happy father's day

Happy Father's Day. I got to hang with my pops briefly today, talking about warm weather and the benefits of recent freeway construction near the airport. Our conversations are kind of like that. But it's cool, and it's understood. As I get older, it's becoming clearer to me that I am actually a lot like my dad, in both appearance and demeanor. And I'm beginning to accept that that's not such a bad thing.

Here's a good essay by Sung J. Woo, about his father, that ran in today's edition of the New York Times magazine: Like Father? It's a bit sad, and kind of a downer, but it's well-written, and I have a feel there are a lot of Asian families out there who can relate to it, one way or another.

UPDATE: Here's another sad-but-great dad reflection piece by Michael Ko in the Seattle Times: Remembering Dad

Speaking of Asian American dads, one of my favorite blogs Rice Daddies recently launched the RiceDaddies Empowerment in Diversity Challenge, a new philanthropic initiative to support innovative teachers and diverse students in combatting negative images of Asian Americans and other people of color through Donors Choose, a philanthropic organization that directly connects teachers with donors in the community. To learn more about the challenge and how to give, go here.

national townhall on hate crimes

Next week marks the 25th anniversary of the hate crime murder of Vincent Chin, widely considered an Asian American civil rights milestone in the United States. On June 19, 1982, a Chinese American draftsman named Vincent Chin was killed in Detroit by two white autoworkers, Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz. Chin was out at a strip club celebrating his bachelor party, where he got into an argument with Ebens across the bar. Witnesses recall Ebens yelling at Chin, "It's because of you little motherfuckers that we're out of work." An altercation ensued outside, which eventually led to Ebens and Nitz bashing Chin's skull with a baseball bat. He died from the injuries a few days later, just five days before his wedding.

This hate crime, motivated by anti-Asian sentiments, served as a rallying cry for the Asian American community and is often considered the beginning of a pan-Asian American activist movement. Twenty five years later, Asian Pacific Americans for Progress and local partners around the country are holding a National Townhall on Hate Crimes to look back in time and assess where we are now. Each event will include a special screening of Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Pena's Academy Award-nominated documentary, Who Killed Vincent Chin? and panels with local community leaders. Here are details on events in multiple cities:

NEW YORK
June 19, 6:30 PM
Co-sponsored by the Museum of Chinese in the Americas
MOCA (70 Mulberry Street, 2nd Floor)
With: John Liu (New York City Councilman), Liz Ouyang (Executive Vice President, OCA), Darwin Davis (President and CEO, New York Urban League)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI
June 19, 6:00 PM
Co-sponsored by the Asian Victimes Relief Fund
St. Mary Magdalen Family Center, 1213 52nd St., Kenwood
With: Dan Levy (Chief Legal Officer, Michigan Dept. of Civil Rights) Pravina Ramanathan (Asian American Liaison, Michigan Dept. of Civil Rights), Ingrid Scott-Weekly (Director, City of Grand Rapids Equal Opportunity Dept.)

CHICAGO
June 20, 6:30 PM
Co-sponsored by the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum (JAHHM), Japanese American Citizens League, Organization of Chinese Americans
JAHHM, 800 South Halsted, Chicago
Bill Yoshino (Midwest Director, JACL), Diana Lin (VP, Asian American Institute), Myron Quon (Legal Director, Asian American Institute), Rima Kapitan (Staff Attorney with Council on American-Islamic Relations)

DETROIT
June 23, 9:00 AM
Sponsored by the Organization of Chinese Americans and the AllState Foundation
Co-sponsored by the American Citizens for Justice, Governor's Advisory Council on Asian Pacific American Affairs and APAP
Chinese Community Center, 32585 Concord Drive, Madison Heights, MI 48071
This full-day event is being organized by the Detroit Chapter of OCA as part of their Initiative on Hate Crimes. APAP is proud to be a co-sponsor. In addition to the screening of "Who Killed Vincent Chin?", there will also be a series of panels and a visit to the gravesite at Forest Lawn Cemetary. Panelists include Frank H. Wu (Dean, Wayne State Law School), Roland Hwang (President, ACJ), Stephanie Lily Chang (ACJ) and many more.

WASHINGTON, DC
June 23, 10:30 AM
Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G. Street (Chinatown)
Co-sponsored by South Asian American Leaders for Tomorrow (SAALT), Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), Sikh American Legal Education and Defense Fund (SALDEF), University of Maryland's Asian American Studies Program, and the DC APA Film Festival.
Moderated by Eric Byler (director, Americanese and Charlotte Sometimes). Keynote by Larry Shinagawa (Professor, Univ. of Maryland)

BOSTON (QUINCY)
June 23, 2:00 PM
665 Hancock St., Quincy, MA
Co-sponsored by Asian American Resource Workshop, American Chinese Federation, Chinese Progressive Association

LOS ANGELES
June 24, 2:00 PM
Co-sponsored by National Center for the Preservation of Democracy (NCPD), Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, South Asian Network, Muslim Public Affairs Council
NCPD, 111 Center St.
Hamid Khan (Executive Director, South Asian Network), Stewart Kwoh (Executive Director, APALC), Robin Toma (Executive Director, LA County Human Relations Commission), Renee Tajima (Director, "Who Killed Vincent Chin?")

SAN FRANCISCO
June 27, 6:30 PM
Co-sponsored by Chinese Historical Society
Chinese For Affirmative Action, 17 Walter U Lum Place (across from Portsmouth Sqare; on Clay between Grant Ave and Kearny St.)
Helen Zia (author and activist), Honorable Yvonne Lee (Member of the SF Police Commission and former Commissioner of the President's Commission on Civil Rights), Malcolm Yeung (Staff Attorney, Asian Law Caucus), Kavneet Singh (Managing Director, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund

PORTLAND, OR
July 7, Time TBD
Location TBD
Co-sponsored by Thymos

RALEIGH/DURHAM
July 14, 2:00 PM
Co-sponsored by the National Association of Asian American Professionals-North Carolina and North Carolina Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Korman Communities - Theater, 300 Seaforth Drive, Durham, NC 27713

SAN DIEGO
July 21, Time TBD
SD Chinese Historical Museum
Co-sponsored SD Alliance for Asian Pacific Islander Americans
Moderated by Lee Ann Kim, Channel 10 New anchor/reporter
Panelists include David Kawamoto, Japanese American Citizens' League and more

I highly recommend watching Who Killed Vincent Chin? It's a stunning documentary on the case that'll leave you extremely motivated, discouraged, angry—or feeling a disturbing combination of all three sentiments. It's also not a very easy film to find. To learn more background on the case, read this AsianWeek article, written ten years ago on the fifteenth anniversary of Vincent Chin's murder: Remembering Vincent Chin. For more information on the National Townhall, go here. I'll be there, wearing my V. Chin shirt. No justice, no peace.

barack's new myspace friend

Chinese American rapper Jin, coming off of his recent all-Cantonese language album ABC, is now stepping out as a political activist. Sort of. He's been directing a lot of energy towards mobilizing folks, particularly young people, to vote... and come Election Day 2008, he plans to cast his vote for Barack Obama. And he's making his support known to all, loud and clear.

Case in point, this track, available on Jin's MySpace page: "Open Letter 2 Obama." Obama's campaign got wind of it pretty quickly, apparently digging the song enough to bestow Jin with the most sacred of honors: the number one "top friends" spot on Barack's MySpace page.

Here's a MTV article on Jin and his newfound political consciousness: Make Room, Moms For Obama: Jin Is Barack's New MySpace Friend. And here's video footage of Jin speaking last week at an Obama organizing event in NYC: jin_june 5th NYC Obama organizing speech. Very cool to see Jin using his craft and celebrity to mobilize people towards something substantial, outside the usual fare. Take it to the polls! Because Jin said so.

kenneth eng's psych exam

So you all remember that everybody's favorite Asian American freaknut hater Kenneth Eng was arrested last month for threatening to kill his neighbors (with a hammer, no less). he was charged with attempted assault, menacing, possession of a weapon and harassment. The court ordered a psychological exam (thank you), which apparently "raised more questions than it resolved" about good ol' Kenny: NYC man who hates blacks is held; psych exam provides few answers

According to the assistant district attorney, Eng was uncooperative during the examination. I have to wonder if the psych eval looked anything like this, with the examiner asking him questions, and Kenny insisting they talk about his totally awesome cyberdragon book. Baffling. Eng was ordered held without bail yesterday so prosecutors could further review the psychological report. I hope dear Kenneth is having a great time in jail.

mighty warriors of comedy dvd contest winners

We've got some winners in the house... Thank you to everyone who entered the Mighty Warriors of Comedy DVD contest. I asked folks to send in the name of their hypothetical Asian American sketch comedy group, for the chance to be entered into a random drawing to win the DVD. Here are the names that came out of the bucket, along with the name of their imaginary group:

Frank Y. of Sacramento, CA (The Mr. Miyagis!)
Wayne L. of San Francisco, CA (Incontinence Inducers)
Helen C. of West Roxbury, MA (Kiss Ass Asian Clan)
Michael Y. of Flushing, NY (Krayzian)
Linda N. of Las Vegas, NV (Jaundice)

Congratulations to these lucky readers. They'll each get a copy of the Mighty Warriors of Comedy DVD, courtesy of director Sung H. Kim. For the rest of you non-winners, I still recommend checking out the film. It's an entertaining, well-made documentary about the crazy Asian American sketch comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors. Buy your copy from the Center for Asian American Media.

get ready for secret asian man

As we announced here a few months back, United Features recently picked up Tak Toyoshima's Secret Asian Man comic strip for daily syndication—which is sort of like hitting the big time in the comic strip world. I got to hang out with Tak for a bit the last time I was in Boston, and he was pretty excited. It's a shot at a larger audience, if newspapers choose to run it. That makes Secret Asian Man the first ever nationally syndicated comic strip featuring an Asian American leading character. That's pretty damn cool.

The strip departs from Secret Asian Man's weekly format, instead now being adapted for the daily thing, with a starring cast of characters and ongoing storyline. It's a partly autobiographical strip, based on Tak's own career and personal life. According to the press release:

Osamu "SAM" Takahashi is a struggling comic strip artist who dreams of hitting the big time. A second generation Japanese American who grew up in a big city surrounded by people from all walks of life, SAM is fascinated by what makes us the same as well as different. SAM is a laid-back guy who has a wife and young son. Although secure with his identity, he is a member of a frequently marginalized group and is therefore reminded by the world around him of the many unresolved issues regarding race, gender and orientation. SAM navigates through this cultural minefield with with and humor and through it all remains an optmistic dreamer.

Secret Asian Man starts running in newspapers worldwide and on the web at www.comics.com on July 16. For those of you in Los Angeles, Tak tells me that the strip just scored a big group sale with Los Angeles Newspaper Group. For the rest of you, if you'd like to see Secret Asian Man published in the comics section of your local paper, contact the editor and let them know what's up. They won't know if you don't tell them...

vegas wants asians

The New York Times has another article on Las Vegas casinos and their efforts to attract Asian gamblers: Las Vegas Caters to Asia's High Rollers. They've adopted increasingly aggressive strategies to woo Asian both domestically and abroad, aiming not only at the newly wealth from China, but also Asian Americans and other recent Asian immigrants. These efforts include redesigning large portions of a casino floor to cater to the tastes of Asians guests; advertisements written in Asian dialects and placed in community newspapers in nearby cities; and mailers written in a recipient's native language. None of this, of course, helps address the increasing high rate of gambling problems within the Asian community...

The vigor of their efforts is stirring the ire of some Asian activists and others. "If the casinos singled out African-Americans and marketed to them as heavily as they do Asians, I'd imagine there'd be this huge political outcry," said Timothy W. Fong, co-director of the Gambling Studies Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. "The marketing has been so aggressive, and the penetration so deep, we're starting to see alarming increases in the rates of problem gambling among Asians."

While gambling has arguably always been a big part of Asian cultures, this kind of marketing by casinos borders on exploitation, particularly when they're targeting less-affluent Asian American communities. Studies suggest higher rates of problem gambling among Asians than other groups. One long-term study under way in California suggests that Asians are three times as likely as other groups to develop a serious gambling problem. This is a real problem in our community, more than most are probably aware of, and it shouldn't be taken lightly.

the chinese guy in ocean's thirteen

Forgot to mention Shaobo Qin, back as the Amazing Yen and reteaming with his gang of thieves for Ocean's Thirteen, which opened in theaters last Friday. I guess he's sort of made a name for himself as "the Chinese guy" in the Ocean's series. The movie took the top spot at the box office over the weekend, with most critics saying the movie returns to the charm of Eleven, while making up for the debacle of Twelve. However, last month at the Cannes Film Festival, members of the Chinese press noted that some are not pleased with Qin's character:

On a slightly more serious note, a Hong Kong reporter said that the Chinese are not thrilled with the way in which Qin's character, Yen the grease-man, has been portrayed throughout the series. Soderbergh was visibly shocked when the reporter asked why he is made to seem like a "clown" and why a joke is made of him only speaking Chinese.

The running joke is that he only speaks Mandarin, and everyone else in the crew just seems to understand him. Kind of like Han Solo understanding Chewbacca's growls. I saw the movie over the weekend, and honestly, I don't have a huge problem with his character in Ocean's Thirteen or either of the previous films. Shaobo here does his usual thing, hanging out with the usual suspects, doing some acrobatic stuff, and just generally being along for the ride. He's not entirely useless, but it's not a huge role. I suppose it just wouldn't be an Ocean's movie without him.

pearson v. custom cleaners

"Whether the word "pants" has never been uttered this many times in a courtroom is debatable. What's is certain is that never has some much time and legal energy been wasted on a pair of them." This is great. I was kind of curious about the Pearson vs. Custom Cleaners court proceedings, which began today. What would the trial over the most expensive pair of pants in the history of mankind look like? Thankfully, a bunch of folks wrote in to inform me that Emil Steiner of the Washington Post has been blogging all day from the courtroom: Blogging Live From This Year's Most Frivolous Lawsuit. He's been breaking down trial, offering wry commentary on every little bit of worthless minutiae—what Pearson wore to the trial (a well-pressed blue pinstripe suit and purple tie), irrelevant witness testimony, laughter in the courtroom (looks like the judge had to stifle a chuckle or two), Pearson's apparent breakdown on the stand... Yeah, that's right. Pearson appeared to have some kind of break down. Steiner writes:

If I had $54 million in my pocket, I'd almost give it to Roy Pearson to end this thing. Pearson took the stand this afternoon in his trial against Custom Cleaners, and it wasn't exactly spellbinding.

Pearson went into seemingly every minute detail of life: his history of community service, his weight gain as a middle-aged man, his financial woes and his painful divorce. Even the opposing defense counsel was rubbing his eyes and suppressing yawns. But the judge let Pearson tell his story, taking occasional notes, always with a somewhat bemused expression on her face. I could almost see the thought bubble over her head: Take as much time as you need to orchestrate your circus. (Though if circuses were this slow, Barnum & Bailey would be out of business.)

Then, just before 3:30, Roy L. Pearson broke down, appeared to almost cry, and quickly requested a break. Would it be heartless to ask whether he had been bored to tears?

Spare me. Excuse me if I don't feel sorry for the guy. Can the people take legal action against Roy Pearson for subjecting them to this worthless nonsense? The Chungs' defense counsel hits the nail on the head when they describe the proceedings as—and I quote—"a monumental waste of time." Indeed. We can only hope that it will all be over soon. Follow along with the riveting legal drama here. Support the Chungs here.

UPDATE: The trial continues on to Day 2, with the Washington Post's Marc Fisher picking up the blogging duties from the court room: Pants Trial Day Two: We See The Pants. It appears to be the end of the line for Pearson, whose odd and laughable world view continues to dig himself into a hole.

UPDATE 2: The trial is over, but Judge Judith Bartnoff isn't ruling until next week. Let's hope this means an end to Pearson's idiocy, as well as some relief for the Chungs. Here's the New York Times coverage of the trial: Judge Tries Suing Pants Off Dry Cleaners

too many people, not enough names

Wow. There are over a billion people China. Of those 1.3 billion or so people, 85 percent of the population share only 100 surnames, according to a nationwide survey conducted by Ministry of Public Security. Current Chinese law states that children are only allowed to take the surname from either their mother or father, but the lack of variety means there are now 93 million people in China with the family name Wang, 92 million sharing the name Li, 88 million sharing the name Zhang, and so on and so forth... This of course, is bound to cause some confusion, and it's only getting worse.

So, in a landmark move to end the madness, Chinese authorities have released a new draft regulation allowing parents to combine their surnames for their children, which could open up 1.28 million new name possibilities: Chinese surname shortage sparks rethink. For example, "a father named Zhou and mother named Zhu could choose to call their child either Zhou, Zhu, Zhouzhu or Zhuzhou." Pretty soon, you're going to start seeing some crazy, interesting names coming out of China, and eventually making their way over to the States. It's like a brand new generation of Chinese names. Imagine, your children could soon be going to pre-school with a kid named John Wutang. Awesome.

rhee apointed dc school chancellor

In a dramatic move, Washington DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced this morning that he has chosen to fire DC School Superintendent Clifford B. Janey and replace him with Michelle A. Rhee, the founder of a teacher-training organization: Fenty To Oust Janey Today.

Rhee operates the New Teacher Project, a New York-based nonprofit group that recruits and trains teachers to serve in urban districts. According to the story, she is apparently well-known in education circles but could be a tough sell with school employees, parents and DC Council members, who must confirm the appointment. She doesn't have superintendent experience, and has spent just three years working within a school system, as an elementary school teacher in the mid-1990s. And oh yeah, she's Asian American.

If confirmed, Rhee would be the system's first non-black chief in nearly forty years. I'm sure there will be some who will take issue with this. This editorial points it out as a fact that will likely "disappoint some": The New Chancellor. Needless to say, she's got a hell of a challenge ahead of her...

se ri pak, golf pioneer

The New York Times has a profile on pro golfer Se Ri Pak, a pioneer who inspired an entire of generation of South Korean women in the sport: Pak Inspires New Generation of Countrywomen. I'm a little concerned when I hear about the crazy kind of training her father put her through at a young age—according to the article, to train Se Ri's mind, he would have her hit golf balls in a cemetary at night and watch put bulls fight. That's just scary. No wonder she eventually felt burnt out... But her impact on the sport is undeniable. When she joined the LPGA Tour in 1998, there was only one other South Korean player. This year, there are 45 South Korean-born players on the Tour, a dozen of whom started playing golf in or after 1998. When she is inducted later this year, she will become the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame's 23rd member. Michelle Wie might be considered the hot young golf princess these days, but Se Ri Pak is a queen on the course.

do not mess with this family

This is awesome. Simply awesome: The family that beats a robber together ... So this punkass loser, identified as Darrel Rolle, tried to rob a family... and received a serious beatdown. The Ni family returned home one night to find this guy in their master bedroom, pointing a gun and demanding money. Somehow, Wu Ni manages to grab the robber's arm and take the gun away from him. And that's when things got craaaazyyy.

According to the police report, Ni's parents and a cousin jumped on the guy, moving him to the living room, where Ni's wife, Rong Lin, "pummeled Rolle with a metal broomstick." Like I said, awesome. But that's not where the melee ends. When the broomstick bent, good ol' Rong Lin got a shovel from the back yard... I don't know what she was planning to do, but the police arrived just before the shovel action got started. The family let him go when the officers entered the living room.

You gotta wonder what would've happened if the cops hadn't gotten there when they did. Rolle was treated at a hospital for scratches and a bite on his ear and then taken to jail, where he was charged with armed robbery, burglary and battery. Got that, sucka? Don't mess with the Ni family!

rock the asian american vote

Some practical advice for political parties in upcoming key elections: Pay attention to Asian-American voters. Do you need it spelled out for you? Read the article. The numbers are too significant to ignore.

Speaking of the Asian American vote, check out Archipelago's super brand-new "Rock the Asian American Vote" t-shirt—it's pretty freakin' sweet. It's an upgrade of their previous "Rock" design, but the message and the mission stays the same: "get Asian Americans to the voting booths and let our voices be heard." Buy it, wear it, spread the word. Vote.

couple drowns in sinking car

Another heartbreaking story... in Texas, Young Hwan and Sook Yeon Kim drowned last week when they got lost in a rainstorm, took a wrong turn, and drove their car into a river: 911 call reveals frantic plea from sinking car. The couple got lost trying to find a pizza restaurant. When their car hit the water, they attempted call the restaurant's owner, and 911, but they apparently couldn't understand what was wrong:

Mr. Kim also called 911. But the 911 operator couldn't understand what he was saying. A woman, presumably Mrs. Kim, can be heard screaming in the background. The sound of what appears to be rushing water can also be heard.

The operator repeatedly tried to find out what was wrong with the caller and where he was calling from. "What language are you speaking?" she asked. "Are you speaking Chinese or something?"

But the line went dead before she could get any information. The 911 operator tried to call the man back but got voice mail.

That's messed up. MESSED UP. I understand that the Kims' English skills were probably limited, which prevented him from communicating clearly with the 911 operator. But operator demonstrates supreme ignorance and insensitivity when she asks, "Are you speaking Chinese or something?" It's just frustrating. More here: Korean Couple Drown 'Due to Poor English'. And here: Korean couple found dead in U.S. river

announcing: 30th asian american international film festival

The Asian American International Film Festival in New York, presented by Asian CineVision, celebrates its 30th year this summer, July 19-28. That's right, thirty years of Asian American cinema. Priority ticket sales for ACV and Asia Society members begin today, June 11. General advance ticket sales begin June 18th. The complete schedule of programs should be up and running soon at the AAIFF website, but for now...

The festival will kick off with the New York premiere of Justin Lin's Bruce Lee-themed mockumentary Finishing the Game, then a Centerpiece Presentation of Chen Shi-Zheng's drama Dark Matter, and round things out with the Closing Night Presentation of Gina Kim's Never Forever. The festival will also pay tribute to trailblazing Hong Kong director Patrick Tam, with a retrospective that includes two rarely-seen classics that helped launch the Hong Kong New Wave, The Sword and Nomad. Mark your calendars, New York, because July is going to be hot.

reminder: win the mighty warriors of comedy dvd

Just wanted to remind everybody that you still have a chance to win a copy of the Mighty Warriors of Comedy DVD, Sung H. Kim's documentary on the famed Asian American sketch troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors. It's good stuff, and it can be yours! Enter for your chance win... all you have to do is simply answer this question: if you had your very own Asian American sketch comedy troupe, what would your group be called? (Hint: there are no right or wrong answers.) Email me your response, along with your name and mailing address by the end of tomorrow, Monday, June 11th. Please include "MIGHTY WARRIORS DVD" in the subject line of your email. I'll throw all the entries in a bucket, draw a few names, and we'll have our winners. Easy. So get those entries in, you sexy people.

ucla director spolight, june 12

For those of you in Los Angeles, here's a great opportunity to see the work of some great up-and-coming filmmakers. Student filmmakers Ted Chung and Juli Kang are among seven outstanding student filmmakers to receive Director Spotlight awards this year, as part of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's Festival 2007.

Ted Chung's Mike's, "in which a reclusive roommate realizes there's more to life than he thought," and Juli Kang's Damn the Past!, "in which music happens when a singing mute meets the girl of his dreams" (this was a big hit at this year's VC Filmfest) These works, among others, will be screened Tuesday, June 12th at the Director's Guild of America Theatre. The Directors Spotlight was created to provide an opportunity for student filmmakers to present their work to the entertainment industry. This is a chance to see the cream of the crop, from one of the best film schools in the country. It's free and open to the public. For more information, and to RSVP, go here.

the first national asian american theater festival

This Village Voice article poses an interesting question about Asian American theater: The Asian Equation. What exactly should an Asian American theater festival celebrate? Discussions between particpants at an Asian American theater conference apparently revealed an interesting generational divide at the heart of the debate. Why does it always have to be about identity? Why is racial identity such an obsession? Why do companies keep producing plays about being Asian? According to Ralph Pena, director of the Ma-Yi Theater Company, "The younger group wants to branch out into new and different territory, while the older generation still sees race as important." It's definitely a debate worth having. I think it doesn't always have to be about racial identity, though the truth is, it's always about identity, even when it's not. Figuring out how to keep Asian American theater fresh and relevant, that should be the real debate. But hell, what do I know?

The very first Asian American Theater Festival kicks off next week, starting June 11, presenting 31 works from more than 25 companies around the country at multiple venues in New York. A huge, diverse selection of works from all over, showcasing a variety of different styles, genres, performers and views—drama, musical, solo works, spoken word, sketch comedy, and everything outside and in between. For the full lineup of shows, and ticket information, visit the festival's website here. Support Asian American theater!

entertainment news and stuff

So Yong Kim's In Between Days, a festival favorite and Special Jury Prize winner at last year's Sundance Film Festival, has finally been picked up for a limited theatrical release: Festival Fave 'In Between Days' Finally Gets Theatrical Release Date. Variety reports that Kino International will be releasing In Between Days on June 27th at the IFC Center in New York. I've heard nothing but great things about this film, so I can't wait to check it out. To learn more about the film, go here.

Korean pop megastar Rain will make his Hollywood movie debut in Wachowski brothers' upcoming big screen version of Speed Racer, based on the classic landmark anime series: Rain Lands Part in Hollywood Movie. No specifics on what part he'll be playing (it's not Speed Racer), though his manager claims his role "holds the key to the movie." No, my friend. The car is the star.

Here's a NPR Weekend Edition feature from a few weeks back on the Los Angeles multiethnic supersound band Ozomatli, with founding members Uli Bella and Jiro Yamaguchi in the studio talking about the band's latest album: Ozomatli's Diverse Music Gets Personal. The new CD is called Don't Mess With The Dragon. And in case you didn't know, this band is freaking awesome.

Shalini Kantayya is hanging in there as one of the chosen few remaining contestants on Fox's filmmaking reality series On the Lot. I've been trying to tune in and follow along, but to be honest the show is kind of a snoozefest. Booooring. But this week Shalini's film Laughing Out Loud: A Comic Journey was easily one of most interesting of the bunch. Hopefully this competition will take her somewhere, but even if it doesn't, she's got bright future.

According to Variety, Comedy Central has signed a deal with to develop a show around Asian American comedian JoKoy, described as a variety show with elements of sketch comedy: Comedy developing JoKoy show. I've seen this guy perform a couple of times, and the guy is off-the-charts hilarious. Like, crap-in-your-pants funny. I'm interested in seeing what kind of show he comes up with. Check out his official website here.

The planned Hollywood remake of the violent Japanese film Battle Royale is apparently on hold, or being significantly retooled, because of the events at Virginia Tech: Battle Royale Remake Update. Yeah, making a film about ninth graders dropped on an island to kill each other might not be the most sensitive course of action these days. I'm sure it'll get made eventually. And I will be sad.

And finally, here's a story on Asian Canadian women, both directors and actors like Mina Shum and Olivia Cheng, making it happen for themselves and gaining recognition in the industry: Make your own Happiness