big fat dvd giveaway

Earlier this year, Toyota launched a website dedicated to Asian American cinema, The Director's Chair, as part of a national push to promote its 2009 Matrix wagon at Asian American film festivals: Toyota Markets Matrix At Asian-American Film Festival.

The site kicked off with some promise, featuring a handful of interviews and features, but then just kind of sat there for a while, untouched. I was pleased when the finally updated the site with a lot more interesting content, including interviews and videos, just in time for the Asian American International Film Festival in NYC: The All-New 2009 Toyota Matrix Takes Asian American Films for a Test Drive. (The interviews are conducted by Giant Robot's Eric Nakamura.)

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I'm bummed that I couldn't make it out to AAIFF this year. As a consolation, I want to make one of you readers out there happy with some free stuff. Because I love Asian American cinema, and I love giving stuff away. And because I need to clean out my closet.

One lucky reader will receive a gigantic DVD prize pack of recent Asian American film festival favorites: Justin Lin's Finishing the Game, Ham Tran's Journey From the Fall, Desmond Nakano's American Pastime, Chris Chan Lee's Undoing and Richard Wong's Colma: The Musical. Good stuff, right?

But that's not all. The prize pack will also include a huge, random assortment of (unopened) DVDs I've amassed over years, which includes some Jackie Chan movies, Asian horror and anime. Okay, basically, my DVD collection has grown too large, and I'm trying to get rid of my clutter. It can all be yours!

To enter for your chance to win, you'll have to do a little research, and answer the following questions:

1. In addition to numerous independent Asian American films, veteran filmmaker Wayne Wang has directed several big-budget Hollywood movies. Name the one starring Jennifer Lopez.

2. In what city did director Ron Morales shoot his debut feature Santa Mesa?

3. In addition to directing the indie drama Never Forever, Gina Kim has taught as a visiting lecturer at what ivy-league university. Name the school.

You can dig for answers in the interviews on The Director's Chair website. Email me your answers, along with your name and mailing address, by the end of Monday, July 21. Be sure to include "BIG FAT DVD GIVEAWAY" clearly written in the subject line. I'll throw all the correct entries in a hat, then pick one lucky winner. Good luck.