MARCH 15, 2007

SPRING FORWARD!!!

SEE A MOVIE THIS WEEKEND !

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR.
This looks to be another outstanding year for Asian American and Asian cinema in the US, we from APA FIRST WEEKEND wish you and yours the best new year ever.  Take the time to spend with friends and loved ones and see a film. 

We are at a crucial point in Asian American cinema and thanks to many of you who are supporting the genre by attending Asian American film festivals around the country and buying tickets to films by Asian Americans and Asian international films.  It is no secret, that Hollywood pays attention when we buy tickets at the box office.  But, we need to continue our efforts and in fact, increase them even more so. 

Last year, we saw many Asian American directors with films at the box office and thanks to you some stayed longer than one weekend.  For this year, more will be on the way - so we challenge all of you to turn it up in 2007 and truly support Asian American and Asian international cinema at the box office. 

We say it all the time that the color in Hollywood is not black, white, brown, yellow - but GREEN.  So, go out and vote for yourself at the box office by seeing a film by our own people.  Make your statement and support Asian American cinema and Asian international cinema!!!

The APA FIRST WEEKEND FILM CLUB is a bi-weekly email newsletter that is designed to share and inform those of you who are into Asian American and Asian international cinmea.  We try to bring you the latest news about Asian films and film events opening in the US. 

Our subscription has now risen from 350 subscribers back in 2000 to now over 12,500!  For those of you if this is your first time and someone has shared this with you - you can subscribe yourself by sending us an email at apafirstweekend@... and in the subject write "subscribe."  We also reprint the newsletter on www.asianamericanfilm.com

Also, we must apologize if you are getting this more than one time, but we have found that many of you are sharing this newsletter with your friends and there are list serves that are also distributing the newsletter.  So, we apologize in advance if you get this more than once!

REMINDER:  THIS MAY GET LONG - SO YOU MAY WANT TO PRINT IT OUT!

THIS WEEK:
This is always an exciting time of the year for Asian American cinema as this weekend kicks off the San Francisco International Asian Film Festival presented by the Center for Asian American Media - formerly NAATA.  In addition, there are a number of Asian American and Asian international films in theaters and coming up.  From MIRA NAIR'S THE NAMESAKE starring KAL PENN to JOURNEY FROM THE FALL - a film by HAM TRAN to monsters in South Korea doing backflips off bridges to 300 Spartans clad in black briefs and boots, there is something for everyone at the cinemas.

Here we go - this is what is happening this week !!!

1.  MIIRA NAIR'S "THE NAMESAKE" STARRING KAL PENN - OPENS WIDER THIS WEEKEND
2.  MARCH 23!!! HAM TRAN'S "JOURNEY FROM THE FALL" OPENS NY, LA, SAN JOSE
3.  SOUTH KOREA'S ALL TIME BOX OFFICE WINNER "THE HOST" HITS THE US
4.  THE SF INTERNATIONAL ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS THIS WEEKEND WITH JUSTIN LIN'S FINISHING THE GAME
5.  CALENDAR OF "BOLLYWOOD" FILMS TO HIT THE US
6.  OTHER
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1.  MIIRA NAIR'S "THE NAMESAKE" STARRING KAL PENN - OPENS WIDER THIS WEEKEND
Mira Nair's "THE NAMESAKE" starring our favorite KAL PENN opened last week to one of the most outstanding first weekend box office numbers this year at $42,000 per screen!  Hello!  The film is no less than outstanding ( as it would be from Mira Nair ) and it is so good to see Kal Penn in something more dramatic.  Don't get me wrong - we love KUMAR from HAROLD AND KUMAR - but it sure is nice to see KAL carry a good dramatic no goofy role.  See below for more info and theaters.  This is one definitely to see this weekend! 

Mira Nair’s THE NAMESAKE

NOW PLAYING at:
NYC: Angelika Film Center; Paris Theatre
LA: Laemmle Santa Monica; Arclight Hollywood
SF: Embarcadero Center Cinema
Toronto: Cineplex Odeon Varsity Cinema
 
OPENS THIS FRIDAY MARCH 16 at:
DC: AMC Georgetown 14; Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema
Boston: AMC Loews Harvard Square; Coolidge Corner Theater
Philadelphia: Ritz Five; Ritz 16 in Voorhees NJ
Chicago: Century Centre Cinema; Century Cine Arts in Evanston
So Cal: AMC Century City 15; Regal UTC in Irvine; Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena; Pacific Galleria Stadium in Sherman Oaks
Bay Area: Century CineArts @ Santana Row in San Jose; Century CineArts @ Palo Alto; Regal Stonestown in SF; Landmark Albany Cinema; Century CineArts @ Pleasant Hill; Rafael Film Center in San Rafael; Rialto Cinemas Lakeside in Santa Rosa
Denver: Landmark Esquire
Seattle: AMC Uptown; Landmark Guild 45th
Vancouver: Park Theatre
NY: AMC Empire 25 in Manhattan; Kew Gardens Cinemas in Queens; BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn; Clearview Bronxville; Cinema Arts in Huntington; Malverne Cinemas; Avon Theatre in Stamford
Toronto: AMC Kennedy Commons in Scarborough; Empire Studio 10 in Mississauga

The film opens on Friday, March 23 in Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Montreal, Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego, and St. Louis.
THE NAMESAKE is the story of the Ganguli family whose move from Calcutta to New York evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. Though parents Ashoke and Ashima (Irrfan Khan, Tabu) long for the family and culture that enveloped them in India, they take great pride in the opportunities their sacrifices have afforded their children. Paradoxically, their son Gogol (Kal Penn) is torn between finding his own unique identity without losing his heritage. Even Gogol’s name represents the family’s journey into the unknown.  Helmed by the Academy Award®-nominated Mira Nair, THE NAMESAKE is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri.
 
“A spellbinding exploration of love and belonging” - Elle
“Thoroughly engaging, terrifically moving” - Premiere
“A glory on a huge colorful canvas” – Wall Street Journal

Watch the Trailer | Kal Penn’s Blog | Tickets and Showtimes
 
Don’t be sold out.  Get your tickets to THE NAMESAKE in advance!

2.  MARCH 23!!! HAM TRAN'S "JOURNEY FROM THE FALL" OPENS NY, LA, SAN JOSE
YES, APA FIRST WEEKENDERS - Ham Tran's long awaited critically acclaimed 'JOURNEY FROM THE FALL" comes to the big screen through IMAGINASIAN PICTURES next weekend.  This is a critical weekeknd for this fantastic film - if it does well this weekend - it will go to more theaters and cities.  Below is a list of cities and dates and theaters.  Check out the roll out plan - it's pretty limited right now - but if it does well on opening weekend in every city, then it will expand to other cities.  In LOS ANGELESk, it will only play in ORANGE COUNTY the first weekend.  In the SF Bay Area, it opens first in SAN JOSE and then on April 20 in SAN FRANCISCO.  So, get out and see this great film from a very talented director and see what your friends who caught it at our Asian American film festivals and at Sundance are all raving about.  website:  journeyfromthefall.com

3/23/2007
SAN JOSE, CA: Camera 12
Click here to purchase tickets.
NEW YORK, NY: The ImaginAsian
Click here to purchase tickets.

GARDEN GROVE, CA: Regal Garden Grove Stadium 16
WESTMINSTER, CA: Edwards Westminster 10
Click here to purchase tickets
3/30/2007
HOUSTON, TX: Cinemark Tinseltown Westchase
Click here to purchase tickets.
DALLAS (GARLAND), TX: Cinemark Hollywood USA Movies 15
Click here to purchase tickets.
DALLAS (GRAND PRAIRIE), TX: Cinemark Movies 16
Click here to purchase tickets.
4/20/2007
CHICAGO (EVANSTON), IL: Century 12 Evanston/CinéArts 6
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: 4 Star Theatre
More theaters and cities will be added over the next few weeks - check back here often to see when Journey from the Fall will be coming to a theater near you.
For group sales (10 or more tickets), please send an email to journeytix@....
www.filmratings.com  |  www.parentalguide.org
3.  SOUTH KOREA'S ALL TIME BOX OFFICE WINNER "THE HOST" HITS THE US
Some of you have been waiting for this film to hit the screens and now it is here.  THE HOST from South Korea has been one of this year's most anticipated films since it debuted at last year's Cannes Film Festival and wowed audiences in the south of France.  It went on to win more fans at Toronto Film Fest and now courtesy of Magnolia Pictures, it is here in the US.  Loads of fun and a true monster movie.  Short premise:  US lab people keep dumping toxic waste into the South Korean waters for years - only to grow a "creature' of large proportions who decides one spring day to come up from the waters and try to gobble everything in its path.  Good performances and a very capable "creature' make THE HOST one of the best "monster" movies ever.  Whatever happened to that genre - sure we have horror - but this is straight up "monster."  Think "Creature from the Black Lagoon" but set in South Korea.  Come see what everyone is talking about.

4.  THE SF INTERNATIONAL ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS THIS WEEKEND WITH JUSTIN LIN'S FINISHING THE GAME
Mad props to the Center for Asian American Media in SF (formerly NAATA) for a great opening night with JUSTIN LIN's  "FINISHING THE GAME." 
Even MC HAMMER made an appearance along with his fellow cast members ROGER FAN, SUNG KANG, DUSTIN NGUYEN, LEONARDO NAM, BRIAN TEE, MEREDITH LYNN SCOTT,  MCCALEB BURNETT, MOUSA KRAISH and JIMMY LIN showed out with director Justin Lin and his producers Julie Asato, Sal Gatdula, and Evan Leong to present the SF premiere of Justin's Sundance hit.  Great evening!  And the line up this week is outstanding including:

THE TROUBLE WITH ROMANCE - GENE RHEE (starring Roger Fan)
UNDOING - CHRIS CHAN LEE (starring SUNG KANG, LEONARDO NAM, RUSSELL WONG, KELLY HU)
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE - ARTHUR DONG
SUMMER PALACE - LOU YE
KING AND THE CLOWN  - LEE JUN IK
EXILED - JOHNNIE TO
SING ALONG FLOWER DRUM SONG - YAYYY
AMERICAN ZOMBIE - GRACE LEE
AMERICAN PASTIME - DESMOND NAKANO
THE MISTRESS OF SPICES - PAUL BERGES
TRE - ERIC BYLER

AND AN AFTERNOON WITH SPENCER NAKASAKO
check out the calendar - http://www.asianamericanfilmfestival.org/2007/films-events/schedule/#d20070317

5.  CALENDAR OF "BOLLYWOOD" FILMS TO HIT THE US
Thanks to Box Office Guru.com  - mark your calendars:

Title: “Ta Ra Rum Pum”
Release Date: April 27
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee
Genre: Action drama filmed in NYC
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
Distributor: Yash Raj Films
Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada
 
Title: “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom”
Release Date: June 15
Director: Shaad Ali
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Lara Dutta, and Amitabh Bachchan
Genre: Drama
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
Distributor: Yash Raj Films
Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada
 
Title: “Chak De India”
Release Date: August 10
Director: Shimit Amin
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan and Vidya Mallavde
Genre: Drama
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
Distributor: Yash Raj Films
Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada
  
Title: “Laaga Chunari Mein Daag”
Release Date: October 12
Director: Pradeep Sarkar
Cast: Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Konkona Sen Sharma, Abhishek Bachchan
Genre: Romantic drama
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
Distributor: Yash Raj Films
Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada
 
Title: “Aaja Nachle”
Release Date: November 30
Director: Anil Mehta
Cast: Madhuri Dixit
Genre: Drama
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
Distributor: Yash Raj Films
Release Pattern: Top 20 markets in US/Canada
 
6.  OTHER
* MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FOLLOWING ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVALS COMING UP
SAN FRANCISCO ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - NOW
CHICAGO ASIAN SHOWCASE - APRIL
LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL - MAY
SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL - OCTOBER
HAWAII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - OCTOBER

*"THE MOTEL" AND "RED DOORS"
DVDS are out now - pick yours up and have a DVD party.

THAT'S IT FOR NOW - GO OUT AND SEE A MOVIE... NOW...

PEACE,

APA FIRST WEEKEND

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