary Feature was presented to TALES OF THE WARIA, directed by Kathy Huang. This humorous and touching documentary explores a unique community of men in Indonesia who live openly as women. Known as warias, these individuals must balance their identity with intimacy, and their Islamic faith.
published by ANBM on Thu, 08/11/2011 - 19:25
Be sure to check this film out! the film Wedding Palace wins Best Feature & Best Cinematography at Cine Gear Expo! Written by Christine Yoon.
Starring Jean Yoon and Stephen Park, Charles Kim plays the "Professor Uncle"
Reviews by Scott Eriksson
"Christine Yoo has written and directed a film that is masterful in the way it moves from comedy to romance by blending the two seamlessly. That's the good news...the bad news is that by virtue of the fact that it is a film with an Asian cast and a few subtitles thrown in, it will probably not receive the wide release and the sold out American audiences it deserves. Although it is a film about Korean culture and traditions of parents whose son is a Korean-American raised in a very different world than his immigrant parents, the comedy is ultimately about generational differences among family members, something everyone can understand. While every good film starts with a great script, without the right director and cast it can't succeed.
published by ANBM on Sun, 07/24/2011 - 13:27
On July 29, 2011, Asia Pacific Arts online magazine is hosting “A Celebration of Asian American Soul” at the Far Bar Lounge in Little Tokyo -- featuring performances by special guest singer Judith Hill (from Michael Jackson’s This is It), and singer/songwriter Dawen. DJ O-Dub will be spinning sets around the musical acts.
The Asia Pacific Arts fundraiser is co-hosted by InVenture, a non-profit organization that supports women entrepreneurs in developing countries to help them lift their communities out of poverty.
This will be a celebration of the spirit of creation and entrepreneurship, from Asia to the United States. By harnessing the soul of those whose music touches the hearts of their audiences -- Judith Hill with her sultry blues and Dawen with his awakening jams -- both organizations hope to inspire the community to empower themselves and support each other.
published by ANBM on Sat, 06/04/2011 - 14:15
Jeff Yang writes another great article in contrast to the latest Asian stereotyped sellout piece 'Hangover 2' and in this article he touches on the economics of Asian Americans and their appraoch to the mainstream movie industry. The challenges are clearly there, no doubt Asian Americans are full of talent in the entertainment industry, we have notable directors, actors and actresses . Asian Americans are also more than capable of setting up their own alternative media sources but is that just enough?
published by ANBM on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 22:50
As white Americans move into the minority, some are claiming they're the ones now subject to racial oppression. Do they have a case?
For a small, nerdy cluster of folk -- social science and cultural studies wonks, market researchers, armchair political pundits -- this month is the Super Bowl, Oscars and Olympics rolled into one. That's because the next few weeks will see the gradual, yet grand unveiling of data from the 2010 U.S. Census, an event literally 10 years in the making.
published by ANBM on Sun, 01/16/2011 - 02:00
Louis Vuitton finally has given a nod to its most important demographic in Asia: Chinese men.
Last week, the French luxury brand unveiled a new advertising
campaign featuring Godfrey Gao, a Taiwanese-Canadian actor and model —
the first time the company has used an Asian man to showcase its
products.
Mr. Gao, a Vancouver native, has appeared in a number of Taiwanese
television dramas, including “Volleyball Lover” and “I Want to Become a
Hard Persimmon.” His celebrity is prominent enough in Asia to attract
Hong Kong paparazzi — in December they caught him canoodling with a local starlet, though one could argue it was because of the starlet that he got snapped.
published by ANBM on Tue, 01/11/2011 - 22:57
It’s highly likely that you’ve heard of Jay Chou before—he’s the
Taiwanese singer-songwriter behind hits such as “Cute Girl (Ke Ai Nu
Ren),” “Simple Love (Jian Dan Ai),” and “Silence (An Jing).” If you
haven’t heard the original songs, you may have seen YouTube covers by
Mandarin and non-Mandarin speakers alike (our favorite: sisters Riney and Bam, who used Chou’s music to learn Chinese), or heard his catchy melodies while singing karaoke.
If you’re a fan (or if you grew up in Asia), you may have even caught
him on the big screen. He’s acted in movies such as “Initial D” and
“Curse of the Green Flower,” and even directed a movie called “Secret”
in 2007, with a sequel planned for next year.
But if you haven’t heard of Jay Chou before, get ready to get
introduced to him in January, with his first foray into Hollywood as
Kato in “The Green Hornet.”
published by ANBM on Sun, 01/09/2011 - 15:25
Eco Chef Bryan Au has just released a new recipe book that will "rawck your world".
He also launched his much anticipated Eco Chef App available for the PC Computer, MAC Computer, iPhone, iPod, iPad, iTouch through iTunes and App Store last year.
The multi-talented entrepreneur, actor and activist recently answered a few questions about his latest book:
Tell us about your latest book Eco Bryan Au Raw Star Recipes: Organic Meals, Snacks & Desserts in 10 Minutes:
published by ANBM on Tue, 12/21/2010 - 20:56
How do you stand out in the ensemble cast of Predators, which features actors like Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, and Topher Grace? Simple: you bring a big freakin’ samurai sword. As the Yakuza assassin Hanzo, Louis Ozawa Changchien gets what may be the Nimrod Antal-helmed reboot’s most striking scene: a “mano-a-alien” battle royale that draws on Chanchien’s years of Kendo experience. Still, while the swordfighting skill is all his, in real life, Changchien couldn’t be more different: he’s a quick-witted nice guy who’s just as excited about his considerably more down-to-earth roles coming up in Fair Game and Kathryn Bigelow’s new project.
Last week, Changchien called up Movieline to discuss those parts as well as one of his earliest roles: a Jell-O pudding commercial opposite Bill Cosby himself that left him battle-scarred in a way far worse than any swordfight gone awry.
published by ANBM on Tue, 11/30/2010 - 22:46
Just five gold medals were presented Saturday at the Asian Games in a rather rather slow-paced denouement for an event the Olympic Council of Asia president referred to as “one of the best ever.”
Zhou Chunxiu won the women’s marathon in the morning, giving China its 198th gold medal of the games, one shy of its eventual record total, and Myanmar took its first two—in the men’s and women’s doubles finals in sepaktakraw.
OCA chief Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah told a closing news conference that even a military conflict on the Korean peninsula during the games could not damage its image.
North and South Korean “athletes stood shoulder-to-shoulder to compete even though there had been some problems in their countries,” Al-Sabah said.
The closing ceremony on Saturday evening began with an impressive display of fireworks from the 600-meter (2,000-foot) Canton Tower and along the Pearl River, the focal point of China’s third-largest city of 10 million.
published by ANBM on Thu, 11/25/2010 - 12:42
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Both Los Angeles-Based Attorneys Honored by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (Cyndie Chang on left, Michelle Sugihara on right)
LOS ANGELES, CA – Last Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) recognized 20 of the nation’s most talented and accomplished Asian Pacific American lawyers under the age of 40. Los Angeles-based attorneys and local bar association leaders Cyndie M. Chang (an associate at Duane Morris LLP) and Michelle K. Sugihara (a senior associate at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps LLP) were among the honorees to make NAPABA’s 2010 “Best Lawyers Under 40” list. Ms. Chang is Vice-President of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA) and a board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA) and Ms. Sugihara is Secretary of APABA and a board member of the Japanese American Bar Association (JABA).
published by ANBM on Tue, 10/26/2010 - 17:50
On Sunday, Asian-American actors Daniel Dae Kim (”Hawaii Five-O”), C. S. Lee (”Dexter”), Harry Shum Jr. (”Glee”), Ellen Wong (”Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”), and Aaron Yoo (”Friday the 13th”) talked casting, graduate school and stereotypes at the Asian Americans in Hollywood panel at the San Diego Asian Film Festival.
In particular, each of the actors stressed that their current status as recognizable faces didn’t happen overnight. Lee and Kim both studied acting at graduate school (Lee at Yale and Kim at NYU; the former even asked latter for advice about where he should go), and Shum Jr explained that he first moved to Los Angeles in 2001 to act. After realizing he could “kinda dance,” he built up his skills and his dancing ultimately took over. (For “Glee” fans, he added: No, he doesn’t really sing as badly as Mike Chang does, and yes, there will a continuing storyline for his character this season).
published by ANBM on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 23:32
The most anticipated film of the summer had its big Hollywood premiere at Mann's Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, and fans carrying both English and Japanese-language signs stood patiently behind barricades, waiting (some since 6am) to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors. Photographers crowded each other for shots of Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page. Security guards positioned themselves on either side of Leonardo DiCaprio as he walked along the street to greet his fans and sign autographs. One of the earlier stars to arrive, Ken Watanabe gamely waved at the fans, inciting cheers as he walked down with his wife Kaho Minami.
published by ANBM on Fri, 05/07/2010 - 21:47
A FURORE has erupted over a new mini-series about the deadliest sniper at Gallipoli, Chinese-Australian Billy Sing, who is played by a white.
This portrayal in the The Legend of Billy Sing has been attacked by Australians of Chinese ancestry as a betrayal of their heritage, robbing them of a rare historic hero.
Director Geoff Davis has cast his son Josh in the lead role, while Sing's Chinese father is played by the veteran actor Tony Bonner, who came to prominence as a blond-haired helicopter pilot in the Skippy TV series.
Sing, born in 1886 at Clermont, Queensland, to a Shanghainese father and an English mother, moved as a young man to the canefields of Proserpine, where he became a keen cricketer, kangaroo hunter and a crack member of the local rifle club.
published by ANBM on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 18:10
The movie is based on the true story chronicled in the book The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million and Bucked the Medical Establishment in a Quest to Save His Children by Geeta Anands. There is a real John Crowley who really did start a biomedical company to develop a cure for Pompe disease.
But the real guy who developed the cure was not a Dr. Robert Stonehill, nor looks anything like Indiana Jones. The real guy is a fellow named Dr. Yuan-Tsong Chen, who developed the treatment with colleagues at the Duke University Medical Center.
I learned this from, of all places, Roger Ebert's movie review:
published by ANBM on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 00:58
BEWARE OF CUPID - a Valentine's Day show
FEBRUARY 5 - 21, 2010
Falling in love for the first time, struggling to make a relationship work, getting over the one that got away... BEWARE OF CUPID presents a collection of original scenes and monologues that explore love and other matters of the heart.
OPENS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5th
Fridays, Saturdays @ 8:00pm
Sunday matinees @ 3:00pm
THE ACTOR'S PLAYPEN
1514 N Gardner St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(off of Sunset Blvd, near the Guitar Center)
FEATURING
Jared Asato | Sara Ceballos | Julia Cho | Benjamin Kim
Lynnette Li | Chris Miyasaki | Jason Rogel | Sandy Yu
TICKETS
$14 Generation Admission | $20 Opening Night + Reception
(Discounts and group rates available.)
To purchase: 1-800-838-3006 | www.brownpapertickets.com/event/92523
For more information: bewareofcupid@gmail.com
published by ANBM on Sun, 12/06/2009 - 22:49
THE Asian Festival of First Films (AFFF), the world's premier film and documentary festival that celebreates the achievements of first-time film-makers, announced its winners last Friday at the Raffles Hotel Ballroom.
Japanese film Looking For Anne, directed by Takako Miyahira, took the top honours of Best Film and Best Director, the AFFF said in its press release.
The movie tells the story of a 17-year-old Japanese girl with a secret mission to find her recently deceased grandmother's first love.
First-time producer Sona Jain bagged four awards - including Best Producer - for her film, For Real, a story about a family seen through the eyes of a child.
Last Friday's event was the fifth instalment of the AFFF.
published by ANBM on Thu, 12/03/2009 - 21:18
China is moving to take back one of its own — even if it is legend. Mulan is the Middle Kingdom's gender-bending heroine, its Joan of Arc. The character from folktale is a daughter who disguises herself as a male soldier to take her father's place in the conscription army. The problem for the Chinese is that, since 1998, the definitive version of the story has been Disney's.
Indeed, because of the animated Disney film, the character Mulan has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Chinese culture worldwide. Baby girls adopted from China have been named Mulan by their American parents. Disney has staged musical versions of the movie Mulan from Mexico to the Philippines. And posing for a photo with Mulan is a must for hordes of tourists at Hong Kong Disneyland. (See China's long road to prosperity.)
published by ANBM on Fri, 11/27/2009 - 23:47
It’s Raining, y’all! With the advent of his first starring role in a major Hollywood feature, the Korean pop god known simply as Rain sat with us exclusively to talk up his martial arts manifesto, Ninja Assassin. We chatted about the film’s surprising violence, his future as a singer, his fans and his mom. Never let it be said that LMD was ever smart enough to come in out of the Rain.
Dig it.
The Lady Miz Diva: Ninja Assassin is a really violent, bloody film. Were you concerned that so much of your fan base, which consists of younger kids and people who might not usually go to this type of movie, wouldn’t be able to see your big Hollywood film?
Rain: Yeah, I know, but it’s gonna be huge. I believe they will like my movie. I am a little bit worried, but it’s something different from what I’ve done, so it’s interesting that way. And I believe more male fans will be interested in this movie.
published by ANBM on Sun, 11/15/2009 - 15:51
Actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, one of Asian cinema's biggest superstars, could soon be following in the footsteps of fellow Asian stars Rain , Jay Chou and Lee Byung-hun and heading to Hollywood.
The 33-year-old was recently spotted by fans in Los Angeles, fuelling speculation that the Taiwan-based actor is in talks to star in a Hollywood film.
While Kaneshiro's agency has confirmed that the actor is indeed in Los Angeles, it said he is actually there on vacation to visit friends.
The actor has always been cautious about taking on foreign films. In 1998, he starred in "Too Tired To Die" with Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino but has kept his distance since, and even turned down a role in "The Last Samurai" starring Tom Cruise.
In recent years, the actor has once again caught Hollywood's attention after starring in 2004's "House of Flying Daggers" with Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and Hong Kong director John Woo's war epic "Red Cliff".
published by ANBM on Thu, 10/29/2009 - 23:56
By Jennifer Torres October 24, 2009
Record Staff Writer
STOCKTON - Among the panelists scheduled to speak today at a forum on Asian gangs was a young man set to discuss how gang violence had affected his family.
Then, a little more than a week ago, he was jumped outside the Park Village Apartment buildings on Alvarado Avenue.
He reconsidered talking, said Vanna Prasit, who helps coordinate social services at the community complex, home to mainly Cambodian immigrants and their families.
"They are not comfortable coming out," Prasit said. "They don't want problems. ... It takes a lot of encouragement for families for them to make any kind of report."
The Southeast Asian immigrants who came to San Joaquin County as refugees fled war and persecution, a legacy that has contributed to gang activity among younger generations, said organizers of "The Real Gran Torino Story: Stockton's Secret War on the Streets," a forum to be held today at University of the Pacific.
published by ANBM on Wed, 10/21/2009 - 22:56
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York and Asian CineVision will co-present the stunning new Taiwanese film "No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti" (Cannot Live Without You) on October 26th from 5:30 to 8:00 at TECO, located at 1 E 42nd St. in Midtown. The script writer and leading actor of the film, Wen-Pin Chen, will be on hand for Q&A following the screening, moderated by Mr. John Woo, Acting Director of Asian CineVision. A Chinese-style buffet dinner will be provided after the event.
"No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti" has received international accolades, winning Best Film among other awards at the 2009 Taipei Film Festival, the Grand Prize of Japan's Skip City International D-Cinema Festival, and Best Feature Film of South Africa's Durban International Film Festival. It has been selected to represent Taiwan in the competition for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2009 Oscars. The film will make its New York-area premiere at the 2009 FilmColumbia Festival on October 24th.
published by ANBM on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 00:15
Kelly Hu, who previously appeared in The Scorpion King and X-Men 2, has signed on to star in indie romantic comedy Almost Perfect. Hu will play a 30-something career woman who has to juggle her high-maintenance family just when she finds the perfect boyfriend. Writer/director Bertha Bay-Sa Pan said in a statement: “I am so excited to work with Kelly, who not only kicks butt as an action hero, but is also an incredibly thoughtful and nuanced actor, with a killer sense of humor.” The film will start shooting this month in New York City.
Edison Chen will appear in his first movie since his career was derailed by a sex photo scandal more than a year ago.
The 28-year-old Chinese-Canadian actor-singer will feature in the English-language comedy, “Almost Perfect,” which stars Kelly Hu, according to the Web site of New York-based production company Slew Pictures.
published by ANBM on Sun, 10/11/2009 - 13:46
BOSTON - It's one of the great closing lines in movie history, "Come on, Jake. It's . . . Chinatown." Those words, spoken to Jack Nicholson in, of course, "Chinatown," suggest all too accurately the sheer otherness of the Chinese experience as seen by Hollywood.
That otherness has run the gamut. Patronizing, reductive depictions of China ("The Good Earth," say) have gone hand in hand with Chinese-American stereotypes (cooks and laundry operators mostly, with the occasional opium smoker, for variety's sake, and, more recently, kung fu masters). The most famous Chinese and Chinese-American characters have been shameless caricatures - Fu Manchu, for example, and Charlie Chan.
published by ANBM on Sat, 10/03/2009 - 18:05
Tomita was born in Okinawa, the daughter of Shiro and Asako Tomita. She is of one quarter-Filipino descent (her mother is half Filipina, half Japanese). Before becoming an actress, she won the title of Queen at the Nisei Week Pageant in Los Angeles in 1984, and Miss Nikkei International in 1985.
Check out her filmogrpah here at IMDB Website
To read more visit Visualization, Tamlyn Tomita will be appearing live on Visualization Tuesday Octber 6th don't miss it, you can also submit your questions to her as well.
October 6 at 6 pm Pacific Time (7 pm MT, 8 pm CT and 9 pm ET).
Click here to Register
Tamlyn Tomita, whose inspirational career as an actor spans movies, television and the stage, and whose leadership and activism spans the Japanese American and Asian American Pacific Islander communities.
published by ANBM on Sun, 09/13/2009 - 21:24
Lumina's leading actor, Michael Chan speaks to Orientelle about his experiences on the set of Lumina, his preferences in women and his advice to beautiful, career-oriented women still looking for Mr. Right out there. Check it out-
1. Tell us about your background. What projects did you do in the past and how did you get here (both in Hong Kong and on Lumina)?
I was born and raised in the province of Quebec, in Canada. Spoke French in everyday life and Cantonese at home with my family and grand parents. Since my childhood, I’ve always been the only Chinese/Asian kid in school and everyone asked me if I knew kung fu! I guess I kind of felt ashamed to answer no, so I secretly started to practice all kind of martial arts in my back yard.
published by ANBM on Sun, 09/13/2009 - 01:05
New trailer movie for Astro Boy has been released. Astro Boy movie is based on a popular Japanese comic book is set to be released this Fall. The US movie version has Nicolas Cage, Charlize Theron, Kirsten Bell and Samuel Jackson as voice actors. While the Japanese version has Aya Ueto and Koji Yasusho as voice actors. .
Japanese idol and actress, Aya Ueto, will be the voice behind upcoming movie, Astro Boy (known as Atom). Astro Boy began in 1952 as Comic but became a hit through television series in the 1960s. The movie is scheduled for October 2009 release in Japan and followed in the US.
Actress Aya Ueto appeared in a public recording event for the Japanese-dubbed version of the computer-generated animation "Astro Boy" on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
published by ANBM on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 23:00
Examiner (Ed Moy) A recent blog post by Asian American actor Roger Fan on his website has drawn a lot of attention on the Internet.
In his post, Fan describes what it's like working as an Asian American actor in Hollywood and goes into detail about his recent decision to turn down an opportunity to do a "table read" of the sceenplay for an upcoming remake of "Red Dawn."
For those who have never seen the original "Red Dawn," it was a Cold War era movie written and directed by John Milius, who devised a World War III invasion of America by the Soviet and Cuban forces.
The original film follows a group of Midwestern teenagers who take on their high school mascot name, "Wolverines" as a rallying cry of resistance.
published by ANBM on Sat, 08/08/2009 - 22:12
Aceshowbiz - Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow was out from "The Green Hornet", but there will be another Asian actor filling in his shoes as Jay Chou is being recruited to star. On Friday, August 7, Sony Picturesmade the announcement that the Taiwanese singer-actor has joined the cast as martial arts master Kato, the role originally made famous by Bruce Lee in its TV series version.
"THE GREEN HORNET gets his Kato in Taiwanese Superstar Jay Chou," the studio tweeted on the casting confirmation before issuing the official statement completed with commentary from both the actor and director Michel Gondry. "It's an overwhelming experience to take on a role made famous by Bruce Lee," so claimed Jay in Sony's press release.
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