[HA for DROKU] Must See Films/Events at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival ’11

Ready, Set, GO! to the 27th Annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF)  hosted by Visual Communications from April 28th to May 7th, 2011.   Kick off Asian Pacific Heritage Month by celebrating the work of Asian Pacific American and Asian International directors from over 20 countries. LAAPFF will showcase 32 feature films and 148 shorts at the Director’s Guild of America (DGA), Laemmle’s Sunset 5 Theatres, and the CGV Cinemas in Koreatown.

The Festival lineup includes world premieres, sneak previews, a James Wong Howe retrospective, the C3 Digital Conference and a compelling line-up of documentaries and narratives focusing on the voices of Asian Americans and Asian peoples from around the world. http://youtu.be/HRqyvGLDVHM

Here are our top 5 must see films/events for LAAPFF 2011!

1. Fast Five – Opening night will be host to the LA premiere of “Fast Five,” starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang and Dwayne Johnson.  This is the 5th film in the “Fast and the Furious” franchise, with movies 3, 4 and 5 directed by Justin Lin, an LAAPFF alum.  9 years ago, Lin’s film, Better Luck Tomorrow premiered at LAAPFF.  Film Festival Co-Director David Magdael said, “The Fast and the Furious’ franchise continues to make film history, as [Lin] continues to create some of the most ethnically diverse Hollywood blockbusters.”  “Fast Five” plays on Thursday, April 28th, 2011 at 7PM at the Director’s Guild of America. (event link)

2. Almost Perfect – The Festival’s centerpiece presentation, urban romantic comedy “Almost Perfect,” directed by LAAPFF alumni Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, is her first directorial effort since her 1998 short, “FACE,” which also premiered at the festival.  The film’s cast Kelly Hu, Ivan Shaw, Edison Chen, Christina Chang and Kristy Wu, in addition to Pan, will be in attendance on Saturday, April 30th 2011 at 5:30PM at the Director’s Guild of America. (event link)

3. Love in Disguise – LAAPFF closes with “Love in Disguise,” the directorial debut of Mandopop singer, Leehom Wang, who is also the screenwriter and lead actor in the film.  LAAPFF calls it “a likeable modern Chinese take on Cyrano De Bergerac, [which] features numerous comic and romantic set-pieces, and enough great-looking stars to leave audiences swooning.”  “Love in Disguise” plays at CGV Cinemas in Koreatown on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 at 7PM. (event link)

4. Wong Fu Productions Presents “Fast Forward” – Wong Fu Productions will curate “Fast Forward,” a program that shares their work, from humble beginnings to present day mainstream achievements and the feature works of Internet sensations Ryan Higa, KevJumba, The Community Channel, Myster Guitar Man, Freddie Wong, Chris Dinh and others. A panel discussion will follow the presentation.  “Fast Forward” will take place on Saturday, April 30th at 8:30PM at the Director’s Guild of America and is part of C3. (event link)

5. C3: The Conference for Creative Content – Visual Communications and The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) present C3, a conference celebrating the success of Asian Americans in New Media.  The conference features topics like “Digital (mis)Appropriation: IP in New Media,” “Acting in New Media,” and “The Tweet Heard Around the World.”  C3 will also be host to Wong Fu Productions presents “Fast Forward”, and Angry Asian Man’s 10th Anniversary Celebration.  C3 takes place on Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st, 2011 at the Director’s Guild of America. For ticketing and conference information, visit the C3 homepage.

There are plenty of amazing things to experience over the 10 days of LAAPFF.  With such a rich and diverse line-up, the festival offers a variety of films to satiate any appetite!  For ticketing and more information, please visit the LAAPFF homepage at http://asianfilmfestla.org/2011/.