For the first time in its 22 years, VC FILMFEST: The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, decided to have a juried Narrative Feature Award. It was my honor and absolute pleasure to serve as a member of that inaugural jury. The festival, which took place - May 4 -11, was a true celebration of Asian Pacific cinema from all over the world and offered a wide range of films that explored the complexity of relationships, identity and history within and without the Asian community. The 14 features I watched were all very diverse but the one thing that I took from each of them was an incredible excitement. Though most of the films were made by first time filmmakers, each film had a sense of ambition that is rarely seen in the most experienced filmmakers' work. Story lines dealt with race, politics, religion, immigration, and sexual identity. There was even a musical - a real honest to goodness musical! The quality of work was truly inspiring.
In addition to the features, there were shorts, digital media programs and seminars that encouraged not only the dialogue of the nuts and bolts of filmmaking but also the nurturing of filmmakers and of community. What was also interesting was that I noticed that a lot of people worked on each others films. Not just actors and actresses but editors, photographers, camera men, etc. The audience was the same. Though I am not certain, but just by seeing the amount of lanyards in the audience, I would venture to guess that the majority of attendees bought festival passes and not individual tickets - a sure sign that an audience is ready to support multiple films and not just one that they have heard hype about. As I spent the past few days at the festival chatting with both filmmakers and audience members, I started to wish that there was a little more of that same spirit within the general independent film community. I see indie filmmakers now who are much like actors who get into acting because they want to be rich and famous. This to me is the antithesis of indie filmmaking - indie filmmakers do not become rich and famous unless they stop making indie films. At VC FILMFEST, the emphasis seemed to really be on storytelling - the importance of having a voice, of being truthful to yourself, of challenging your audience and not being afraid. The whole experience was, for me, invigorating to be around.
Here is a list of highlights from the festival, but I encourage you to check out their site www.vconline.org for more information or screenings of these films at festivals in your area.
COLMA: THE MUSICAL - directed by Richard Wong with music and lyrics by H.P. Mendoza
Think the brilliance of the songs in Hedwig and the Angry Inch directed by Richard Linklater.
JOURNEY FROM THE FALL - directed by Ham Tram
A moving and highly ambitious film about the experience of a family fleeing from Vietnam.
SAIGON LOVE STORY - directed by Ringo Le
A coming of age love story set against a country - Vietnam - struggling towards the modern age.
ASIAN STORIES(BOOK 3) - directed by Ron Oda and Kris Chin
A hilariously sad story about the lengths you will go to get over a break up.
THE MOTEL - directed by Michael Kang
What happens when a 13 year old's life gets turned upside down and backwards by a stranger.
KIEU - directed by Thu Ha T Vu
A moving portrait of 24 hours in the life of a sex worker in San Francisco's Tenderloin.
Keeping it indie,
Julie
In addition to the features, there were shorts, digital media programs and seminars that encouraged not only the dialogue of the nuts and bolts of filmmaking but also the nurturing of filmmakers and of community. What was also interesting was that I noticed that a lot of people worked on each others films. Not just actors and actresses but editors, photographers, camera men, etc. The audience was the same. Though I am not certain, but just by seeing the amount of lanyards in the audience, I would venture to guess that the majority of attendees bought festival passes and not individual tickets - a sure sign that an audience is ready to support multiple films and not just one that they have heard hype about. As I spent the past few days at the festival chatting with both filmmakers and audience members, I started to wish that there was a little more of that same spirit within the general independent film community. I see indie filmmakers now who are much like actors who get into acting because they want to be rich and famous. This to me is the antithesis of indie filmmaking - indie filmmakers do not become rich and famous unless they stop making indie films. At VC FILMFEST, the emphasis seemed to really be on storytelling - the importance of having a voice, of being truthful to yourself, of challenging your audience and not being afraid. The whole experience was, for me, invigorating to be around.
Here is a list of highlights from the festival, but I encourage you to check out their site www.vconline.org for more information or screenings of these films at festivals in your area.
COLMA: THE MUSICAL - directed by Richard Wong with music and lyrics by H.P. Mendoza
Think the brilliance of the songs in Hedwig and the Angry Inch directed by Richard Linklater.
JOURNEY FROM THE FALL - directed by Ham Tram
A moving and highly ambitious film about the experience of a family fleeing from Vietnam.
SAIGON LOVE STORY - directed by Ringo Le
A coming of age love story set against a country - Vietnam - struggling towards the modern age.
ASIAN STORIES(BOOK 3) - directed by Ron Oda and Kris Chin
A hilariously sad story about the lengths you will go to get over a break up.
THE MOTEL - directed by Michael Kang
What happens when a 13 year old's life gets turned upside down and backwards by a stranger.
KIEU - directed by Thu Ha T Vu
A moving portrait of 24 hours in the life of a sex worker in San Francisco's Tenderloin.
Keeping it indie,
Julie
posted by indieIN | 10:13 AM
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