Asian Films featured at festival
Evonne Ermey
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: Entertainment
When former channel 10 news anchor, Lee Ann Kim, Executive Director and co-founder of the San Diego Asian Film Festival developed the concept of SDAFF in 1999, she did so with the goal of bringing a broad vision of Asian culture to the people of San Diego.
On this, the 10 year anniversary of SDAFF, Kim and the SDAFF board of directors staged their most ambitious film festival to date.
Despite the wilting economy, SDAFF staff extended the number of days and films for the annual event. The event showcased over 200 films of a dynamic Asian background against the backdrop of various martial and performance arts, cast meet and greets, and Q and A's.
For Kim, the festival's success is gauged not necessarily by the number of tickets sold at the box-office but by the sharing of experience in a way that crosses cultural divides.
A shining example of what the film festival is all about was found this year at the screening of "The Haramaya Bridge." Directed by non-Asian Aaron Wolfolk, the narrative film follows the experience of a black man who, after the Japanese in WWII kill his father, must go to Japan when his son dies there.
"The film was the sleeper hit," Kim said. "People were sitting in the aisles. What touched me so deeply about that film is it fulfilled my vision for this festival. I walk into this black film at the Asian film festival and there were black people white people, Latinos, old, young, I didn't see any one group represented and I just felt like this is the vision that I had about what this film festival is supposed to do. I was so deeply moved."
Editing, directing, and acting are all taken into consideration when choosing films to screen at SDAFF. And while popular films like Afro Samurai make their way onto the ticket, The nine member programming staff leans heavily towards independent films and directors.
"We really pay attention to independent films because you never know when something, or someone, is going to be the next big thing," programming intern Jini Shim said. "It's a chance to talk to filmmakers and for filmmakers to get acknowledgement for their work."
On this, the 10 year anniversary of SDAFF, Kim and the SDAFF board of directors staged their most ambitious film festival to date.
Despite the wilting economy, SDAFF staff extended the number of days and films for the annual event. The event showcased over 200 films of a dynamic Asian background against the backdrop of various martial and performance arts, cast meet and greets, and Q and A's.
For Kim, the festival's success is gauged not necessarily by the number of tickets sold at the box-office but by the sharing of experience in a way that crosses cultural divides.
A shining example of what the film festival is all about was found this year at the screening of "The Haramaya Bridge." Directed by non-Asian Aaron Wolfolk, the narrative film follows the experience of a black man who, after the Japanese in WWII kill his father, must go to Japan when his son dies there.
"The film was the sleeper hit," Kim said. "People were sitting in the aisles. What touched me so deeply about that film is it fulfilled my vision for this festival. I walk into this black film at the Asian film festival and there were black people white people, Latinos, old, young, I didn't see any one group represented and I just felt like this is the vision that I had about what this film festival is supposed to do. I was so deeply moved."
Editing, directing, and acting are all taken into consideration when choosing films to screen at SDAFF. And while popular films like Afro Samurai make their way onto the ticket, The nine member programming staff leans heavily towards independent films and directors.
"We really pay attention to independent films because you never know when something, or someone, is going to be the next big thing," programming intern Jini Shim said. "It's a chance to talk to filmmakers and for filmmakers to get acknowledgement for their work."
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