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The boxing film genre is a time-honored staple of American cinema. There’s something about the agony and triumph in this particular sports genre that taps into the heart of the American spirit. Despite this, boxing films starring Asian or Pacific Islander Americans actors are virtually non-existent. Dir. Gerry Maravilla wants to change that. He’s commenced a crowd funding campaign for his upcoming short film, Cross, on the Seed and Spark platform. Cross portrays the life of a Filipino American (Jason S. Mordeno) as he struggles to pay his mother’s ever accumulating medical expenses. With his family and dreams of becoming a professional fighter on the line, he ventures into the lawless underbelly of San Fernando’s Valley’s backyard boxing. Maravilla is a San Fernando Valley native and Giant Robot previously featured his music videos on its website. He agrees with the long held grievance that Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are underrepresented in the media and hopes his short film will serve as stepping stone towards more progress on this frontier. Other cast and crew include B. Rich Adams as executive producer; Melanie DiPietro and Leo Oliva as producers; and Caitlin Kelly as the script supervisor. Although the script and production plans are already completed, its crowd funding is still far from finished. As of August 8th, its goal of $15,000 is still 40% complete. But there’s still time! You can donate here on the film’s Seed and Spark page. Television and radio personality Manny Streetz of 102.7 KISS-FM has thrown his support behind the project. More recently, Actress Bai Ling (The Crow, Crank: High Voltage) lent her support for Cross. Cross in this rendition is a short film being prepared to shown to financiers and investors. Upon its completion, its producers will submit to film festivals across the country before it reaches online distribution. Backers who support the film at a certain level will receive the added benefit of a digital copy and/or a private streaming video. Once its festival circuit has completed, it will be readily available for anyone and everyone on Seed and Spark’s webpage. The finished product will be used to pitch and acquire further financing towards a feature length film. Hurry up and donate to cinematic history in the making! For more information about Cross follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or visit their Seed and Spark page. You can follow Gerry Maravilla and Jason S. Mordeno on Twitter through @gerrymaravilla and @j_sm__. Their Seed and Spark crowdfunding campaign ends on August 17th, 2014. You can also meet Maravilla and Mordeno at a meeting for “#WeOwnThe8Th,” a communal gathering for Asian American Pacific Islander artists and entrepreneurs and other like-minded individuals. It’s open to all those who wish to attend. (It’s a potluck, so feel free to bring food or drinks to share with other attendees). The Address is: #WeOwnThe8th Meeting Friday, August 8th at 7:00 PM The Great Company 1917 Bay St., Los Angeles, CA
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NPR interviews Justin Lin. He does address Asian American issues. Fast and Furious 6 opens tomorrow. Listen to it here. He also talks about some of his previous work.
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Thanks DJ Tony Jr!
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14th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival – Asian Showcase! All on April 29th. The Asian Showcase will feature the Regional Premieres of Key of Life as the Japanese Spotlight, A Werewolf Boy as the Korean Spotlight, and One Mile Above as the Chinese Spotlight. Key of Life is a highly comedic tale of a down-and-out actor who decides to take over someone else’s life — only to find himself filling the shoes of an elite assassin. The mega-blockbuster from Korea, A Werewolf Boy, follows an elderly South Korean woman as she reflects on the time when her family took in a feral boy whose fierce loyalty resulted in a painful sacrifice. The film stars, Song Joong-Ki, Park Bo-young, and Yoo Yeon-seok. The multi-award winning film, One Mile Above, is the inspiring and true tale of a young man who picks up his late brother’s challenge of cycling to the highest point in Tibet. The emotional power of the film is matched by the stunning beauty of the Tibetan landscape. 7:15 p.m. – Key of Life (Kagi-Dorobo no Method) (2012, Japan, 128 min) 7:30 p.m. – A Werewolf Boy (Neuk-dae-so-nyeon) (2012, Korea, 122 min) 8:00 p.m. – One Mile Above (Kora) (2012, China, 90 min) 10:00 p.m. – Post Screening Gala (Fashion Island, Newport Beach)
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Perhaps one of the foremost scholars on Japanese Cinema, Donald Richie passed away at 88. He was one of the early proponents of Kurosawa outside of Japan. (NY Times – Donald Richie)
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