Slant Volume 1 is a collection of short films culled from seven years of Aurora Picture Show's annual Slant: Bold Asian American Images festival, which showcases the best in emerging Asian American cinema. Distributed through Microcinema International, the DVD features some of the coolest, most creative and provocative works I've seen throughout the years, including:
1. How to do the Asian Squat by Daniel Hsia
2. Lilo and Me by Kip Fulbeck
3. Maritess vs the Superfriends by Dino Ignacio
4. A Little Bit Different by Lynn Okimura
5. Profiles in Science by Wes Kim
6. I Pie (A Love Store) by Nobu Adilman
7. How to Make Kimchi According to My Kun-Uma by Samuel Kiehoon Lee
8. Slip of the Tongue by Karen Lum
You may have seen some of the pieces on the internet somewhere. That's cool. I think this is a must-have disc for any Asian American cinephile's collection. The DVD is available at Amazon.com
and the usual online retailers. For more information on Slant Volume 1, go here, view the trailer here, visit the MySpace page here, and the Facebook video here.I love short films. Through my involvement with various Asian American film festivals, I get to see a lot of short films, and I always try to encourage people to check out a short program or two. It's opportunity to uncover some real cinematic gems, and a great place to check out the work of talented, up-and-coming filmmakers. Unfortunately, after most short films work their way through the film festival circuit, they've got nowhere else to go, and they end up a distant memory on somebody's resume. That's why it's so cool to see a compilation like Slant. The short films live on! To be enjoyed and consumed by future audiences everywhere...
And for those of you in Houston, be sure to check out SLANT 8: Bold Asian American Images, happening later this month, May 30-June 1 at the Aurora Picture Show. Learn more about it here and go the Facebook page here.