"Francisco's Fire" runs November 10-December 16 at Santa Monica's Dorie Theatre at The Complex.
L.A.-based playwright/director Keith Watabayashi has adapted Georg Buchner's "Woyzeck," hailed as the first German literary work with a working class protagonist. Buchner, then declared a traitor by the ruling class, fled imprisonment before dying of typhus at 23. He is today one of Germany's most revered literary figures. Watabayashi has adapted Buchner's tale to contemporary Los Angeles, with Latinos at its focus. Its story of shameful exploitation of the working class, economic and even sexual, and its warning of potentially explosive repercussions to come in the absence of change, seems as timely today as when Watabayashi's predecessor imagined his narrative nearly two centuries ago. "Francisco's Fire" runs November 10-December 16 at Santa Monica's Dorie Theatre at The Complex
www.Plays411.com/franciscosfire.
Finishing the Game director Justin Lin wants you.
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporters:
FINISHING THE GAME , our new independent film, has been an opportunity to revisit our indie roots and reunite with many in the BETTER LUCK TOMMOROW family . The challenges of making a no-budget film are harsh and demanding, but at the same time, it is filmmaking in its purest form. Clearly, passion on the part of the cast and crew made this film possible. Now we are hoping to share FINISHING THE GAME with you as it comes out in theaters and into your homes.
When BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was released, we showed Hollywood that we are a viable audience. In an industry governed by box office receipts, there is strength in numbers. The turnout for the film sent a clear message that we demand to see ourselves on screen as multi-dimensional characters. Five years later, we are asking for your support again. At this point, we need to demonstrate that BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was not a fluke; we are a vital consumer community that will no longer be ignored. However, out of respect for your time, energy and taste, we don't want you to come see the film simply because it's an "Asian American" project. Rather, we want you to connect to the work itself and let the film stand on its own. We welcome you to take a look at the on our website:
Among other things, it features a behind-the-scenes look at our journey from BLT to FTG that was made by film student Anson Ho.
We are happy...
Actor Kal Penn, designer Willa Kim and music exec Eric Wong to be Honored at the Asian American Arts Alliance's 25th Anniversary Gala in New York.
The Asian American Arts Alliance celebrates its 25th Anniversary on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 with a gala entitled "GALAXXY" at the TriBeCa Rooftop. This silver anniversary marks a quarter century of commitment to helping hundreds of local Asian American artists and arts groups in the performing and visual arts to access more funding and visibility for their work. In commemorating this milestone year, the Alliance will honor three outstanding industry leaders, actor Kal Penn, costume designer Willa Kim and music executive Eric Kim, all of whom have made strides for Asian Americans in the art.
"I'm honored to be recognized by the Alliance at their 25th anniversary event," says honoree Kal Penn. "Opportunities for artists are rare in any walk of life, so it's particularly encouraging to see the growth of the organization over the years, and their service to the community. Thank you for all of the support and for creating even more opportunities in the arts." Kal Penn is the most visible Asian American actor in Hollywood today with roles in The Namesake , Superman Returns , and the upcoming sequel to Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle . The Alliance is also honoring: Eric Wong, Chief Marketing Officer of Bad Boy Entertainment and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Atlantic Records, who has promoted top artists such as P....
John Cho shares why making WEST 32ND was such a special experience.
When I came to Los Angeles to pursue acting 10 years ago, it felt like I was one of very few Korean American guys in town. In the years since, the situation has changed dramatically I would never have guessed then that there would be so many prominent Korean American actors working today. And it's been so exciting to see that growth paralleled by the growth of Korean cinema in the global market.
I began to wonder what it would be like if resources and talent flowed both ways, from the United States to Korea and back? One of the first answers to that question is a Michael Kang movie I acted in called WEST 32ND . It's set in New Yorks Koreatown; it's often bi-lingual; it stars Korean American and Korean actors; and it was financed by CJ Entertainment, a Korean company that took a chance on this uniquely entertaining thriller.
On a personal note, the experience of making this film is among the most gratifying of my life. My character's discovery of his own culture mirrored my own experience with a largely Korean American cast and crew. It was a special time for me.
But the opportunity to give birth to a new category of film the Korean/American co-production is also special. In success, I hope this film is a catalyst for stories, talent, and resources to be shared between Koreans and Korean Americans. It would be a shame for us to drop the ball on this now.
WEST 32ND is opening theatrically in Korea on 20...
MOCA's site www.mocanyc.org, ushers in a new era as a national museum of Chinese American History.
Ushering in a new era as a world class national museum of Chinese American History, The Museum of the Chinese in the Americas (MoCA) has a new name, a new website and will have a new space at 211-215 Centre St., designed by architect Maya Lin, slated to open next fall.
Last night, executive director Charlie Lai, announced at the annual Legacy Benefit Dinner at Tribeca Rooftop in New York, that the Museum's name will change from Museum of Chinese in the Americas (MoCA) to Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). With its new name, Lai unveiled MOCA's new and unique English and Chinese logos and the website.
"These visual symbols not only reflect the contemporary interiors designed by Lin, but represent the dynamic and vibrant role that MOCA aims to play in interpreting more than 160 years of Chinese American history," said Lai.
MOCA's vast collections of more than 60,000 letters and documents, business and organizational records, oral histories, clothing and textiles, photographs, and precious artifacts will be digitized and made available on the World Wide Web for the first time, further increasing the Museum's capacity to share and lend its resources. This digital feature will facilitate MOCA's ability to continually collect new materials, oral histories, and scholarship globally.
"By visiting the new website, www.mocanyc.org, visitors will see that it not only reflects its new...