We apologize if you got this more than once.  We know we are on so many different lists.  Please pass this information on to other people who are interested in Asian American and Asian international cinema.  We try very hard to keep you always updated as to films that are popping up in your area.  Please note that you are a part of over 12,000 people who are on this list nationwide and it is published on www.asianamericanfilm.com! 

Note:  To subscribe - send an email that says "please subscribe" to apafirstweekend@...

For those of  you who are first timers here, the mission of this email newsletter blast to keep everyone aware of Asian American and Asian international films that will be coming out so that we can go out and support them.

First weekend box office receipts are very important to Hollywood and to our films because these reports will make or break a film.  If the films does well on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the "first" weekend it comes out, theater owners and distributors will make their decisions on Monday mornings about a film's life. 

So, we encourage each and every one of you to go out there and support our Asian American and Asian international filmmakers.  It is at the box office where we can show our strength and our power for our films and and filmmakers.  Even if you don't have the time to sit through the film on the first weekend - go to the theater and purchase a ticket so that we can show box office $$$ numbers.  It is extremely important.  At the end of the day.. the color in Hollywood is GREEN!  Show up and vote for yourself at the box office!

IN THIS ISSUE:
First, we want to say our thoughts and prayers are out there with all of our fellow people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and all of the areas that were hard hit by Hurricane Katrina.  It's so sad and devastating. If you want to participate and help, join us in making a cash donation to the American Red Cross and let them know you want your money to go to help the situation.

This week's issue is going to be short and to the point.   Lots of films out there and lots to choose from...
Big ups to LORENE MACHADO for getting her film BAM BAM AND CELESTE starring MARGARET CHO into Toronto. APA FIRST WEEKEND will be there with information on new films hitting the big screens both international and domestic.   We are particularly looking forward to seeing CHINA BLUE - a documentary about jeans being made in China and JOHN AND JANE - another documentary about the overseas call centers in India.  This weekend here in the US - you can see quite a few films that have Asian American/Asian subjects and actors in them - so let's see what's up this weekend?

1.  MARGARET CHO:  ASSASSIN OPENS NATIONWIDE!
2.  A STATE OF MIND - AN ILLUMINATING LOOK AT EVERYDAY LIFE IN NORTH KOREA OPENS LA
3.  BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS CONTINUES TO WOW
4.  2046 - WONG KAR WAI DOES IT LIKE NO ONE ELSE CAN
5.  MAD HOT BALLROOM GETS ONE LAST LABOR TURN
6.  TONY TAKITANI IN THEATRES NOW
7.  SALAAM NAMASTE OPENS SEPTEMBER 9
8.  FORUMLA 17 NOW IN THEATRES!!! MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE US
9.  THE IMAGINASIAN THEATRE - NEW YORK CITY!
10.  NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2006 - JANUARY 2006 - CALL FOR ENTRIES
11.  HAPPY LABOR DAY -

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1.  MARGARET CHO:  ASSASSIN OPENS NATIONWIDE SEPTEMBER 2
One of favorite female comics kicks ass hard in this concert film from her May concert in DC.  Whew...  Ms. Cho is a force to be reckoned with and we love her for it.  The LA TIMES called Cho's film a "...breath of fresh air.  That she's standing in front of a mike speaking her mind to packed houses, is in itself a ray of hope in these dark times."  Don't we know it!

Uproariously funny, poignant and scathing,
this is one event movie you won't want to miss!

 ASSASSIN features fresh doses of Cho's always ground-breaking,
controversial and hilarious brand of humor from her critically
acclaimed, State of Emergency tour.

Says Margaret, "It's a raw
 interpretation of what's happening daily in our ever-evolving or
devolving state of the union."
 
 

The film includes some of the crowd pleasing routines from her
critically acclaimed, Fall 2004, State of Emergency Tour, that kicked
 off at The Apollo Theatre (The New York Times called it "Murderously
Funny!") then visited swing states prior to the election. As a performer
 she has never failed to entertain and engage, and as a human rights
activist she has never let her voice be silenced.
 
 

MARGARET CHO:  ASSASSIN premeires in theatres on September 2, 2005 and exclusively on here!tv.  www.heretv.com

Check your local listings for a theatre near  you!
For more information on Margaret Cho, visit her website at www.margaretcho.com
 

2.  A STATE OF MIND - AN ILLUMINATING LOOK AT EVERYDAY LIFE IN NORTH KOREA OPENS LA
Visually stunning while being politically insightful, A STATE OF MIND from director Daniel Gordon is a film not to be missed.  For many people, our knowledge of North Korea ends with tv's often repeated series MASH.  A STATE OF MIND gives us so much more and makes one realize how much we really don't know.  The film follows two girls as they train for the MASS GAMES - the huge choreographed celebrations held to commemorate significant anniversaries in North Korea's history.    The film goes deep into the lives of these two young women and their families and their daily routine.  It is an amazing look into a world we know nothing of.  Kino International is releasing the film in the U.S.

It opens LA today at the Laemmle Fairfax and is playing other cities, as well.  Here are current cities.  Check your local listings, too.
 

SAN FRANCISCO, AUG 26
Roxie Cinema
roxie.com
3117 16th Street (at Valencia Street)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 863-1087

LOS ANGELES, SEP 2
Laemmle Fairfax
laemmle.com
7907 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, 90048
(323) 655-4010

MINNEAPOLIS, SEP 9
Bell Museum
mnfilmarts.org
10 Church Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
17th and University Ave SE
(612) 331-3134

ALBUQUERQUE, SEP 9
Guild Theatre
3405 Central NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
guildcinema.com

SEATTLE, SEP 23
Grand Illusion Cinema
grandillusioncinema.org
1403 NE 50th St
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 523-3935

HONOLULU
OCTOBER

BOSTON, SEPTEMBER
Coolidge Corner
coolidge.org
290 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02246
617-734-2500

DETROIT, NOV 5
Detroit Institute of the Arts
5200 Woodward Ave
Detroit, MI 48202
www.dia.org

3.  BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS CONTINUES TO WOW
This gorgeous and courageous film is still holding on strong out there.  Make sure you put this film on your list this weekend.  It's one not to be missed.
It's playing NY, LA and SF - check your local listings for other cities.  But make sure you go!!!!  It's based on the book of the same name "BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS."

Based on Dai Sijie’s International best-seller, a semi-autobiographical look at his years spent in a Maoist re-education camp, Balzac and the Little
Chinese Seamstress (Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse Chinoise) transforms this story about love and culture into a cinematic poem.

In this enchanting tale about the magic of reading and the wonder of romantic awakening, two hapless city boys, Luo and Ma, “reactionary intellectuals,” are exiled to a remote mountain village for re-education during China’s infamous Cultural Revolution, in the early 1970’s.  The boys keep their spirits up after arduous work in the fields and coal mines by playing Ma’s violin, which they save from destruction, by re-inventing Mozart’s lieder as songs of the revolution.

They also tell clever and amazing stories and the chief of the village sends them to a large town to watch revolution-touting melodramatic movies.  They
then come back and tell the stories to the culturally starved locals.  During one of these trips, the two fall in love with the local beauty, the daughter of the most renowned tailor in the region.  They also meet another “enemy of the people,” Four-Eyes, who has a secret stash of subversive books ­ Flaubert, Tolstoy, Hugo, and the most compelling to them, Balzac.

The two pursue their courtship of the little Seamstress, entrancing her with classics of European literature-peppered with praise for Mao.  She becomes
infatuated with Balzac, and with Luo, mostly because of Balzac’s evocations of feminine emotion.

This is a simple story that overflows with the director’s feeling for a time when censored literature meant so much to the people, even peasants, and
when many were transformed by intellectual stimulation.

MAKE SURE YOU SEE THIS ONE!
http://www.empirepicturesusa.com/

4.  2046 - WONG KAR WAI DOES IT LIKE NO ONE ELSE CAN
Beautiful!  Stunning!  Amazing!  All that and more.  If you are a fan of WONG KAR WAI, add this one to your list. We can't say enough about this film!  It is playing in every major city - so please check your local listings and see this film.  The acting, the cinematography, the story, the soundtrack - what else can we say?  All worth your $10.
You can also rent IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE and see it first to see the prequel.  We love Wong Kar Wai!

5.  MAD HOT BALLROOM GETS ONE LAST LABOR DAY TURN
This has been a really tough week - so why not end it on a high note and come out dancing??  The amazingly sweet documentary "MAD HOT BALLROOM" gets back into about 200 screens this week for one last time.  We all can use a happy film and a little rump shaking too.  It's playing everywhere - so check your local listings and go!
www.madhotballroom.com - You will be glad you did!  If you have seen it already, then you know what I am talking about and will probably go again.  So go already! One of our favorites is Jia Wen.  Go on Bensonhurst Brooklyn - represent!

6.  TONY TAKITANI IN THEATRES NOW
Beautiful and lyrical - Japanese director JUN ICHIKAWA's criticaly acclaimed film "TONY TAKITANI" gets to the big screen through Strand Releasing.  It's playing in most cities - so please check your local listings.

SUMMARY:  Tony Takitani had a solitary childhood. Being alone was normal since his mother died young and his father was always away with his jazz band. At school he studied art, but while his sketches are accurate and detailed they lack feeling. Used to being self-sufficient, Tony seems to find emotions illogical and immature.

After finding his true vocation as a technical illustrator, he becomes fascinated by Eiko, a client who in turn is fascinated by high end fashion. Eventually he marries her, and his life changes. He feels vibrantly alive and for the first time he understands and fears loneliness. But her obsession with designer clothes begins to worry him. When he asks her to economize, the consequences are tragic.

Alone again, Tony sits in his wife's closet gazing at her treasured couture pieces, the whispering ghosts of her soul. Finally, Tony places an ad in the paper searching for a woman who is a perfect Size 7.

www.tonytakitani.com for more info!

7.  SALAAM NAMASTE OPENS SEPTEMBER 9
Bollywood Fans unite and get ready for SALAAM NAMASTE!  Gitesh shares this information with us this week -

SALAAM NAMASTE
Release Date: Friday, September 9th
Director: Siddharth Raj Anand
Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta
www.YashRajFilms.com
Distributor: Yash Raj Films
Release Pattern: Top 20 markets across North America
 
 Synopsis:
Falling in Love.  It's very easy to do. Being in love - now that's the tough part!  Join us as we say "Salaam Namaste" to Nick (Saif Ali Khan)
and Ambar (Preity Zinta) down under in the city of Melbourne. He's a Chef; she's a Radio Disc Jockey. They're young, they're cool, they're
independent - and together they make the BEST pair!  Or do they?

Surrounded by quirky friends, bosses and landlords but far away from home, Nick and Ambar take a huge leap of faith as they decide to move in
together. And now they must tiptoe towards getting to know each other! They are attracted to each other - but they fight. They live together,
but as friends, in different rooms. They're in a relationship. but then again they're not. They seem to want the same things, but it seems that
they have very little in common.

So are they really made for each other? Are they actually compatible? Is this whole thing worth it?  After all, if a relationship is what happens
when you're busy not thinking about it - then what does it mean when everything has to be such a "decision"?  Salaam Namaste gives us a
quirky take on life, love and relationships as it looks at a fairy tale with a bit of a squint. Full of color, humor and zest it is an endearing
look at what being in love really means!!!

8.  FORUMLA 17 NOW IN THEATRES!!! MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE US
The GAYSIAN Taiwanese smash comedy hit from director DJ CHEN gets released in the US by Strand Releasing!
FORMULA 17 is revolutionary in its honest, touching, and hilarious depiction of Taiwanese gay teen life. FORMULA 17 chronicles the life of Tien, an innocent 17-year old boy who goes to the big city for a summer of love and adventure. On his very first night in Taipei, he locks eyes with the irresistible and irredeemable Bai, rumored to be the biggest playboy known to mankind. Will the two boys meet and fall in love? Hmmmmmm... check your local listings. It's at THE QUAD in NYC right now and will make its way across the US this fall!

9.  THE IMAGINASIAN THEATRE - NEW YORK CITY
The TV network also has a movie theatre in NY City and their programming looks to be right on time mixing Asian American and Asian international films on a weekly basis.  Check em out at WWW.THEIMAGINASIAN.COM or visit them at 239 East 59th Street (near Second Avenue) in New York City.  This week they got a scary ass double biill of SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE and OLD BOY.  Whoa - fill up on your Park Chan Wook this weekend.  FYI - The midnight show is OLD BOY.
 
Coming soon is SALAAM NAMASTE, NEW YORK SEOUL AMATEUR NIGHT, and a series NORTH KOREA - STORIES FROM BEYOND THE BORDER featuring two documentaries - SEOUL TRAIN and NORTH KOREA:  A DAY IN THE LIFE.  We read that they are also bringing films from the Philiippines there including LA VISA LOCA and PINOY BLONDE.  There is truly something for everyone at THE IMAGINASIAN THEATRE in NYC.

10.  NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2006 - JANUARY 2006 - CALL FOR ENTRIES
NWAAFF 2006 CALL FOR ENTRIES
Northwest Asian American Theatre (NWAAT) currently seeks entries for Northwest Asian American Film Festival (NWAAFF) 2006. NWAAFF presents works by Asian American artists working or living in the Northwest along with the best Asian American works from across North America.  The dates of the NWAFF 2006 are January 26-29, 2006.

PREVIEW FORMAT: 1/2" VHS NTSC or DVD NTSC. Please do not include additional promotional materials.

EXHIBITION FORMATS: 35mm, 16mm, Betacam SP NTSC, DVCAM/MiniDV NTSC, and 1/2" VHS NTSC.
DEADLINES: Entries must be postmarked no later than September 30, 2005. Receipt of entries will be confirmed via email. Final selections will be announced in November 2005.
ENTRY FEE: $10 per film. Fees are waived for Asian American films and videos by artists working or living in the Northwest (including but not limited to Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia).

Download entry forms from www.nwaaff.org.

SEND COMPLETED ENTRY FORMS ALONG WITH PREVIEW VHS/DVD TO:
Northwest Asian American Theatre
Attn: NWAAFF 2006
409 7th Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104

Questions? Email info@....

11.  HAPPY LABOR DAY
Don't drink and drive and play it safe out there.
See a movie- you have choices...

Non Asian American/Asian International films recommended:
THE CONSTANT GARDENER
HUSTLE AND FLOW
THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN (just because)
FOUR BROTHERS

And keep the victims of Hurricane Katrina in your thoughts and prayers this weekend.  It's going to be a long haul for them and for all of us.

Peace,

APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB