If you're in Los Angeles, and you're a fan/supporter of Asian American cinema, I just wanted to make sure you heard about this awesome screening event happening this weekend as part of the ID Film Festival at the Japanese American National Museum. On Saturday, they'll be showing several key films from the "Class of 1997": Rea Tajiri's Strawberry Fields, Chris Chan Lee's Yellow, and Quentin Lee & Justin Lin's Shopping for Fangs. (Michael Aki and Eric Nakamura's Sunsets screened on Thursday night.)
I can't believe it's been twelve years since since Fangs first premiered. Immediately following the screening, they'll have a reunion roundtable discussion with the Class of 1997 filmmakers: Michael Aki, Chris Chan Lee, Quentin Lee, Justin Lin, Eric Nakamura and Rea Tajiri. Should be really cool. Here are some details:
Shopping For Fangs Reunion Screening & After PartyFor more information about the screening, go to the ID Film Festival website here. If you can't make the screening, but you're still interested in checking out Shopping for Fangs (starring a very young John Cho), Pathfinder Pictures is re-releasing the film on DVD
ID Film Fest
Saturday, October 3, 2009
8:00pm - 11:00pm
JANM National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
111 N. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
Please join us for the 13th year FREE reunion screening of SHOPPING FOR FANGS, the first feature directed by Quentin Lee and Justin Lin. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival in 1997.
"Katherine (Jeanne Chin) is an unhappy young wife who is suffering from blackouts. During one episode she lost her phone and then began receiving suggestive calls from a lesbian who works at a cafe where a gay photographer (John Cho) hangs out. Katherine's husband Jim (Clint Jung) works with Phil (Radmar Jao) who believes that he may be a werewolf. Both Phil and Katherine are on a collision course with revelations about their true natures."
At 9:30PM, right after the screening, we'll have a reunion round table discussion with the Class of 1997 filmmakers: Michael Aki, Chris Chan Lee, Quentin Lee, Justin Lin, Eric Nakamura, and Rea Tajiri.
An after party will follow where we will drink sake and be merry in honor of the Class of 1997 Asian American New Wave.
The movie's free, and the party is free!
, available next week. Also, check out this excellent post by Justin Lin over at You Offend Me You Offend My Family, looking back at that fateful year of 1997: Class of '97.