Asian American Film Lab eNewsletter

1. Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 13th - Seeking Films for Screening

2. TAZZA: THE HIGH ROLLERS @ The ImaginAsian

3. Writer X Project Screenwriting Project Underway

4. Seeking Secretary and Treasurer for AAFL

We would like to invite you to the last Asian American FilmLab meeting for 2006. It's been a great year, thank you all. This last meeting will be all about *Feature Film Production*, featuring James Bai, Eric Byler, Karin Chien, Stann Nakazono, and Greg Pak. See program information below. Don't miss this!

AAFILMLAB FEATURE FILM PRODUCTION PANEL

Only ONE RSVP per email, no "guests" or +1's allowed. If you would like a friend or colleague to attend, they must RSVP for themselves. Attendence is on a first come, first served basis. Only fifty (50) slots are available. We will be accepting a suggested donation of $5 per person to help pay for food and drinks.

6:30 - 7:00 - Attendees arrive
7:00 - 7:05 - Introduce Panel members
7:05 - 7:45 - Feature Film Production Discussion

1) Provide practical advice for filmmakers interested in their first feature
2) Share any lessons learned from their own feature projects
3) Advice on scriptwriting/fundraising/preproduction/production/post - (in brief)
4) Thoughts on the future of Asian American films including the Asian American Market

7:45 - 8:30 - Question and Answer
8:30 - 9:30 - Networking Mixer with Food and Wine

About our Panel:

JAMES BAI
Born in Columbia, Missouri and raised in Southern California, James Bai studied business management as an undergraduate while playing lead guitar in various rock bands dating back to jr. high. It was as an accountant that he made his first film, a short animation on 10 stacks of Post-Its(c) called *Bonin': A Dog's Life*. After confirmation from his younger brother, who at that time was attending NYU's undergraduate film program, that the short was indeed as funny as he thought, James applied to graduate film schools and was accepted by Columbia University. It was there that he spent 4 years developing his quirky and and intense visual story-telling style. His student short films went on to garner numerous awards while screening internationally and broadcasting domestically. After graduating, a calling to go "into the shed" caught hold of James and he spent the next 6 months in Alaska, where he taught himself to play the piano by ear at a nearby church, as research for his new film. James returned to New York City, and settled in the borough of Brooklyn where he embarked on the production of the mesmerizing tale of *Puzzlehead*. *Puzzlehead* made its world premiere at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival and was the grand prize winner at the Scienceplusfiction Film Festival.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1842522/

ERIC BYLER
Bi-racial writer-director was nominated for an Independant Spirit Award in 2003 for his first feature CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES, which also earned nominations for producer Marc Ambrose and actress Jacqueline Kim. Eric's second feature AMERICANese was purchased for theatrical distribution by IFC Films, after premiering at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March of 2006 where it won the Audience Award, and Special Jury Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast. Eric directed the Asian American TV Pilot MY LIFE DISORIENTED which premieres on PBS on Dec. 26th, and has a CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES sequel called TRE in post production. In 1995, Eric's student film KENJI'S FAITH premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, won six other festival awards, and was nominated for a Student Academy Award. Eric's father is of European descent and his mother is Chinese American.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0818611/

KARIN CHIEN
Karin Chien is an independent film producer based in New York City and Los Angeles. Ms. Chien recently wrapped post-production on UNDOING, which premiered at the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival, and is currently in post-production on FOLLOWING ROSA, which filmed in the Philippines in Fall 2005. Ms. Chien also produced THE MOTEL (winner of the Sundance/NHK Filmmakers Award, the Humanitas Prize, and 3 Best Narrative Feature Film Festival Awards), currently in theatrical release by Palm Pictures. Ms. Chien has produced the feature-length films MVP, which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, and ROBOT STORIES, winner of 35 film festival awards and self-distributed theatrically to over 50 cities nationwide.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0157313/

STANN NAKAZONO
Stann Nakazono is a sansei (third-generation Japanese-American) filmmaker who has been making films since high school (his Super-8 short, Life of a Samurai, got an A+ in an Asian American Studies class). He shot, produced, directed and edited the 1984 documentary short, E-Z Rock: Asian American Breakdancer, the story of a breakdancing 14-year-old who is at odds with his traditional Asian father. It won critical acclaim at Asian American film festivals in New York and in Los Angeles. In 1997, he produced his first feature film, Hang Your Dog in the Wind, which had its world premiere at the '97 Slumdance Experience (which he co-founded) at Park City, Utah, the alternative to the alternative of the Sundance Film Festival. Hang Your Dog in the Wind was featured in other film festivals in New York, Chicago, Orlando and Europe. It won the Special Jury Prize at the 1997 Florida Film Festival. After co-directing his independently-funded feature film, Much Adobo About Nothing , he produced the acclaimed live action/animated short An I Within, which won the Best Cinematography Award at the 1999 Florida Film Festival, Special Achievement Award at the USA Film Festival and Best American Short at the L.A. Short Film Festival.
http://www.traaxproduction.com/index.html

GREG PAK
Greg Pak is an award-winning writer and director whose feature film, "Robot Stories,"starring Tamlyn Tomita and Sab Shimono, played in 75 festivals, won 35 awards, screened theatrically across the country, and is now available on DVD from Kino International. Pak's feature screenplay "Rio Chino" won the Pipedream Screenwriting Award at the IFP Market and a Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowship. Pak wrote the screenplay for the feature film "MVP," which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Pak is now writing comic books. Projects include "Incredible Hulk" and "X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong" for Marvel and "Battlestar Galactica" for Dynamite.
http://www.pakbuzz.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0657062/

We are proud to present our third workshop of this year. Many thanks to our Directors, Natalie Kim, Son Tran and Matte Chi and our adventurous Actors who participated in our script reading last month. We would like our monthly meetings to be a place where actors, writers, directors, and others can come to re-connect with the rest of the world. Too often we are in our own bubble and it's only through collaboration can anything be accomplished, especially for film and theater.

Our next meeting will be a doozie. For the first hour we will focus on Acting Managers. Makalina Abalos from Jadin Wong Talent Management will be joining us. This will be a great opportunity to get to know their group and for them to get to know you if you are not represented or are looking to change managers. For the second hour we will hang out and network as we have done in the past, but this time will will be announcing the new AAFL management team and give you an opportunity to get to know us and vice versa.

*AAFilmLab Actor Series Part II: The Acting Manager*

Only ONE RSVP per email, no "guests" or +1's allowed. If you would like a friend or colleague to attend, they must RSVP for themselves. Attendence is on a first come, first served basis. Only forty (40) slots are available. PLEASE BRING 2 COPIES OF YOUR HEADSHOT TO THE WORKSHOP; one for the AAFilmLab, the other for Makelina. She is very interested in finding new talent.

6:30 - 7:00 - Attendees Arrive
7:00 - 7:15 - AAFilmLab Questions
7:15 - 8:00 - Open Q & A
8:00 - 9:00 - AAFL Management Team Intro's and Mingling, Networking, Drinking, Snacking

1. Current status of the Asian American actor
2. Agent vs. Manager, also the working relationship
3. Commercial vs. Legit work; why don't I get sent out on more legit things?
4. What can I do to best work with my manager and vice versa
5. How do I get represented if I don't have representation?

We will have a suggested donation of $5.00/person to help us with administrative costs for this workshop. Thanks for your support!

Makalina has worked at Babrara Claman Casting, BCI Casting, ASI (Talent Payment), Godlove, Serow and Sindlinger Casting (now Godlove Casting). She has freelanced as an agent for her performing company submitting her entertainers for special projects. As a performer, she has toured nationally and internationally, appeared on television, movies and film. She is the Talent Associate at Jadin Wong Management and has been since the summer of 2004. Jadin Wong manages over 700 Asian clients including actors, models and singers. Jadin Wong Talent Management represents all Asian and minority clients. Clients Jadin nurtured or placed including Bai Ling (Star Trek 2005), David Henry Hwang (M Butterfly) , John Lone, Joan Chen (The Last Emperor), B.D. Wong, Welly Yang, Ford Models Jade and other Hollywood and Broadway Asian American actors, singers and dancers.

For more info visit http://www.jadinwongmanagement.com

CALLING ALL ACTORS: AAFILMLAB SCRIPT READING
Tuesday, September 26th @ 6:30 p.m.
19 West 26th Street, 5th Floor
FREE

Please RSVP, and If you're interested in reading for a particular role please send us a Head / Resume attached to your email plus the role(s) you'd like to read.

RSVP to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

In *Subject* Heading include: AAFilmLab Script Reading
In *Body* of your email: Your First and Last Name

*Script Reading*

6:30 - 7:00 - Attendees Arrive
7:00 - 7:35 - Introductions
7:35 - 9:00 - Script Reading Begins
9:00 - 10:00 - Chill

We thank the writers for allowing the Workshop to read their work. The writers are incredibly excited to be able to have actors come and read their scripts. We're asking all actors who are looking for projects or want to come and flex their skills for a few hours with fellow Asian American actors and filmmakers to come and read.

We will be reading from the following scripts:

TITLE: "Tripping" - Son Tran

SYNOPSIS:
Tripping is loosely based on a true story about four good friends who find themselves on a road trip no gas, no luck and even less common sense.

CHARACTERS:
Sean - Vietnamese, mid 20's, average build, has a quick wit and and even quicker tongue. He isn't as loud as the others but is sense of humour is dry and cutting.

Radu - Romanian, mid 20's, tall and broad shouldered, is loud and enthusiastic in his conversations, a little juvenile but is a stickler for following rules.

Tony - Italian, late 20s, not as outgoing as Radu but also not afraid to engage his friends, around strangers he is polite and considerate if not outright shy.

Ted - Chinese, mid 20s, he is the most aggressive of the group and is focussed on networking, getting ahead and making money, not afraid to bend the rules if it suits him.

TITLE: "Felix Awards" - Natalie Kim

SYNOPSIS
In the spirt of "Waiting for Gelfman", "Felix Awards" is a quirky comedy which introduces us to Grace Park, a 24 year old financial analyst moonlighting as an actor. She works in student films to field her passion while she maintains her Park Avenue lifestyle.

She tells herself that performing is not practical and only does it "for fun". Things change dramatically when Grace is nominated for a Felix Award, the awards given to the best Student Films. Suddenly Grace's notion of doing acting just for fun is tested. Should she listen to her boyfriend, Eddie, who tells her that she has no chance whatsoever? Should she listen to the talent agent who has over 26 years of experience who says she has no talent whatsoever?

OTHER CHARACTERS

Eddie
Agent
Director of documentary (within the documentary)
Student Film students (3 or 4)
Gina Marcesso
A List actor
Security Guard


TITLE: AAFilmLab Mockumentary Series - Matte Chi
Episode 1: Casting the Podcast

SYNOPSIS
New York City. Splitting time between their workaday jobs and at night, attending a small workshop, a ragtag group of Asian American Actors and Filmmakers try to make their way in the big city. Bereft of any grand ideas, the workshop decides to chase fame by producing a podcast series online.

CHARACTERS

The Clueless Director
The Soft Spoken Assistant Director
The Bulldog Producer
The Artistic Art Director
The Colorblind DP / Gaffer
The Hungry Key Grip
The Skinny Sound Guy

Auditioning Actors
Auditioning Actresses

*This Workshop Produced series is always looking for new characters to develop into the storyline. In other words, we're looking for real actors to fold into the story for the future. So come and make your mark.