(New York, NY—March 5, 2012) Saving Face,Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Daniel Junge’s Oscar-winning short documentary about the plight of two Pakistani women who were victims of acid attacks, is one of more than 50 hand-selected films that will wow audiences at the 12th annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), NYIFF is scheduled from May 23 to 27 at Tribeca Cinemas in lower Manhattan. Formerly known as the IAAC and MIAAC Film Festivals, NYIFF has premiered some of the most well-known South Asian and foreign films, including Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, Bride and Prejudice, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, and several others. Some of the highlights of this year’s festival include:

May 23rd - Opening night red carpet screening at Paris Theatre & Gala Benefit at Essex House
May 24th – Industry Panels at Tribeca Cinemas
May 24th to 27th – NYIFF Screenings, post-screening events, parties, special events
Script-writing workshops
One minute cell phone films by NYU Tisch Film & TV students on Bollywood Music
Nightly networking parties at lounges around New York City
May 25th – Centerpiece screening & discussion: Tribute to Dev Anand –Hum Dono Rangeen

Update:

February 27, 2012

Two award-winning writers weigh in on the Jeremy Lin story. 

Author and former Wall Street Journal writer William Wong reports on what Jeremy Lin may have had to do to get his 'game on' and how that confirms a few stereotypes, in his fifth "Linsanity" column.

Wong writes, "In at least two articles, sportswriters in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York have given us a fuller picture of how Lin — with the help of coaches and trainers — transformed himself from a skinny kid with an awkward jump shot into one of the most exciting point guards in the NBA, after graduating in 2010 as a star player at Harvard (definitely NOT an NBA “farm team” the way lesser universities are), but ignored in the NBA draft and getting cut by two other NBA teams."

"The essence of these stories is that Lin has worked extremely hard over the past 18 months to improve his game — gaining weight and bulk, refining his jump shot, learning the fine points of point-guard play. In doing so, Jeremy Lin, instead of smashing stereotypes, is confirming a few stereotypes of Chinese Americans/Asian Americans — of being diligent hard workers, and smart."

William Wong's full article at SFGate.com

AsianConnections' columnist, author, and former senior editor of Rolling Stone magazine Ben Fong-Torres says Jeremy Lin's success is a dream come true - his dream, as well as the dream of countless other Asian American kids.

Related:

Update:

March 1, 2012

Jeremy Lin inspires a nation. Writer Dave Zirin delves under the headlines to better understand why Linsanity means so much more than basketball to many Asian Americans. 

His full article is here at Nation Magazine.
 

Related:

February 29, 2012

Radio host, Sam "The Shaolin B-Boy" says his family has a strong case of Linsanity so he brought them together to talk about the causes of going Linsane at KPFA-FM radio.

Click here to Sam's podcast conversation with his cousin Brian Weller, a student at UC San Diego who was a high school basketball point guard, and his father, noted author and journalist William Wong.

Related:

February 27, 2012

Two award-winning writers weigh in on the Jeremy Lin story. 

Author and former Wall Street Journal writer William Wong reports on what Jeremy Lin may have had to do to get his 'game on' and how that confirms a few stereotypes, in his fifth "Linsanity" column.

Wong writes, "In at least two articles, sportswriters in the San Francisco Bay Area and 

Daniel Dae Kim and Dr. Patricia E. Taylor will be honored at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre’s 35th Anniversary Gala on Monday, March 19, 2012, at the Edison Ballroom, 240 W 47th Street in New York. Tickets are $350, $500 and $1,000; tables begin at $5,000. Call 212-868-4030 or visit www.panasianrep.org to purchase.

The evening will be co-emceed by Broadway performer Raul Aranas (Miss Saigon), and SLANT's Richard Ebihara and Perry Yung.  Pan Asian Rep will honor Daniel Dae Kim, alum from Pan Asian Rep’s 1993 production ofA Doll House and star of television series “Hawaii Five-O,” “Lost,” and Academy Award-winning film Crash; and Dr. Patricia E. Taylor, research scientist, who with husband Kenneth Taylor, former Canadian Ambassador to Iran in the 70′s, was a key player in the escape of 6 Americans during the Iran hostage crisis.

The 7th Annual Red Socks Award, established to honor the memory of Lilah Kan, will be given to an Asian-American performer, to be announced at the event. The evening’s entertainment will also present highlights from Pan Asian’s musicals, andspecial In Memoriam photo tributes to Ellen Stewart founder of La Mama E.T.C. and Jadin Wong entertainer and artists manager.

Congratulations to playwright David Henry Hwang, who has been named the Honoree of the 31st Annual William Inge Theatre Festival, in Independence, Kansas, on the campus of Independence Community College.

Hwang will be at the Inge Festival from April 18-21, 2012. He joins the roster of internationally renowned playwrights who have traveled to the Inge Festival to receive the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award. This select list includes Arthur Miller, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Edward Albee, Wendy Wasserstein, and the most recent Honoree, Marsha Norman, to name just a few.

“David Henry Hwang brings a unique voice to the fabric of the American theatre,” said Peter Ellenstein, Inge Center Artistic Director. “Besides being a great dramatist, his work often gives voice to an Asian-American perspective that has been long left out of American culture.”

Hwang is also a librettist for musicals and operas, as well as a screenwriter. At the multi-media Tribute ceremony that concludes the Inge Festival, Hwang will accept the annual Inge Festival Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award.