Schedule & Sypnosis
Premiere Night Gala & Trailer Screenings
Oct 5 / 6:30 pm / Mercer University Atlanta - Cecil B. Davis Auditorium
A red-carpet event featuring the various Asian Pacific artists, business leaders, and community representatives. A night not to be missed ~ coupled with introduction of this year's film selection and colorful cultural performance. Guests will be treated to unique cuisines from leading Asian Pacific restaurants in metro Atlanta.
Admission (including All Access Pass): $45.00
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Peacock (Kong que)
China, 2005
Director: Gu Changwei
The story is set in the 1970s in a small town in China. A middle aged couple has three children. The eldest son is obese and mentally challenged, therefore he is teased and outcasted by others. The second child is an outgoing and energetic daughter, who is not afraid of doing anything to pursue her dreams or to survive. The youngest child is a shy and quiet boy who is ashamed by his older brother and tries to break away from the misery in his family. Breaking into three sections focusing on each of these siblings, the film allows us to look into the lives of ordinary Chinese people in the 70s.
Although other glamorous big budget costume epics have grabbed headlines with their preening and posturing, arguably one of the most significant films to come from China in recent years has in fact been “Peacock”, a quiet, low budget character driven drama which managed a massive 30 million receipts at the domestic box office. Unlike many other Chinese cinematic exports, “Peacock” also enjoyed considerable success with critics around the world, winning the Silver Bear prize at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival. The film marks the directorial debut of Gu Changwei, who previously served as cinematographer on a number of notable features, including Zhang Yimou’s “Red Sorghum” and Chen Kaige’s “Farewell my Concubine”.
Screening: Oct 6/Saturday 5:00 pm Kennesaw State University
Oct 9/Tuesday 3:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College - Clarkston
Oct 11/Thursday 3:00pm Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody
Triad Election
Hong Kong, 2006
Director: Johnny To
The rise of a new regime to power in Hong Kong's criminal underworld -- marked by arrogant dictatorship, violent double-crossings, brutal power plays and corrosive greed -- is portrayed with chilling perfection in Johnny To's hit sequel to Election.
Jimmy (Louis Koo, a current superstar of Hong Kong cinema) is in the running for the coveted post of Triad president (aka/head of the Hong Kong mob). He faces resistance from his "godfather"? Lok (Simon Yam), who has served his two-year term but makes an increasingly desperate effort to throw tradition to the winds and maintain his position. As the power plays escalate, so does the violence...not to mention the virtuosity of director Johnnie To (Breaking News, The Mission), who creates one spectacular set piece after another: A nerve-shredding game of hide and seek in an outdoor restaurant, a shocking interrogation scene involving butcher’s knives and ravenous dogs that is strictly for the stout-hearted, and a genuinely tragic conclusion. To is working deep within the traditions of the gangster genre, but he’s also given Triad Election a genuinely political edge: In his dog-eat-dog vision, the body of free-market expansion beats with a savage heart.
Screening: Oct 6/Saturday 2:00 pm Kennesaw State University
Oct 7/Sunday 4:00 pm Mercer University Atlanta
Love To Share / Berbagi Suami
Indonesia, 2006
Director: Nia Dinata
This is a film about polygamy in modern Indonesia , the largest Muslim country in the world. It is a film about three women from three different social classes and ethnic backgrounds, conveying their passages in dealing with polygamy: sharing a husband’s love and attention with several other women. The film reveals their troubles and internal conflicts. In their course of finding the answers to their problems, sometimes they meet with each other without even realizing that they share a similar story.
Screening: Oct 7 / Sunday 2:00 pm Mercer University Atlanta
Kidnapper
Japan, 2006
Director: Setsurou Wakamatsu
(c) "Kidnapper" Film Partners
17-year old Masato, who was kidnapped as an infant and returned to his parents, grows up as an only child in an affluent home. Seemingly, he has everything he needs, but in fact, Masato’s life is a constant battle in a loveless relationship with his mother. To help himself cope, Masato comes to believe that the woman who kidnapped him 17 years ago is his “real mother” and embarks on a journey to find her...
His journey brings him to Okinawa where he is reunited with Aiko - his “real mother”, who is running a small restaurant on the beach. Without revealing his past, Masato moves in as a part-time helper. Aiko is guarded and unwilling to open herself up to Masato, but eventually, his hard work and persistent efforts to win her favor begin to break down the barriers... and there begins a poignant love story, blurring the boundaries between “mother and son” and “lovers”...
After a six year hiatus since his mega-hit “White Out”, Director Setsurou Wakamatsu brings the novel of award winning author, Yoshinaga Fujita, to the screen! The film features Yasuko Matsuyuki who has appeared in numerous TV commercials and dramas as well as high profile films including “Kogitsune Helen” (2004) and “HULA GIRLS” (2006). It also features Tasuku Emoto, whose unique aura has garnered attention since his debut in “A Boy’s Summer in 1945”, Veteran actors Susumu Terajima and Kimiko Yo round out the all-star cast, as they weave a take of passionate, heartrending love.
Screening: Oct 6/Saturday 4:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody
Tuli
Philippines, 2006
Director: Auraeus Solito
A child’s hands are plucking leaves; an adult’s hands are sharpening a stake. On the banks of a creek, a village mangtutuli is preparing to circumcise a group of young boys while Daisy, his daughter and reluctant assistant, gathers painkilling guava leaves for the boys to chew during the rite. Tuli is a fable of tradition and nonconformity set against the lush colors of the Filipino countryside. In the remote village where Daisy lives with her parents, the gritty realities of life are overlaid with Catholic rites, mysticism and romanticism. Magic talismans are passed from generation to generation, Lent is commemorated with flagellant processions, and young men court girls with evening serenades. Daisy’s father, however, is drunk and abusive, and she grows into a sharp-tongued, angry and skeptical young woman whose plans don’t include marrying the boy her father has chosen for her. Director Auraeus Solito captures the beauty of the Philippines without glossing over the sordidness, narrowness or personal tragedies of small town life. This is a story about misfits—Daisy, her amorous best friend Botchok and the gentle, uncircumcised Nanding—finding their place in a community that may take some convincing to make room for them.
Auraeus Solito’s first feature film, The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros, screened at Sundance in 2006 and went on to win 14 international awards, including 3 awards at the Berlin Intenational Film Festival. It is also nominated for best foreign film at the 2007 Independent Spirit Awards and is the Philippine entry for the 2007 Oscars. Tuli is Solito’s second feature; it won awards for best picture and best director at the CineManila Film Festival. Solito traces his roots to the indigenous Palaw’an islanders of South Palawan, Philippines.
Screening:
Oct 6/Saturday 5:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College – Clarkston
Oct 7/Sunday 3:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College - Dunwoody
The Host (Gwoemul)
Korea, 2006
Director: Bong Jun-Ho
Gang-Du has a daughter, Hyeon-Seo, in middle school and owns a small convenience stand along the peaceful Han River with his father. Hyeon-Seo is embarrassed at times due to her somewhat lacking father, and her peculiar family. However, her loving father secretly saves up coins in a ramen cup in order to replace her old beat-up cell phone with a new one. Until one day, on the usual tranquil Han River, a monster appears and begins trampling and attacking every person in sight. Gang-du grabs a hold of his daughter's hand to run from the bloody scene. Then, the monster quickly grabs Hyeon-Seo, disappearing into the Han River. The family mourns for Hyeon-Seo's death, but when they suddenly receive a call from her, they return to the Han River in hopes of rescuing her.
This is one of the most successful films in Korea's history – it hit theaters in the summer of 2006, attracting over 13,000,000 audience members.
This is a movie of a more-or-less comical family in a mixture of a heartbreaking drama, fantasy-thriller action film, that portrays a human-like monster, rather than Hollywood's CG glorified monsters. The Host has also succeeded in winning various international acclaims in a number of awards ceremonies. The movie won best picture, best film, and best special effects awards on March 20, 2007 at the 1st Asian Films Awards and Song Gang-Ho won an award for best actor, totaling 4 awards. The Host also received best director award at the 2007 27th Oporto International Film Festival.
Screening: Oct 6/Saturday 5:00 pm Mercer University Atlanta
Oct 10/Wednesday 7:00 pm Kennesaw State University
Majidee (15 mins. - Short Film)
Malaysia, 2005
Director: Azhaar Rudin
The camera follows a man walking from the Pudu Raya station to the Central Market, only to be joined by a stranger who engages him in a conversation as circuitous as the route they take. – UCLA Asia Institute.
Two men meet in transit from Kuala Lumpur’s Puduraya to a train station. Can there be trust between strangers?
Screening: Oct 6/Saturday 5:00 pm Mercer University Atlanta
Oct 7/Sunday 3:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College-Dunwoody
15 (Shiwu)
Singapore, 2003
Director: Royston Tan
This ultra-kinetic film provides a fascinating window into a world rarely depicted on screen: the angst-ridden arena of adolescent boys in modern-day Singapore. This group of 15 year olds' only emotional connection to the world is through each other.
This film provides a fascinating window into a world rarely depicted on screen: the angst-ridden arena of adolescent boys in modern-day Singapore. Director Royston Tan shows us this cosmost from the inside out: employing music, montage, animation, fantasy, and a host of narrative styles to portray the frenetic, torturous, but strangely beautiful world shared by a group of 15 year olds whose only emotional connection to the world is through each other. His introductory voice-over says it all: ‘I only wanted to make a film of their lives, but in shooting it I’ve reconnected with a part of myself that I’d forgotten.’
Screening: Oct 8/Monday 3:00pm Georgia Perimeter College-Dunwoody
Oct 11/Thusrday 3:00pm Georgia Perimeter College-Clarkston
Bear Hug
Taiwan, 2004
Director: Wang Shaudi
Da-Jun is a 9-year old boy whose parents are divorced. He lives with his father who is too preoccupied with his job and his girlfriend (a butterfly-like movie star). Da-Jun's greatest moments are when his mother, a stewardess, finds time to visit him in between flights. This leaves Da-Jun mostly in the care of his cousin, Yi-Fen, a teen-age girl that hates to be bounded to him. Despite the rocky relationship, Yi-Fen is also the only one who understands that some kids have holes in their hearts. Like a cub that is sent into the wild by his own mother, the question becomes, can a boy really learn to stand on his own when his parents send him away?
Screening:
Oct 6/Saturday 1:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College-Dunwoody
Oct 7/Sunday 2:00 pm Kennesaw State University
Oct 8/Monday 3:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College-Clarkston
Ghost of Mae Nak
Thailand, 2006
Director: Mark Duffield
Mak and Nak, a young newlywed couple in Bangkok, purchase their first home only to find it's haunted by Mae Nak, a legendary Thai ghost. At first, Mae Nak protects the couple from unscrupulous real estate dealers, con-artist fortune tellers, and a pair of burglars. But it soon becomes apparent that the ghost expects a large favor in return, and the young bride must exhume the corpse of Mae Nak to finally put her spirit to rest.
There have been over 20 filmed versions of the Mae Nak story, dating all the way back to the silent era. It has even been staged as an opera. This version, from British first time director Mark Duffield, brings the story into the modern era. Rather than just another re-hashing of the legend (which is adequately explained in flashback for those unfamiliar with the story), we get a contemporary horror film complete with digital CGI effects (including a rather nasty encounter with a large pane of glass). Enjoy this latest entry from the burgeoning Thai horror genre, and get a bit of culture and history in the process.
Screening: Oct 6/Saturday 2:00 pm Mercer University Atlanta
Journey From The Fall
Vietnam, 2007
Director: Ham Tran
Journey follows the struggles of a particular Vietnamese family in the years after the Fall, as they deal with their traumatic displacement, and their efforts to reunite halfway across the world in Southern California.
It’s April 30th, 1975. Against his wife's wishes, Long Nguyen chooses to stay in Vietnam and fight for his beloved country. Knowing that his decision may separate him from his family forever, he asks his wife, Mai, to leave their homeland for safer shores. Together with her son and mother-in-law, Mai reluctantly boards a tiny fishing boat bound for America and they begin a perilous journey across the sea, with nothing but hope to keep them alive.
Meanwhile, as the city of Saigon falls under communist rule, Long is captured and imprisoned in a series of re-education camps. There, he endures solitary confinement and witnesses the death of his friends, spiraling him downwards into a deep despair. Believing his family is dead, Long's faith is revived when a mysterious visitor brings news of their survival in the new world. In one moment his fate becomes clear, and he sets in motion a dangerous plan to escape and join his family in freedom.
Journey From The Fall is the first major American film to dramatize the traumatic aftermath of the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective. During its premiere at the Pusan International Film Festival, Journey caught the eye of Sundance Film Festival Director, Geoffrey Gilmore prompting him to invite the film to screen at the world’s premiere film festival. Gorgeously shot in Thailand and Orange County, with showcase performances by Long Nguyen and legendary actress Kieu Chinh, Variety calls Journey an “impressive undertaking that is frequently enthralling.”
As new generations mature, and old memories fade, Journey is a dedication to the millions of Vietnamese boat people and survivors of the communist re-education camps. It is also a tribute to the tenacity and resiliency of the Vietnamese people. This is their story.
Screening: Oct 6/Saturday 3:00 pm Georgia Perimeter College-Clarkston
Oct 7/Sunday 5:00 pm Kennesaw State University