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Opening, Closing, and Centerpiece Films
Announced
Asian CineVision with Asia Society presents
the Asian American International Film Festival ‘08,
July 10–19, 2008. Three premieres anchor this year's
lineup inour Opening Night, Closing Night, and Centerpiece
Presentations.
Opening Night Presentation (Thu 7.10
| 700P)
THE
PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA
East Coast Premiere
Wayne Wang (CHAN IS MISSING, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, MAID
IN MANHATTAN) returns to indie filmmaking with PRINCESS OF
NEBRASKA, starring newcomer Li Ling in a stunning debut as
Sasha, a pregnant teenager who travels to San Francisco from
Omaha seeking an abortion.
Based on a short story by Yiyun Li, the film observes the
conflicted emotional landscape of a young woman at a crossroads.
Sasha’s vanity and recklessness is portrayed with great
intimacy, but she remains emotionally aloof and unpredictable.
For director Wang, this paradox is the hallmark of a new generation
of post-Tiananmen Square Chinese youth—endlessly self-documenting
with cell phones and computers, while embracing a sense of
historical amnesia and emotional instability.
Closing Night Presentation (Sat 7.19
| 700P)
PING
PONG PLAYA
New York Premiere
In her narrative feature debut, Academy-Award-winning
director Jessica Yu (BREATHING LESSONS: THE LIFE AND WORK
OF MAKR O'BRIEN, IN THE REALMS OF THE UNREAL) departs from
her usual world of documentary film into the sport of ping
pong, lampooning the common perceptions and misconceptions
regarding the Asian American experience. In PING PONG PLAYA,
all that’s politically correct and incorrect coalesces
in Christopher “C-dub” Wang, Jimmy Tsai’s
caricature of a trash talkin’, smart aleck, b-baller-wannabe
who spends his time lamenting the genetic shortcomings that
have prevented him from becoming the first Chinese American
to play in the NBA. When older brother, doctor and model minority,
Michael (Roger Fan, FINISHING THE GAME, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW),
sustains a wrist injury, it’s up to C-dub to defend
the family’s title at the National Golden Cock Tournament.
Centerpiece Presentation (Thu 7.17 |
630P)
THE
SPEED OF LIFE
U.S. Premiere
Sam, a 13-year-old boy, escapes the streets
of New York City by stealing video cameras from tourists.
He and his friends quickly sell the cameras, but Sam always
keeps the tapes. In his bedroom, he explores this world of
footage, infatuated by all the far away places and other people's
seemingly happy lives. His experiences waver between fantasy
and the harsh reality of growing up in Brooklyn; but he soon
discovers that cameras can indeed fly—even if people
cannot.
For a preview of our full schedule, click here
for the AAIFF08 brochure.
Festival: July 10-19, 2008
| Asia Society,
NYC
Questions? Email
us.
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