2015 Spring Showcase

5TH ANNUAL
SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
NON PROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE
PAID
SAN DIEGO CA
PERMIT #2029
PRINCESS JELLYFISH, PG. 11
APRIL 16-25, 2015
www.PacArts.org
A WEEK-LONG PRESENTATION OF ASIAN CINEMA
www.pac-arts.org
16 FILMS, 9 COUNTRIES
MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
On behalf of Pacific Arts Movement, it is our pleasure to present our 5th Annual Spring
Showcase, a week-long presentation of dynamic films from around the world.
From Polynesian warriors on the football field, teenage parenthood, and the search for
the perfect shoes to a suspenseful ride in the back of an Iranian taxi cab, this years slate
of films is brilliantly curated by our Artistic Director Brian Hu, and it includes Cinema
Caption:
Executive
Lee
and actor
Takei
at the 2014 Spring
Little
Saigon - aDirector
tribute to
theAnn
40thKim
Anniversary
of George
the Fall of
Saigon.
In addition to our Spring Showcase, we invite you to join us year-round for other programs
including our annual Asian culinary celebration - Chew the Scene on October 1, and the
San Diego Asian Film Festival, which celebrates its 16th season this year, November 5-14.
We believe that film has the power to entertain, inspire, and build a compassionate
society. Join us, and be part of our Movement.
LEE ANN KIM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Schedule & Tickets..................................................3
Films ....................................................................... 4-12
Cinema Little Saigon ........................................ 6-8
Sponsors ................................................................... 13
Membership ............................................................. 15
SCHEDULE & TICKET INFORMATION

ULTRASTAR HAZARD CENTER
Thursday
APRIL
6:30PM
7:15PM
8:30PM
7510 HAZARD CENTER DRIVE
In Football We Trust (USA) p4

16
Friday
APRIL
APRIL
18
Sunday
APRIL
19
APRIL
4:40PM
6:30PM
8:45PM
Today (Iran) p12

Gentle (Vietnam, USA) p9
The Taking of Tiger Mountain
(China, HK) p12
4:30PM
6:25PM
8:15PM
Margarita, With a Straw (India) p10

Today (Iran) p12
Princess Jellyfish (Japan) p11
6:25PM
8:55PM
My Brilliant Life (South Korea) p11

Mystery Kung Fu Theater
6:30PM
8:30PM
Top Spin (USA) p5

TBA
20
6:20PM
8:35PM
Mariquina (Philippines) p10

Princess Jellyfish (Japan) p11
17
Saturday
Monday
Tuesday
APRIL
21
1:00PM
3:10PM
5:20PM
7:50PM
Giovannis Island (Japan) p9

Margarita, With a Straw (India) p10
My Brilliant Life (South Korea) p11
The Taking of Tiger Mountain
(China, HK) p12
1:00PM
Catfish in Black Bean Sauce

(USA) p7
All That Glitters: 2 Short Docs p7
Oh, Saigon (Vietnam, USA) p8
Journey from the Fall (USA) p8
3:25PM
4:55PM
6:55PM
HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL

6:30PM
Wednesday
APRIL
22
Thursday
APRIL
23
APRIL 24-25
4474 EL CAJON BLVD
Oh, Saigon (Vietnam, USA) p8
Saturday
4:00PM
APRIL
APRIL
6:30PM
24
25
Friday
APRIL 16-23
TICKET INFORMATION
Catfish in Black Bean Sauce

(USA) p7
Journey from the Fall (USA) p8
ALL-ACCESS PASS
Opening Night Film & Tailgate Party
Includes screening and a Tailgate Meal with Beverage

Vouchers not accepted opening night.
General
$22
Member
$19
Group 10+
$19/ticket
Film Only
$15
Film Only (member)
$12
General Admission
General
$12
Member
$9
Student/Senior/Military
$9
Group 10+
$9/ticket
The All-Access Pass

is the best way to
enjoy all the films
at the San Diego
Asian Film Festival
Spring Showcase!
FREE Screenings
Cinema Little Saigon - April 24-25 (Hoover High)
GENTLE - April 20th (free for members)
Tickets are avaible now at
Price
General
$100
Member
$65
pacarts.org
And at UltraStar Mission Valley box office starting April 11
CONTACT US: 619-400-591
info@pacarts.org
OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION
SPONSORS WE COULDNT DO IT WITHOUT YOU

SUSTAINING SPONSOR
PUBLIC SUPPORT
Pantone 137
OPENING NIGHT
Pantone 446
McGregor & Associates, Inc. Logomark

2-color: Orange PMS 137 and Grey PMS 446
Contact: Chris Josh 619-398-2828
SUPPORTING
CINEMA LITTLE SAIGON

Office of Councilmember
Marti Emerald
IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST
Thurs, April 16, 6:30pm, 7:15pm & 8:30pm,

UltraStar Mission Valley
Office of Councilmember
Scott Sherman
Director: Tony Vainuku, Erika Cohn

USA | 89 mins
Directors Scheduled to Attend
Glancing backfield, it looks so obvious. To slip
academically, and personally.
the bracing clutches of gang life. To escape the
With the dogged faith of its title, IN FOOTBALL WE
pummeling cycles of abuse and poverty. To provide
TRUST explores the sacrifices made in the name
for the half-dozen siblings cheering you on to
of family, as well as the motivating role of culture:
become more than the family has ever been before.
Polynesian traditions as well as street codes of
But looking downfield at the distant goal line comes
masculinity. Embedded throughout are interviews
the sting of expectation and the hard hits of life
with NFL icons like Troy Polamalu and Haloti Ngata
itself. The numbers arent devastating: Polynesian
who testify to the opportunity and the heartache of
Americans are 28 times more likely to enter the
the American dream.
MEDIA
OFFICIAL AIRLINES
OFFICIAL PRINTER
IN KIND
NFL than any other ethnic group. Which of course

makes the weight on ones shoulders that much
Opening night sponsored by:
heavier to shake off.
SPECIAL THANKS: Derryl Acosta, Joe Austin, Jonny Benavidez, Marisa Bermumen, Caitlin
Over the span of four years, documentarians Tony
George McGregor, Michael Heu, Tim Moon, Leo Morales, Alexander Nguyen, Frank Robinson,
Brewer, Steve Eldred, Marti Emerald, Dominic Gerace, Richard Go, Rodney & Lois Lanthorne,
Vainuku and Erika Cohn followed four Samoan
and Tongan American high schoolers with tough
shoulders and gridiron dreams. Talented Fihi
draws from faith and the example he can be to his
siblings. Brothers Leva and Vita live in the shadow
of a father whos both a local football legend and a
JOIN US FOR A TAILGATE PARTY
Michael Tu, Mark Tran, Miranda Ko & Jared Cui
BEFORE THE FILM
GENEROUSLY PRINTED BY
Ticket Options with Tailgate:
$22 General, $19 Member (includes food & drink)
notorious OG. And sensation Harvey, the top recruit
Film Only: $15 General, $12 Film Only (members)
in Utah, must decide where to land: professionally,
Vouchers not accepted

1313
CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION

FILMS
THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN 3D
Sat, April 18, 7:50pm, UltraStar Mission Valley
Mon, April 20, 8:45pm, UltraStar Mission Valley
Director: Tsui Hark
China, Hong Kong | 143 mins
There are movie bandits, and then there are Tsui Hark bandits. The former make for grand
political espionage, as they do in this post-war tale. The latter are devious, flamboyant
rabble-rousers, baddies named Hawk and have the nose to match. With Tsui at the cockpit,
THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN 3D flies headfirst into glorious b-film territory, where
adaptations of the classics come by way of CGI tigers fighting CGI horses, and set-pieces
skiing down hills and hanging off planes. Good guys wear bad masks to infiltrate places
called Tiger Mountain, and heroes fling themselves through fiery snow because they dont
just need to win, they demand immortality. The political maneuvering is intricate and death-
TOP SPIN
Director: Mina T. Son, Sara Newens
defying, as is Tsuis action direction, so brimming with virtuosity it demands two endings.
Thurs, April 23, 6:30pm,
USA | 80 mins
Directors Scheduled to Attend
Ariel Hsing, Lily Zhang, and Michael Landers
people magnificently juggling success and
TODAY
are ordinary teenagers except for the fact
school, self and competition, friendship and
that they are among the highest-ranked
mentorship. What makes TOP SPIN such a
Tues, April 21, 6:25pm, UltraStar Mission Valley
table tennis players in the nation. Their
smash to watch is how seamlessly it moves
Director: Reza Mirkarimi
parents too are everyday Bay Area Chinese
from suburban high school to world-class
Iran | 87 mins
immigrants or middle class New Yorkers
training facility: the very path navigated
except that they have the unique challenge
by Ariel, Lily, and Michael season after
Will you come in the reception with me? asks a pregnant Sedigheh to the taxi driver that
of seeing their children to the cusp of
season, carrying their Olympic dreams with
just took her to the hospital. Its an innocent question, but in a country where unwed women
world championship. Together, the families
the charisma and confidence of teenagers
cant attain prenatal care, it is a last-ditch plea for help. And so the taxi driver, who already
devise workout regiments and nurture
discovering who they can still be.
has a wife at home, is hailed to serve as a surrogate husband. The hours that follow are a
an environment for athletic and personal
gripping ethical thriller about the words a man can and cant say in front of a hospital staff of
growth.
women who have seen scenarios like this before. With a striking stylistic economy, director
Reza Mirkarimi masterfully portrays the wavering tension between fear and compassion
In a sport thats better associated with the
that erupts when we are hailed to empathize with every character in the film.
rec room than the Olympic stage, table

tennis affords little glamour, but as captured
in Mina T. Son and Sara Newens inspiring
documentary, requires a physical and mental
precision as strenuous as any athletes. But
beyond the sweat is the story of three young
12

FILMS
MY BRILLIANT LIFE
Wed, April 22, 6:25pm, UltraStar Mission Valley
Director: E J-yong
South Korea | 117 mins
Young lovers Dae-su and Mira didnt expect to have a baby at 17, and they certainly didnt
expect one like Ahreum, born with a rare affliction for rapid aging. 16 years later, husband
and wife, played with spunk by superstars Gang Dong-won and Song Hye-kyo, are still
frolicking and potty-mouthed, but theyre grounded by a precocious son much wiser than
they. Not surprisingly, Ahreum doesnt have many friends of any age group, but with his
parents hes bonded by the reality that they all have had to grow up too fast. With MY
BRILLIANT LIFE, director E J-yong delivers his warmest, most glowing film to date which
happens also to be a most unusual meditation on the experience of time and family. At its
On this years 40th anniversary of the Fall of
filmmakers have traced their own family and
core a light comedy and youth romance, MY BRILLIANT LIFE dwells not on misfortune but
on the rare opportunity to see that each others lives are miracles.
Saigon, there will be flag ceremonies, tributes
community histories, and projected bold
to heroes living and fallen, and flashbacks to
visions of the future. They refract memory
the critical events of April 30, 1975. But these
and experience through a number of creative
events must also remind us of the narratives
modes and genres: cross-cultural comedy,
PRINCESS JELLYFISH
that often go silent, namely those of refugees
historical epic, intimate drama, first-person
Fri, April 17, 8:35pm, UltraStar Mission Valley
who
documentary, experimental video.
are
now
Vietnamese
Americans,
participants in civic culture and neighbors
Director: Taisuke Kawamura
in areas like City Heights. Their narratives
This retrospective draws attention not only to
draw attention to the lived and ongoing
the classics of Vietnamese American cinema,
experience of displacement, narratives that
but to the neighborhoods that have inspired
represent Vietnamese Americans as lively,
these works, places like City Heights, where
desiring, and imaginative, and not simply as
part of the retrospective will be set. Hence
collateral damage or as confirmations of the
Cinema Little Saigon: like Chinatown as
American dream.
much a frame of mind as it is a geographic

designation, as much a well of cinematic
So this year, Pacific Arts Movement highlights
creativity and aspiration as it is a megaplex
those stories with Cinema Little Saigon,
or a community auditorium. Whatever the
a film retrospective that celebrates the
anniversary, this cinema measures its vitality
cinematic
through the communities its bridged, the
achievements
of
Vietnamese
American filmmakers, in particular those
audiences its awakened, and the artists it
whose films complicate the usual narrative
continues to inspire.
Japan | 126 mins
Five female otakus are too sheepish and antisocial to leave their geek haven Amamizukan,
let alone talk to boys. Luckily, when Tsukimi is forced to step into the outside world, her
accidental encounter is with the leggy beauty Kuranosuke, who wears beautiful dresses
and seductive OH NO Kuranosuke is a man!! What will Tsukimis otaku sisters think?
Amamizukan will crumble! But when their true threat comes in the form of evil politicians
set on demolishing Amamizukan in the name of development, the otakus realize they
must band together with Kuranosuke and make their voice heard. PRINCESS JELLYFISH is
a pop culture parade glittered with rainbow candy, where democracy is a fashion show and
gender is as gelatinous as jellyfish.
of refugee rescue and the great success of

6
a model minority. Since the 1990s, these

11
Page 2: COVER INSIDE About PacArts

(PacArts Logo)
www.pacarts.org
A weeklong presentation of Asian cinema

16 Films, 9 Countries
Image
5th ANNUAL SPRING SHOWCASE
APRIL 1625, 2014
CATFISH IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE
MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW
Sun, April 19, 1:00pm, UltraStar Mission Valley
Sat, April 25, 4:00pm, Hoover High School
Auditorium
Director: Shonali Bose
Director: Chi Muoi Lo
India | 100 mins
Page 1: COVER FRONT
FILMS
USA | 119 mins | 1999
(Size: 12" x 8.5 = 16 pages folded)
Bollywood standout Kalki Koechlin (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, SDAFF 13) breaks through
Since arriving in the United States as children, Vietnamese siblings Mai and Dwayne were
in a big way as star of the loveable indie MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW. Swerving away
raised by a black couple, and twenty years later, have found happiness in love and family.
from the arduous trappings of the disability tragedy, MARGARITA is about jumping into life
But when Mai locates their long-lost mother in Vietnam, the multi-racial family gets thrown
headfirst, from the music scene of Delhi to the hot-blooded streets of New York. Along the
into disarray with comic results. The Vietnamese refugee story gets a humorous spin by
way, Laila (Koechlin) makes friends with the disabled and the able-bodied, falls in love with
way of the 90s culture-clash family comedy courtesy of actor-director-writer Chi Muoi Lo
men and women, and charms with her smile and her comic proclivity for storming through
in this seminal Vietnamese American film.
Spring Showcase Booklet 2015
expectations of what life with cerebral palsy ought to be. Skillfully directed by Shonali Bose
as a jubilant tale of self-discovery, MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW is a cocktail shaker full of
passion and cheer.
ALL THAT GLITTERS:

TWO SHORT DOCUMENTARIES
Sun, April 19, 3:25pm,
MARIQUINA
Fri, April 17, 6:20pm, UltraStar Mission Valley
Director: Milo Sogueco
Philippines | 116 mins
Two short documentaries explore the uncanny ways Vietnamese see themselves in America
and vice-versa.
In the city of Marikina, Romeo Guevarra is remembered as a master shoemaker. To his
COVER GIRL: A GIFT FROM GOD
daughter Imelda though, his memory is tainted, now a fog of faded glory following her testy
Director: Nguyen Tan Hoang
adolescence and the steely determination of three women out to find happiness in spite of
USA | 17 mins | 2000
him. After Romeos death, Imelda revisits her relationship with her father and pays tribute to
Meet Dalena, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed American who flawlessly sings Vietnamese
him the best she can: through shoes, the only way the members of the Guevarra family ever
standards and becomes an international sensation.
seemed able to express themselves. Milo Soguecos MARIQUINA is a loving tribute to that
process of reconciliation, as well as a nostalgic tribute to craft the sort made by hands and
#NAILEDIT: VIETNAMESE & THE NAIL INDUSTRY
shaped by the heart. For a family and nation hardened by its missteps, MARIQUINA offers a
Director: Adele Pham
lyrical reprieve, a gift wrapped in a shoebox and a pop song for the journey ahead.
USA | 30 mins | 2015

With Hollywood on one side and the African American community on the other, Vietnamese
women corner the market on nail art.
10
FILMS
JOURNEY FROM THE FALL

GENTLE
Sat, April 25, 6:30pm, Hoover High School
Auditorium
Director: Le-Van Kiet
Director: Ham Tran
Vietnam, USA | 101 mins
USA | 135 mins | 2006

Based on the collective memories of refugees who experienced the fall of Saigon and its
FREE FOR MEMBERS! Dustin Nguyen (21 Jump Street, Fool for Love) plays a
aftermath, JOURNEY FROM THE FALL follows the 20-year story of a family separated: a
pensive pawnbroker whos not easily impressed, let alone by the grannies trying to hawk
wife, son, and mother sent off on a boat, and a husband left behind to survive a Communist
fake gold in his shop. That is, until he encounters a beautiful young regular whos even more
re-education camp. A rare epic of Asian American cinema, Ham Trans film bridges Vietnam
soft-spoken than he is. And so, with the cautious pragmatism of his profession, he strikes up
and the United States with a sweeping sense of history and culture, and more impressively,
a relationship. The two dont say much, but both seem to have something to hide: his guilt-
with the bottled emotions of a generation displaced.
ridden past, her own ideas of self-worth. Adapted from one of Dostoevskys best works,
GENTLE is a subtly unnerving exploration of a marriage haunted by a society that treats
women as commodities and that wavers, often eerily, between the pressures of religious
OH, SAIGON
and financial value.

Fri, April 24, 6:30pm, Hoover High School
Auditorium
Director: Doan Hoang
GIOVANNIS ISLAND
USA, Vietnam | 57 mins | 2007

Director: Mizuho Nishikubo
Director Scheduled to Attend
Japan | 102 mins
In this powerful personal documentary, director Doan Hoang turns the camera on her
family and the memories its suppressed for decades: that Doans parents left Doans half-
On the disputed island of Shikotan, war between Japan and the USSR didnt end after WWII.
sister behind in Vietnam, and that the family has cut ties with brothers who fought for the
But the ongoing clash doesnt keep 10-year-old Junpei and his young Russian neighbor
Communists. OH, SAIGON follows the family as they visit Vietnam for the first time in 20
Tanya from becoming fast friends. While the older generation plots to claim the island for
years and as two generations confront the resentments that have cleaved several ends of a
their respective nations, Tanya, Junpei, and his younger brother Kanta scout the island
family after war.
for their own emotional peace, cradled in young love, music, and the imagination. Often
compared to Studio Ghiblis Grave of the Fireflies, GIOVANNIS ISLAND captures the way
Preceded by: POMEGRANATE
kids cope with homes displaced and family removed, but with a gentle sprinkling of magic.
Dir: Ham Tran
The clean, elegant animation has a matter-of-fact realism, but its the pangs of familial and
USA | 14 min | 2001
romantic love that illuminate this forgotten history on the edge of the world.
Fading memories of a grandfather and a childhood on the other side of the ocean.

2015 Spring Showcase

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5TH ANNUAL

SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL

NON PROFIT ORG

PRINCESS JELLYFISH, PG. 11

APRIL 16-25, 2015

MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LEE ANN KIM

SCHEDULE & TICKET INFORMATION

7510 HAZARD CENTER DRIVE

In Football We Trust (USA) p4

Today (Iran) p12

Margarita, With a Straw (India) p10

My Brilliant Life (South Korea) p11

Top Spin (USA) p5

Mariquina (Philippines) p10

Giovannis Island (Japan) p9

Catfish in Black Bean Sauce

HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL

4474 EL CAJON BLVD

Oh, Saigon (Vietnam, USA) p8

Catfish in Black Bean Sauce

Opening Night Film & Tailgate Party

Includes screening and a Tailgate Meal with Beverage

Film Only (member)

The All-Access Pass

Tickets are avaible now at

And at UltraStar Mission Valley box office starting April 11

CONTACT US: 619-400-591

OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION

SPONSORS WE COULDNT DO IT WITHOUT YOU

McGregor & Associates, Inc. Logomark

CINEMA LITTLE SAIGON

Thurs, April 16, 6:30pm, 7:15pm & 8:30pm,

Director: Tony Vainuku, Erika Cohn

Glancing backfield, it looks so obvious. To slip

academically, and personally.

the bracing clutches of gang life. To escape the

With the dogged faith of its title, IN FOOTBALL WE

pummeling cycles of abuse and poverty. To provide

TRUST explores the sacrifices made in the name

for the half-dozen siblings cheering you on to

of family, as well as the motivating role of culture:

become more than the family has ever been before.

Polynesian traditions as well as street codes of

But looking downfield at the distant goal line comes

masculinity. Embedded throughout are interviews

the sting of expectation and the hard hits of life

with NFL icons like Troy Polamalu and Haloti Ngata

itself. The numbers arent devastating: Polynesian

who testify to the opportunity and the heartache of

Americans are 28 times more likely to enter the

the American dream.

NFL than any other ethnic group. Which of course

Opening night sponsored by:

heavier to shake off.

Over the span of four years, documentarians Tony

JOIN US FOR A TAILGATE PARTY

Michael Tu, Mark Tran, Miranda Ko & Jared Cui

BEFORE THE FILM

notorious OG. And sensation Harvey, the top recruit

Film Only: $15 General, $12 Film Only (members)

in Utah, must decide where to land: professionally,

Vouchers not accepted