The 5th Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout is only weeks away and the prize list is growing! The top three teams will all now receive copies of Final Draft Scriptwriter Suites, which includes Final Draft 7 and Final Draft AV 2.5! The top team will also receive Final Draft’s ScriptXpert Basic Coverage service!

So it’s time to start making your teams and this Tuesday, we’ll be hosting the Shootout Social! Starting at 7:30pm, the Shootout Social will begin with snacks and refreshments. The AAFilmLab team will be on hand to answer your questions about the Shootout and connect you with other potential teammates at the Shootout Social.

The Shootout Social is also a great chance to renew your AAFilmLab Membership! Membership is now tax-deductible and entitles you to many discounts, one of which is discounted entry for the 5th Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout!

At 8:15pm, we’ll screen two short films from AAFilmLab Members Alice Cox and Eddie LeBron.

Alice’s film ANA’S TIME is a highly textured cinematic meditation on memory and identity. This diaristic narrative follows 20-something Ana through her troubled relationships as she struggles to confront her past. A meditation on writing and remembrance, Ana confronts her confusion and discovers a friend in the process. Runtime: 25:05mins

Eddie’s film SECRECY introduces us to John and Ami who have been the best of friends for many years.  Ami is currently pregnant with her boyfriend’s child while John is his first serious relationship but all that is thrown into jeopardy due to one mistake in the past.  A mistake that will effect all parties involved, especially the friendship of John and Ami. SECRECY is the second installment in Eddie Lebron’s “Love in Chinatown” series, a collection of films involving different people and their romance ventures in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Runtime: 17:01mins

Alice and Eddie will be on hand to answer questions about their films.

RSVP to:
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
with subject line:
Shootout Social

See you this Tuesday at 7:30pm!

Asian American Film Lab
19 West 26th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY

The 5th Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout begins on Friday, June 20, 2008. The competition theme will be announced at the New York City launch party to be held at White Rabbit Lounge (145 East Houston Street, New York City) and simultaneously posted online at 72hourfilmshootout.com at 8pm. As a special treat, New York hip hop sensation Koba will be performing live at the launch party!

The Top 10 will screen at the New York Asian American International Film Festival organized by Asian Cinevision (July 10-19, 2008), the First Annual Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (October 24-30, 2008), and a special screening event organized by NYC-based Aspire Asian Film Circle.

This year the AAFilmLab together with the Museum of Chinese in America (MoCA) have added a special award category to this years Shootout: The Chinatown Award! Films that incorporate a Chinatown as a location or narrative device are entered into the “Chinatown Award” category. Selection of the winning film will be decided by both MoCA and AAFilmLab. The Chinatown Award will be comprised of in-kind services totaling $3000 from Deluxe New York. (The inclusion of the Chinatown element in a film has no bearing whatsoever on judging for other award categories.)

AAFilmLab will be at the 29th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival, hosted by Coalition of Asian Pacific American (CAPA)

Date: Saturday, May 10, 2008
Time: 12pm - 6pm
Place: Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47th Street and 2nd Avenue
For more information, visit the CAPA website:
http://www.capaonline.org/

President: David Hou
Vice-President: David Hsin
Shootout Director: Peter Chin
Outreach Committee: Jeanie Tse, Amy Chang, Carl Li, Jimzy Lui
Fundraising: Hai Ninh
Treasurer: Janet Fu

Please join us in congratulating Simon Ko for winning the AAFilmLab Feature Film Treatment competition with his story “Forgive the Grey.”

In the middle of the night, two families struggle to find the truth behind the escape of an organ donor from a proposed transplant operation. But matters are made worse when a murder turns everyone into a victim of a gray form of evil.

We would like to thank all of the writers from all over the country who submitted their film treatments.  This was a difficult decision, and we were very impressed by the creative forces out there!  Keep up the amazing work.  Our Six Directors will now spend the next month fleshing out the rest of the story of “Forgive the Grey.”  Pre-Production will be during March/April, and then be filming this feature-length film in April/May of 08.  If you are in the New York area and would like to get involved with this project, email us at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  Check the website for our progress!

Sincerely,

AAFilmLab

The 72 Hour Shootout has shown what filmmakers are capable of achieving with a few restrictions, very little time, and a miniscule budget. The FFR is the AAFilmLab’s attempt to apply that same independent filmmaking spirit to create a feature length film.

HOW THE RELAY WORKS:
This will not be your typical feature film production. The story will revolve around a selected treatment that outlines the characters and story from beginning to end. Six directors will then divide the treatment into equal parts, develop their section and then shoot it. Each director will have exactly one week to shoot and edit their film. The six short films will then be assembled into a feature length film. There will be several meetings where all six directors/writers come together before production to establish cohesiveness and awareness as to what each director plans to do. However, the production process will be in the form of a relay - the 1st Director will complete his/her work within a week, then hand off the finished product to the 2nd Director who has to continue telling the story from that point in a weeks time, and so on.

For this inaugural Feature Film Relay, the AAFilmLab will host the project in New York and will employ longtime AAFilmLab members for its first six directors: Tony Chen, Matte Chi, David Hou, Hyunsuk Kim, Karen Song, and Peter Wang.

We are in the first phase of this project: SCRIPT DISCOVERY.  We seek treatments from all over the country for consideration. Details outlined below.

Please email your one page treatments to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with “AAFL Film Relay Treatment” in the Subject Heading by Friday, January 4th at 9 PM (EST). In the body of your email, include the Title of your work, writing credits and contact information including cell phone and email.

Treatment minimum requirements*:
1. Name, contact info.
2. No more than 1 page in length.
3. Write a one sentence logline at the beginning of your treatment.
4. There are no restrictions regarding subject matter, structure, or/and style.
5. Must be original.

* Multiple submissions are allowed.

The selected winner will receive:
1. “Story by” credit
2. A $100 fee for a three year option to develop the story into a feature film as part of the Feature Film Relay.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 16th.

SEND US YOUR STORIES! Join us for this unique, exciting and unpredictable ride. If you have any questions, please email us at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Basics:
Six directors
Six weeks of total shooting
Six 15 minute shorts
One feature film.

Phases:

Script Discovery/Development Phase(1 month): Deadline Friday, January 4th, 2008
Nationwide search for feature film treatments. Deadine: January 2nd, 08

Pre Production Phase (2 months): January - February 2008
Directors, Writers, Producers come together to flesh out story and production details.

Production Phase (6 weeks): March - April 2008
Each director gets one week to shoot their segment of the feature.

Post Production (1 month): May 2008
Cut all the films together, mix sound, master.

Festival submission and seeking Television and Theatrical release.

Red Eight and the AAFilmLab invite you to join us for an evening with Sung Kang, producer Karin Chien, and executive producer Phil Lam to celebrate the opening weekend of UNDOING.

Saturday, December 8th , 6:30pm
White Rabbit
145 E Houston St
New York, NY, 10002

UNDOING, a film by Chris Chan Lee and starring Sung Kang, Kelly Hu,
Russell Wong, and Tom Boweris will be making its New York theatrical
debut exclusively at The Pioneer Theater on Wednesday, December 5, 2007! For more info about the movie visit: http://www.undoingmovie.com

$20 includes food, two drink coupons, an opportunity to meet and mingle
with the UNDOING cast and crew, as well chances to win autographed movie posters. Event tickets can be purchased in advance online via
http://redeight.org.

Why see Finishing the Game?

To our filmmakers,

You might be tired of hearing about Finishing the Game.  No judgment
here.  But if you haven’t seen the film already for whatever reason,
please consider this.

It’s a tough reality that not only is there little money to support
Asian American films but independent films in general.  We keep
working with hopes that it won’t always be like this.  The Finishing
the Game folks are testing a theatrical distribution model that just
might be the key to a consistent release of Asian American films in
theaters in the future.  I know I would love a world like that, where
we could have the choice to see whatever Asian American films we want
and no longer having to “support” films for the sake of supporting
them.

Do you want to wait another 3 or 4 years for the next big Asian
American film?  Personally, I’m getting tired of waiting, aren’t
you?  We are heading in the right direction for sure, but please
understand the importance of this particular moment and the future
impact it will have.

You may have been planning to watch the film at some point in the
future..but now is the time when the distributors are watching (and
not just IFC Films. They all want to see if this works!).  Now is when
your vote will count.  Three months from now will be too late.  Please
watch Finishing the Game in theaters, Video on Demand, DVD or all of
the above.

You will thank yourself later..

Thank you for lending an ear.  Feel free to share your thoughts with
me at tana-AT-aafilmlab-DOT-com.  Go to http://www.youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com/
for information on the film and how to get tickets or watch it On
Demand.

Tana

Francis Hsueh & Steven Hahn’s “Pretty to Think So”

Please see note below from our friends Steve and Francis.  This is a
full length feature film that was recently completed in New York
featuring Asian Americans in all of the lead roles.  Francis was a
former active member of the AAFilmLab.  Also if you need a good
lawyer, consider these guys as well!

Dear Friends,

Where were you seven years ago, in the autumn of 2000?  In New York,
the club kids were at Twilo and young lawyers and bankers were dancing
to throw-back swing.  Greenspan warned of irrational exuberance but no
one was listening.  The dot-com boom was at fever pitch and we thought
it was going to last forever.

This is the time and place of our upcoming movie, “PRETTY TO THINK
SO”.  The second film by Francis Hsueh & Steven Hahn.  Executive
Producer, Michael Zee.

PRETTY TO THINK SO is a story about newfound love and the past which
haunts us.  From the corporate world of white-shoe law firms to the
streets of Chinatown and the Bronx, PRETTY TO THINK SO takes us on a
journey to a place where romantic passion and human frailty violently
collide.

We invite you to view the film’s website at http://www.prettytothinkso.com
where you will find more information about the film, stills, and a
trailer.  Please forward to friends who might be interested.

Please also check out yesterday’s New York Times piece about our work
at: http://shiftingcareers.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/lawyerfilmmaker-buddies-share-two-jobs/

Francis Hsueh & Steven Hahn

When: Tuesday, October 23rd at 6:30 PM

Where: 19 West 26th Street, 5th floor
        (b/w Broadway and 6th Ave)

This week we’ll be reading an excerpt from Leo Kao’s feature
screenplay. Please come to read (actors!) and to give Leo your input
on his work in progress. Also we’ll be having a review of member
benefits and what’s coming up for the rest of 2007.

Brief Synopsis:
A chess prodigy’s life is pulled in two directions. An abused child
and a struggling actor, Mike is torn between his passion for acting
and the temptation for money. Clearly following a path of self-
destruction, he watches as his best friends enter the corporate world,
leaving him alone. It is only through the love of a passionate girl
and the warmth of an old man that Mike can find his way.

Just a reminder about our event this Sat.  The event is almost sold
out, so purchase your tickets at http://www.redeight.org, and yes you must
register as a member in order to attend.  No walk ins will be permitted.
Note additional sponsors and updated info about purchasing tickets to
watch “Finishing The Game” this weekend.
By Invitation only…

Red Eight Film Circle presents:
“Finishing The Game” Opening Weekend
”Cast and Crew Meet and Greet” Reception

Saturday, October 6th , 9PM-12AM
723 Washington Street, NYC
(http://www.723Washington.com)

”Finishing the Game”(FTG), a new film by director Justin Lin (The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift, Better Luck Tomorrow, and Annapolis) starring Roger Fan, Sung Kang, James Franco, McCaleb Burnett, Dustin Nguyen, Monique Curnen and others. For info visit:
http://www.youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com

Community and outreach partners include AAFilmLab (AAFL), the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA), and Asian Cinevision (ACV). Sponsors include Commerce Bank, Verizon, Zink Magazine, 723 Washington Studio, Absalom Artists Group, EXIT Kingdom Realty, Mixr Media, Hyphen Magazine, Imaginasian, Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and Lee Rehab.

$20 includes catered food and beverages, an opportunity to meet and mingle with the FTG Cast and Crew, as well as gift bags and raffle prizes. Event tickets will NOT be sold at door and must be purchased in advance online.

For registration and more info, visit http://www.redeight.org

*First 50 attendees with movie ticket stubs will receive a “free gift bag” and all ticket stub holders will have a chance to win raffle prizes.

Red Eight Film Circle encourages everyone to watch the film the evening of Sat. Oct. 6th, then walk over from the IFC Center and join us for the reception. Buy tickets to the Saturday showing at: http://www.movietickets.com/house_detail.asp?house_id=9598&rdate=10%2F6%2F2007

**FTG OPENS IN NEW YORK CITY on Friday Oct. 5th!!! IFC Center, 323
6th Ave. at W. 3rd St. NY, NY.

 

Fundraising is a common issue we all have to deal with and most of the time we bear most of the burden of our own films.  Why not reach out to investors who share your same vision, can get behind your work and help share that burden with you?  The AAFilmLab has partnered with the Red Eight group for this inaugural event.  See details below.

It is our pleasure to invite you to the launch of Red Eight Film Circle, a forum for filmmakers, directors, producers, entertainment industry
executives, investors, and anyone who would like to support independent film.

Our inaugural Red Eight Film Circle event is on:

August 23th, 2007, 6:30 pm
The Williams Club
24 East 39th Street
New York, NY, 10016

Filmmakers presenting include Risa Morimoto (Producer of Wings of Defeat), Pooja Kumar (Producer of 1001 Auditions), Kimi
Takesue(Directorof Crawling at Night), and Francisco Aliwalas (Founder of FranFilms).  Clips and trailers of their works will be shown, followed by Q&A, and an informal networking session to meet the filmmakers.

Event will include catered food, refreshments, raffle prizes, and gift bags. Registration is $20 online and $30 at the door. We expect this
event to be sold out so we recommend online registration to guarantee admission. To find out more about Red Eight, the event, and our
Ambassadors, please visit http://www.redeight.org

This event was made possible by our community partners, AAFilmLab & the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA), and our sponsors, Verizon, The Williams Club, Mixr Media, and Mei Image Consulting.
For more info, visit http://www.redeight.org

A THOUSAND PAPER CRANES

The production is under Japan Society, in collaboration with Theatre Arts Japan -KIDS-.

http://www.japansociety.org/education/course_detail.cfm?id_course=816017231&flag_educator=2
http://www.sonywondertechlab.com/programs/events_workshops.shtml

Seeking Asian actors;
Two male actors in their mid 20's to 40's.
One female actor in her 30's to 40's.

It will be presented on September 9th (Sunday) from 2pm at the Sony HD Theatre, Midtown, NYC.
Only one time show.

This is a childrens play about Sadako, a twelve year old girl who is a victim of the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb.
Based on a true story set in 1955.
This is an ensemble play.

45 minutes - One hour long. In English.
The target is elementary school kids and older.

The rehearsal will be two weeks from 25th of August till the day of performance.
The schedule: all weekdays starting from 3pm to 8pm and weekends (potentially nighttime).
The rehearsal space will be the venue of the performance in the midtown area.

Payment: Travel stipend
This is not an equity production.

Contact: Eriko Ogawa
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Thank you very much for your interest.

The competition isn’t quite over!  See the Top 10 Films and vote on who YOU think is best on http://www.azntv.com/72hr  If you haven’t seen the Top 10, this is a great opportunity to do so.  REMEMBER: The Top 3 winners from the People’s Choice Online competition will also get a special screening on AZN Television.  FYI, High Speed Internet is required and there is a quick and painless registration for the AZN Media Player.

What you might find humorous is that each of the Top 10 films have a TV Rating…nice to know that several are rated MA(Mature Audiences). Great going guys!!!!

PIZZA NIGHT
19 West 26th St. 5th Fl
@ 6:30 p.m.

Ah...pizza. The social lubricant second only to booz. To celebrate our recent successes and to relax a little before the big competition, we thought it would be nice to take a night off and kick our feet up. No agenda.

Well, that's not totally true. PIZZA NIGHT will serve two purposes:

1) Kick our feet up (we aren't total losers). If you'd like to hang out and just mingle with fellow directors, actors, writers, screenwriters, or get to know the AAFL...come on out! Honestly, what do you have going on this Tuesday that beats a pizza social?

2) Anyone seeking a team, or is missing team members for the 72 Hour Shootout weekend, come out to find that special someone. We hate the idea of individuals interested in participating, but don't know enough people to form a team or are missing just one key component. Shootout registration available on site.

For those coming alone, or are shy:
Shy person: "How much does a Polar Bear weigh?"
Stranger: "Uh, I don't know how much?"
Shy person: "Just enough to break the ice. Hi, I'm insert name here."

You can keep that one, feel free to use it ALL NIGHT!

Our heart goes out to out-of-towners who can't join in the fun and networking. Truly. But soon we'll be encouraging you all to start your own AAFL Chapters! AAFL-LA, AAFL-SF etc...a nice thought no?

If you're interested in coming out, please RSVP to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Put "Pizza RSVP" in the Subject Heading and just your first and last name in the Body of the email. No guests or (+1's) allowed, anyone interested should email RSVP for themselves. To help off-set costs we are asking for Non-Members and Members alike to pay $2 at the door. Hope to see you there!