One Last Blog =(

I can never say this enough: this week was such a blur! But it was a good blur. I never thought that winning the film critique contest would have made such an incredible impact on my life. Coming out of the film festival, I honestly feel like a new person with a new outlook on things. Prior to the festival, I never dared to venture into the field of independent films. With my all-access pass, I wanted to take advantage of this experience as much as I could, therefore I explored everything that I could make time for. I watched short films, serious films, and even comedies. Funnily enough, my favorite film above all the films I saw was not a comedy, but a dark and solemn film that left me in deep thoughts.

I have learned to appreciate films for its artistic value and the essence of what makes a movie. SDAFF had this incredible sense of spirit and homeliness that I hope all of San Diego could feel. In addition to all of this, SDAFF has opened an unexpected opportunity for me. I was offered and internship with San Diego's own Union Tribune! Someone pinch me to make sure I'm awake!!

I am sad that I won't be in San Diego for the next Asian film festival because I will be studying abroad in Japan for a year as of the next fall semester, but I would not have taken back this experience for the world.

Thank you to Lee Ann Kim for choosing my review and giving me this incredible opportunity. Thank you to my professor Miguel Llora for informing my class about the film review competition, for urging my classmates and me to explore the film festival, and for believing in me despite all the trouble I put you through. Thank to all the people who support me and believe in what I do, even if I don't always believe in myself. And THANK YOU TO MY READERS! It was amazing to have people come up to me to tell me that they read my blog!

The final night @ West 32nd...
The cast of West 32nd, but of course...my photographic abilities have failed us all.

John Cho in person!

West 32nd director Michael Kang.

Lanny Joon & Chil Kong

Hans Kim & my crew =]

Prof. Llora & his Sigmas!

Thank you Miguel & Lee Ann!

The power of the media is absolutely incredible.

2nd to Final Day of Fest ='(

It's 3AM right now and I am too consumed with emotions [and a bit of stress from studying for Prof. Llora's quiz in a few hours =P] to sleep, and I just have that urge to BLOG!

Unfortunately, I was unable to watch Year of the Fish on Monday because of studies and various other school-related activities, however that night I received an e-mail from Kerry Yo Nakagawa, one of the producers from American Pastime.

"Leslie:

Congratulations on your Journalism award and we were very proud of your
work with 'American Pastime.' I am the associate producer Kerry Yo
Nakagawa, and Susanna Thompson was Shirley Burrell in our film. We sat
together at the JACL table and wanted to introduce ourselves to you
but we could not find you at the end. Susanna will be at our film
screening tomorrow evening if you have friends that would like to see
it. I think the power of our film is with an audience and we had a
great screening on Saturday. Keep up the great work and look forward to
seeing your ideas and words in the future. All the best,

Health, Spirit and Aloha,

Kerry Yo Nakagawa"

After I read the e-mail, my mind just screamed "NOOO!" I originally was not planning on going to the film festival on Tuesday because I have class from 9:30AM [with Prof. Llora!] until 9:40PM, but I really wanted to meet Susanna Thompson because I missed my chance to meet her and Kerry at the gala. My last class of the day is a class that meets only Tuesdays starting at 7PM. Many other professors would be nice and let us out early, but not this professor. His incentive for us to attend the class in its entirety are "pop quizzes" given at each class period, and he would give us the "pop quiz" at the end of class. Because we only meet once a week, he would quiz us in every class, and if he does not administer a quiz in one class, he said he will most likely quiz us twice in the next class.

Throughout his monotone, outdated marketing lectures, I tend to doze off. Last Tuesday, I woke up to my professor asking the class, "Do you want to leave early, or take a quiz?" What kind of question is that? Of course we'll opt out of a quiz to leave early! Because of that, I knew he was going to quiz us at least once this Tuesday, so I had to strategize carefully. The screening of American Pastime was scheduled for 8:15PM. The film was about 100 minutes long, so if it starts on time, the movie will end around 9:50. It takes about 5-10 minutes to walk to my car, depending on where I park it, and it will take 10-15 minutes to drive from SDSU to the Hazard Center.

I then moved my car to the nearest parking lot prior to class, and parked it in a spot where I can easily avoid the swarms of students and cars leaving from their evening classes. Time could not have passed any slower as I anxiously waited for my professor to administer the quiz. I had even debated skipping the quiz, and allowing that score to be the score that I drop, but it's a good thing I stayed because the quiz ended up being worth double, so STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS! In the end, I made it to the Hazard Center with 20 minutes to spare.

The only times I have seen American Pastime were in the comforts of my own home for the sake of writing my review. It was very different watching it with an audience. They laughed and gasped at the same places where I did when watching it for the first time. I even heard some sniffling of tears. Because I caught the film towards the end, I noticed a few things that I never noticed before because usually at that point in the movie, I would be crying too hard at that point.

Anyway, I was able to meet Susanna Thompson, who was also anticipating me being there because I sent an immediate reply to Kerry Yo Nakagawa after receiving his e-mail the night before, telling him that I was going to do my best to go to the screening. She was just as happy as I was to meet me, and she gave me a T-shirt compliments of Kerry, who could not be there. If you are reading this, thanks Kerry! I was also able to talk to Susanna about how this film opened my eyes to a completely different perspective of Japanese internment during WWII. I had never known that baseball was such a vast and influential outlet to the Japanese internees. We need more films like this to help educate the public on a more specific truth of our Asian-American history.

Susanna Thompson and I at the screening of American Pastime.

Thanks for the shirt, Kerry!

My American Pastime autographs from Susanna Thompson, Aaron Yoo, & Leonardo Nam.


Tonight, I saw two films: Tie a Yellow Ribbon and Shanghai Kiss. I usually carry a little notebook with me to jot down any notes that may pop into my head at the most random of times, but tonight I forgot to bring it. I had to resort to writing down my thoughts on the backs of two sheets of surveys that the volunteers hand out at the entrance of the theater to each film. Sorry but I was desperate! Of the two movies, I honestly thought that I was going to enjoy Shanghai Kiss more. On the contrary, I found Tie a Yellow Ribbon, which is definitely the darker film of the two, to be the better. Although Tie a Yellow Ribbon is far from being a happy story, it was more moving and I believe to the point in expressing self-identity. was a cute movie with many good laughs, but I felt that it dragged on throughout many parts of the movie. Ken Leung nails all the humor in his sarcastic retorts, but all in all, I was not very moved by Shanghai Kiss.

On the other hand, Tie a Yellow Ribbon is a film that will leave you walking out of the theater feeling, in what we young'ns say, "Emo." It's not necessarily a negative feeling. I felt deep in thought and anyone who tries to engage me in a conversation at the time will most likely be rejected because I would rather leave myself be in my own state of thought. On the back of one of the surveys, I began to personally analyze the film. Usually, I start by analyzing the title of the film. The "yellow" in the title obviously refers to the yellow bandanna, or "ribbon" that the main character, Jenny, carries around throughout the film. However, "yellow" could have a more racial connotation in that it refers to being Asian. The film focuses around Jenny's search for her identity, which she believes she lost the minute she was born "on an airplane...45 inches and 45 pounds." She tries to find the balance between her Asian heritage, which she knows nothing about, and her Caucasian heritage, which was greatly influenced by her now-estranged adopted parents.

I would want to go into more detail if I wanted to give away the whole film, and if it wasn't so late/early in the morning. [Oh, the life of a college student.] Shanghai Kiss had an enormous turnout where the entire theater was filled.

Every seat was taken in the theaters, and I had a hunch that it was going to be a busy night at the festival because this is one of the films that Miguel [Prof. Llora] approved for our Asian Studies 310 midterm paper. Many of my classmates in that class had said that they were going to see Shanghai Kiss, so I figured that there were going to be a lot of people. Thank goodness I had an all-access pass so I didn't have to wait in line.

After the movies, I wanted to buy an SDAFF shirt, but I didn't have cash or my checkbook on me. Jessie was nice enough to let me take one & IOU SDAFF $15. I hold myself accountable for the $15 that will swear to pay tomorrow!

Plan for tomorrow: West 32nd!

Good night/good morning!

SDAFF Gala Awards Dinner

What a weekend. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined going through such a crazy weekend. Most of the time I felt like I was in a glaze. Everything seemed so surreal that it just could not be happening to me. When I went to school today, it was like snapping back into reality. But all this really did happen.

The awards gala was incredible. Being in a room of talented filmmakers and actors was a bit intimidating, but nonetheless surreal. [I need to find another word for "surreal," even though that word really sums up the past few days.]

Yesterday, I went to see Dim Sum Shorts and Then Some. It was a very interesting take on Chinese-American cinema. I would have never imagined Chinese and Chinese Americans creating such unconventional films, but we are all here to broaden our horizons. Other than Finishing the Game, I have yet to watch a full-length feature film. I am probably going to catch Year of the Fish in a little bit.

Let's look at some gala pictures, shall we?

Whoops! I wanted to pose with the sign, but I ended up knocking it down.

Much better!

The performers of the night, Lola Fair & Baby J.

My 30-seconds of glory: receiving my award on stage in the presence of greatness! It was honestly extremely nerve racking to go up on stage even though I have performed in front of larger crowds. Jessica Chang on the right also happens to be one of my sorority sisters from our chapter at USC. This truly is a small world!

Yul Kwon promoting the bone marrow drive through A3M. My sorority participates in a bone marrow drive at our school every semester, and it really is a good cause. If you haven't registered as a potential bone marrow donor, you should do so soon!

C. Diddy, doing what he does best...in a suit.

Jelynn Rodriguez. When I spoke to her earlier that day at the celebrity panel, she was so encouraging and she seems to be a really wonderful person.

Jane Kim

Joy Bisco & Roger Fan

Leonardo Nam
Aaron Yoo & Dustin Nguyen

James Kyson Lee
The big man himself, George Takei!
Thanks for everything, Lee Ann! I truly admire her energy, drive, and passion for this film festival. I don't know how she does it!
And thanks to my friend Miguel for coming to the gala with me. I'm sure he enjoyed his free $175-worth dinner.

SDAFF @ SDSU and Dishing with the Stars

My life in one word: chaos.

But I love it. I love running around from one SDAFF event to another, catching one movie and then a panel. I just wish school wasn't in the way. =) I kid.

Yesterday Justin Lin, director of the festival opener Finishing the Game, and actors Dustin Nguyen and Roger Fan came to San Diego State to promote the film and to promote the power of the Asian American voice to my fellow schoolmates. It was truly inspiring to hear them speak. I started crying when I was speaking to another SDAFF blogger Craig Reid about my passion for my Chinese heritage and pride in being an Asian American. To hear people in the media industry such as Justin, Roger, and Dustin speak of their trials and tribulations in the industry and seeing them fight for the Asian American voice was truly moving and inspiring. It is so difficult to put into words the emotion that I felt when I realized that I am not alone in this fight, and that we all have the power through the media to bring about Asian American awareness. We need to utilize this power!

After the Q&A, I headed over to the Hazard Center with my friend Stephanie to watch Bridging the Gap. The various short films were all beautifully done and each helped me reflect on my own experiences in "bridging the gap" of cultures and generations with my friends and family. It can be difficult balancing two cultures being Asian American or of any other ethnicity. When I go to China, I stand out like a sore thumb because people there wonder, "She looks Asian, but not so much at the same time." When I was in China this past summer, most people in Beijing asked if I was Korean. Others can just tell that I am American based on the way I present myself [and my slight American "accent" when I speak Chinese.] In the United States, I have had people asking me if I speak English. When you think "American" you don't usually picture an Asian American face. So where do we Asian Americans fit in?

Also, having immigrant parents can be a challenge at times as well. They must balance the values of their home countries as well as embrace the new. My parents, for the most part, are very Americanized, but they still hold on and enforce certain Chinese values and beliefs. As Asian Americans with immigrant parents and/or grandparents, we are like the liason of their "old world" and the new.

Today I attended the celebrity panel and I got to speak to many of the celebrities. I even met the two stars of the film I reviewed American Pastime, Leonardo Nam and Aaron Yoo! After finishing this blog, I'm going to have to get ready for tonights gala.

Time for some pictures...

Roger Fan with his nifty camera, Justin Lin, Lee Ann Kim, and Dustin Nguyen take the stage at SDSU on Friday.

Work it Lee Ann!

Dustin, Roger, and Justin answer questions from the audience.

Dustin and me. "I ain't gonna do your laundry."


Roger and me. Love his shirt!

*If I wasn't crying like a baby, I would have Justin Lin's picture here. I'm such a sap*


I'm seeing stars! The celebrities at the celebrity panel. James Kyson Lee from Heroes, Roger Fan, Jelynn Rodriguez, the host of "The Drop," Yul Kwon from Survivor, Leonardo Nam from The Perfect Score & American Pastime, Aaron Yoo from Disturbia & American Pastime, Ron Yuan of CSI, and Joy Bisco of Days of Our Lives.

The American Pastime boys, Leonardo & Aaron. Darn the lighting!

Aaron Yoo and me. What a cutie! Aaron, that is.

Leonardo and me. He is such a nice guy! I asked him if he knew anything about Japanese internment prior to American Pastime and being an Australian native, he said he didn't and that was why he chose to act in the film. It's funny how the entire world knows about the Jewish relocation camps from WWII, but not about what the United States did to the Japanese, many of them being Japanese-Americans. American Pastime brought about a different perspective of Japanese internment, and I'd go into more detail, but instead you should read my article! Haha
I also asked Leo what it's like to speak with an American accent and he said, "It's like speaking through jam."

That's all I have for now. Time to get ready for the gala!

Opening Night: Finishing the Game

Check out my film review of American Pastime here at this link:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071011/news_lz1w11passtim.html

What a night. I am so fortunate to have won the all-access pass to the film festival, because without that I would have never had an experience quite like tonight. Professor Llora, who would rather be called Miguel, my friend Chris, and I attended the festival opening film Finishing the Game. Some of my friends thought that this would be a serious movie, but it is far from it. Finishing the Game was a hilarious and yet interesting take on how Asians are portrayed in cinema. Even though we all got many good laughs in the movie, at the same time, it made me think.

I learned tonight that photography is definitely not my forte. Most of my pictures are dark, so bear with me.

Yay! You can never get tired of seeing your name in print!

This is what you will see once you enter the Hazard Center. I felt like I walked into a mini-Hollywood movie premiere, although I have never actually been to one before.

SDAFF 2007!

Free food is always a plus. =)

Because I turned 21 only the day before, I was legally allowed to sample the sake! I had the sake mixed with ginger ale [the one where the finger is pointing], and it was absolutely delicious!

My pal Chris and I finally settle down into our seats. Like I have already said, my strength definitely does not lie in photography, which is why I only captured half of Chris' face. But he said, "Well, it's my good side."

The lighting in the theater did not work to my advantage, so I apologize for the fact that you see more of the head of the person sitting in front of me than of the actual cast and crew of Finishing the Game. In case you haven't realized, they're the dark figures lined up in the front.

I was lucky to have caught a picture with a flash of another photographer's. Here you can clearly see [from the left] Dustin Nguyen, Sung Kang, MC Hammer, and Roger Fan.

And what better way to end the night than with taking a picture with MC Hammer himself!

Normally, I am a very talkative person and sometimes it could drive people up the wall. However, tonight I have discovered the secret to my rare moments of being completely speechless. Stick a bunch of celebrities in front of me, and I will not be able to talk! I could barely ask MC Hammer for a picture!

Until my next blog, goodnight!

Pre-SDAFF

Get excited because the San Diego Asian Film Festival kicks off in 24 hours! Never in my wildest dreams would I have seen myself sitting here and blogging for SDAFF. I participated in a film review competition where the winning entry would be published in the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the writer would be awarded an all-access pass to SDAFF, a ticket to the gala, and a $500 scholarship. My Asian Studies professor, Miguel Llora, was the one who informed my class about this competition and I figured that I would try it out just for kicks. My prior film reviewing experience is pretty much nonexistent, but I do have some journalism experience from high school, so I didn't think that I would be a good candidate to win. Imagine my surprise when Lee Ann Kim called to tell me that I've won the contest! All I did while writing my review of American Pastime was letting the words flow out of my finger tips and just going with what felt natural. A natural flow of words can really take you a long way.

My original intent for SDAFF this year was to watch one or two movies during the festival in order fulfill a requirement for my Asian Studies class, but now I am planning on being as active as I can with the festival. Hopefully, I can hop into a movie or two each day of the festival and attend all the panels. At the same time, I don't know what to expect because this is the first time that I am playing a role in SDAFF, and only the second Asian Film Festival that I am attending in my lifetime. [I remember taking a field trip to the San Francisco Asian Film Festival in high school to watch Face. I got to meet Bai Ling!] Despite it all, I am really excited and thankful for the opportunity to actively participate in SDAFF! I anticipate that this next week will be an incredible eye-opening and inspiring experience.

And while I'm still here, this Friday, October 12, Justin Lin, Roger Fan, Leonardo Nam, Sung Kang, and Lee Ann Kim will be coming to my school! This event is co-sponsored by my sorority Sigma Phi Omega, as well as the other Asian-American interest organizations at SDSU. If you have the time, come check it out!