“CICADA” and “The Road to Fame” Take Top Honors at the 30th Anniversary Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
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- Category: Entertainment News
- Published on Friday, 09 May 2014 05:58
(Los Angeles, CA) The 2014 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) produced by Visual Communications celebrated the closing night of their 30th Anniversary edition on Thursday night with a private awards ceremony for the competition films, and the US premiere screening of FINAL RECIPE; a foodie romantic drama from Thailand, directed by Sundance alum Gina Kim and starring Michelle Yeoh (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) and Henry Lau (of noted K-pop group Super Junior M).
Director Dean Yamada was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature for his feature debut CICADA, having previously won the Golden Reel Award for his short narrative film, JITENSHA (Festival 2010). The Festival's Best Director Award went to Ham Tran (also a past Golden Reel Award winner for THE ANNIVERSARY, Festival 2003) for his romantic comedy, HOW TO FIGHT IN SIX INCH HEELS.
Additional Narrative Feature awards given out this evening are as follows:
Best Screenplay to J.P. Chan and his film, A PICTURE OF YOU. Actor Nikohl Boosheri was awarded Best Actor for her role as 'Farah' in Meera Menon's FARAH GOES BANG. And BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY went to Robert Lam for his work on Steven Kung's film, A LEADING MAN.
In the documentary competition, director Hao Wu received the Grand Jury Prize for his film, THE ROAD TO FAME. The film also received the Best Editor Award, presented to Hao Wu and Jean Tsien.
Best Director was awarded to Ursula Liang for her sports-minded documentary, 9-MAN. Best Cinematography went Esy Casey and Sarah Friedland for JEEPNEY. A Special Jury Award was presented to director Dianne Fukami and Eli Olson, for their film STORIES FROM TOHOKU.
This year, the LAAPFF presented over 140 short films from directors across the globe. The dramatic and elegantly executed ABOVE THE SEA from Keola Racela received the Golden Reel Award, while Arnold Arre was honored with the Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award for his animated work MILKYBOY.
Rounding out the event was the presentation of the Project Catalyst Award. This is a program designed to recognize new projects with $1,500 cash and $65,000 in post-production services by Tunnel Post for the best pitch. This year the Project Catalyst Grand Jury Prize went to Abel Vang and Burlee Vang, for their stirring project, THE TIGER'S CHILD. The screenplay won the Nicholls Screenwriting Fellowship Award in 2011. Honorable mention was given to Stephane Gauger and Feodor Chin for their project, CHINATOWN SQUAD.
Audience Awards for Best Narrative and Documentary Features will be announced on the Festival's website on May 12, after all screenings are balloted and counted.
The 2014 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival kicked off on May 1 with the LA premiere of TO BE TAKEI, directed by Jennifer M. Kroot and produced by Gerry Kim and Mayuran Tiruchelvam. Since opening night, LAAPFF has screened at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood, the CGV Cinemas in Koreatown, and at the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) in Little Tokyo.
Expanding outside of Los Angeles and Hollywood, Visual Communications will continue reaching out to audiences in the South Bay with the annual LAAPFF presence in Long Beach. A program of feature films and shorts has been selected to screen during the Closing Weekend of the Festival onSaturday, May 10 at the historic Art Theatre of Long Beach. It will be a chance to see Film Festival award-winners and curated films from Pacific Islander, Filipino and Cambodian communities. This year's Festival in Long Beach will include: a twin-bill screening of new features from Pacific Islanders in Communications, FAMILY INGREDIENTS by Ty Sanga and HULA: MERRIE MONARCH'S GOLDEN CELEBRATION by Roland Yamamoto; Angela Sun's PLASTIC PARADE: THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH; Masashiro Sugano's CAMBODIAN SON; and Joel Quizon's THE COTABATO SESSIONS.
And, the Festival's Encore Weekend in Little Tokyo will be anchored by the Los Angeles Premiere screening of Marissa Aroy's DELANO MANONGS: FORGOTTEN HEROES OF THE UNITED FARM WORKERS MOVEMENT, and a special "return-engagement" of AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, directed by long-time Festival fave Grace Lee. For program information, a complete listing of sponsors and partners, and to purchase tickets, log on towww.vconline.org/festival or contact Visual Communications at (213) 680-4462 x59.
The 2014 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is sponsored by:
PLATINUM: Directors Guild of America; NBC Universal / Comcast GOLD: Wells Fargo; BRONZE: Creative DCP; SAG/Indie; STAR: Friends Doing Good; The Famous Group; SAG/AFTRA; Tunnel Post; Union Bank; Writers Guild of America/west; RECEPTION: Ketel One; Stella Artois; IN-KIND: Bruce Cost Ginger Ale; Far Bar; FestPro; Creative Floral Designs; Final Draft, Inc.; Glico/Pocky; IKON Office Supplies; Molla Space; Movie Magic; Telepath Corporation; Uber; Volary Media; GOVERNMENT SUPPORT: Los Angeles County Arts Commission; Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; California Arts Council; FOUNDATION SUPPORT: The James Irvine Foundation; California Community Foundation; Sony Pictures Entertainment; Weingart Foundation.
The Film Festival's Venue Sponsors include: Directors Guild of America, CGV Cinemas, Japanese American National Museum, and the Art Theatre of Long Beach. Media Sponsors for the 2014 Film Festival include: AngryAsianman.com; KPFK-FM; LA-18 KSCI-TV; LA Weekly; MYX TV; Variety 411; Yelp.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL:
Visual Communications (VC), the nation's premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, announced its program of outstanding films for the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) beginning May 1- 11, 2014 at the Director's Guild of America (DGA), CGV Cinemas located in Koreatown, the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at JANM in Little Tokyo, and the historic Art Theatre of Long Beach.
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LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL 2014
AWARDS
SHORT FILM AWARDS
GOLDEN REEL
ABOVE THE SEA – Keola Racela
LINDA MABALOT NEW DIRECTORS/NEW VISIONS
MILKYBOY – Arnold Arre
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM AWARDS
GRAND JURY AWARD
THE ROAD TO FAME – Hao Wu (Dir.)
BEST DIRECTOR
9-MAN - Ursula Liang
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
JEEPNEY - Esy Casey & Sarah Friedland
BEST EDITOR
THE ROAD TO FAME – Hao Wu & Jean Tsien
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
STORIES FROM TOHOKU – Dianne Fukami & Eli Olson
NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM AWARDS
GRAND JURY AWARD
CICADA – Dean Yamada
BEST DIRECTOR
HOW TO FIGHT IN SIX INCH HEELS – Ham Tran
BEST SCREENPLAY
A PICTURE OF YOU – J.P. Chan
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
A LEADING MAN - Robert Lam
BEST ACTOR
FARAH GOES BANG - Nikohl Boosheri
PROJECT CATALYST AWARDS
BEST PROJECT
THE TIGER'S CHILD – Abel Vang & Burlee Vang
HONORABLE MENTION
CHINATOWN SQUAD – Stephane Gauger & Feodor Chin
FILM STILLS / FILM WINNERS:
