Countdown to the Festival

We're expecting a great turnout by filmmakers and cast members at this year's festival, but why keep it to ourselves? A number of individuals are scheduled to be in town next week to attend the 8th annual festival.

Director Justin Lin and cast members Roger Fan and Sung Kang of FINISHING THE GAME will be around Opening Night. For those Roger and Sung fans unable to catch the opener at AFI Silver Theater, you can always catch performances by Roger in TROUBLE WITH ROMANCE and Sung in UNDOING.

Director Joy Dietrich, director of TIE A YELLOW RIBBON, is scheduled to make an appearance.

On the documentary side, Lisette Marie Flanary, director of MEN OF HULA; Socheata Poeuv and Charles Vogl of NEW YEAR BABY; Yaeri Song, director of ENTRY LEVEL; Tami Yeager, director of A DREAM IN DOUBT; and Regina Park, director of NEVER PERFECT are all scheduled to appear when their films screen to audiences.

The directors of several shorts, including Jonathan Ng of the animated ASTHMA TECH and Thomas Lieu and Kevin C.W. Wong of BEEF will be present as well.

Want to attend the festival but feeling a little short on cash? Not to worry, this year we have a fantastic line-up of free films and events. On Saturday, 9/29, APA Film, in conjunction with APIAVote, presents a workshop by Eric Byler (Director, TRE) and grassroots coalition builder Annabel Park on political activism and YouTube videography.

On Sunday, 9/30, the festival prevents two free screenings: the documentary, UMMA, followed by Joy Dietrich's TIE A YELLOW RIBBON, at the School of Advanced International Studies' (SAIS) Rome Auditorium.

The following Friday, 10/5, visit the stunning National Museum of the American Indian for Lisette Marie Flanary's documentary NA KAMALEI: MEN OF HULA, which will be followed by a live hula performance by Halau O'Aulani, a local dance school in Maryland.

Finally, prior to our Closing Night presentation, Owl and the Sparrow, on Saturday, 10/6, we present a couple of free afternoon screenings at the Freer Gallery of Art's Meyer Auditorium, beginning with Meena Nanji's VIEW FROM A GRAIN OF SAND, followed by Socheata Poeuv's NEW YEAR BABY.