Get to know an Asian American Filmmaker: Tadashi Nakamura, PILGRIMAGE

I know these "get to knows" have been about Asian Canadian filmmakers, but I was able to do a little interview with Tadashi “Tad” Nakamura, director of the documentary short film Pilgrimage which is showing with Koryo Saram:The Unreliable People. Pilgrimage is about the activism of Japanese Americans in the 1960’s who reclaimed the various internment camps by making pilgrimages to the sites of the camps and memorializing that history. Check it out on Friday, Nov. 16 at 1pm at the NFB Cinema.

When his previous short film Yellow Brotherhood showed at Reel Asian in 2005 Tad wasn’t able to make it to Toronto. Let’s show him a good time!



Aram Collier: What was the inspiration/genesis for this project ?

Tadashi Nakamura: Warren Furutani (who’s in the film) had written a piece about the first pilgrimage before and actually approached me about making it into a film. so from there my parents and I thought it would be a really good part of ja/asian american movement history to document.

Since my dad had gone on the 1st pilgrimage himself, he had a personal investment in the story. he for him that first pilgrimage had a huge impact on him becoming politicized and eventually joining the movement so he knew it had a similar effect on others

It was also that time that the anti arab and muslim, 9/11 back-lash was in full effect, patriot act etc. so I felt like I needed to do something as a young japanese american and as a wanna be fimmaker

AC: How long did it take from start to finish?
TN: A total of 2 years. I started production in the beginning of 05 and was editing for all of 06 finishing in november



AC: You've mentioned your parents as very active in the process of this film. -Both of your parents are very active in the Japanese American and Asian American community and the whole Asian American Studies 1st generation (eg very much of the activist generation you feature in pilgrimage). can you talk about the experience of being a 2nd generation Asian American studies kid, the good and I'm sure bad.

TN: yeah, being part of this 2nd generation asian american movement is interesting, meaning being the kid of people who were in the "movement of the late 60's. first off, while my parents and their peers in the movement grew up working class (my dad's father was a gardener), most of their kids did not. because of the movement many asian americans were able to go to college and become professionals or worked in non-profits that enabled them to raise families in middle class communities.

So on one hand my generation is much more comfortable and privileged economically and we have a lot more resources as asian americans with asian am. studies, all the non-profits and the arts with film festivals, magazine, etc. but at the same time I think its because of these resources that many asian americans, at least japanese americans are very comfortable and do not feel the urgency to be more active and dedicate their time toward social change

AC: yes, its like, what results from political and social movements are not always clear at the time, and never guaranteed.
TN: I also think the political climate is very different now. back in the 60's you had movements all over the country and all over the world. mass movements in this country actually posed a threat to the establishment. now it doesn't. so while my generation has all these resources about our history and other issues in the community. it is much harder to do stuff on a mass level

AC: do you think then, that because of the gains of the asian american community and JA community then AAs and JAs need to be more active in other movements. Whether it be for other communities of colour, the "green" movement or environmental justice and whatnot. You touch on this in the film.
TN: yeah, I think at least for JA's we should be. One, because like all AA communities we know the fucked up things that this country has done to us here and to our countries or origin. but also for JA's we not only have a history of oppression but a history of activism as well. so we inherit our parents struggle to create change. but I do think that today many JA's and AA's need to look beyond their own communities since they are the ones who are being targeted more heavily.



AC: Pilgrimage and your previous film Yellow Brotherhood both use a lot of archival material- photos and film, talk about that process as well as what was it like working with that material that most people have/had never seen. Did it feel more 'weighted' or did you feel any kind of 'responsibility' towards the material?
TN: luckily, I had a lot of archival material to work with for this film. because the movement was so massive in the 60's, it created its own arts movement that included photographers, filmmakers and musicians. the result being that there are a lot of photos and music from that era. most of the photos from the first pilgrimage itself are from my dad's collection. he was a photographer at the time so he shot about 7 roles that day (the day of the first Manzanar Pilgrimage).
TN: but there really wouldn't have been a film if it were not for Ron Rundstrom's super 8 footage of the first pilgrimage. I met him at the 2003 pilgrimage and explained the project to him. because he had remembered my dad, he told me that he had "some footage" from that first trip. so we went to Santa Fe (New Mexico) and he gave me the original reels that him and his late brother don had shot. when we got back to LA and looked at the footage, it was like striking gold! again, I have to really thank Ron Rundstrom for his generosity

AC: Very serendipitous
TN: what’s serendipitous mean?

AC: “lucky and fortunate, yielding good results.”… I had to look it up too. haha
TN: thanks haha!

TN: I also just really like the aesthetics of the asian american movement. I think there is something very empowering about seeing asian americans back in the day, not only all 60's out but also politically active. plus, we just look hella good!
AC: you like the asian american activist aesthetic? the long hair and ho chi minh goatees?
TN: yeah, hairy ass asians are the shit!


AC: more and more documentaries are using animation and after effects to liven up their still images, Pilgrimage features this as well. first, what are your thoughts about this trend and how did you do it?

TN: I think its exactly that, a trend. which will probably get played out very soon cause of people like me. but I think it is a good example of what our generation can bring to documentary filmmaking. the main goal of the visual effects on the stills were to make these old black and white photos be more appealing to a younger audience. so while it may be nostalgic to a certain age group, I felt they had to do more to "come to life". even though it had been done before, I first saw the effects in the tupac resurrection (sp?) film and was like "yo, I’m gonna totally bite that shit!"

AC: on the DVD special features, what would be a "deleted scene" from your film?
TN: hmmm. well I actually had a whole section of the younger non-JA people in the film (the chicana, filipino, south asian and arab american folks that were interviewed at the 2005 pilgrimage). I actually did regular sit-down interviews with them and cut this section where they talk bout how there was a boiling point in the 60's that really ignited the movement, and how they think we might be approaching a similar boiling point now. It brought up more contemporary issues like katrina and the iraq occupation. I liked it cause I felt it made the film more relevant but some thought it was too preachy and a lot of people felt it took away from the main focus on the pilgrimage.

AC: that would have been interesting but I also see their point. and the film works pretty well as it is, at the length it is.
TN: thanks aram
AC: what is your next project/what are you working on now?
TN: I’m currently in production on a biography on the late singer/songwriter chris iijima. he was one of the early musicians to use his music to help organize and empower people to create change. he and his singing partners nobuko miyamoto and charlie chin came out with an album called "a grain of sand". this became the unofficial soundtrack of the movement. I used songs from that album in both yellow brotherhood and pilgrimage. I wanna use this film as a last film in this kinda trilogy of japanese american movement pieces. then I think i'm done with the movement, at least for a while. I have fantasies about making a football documentary about the Samoan community in Carson, ca and how the intersection of football, gangs and church play out in the boy’s lives.
I really want to make a sports film!
AC: dude, I totally wanna make a sports doc too! (but about baseball)
TN: do it!



AC: what's the story behind your headshot. that's not the Tad I know...
TN: which one, the one with my hat to the side?
AC: yeah hat to the side, in front of graffiti wall. seems like doc filmmakers per capita are more likely to be photographed in front of a graffiti wall than the average population
TN: haha! that's the only shot of me not blowing smoke out my mouth or making a dumbass face. it was taken as a regular shot while I was visiting new york. you know trying to pretend I’m hard.

AC: this is your first time to Toronto and Canada, what are you looking forward to, and what are you scared of? do you know what poutine is?
TN: I wanna see what t dot is all about. i'm really scared of the cold and am going to be walking around in a sleeping bag of a jacket. but i'm also really curious about what the asian canadian film scene is like,
TN: what's poutine?
AC: oh man, you must experience poutine...

Let's show Tadashi some good ol' Canadian hospitality, and if you see him at the festival - get him a poutine!

Get to know an Asian Canadian Filmmaker: Khanhthuan Tran, GOOD LUCK COUNTING SHEEP

Installment #4!!! Khanhthuan Tran's GOOD LUCK COUNTING SHEEP is a rotoscoped nostalgic minimalist mashup showing in the POWER PLAY Programme on Nov. 15. Look for some very special "cameos" in this film.




Aram Collier- what was the inspiration for project?

Khanhthuan Tran- In 1998 I made a comic book about dolly the sheep out of copied images from media sources (mostly Macleans). This was the original story for "good luck counting sheep". The comic book was called 'the adventures of the luckiest guy in the world' and the story was slightly different.

In 1998, I was into making things on different mediums; that's all I can really remember.


AC- how long did it take to make?

KT- well...the story was written in 1998. I received a grant in 2001 from Saw Video, but could never get the asethic I desired for the animation and let the
project sit. I tried again in 2002 after learning how to use Flash, but still didn't like the asethetic. Then in 2006 I applied for funding from the OAC and TAC with a new asethetic to tackle the project with. 8 months later (about) I fiinished.

So...9 years or 8 months; however you want to see it.


AC -what was your everyday like, animation is very grueling, especially the way that you made this film.

KT- This 8 month production was a 'procrastinating' 8 months. I think in terms of man-hours, maybe it was 2-3 months. But you're right, animation is gruelling.
I would animate (on a good day) 8 hours and have two seconds worth of animation to show.


AC- I’m dumb, what is rotoscoping? and tell us how you did it.

KT- Rotoscoping is tracing over 'filmed' images. For 'good luck counting sheep' I traced over footage from popular movies.


AC- how was it working with "Tom Cruise" on your film? and did his 'spiritual' beliefs ever affect the mood on "the set"?

KT- ha!.... in all seriousness, I chose to animate Tom Cruise because he is a reconizable icon, however I chose Claire Forlani because I wanted to animate
someone I considered beautiful.

AC- You might think she’s beautiful but man, she cannot act. Just awful on CSI: New York and she totally dumped Mac…anyway, on the DVD special features, what would be a "deleted scene" from your film?

KT- I animated with a shooting ratio, so there are scenes that have not made the cut, but I'm not a fan of deleted scenes on DVDs... I did animate the classic
ice skating fall by tanya harding at the Olympics which I kind of miss.


AC- what is your next project/what are you working on now?

KT- nothing worth mentioning. Just writing and sorting ideas out. I was thinking it was about time to paint a painting though; a still life would be nice, eh?



AC- what's the story behind your headshot?

KT- I don't understand the question. I hate having my
photo taken.

AC- you look like you're hating every split second of taking that pic.

The Book Launch was a huge success!

On Wednesday, Reel Asian: Asian Canada on Screen was launched at the Gladstone. Everything was awesome. A whole bunch of contributors came out, the book was unveiled, musical and theatrical performances and of course tons of shmoozing. What a great way to start off things. THE FESTIVAL IS NEXT WEEK!!!!!

Here are a few pics from the evening.


We selected some prints that made the book and had them blown up to 8X12. They look stunning. They will be on sale at the fest. All proceeds go to RAFF.


People arriving. The Gladstone was a perfect location for the launch.


Contributors Nicole Chung and Keith Lock checking out the book.


Copy Editor John Mani chatting with contributor Lily Cho.


ACOS's editor and leader, Elaine Chang.


Contributor Richard Fung.


Contributor and TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes.


The crowd enjoying a performance by contributors Phil Tsui and Ann Marie Fleming.


Ann Marie and Phil.


John Mani, Christina Sit Yee and Khanhthuan Tran.


Along with many others, I got my copy signed by contributors Kwoi Gin and Cheuk Kwan of Chinese Restaurants.


Lily Cho and Cheuk Kwan.


A wonderful and funny performance by contributors David Eng and Leon Aureus.

As festival photographer, you'll likely spot me in a crowd very easily. I am the one bumping into people, stumbling over things and blinding you and everyone in the room with annoying flashes.
But I am very proud to say that I was Project Manager for Asian Canada on Screen as well. It was a remarkable experience and it was a great honor to work with the book's staff and everyone involved with the text. I am very proud of it and encourage you all to come to the table set up at the fest and check it out. It's unique, it's fresh, it's Asian, it's Canadian, it's a lot of things and it's available at RAFF for purchase.

Spread the word.

Get to know an Asian Canadian Filmmaker: Gloria Kim, ROCK GARDEN: A LOVE STORY

Installment #3 of "Get to know..." featuring Gloria Kim director of ROCK GARDEN: A LOVE STORY, which Atom Egoyan called "stunning" and "absolutely beautful". Maybe Mr. Egoyan speaks in superlatives all the time but chances are he meant it and it IS a gorgeous film. Plus, we'll be watching a 35mm print of it during the Power Play programme on Nov. 15th. So don't miss it.

Gloria Kim, Director of ROCK GARDEN: A LOVE STORY

still from ROCK GARDEN

Aram Collier: What Was The Inspiration For Rock Garden?

Gloria Kim: A Dream - i dreamt of my friend enza supermodel who is a trans woman - she was in a field of rocks that miraculously turned into flowers and was applying make up to her face with such love and care. I woke up and ran to the computer to write it down - i knew this was something i needed to say - something about love, transformation, change, self-acceptance. I feel trans people are some of the bravest people in the world. They really play with identity and aren't afraid to do it.


AC: How Long Did It Take To Make?

GK: 3 years - 2 to raise the financing and a year from pre-production to post . The cgi work by pixray studio took about 9 months because andrew szerszen the head of pixray was determined to do it beautifully and not stint, even though he was donating his time and services because he really believed in the project and also because he's a perfectionist. Anyway, i think it worked out beautifully.


AC: Can you talk about the experience of shooting on 35mm for this film? Was this the first time you shot on 35? How is it different than other formats?

GK: It was the 1st time and it was wonderful to do. It's not so different from 16mm - i mean, there's a technical difference but for my purposes that wasn't what i was thinking. It was aesthetic for me - the concept - fields and fields of rocks and fields and fields of flowers in the midst of blue sky as well as the light in the interiors - i just wanted to capture that in the perfect crystal quality you get with 35mm. I mean, that sort of saturation of colour is something you only really get with 35. Even before the colour correct, the film looked fantastic. The digital intermediate was amazing too - we were able to concentrate on detail and really see what it'd look like up on the big screen. It was amazing.


AC: How do you feel about producing work that doesn't feature any "asian content"? Do you feel pushed or pulled towards either direction? On one hand you may feel a desire to show asian faces and on the other you may feel that you'll get pigeonholed if you do right? Was that a factor in the production of this film?

GK: Well, i was open to all races and ethnicities in the casting but we got 2 actors of colour - one was too young and the other had no clue what the script was about. I did feel sort of weird about casting non-colour, if you know what i mean, and definitely in a way, i really feel responsible to my community, but this wasn't the right project. The next project, “the auction” is about a korean family so, i'm happy about that. But i have to take my ideas as they come. I can't force things to happen if they;re not happening. And i do have it in the back of my mind always.



AC: The production design is really great as is the 'look' of the film. Can you talk about the process of your production design and cinematography?

GK: Harold Gay was my production designer and he was so great. He really helped me shape it into reality. I knew i wanted warmth inside, like a cocoon, and he was the one to go and paint, build, find props - bring together my words and feelings into something that i thought had tremendous heart.
Joshua Allen was my cinematographer and he was also amazing. Again we talked about my colours, the kind of light that i wanted, the effect that i wanted and he took my words and made them happen. It was such a rewarding experience for me working with both hank and josh - they were so talented. And it wasnt' just the talent - i felt a real spiritual connection with them both - sort of corny, but i felt like we all sort of came from the same place- a place of love and tenderness and this translated into the work.


AC: On The DVD Special Features, What Would Be A "Deleted Scene" From Your Film?

GK: Well ,there wouldn't be a scene but there'd be an "easter egg" (is that the right expression?) - it'd be me and the crew in slow-motion shot on the last part of the 35mm reel, running down the hill destroying the rocks that took all night to make - we had a blast doing that. It felt good.


AC: What Is Your Next Project/What Are You Working On Now?

GK: It's called The Auction - it's a period piece set in the 70s about a little immigrant girl who at xmas wants to buy her mother a fur coat. I'm super excited about it. I have some found super 8 footage of my parents that i'm incorporating and i think it's going to be beautiful!


AC: What's the story behind your headshot?

GK: Which headshot? Is it me leaning my head into the plants? If so, that's a polaroid i took myself. I woke up one morning and just loved the light flooding in so i grabbed the camera and took the shot. I'm a fanatic about nice light.

note: I couldn't resist posting this other headshot too from an article Gloria had in the Korea Times Daily...

Get to know an Asian Canadian Filmmaker: Jane Kim, 50/FIFTY

Here's #2 in a series of interviews featuring just some of the Asian Canadian filmmakers that will be showing their films at this year's festival. 50/FIFTY by Jane Kim is a soulful requiem for a family's past and is showing in the Power Play programme on Nov. 15th. Make sure you check it out.



Aram Collier: What was the inspiration for 50/Fifty?

Jane Kim: My family immigrated to Edmonton in 1971 and in the process of starting a new life in Canada, we lost a connection to our family and history in Korea. My parents were too busy working to keep any new artifacts of our lives and much of our existing family records were destroyed in a fire. In a process of wanting to know my family's past, I tried to archive what little we did still have around. The last couple of years, I have been traveling back to Alberta, digging through my family's boxes in basements, finding old damaged photographs, films, documents and I want to preserve them as well as
put them into some context for myself.


AC: How long did it take to make?

JK: For such a short work, it took me a long time -- on and off about 5 years. I fiddled around with the form for a long time and realized it had to get finished some way or another. I never thought I would incorporate my own voice-over but a friend convinced me to try.


AC- 50/Fifty uses family home movies, how was it working with material that’s so personal?

JK: It was very difficult to find these materials and also to ask my family questions about the past. No one seems to want to look back at a difficult period -- a moment in time when they felt very isolated, fearful.


AC: What would be a "deleted scene" from your film? Something that you really liked but it didn't work.

JK: The whole film could be considered deleted scenes from the family film.

AC: That’s a nice way to frame 50/Fifty… The film also features some hand processed super 8, how was that, how did you do that? Were you processing in your home bathtub?

JK: Although the project is finished on video, I spent a lot of time reprinting super-8 to 16mm. I also shot some film on b&w stock and hand-processed. Years ago I went to Phil Hoffman's Film Farm and learned how to hand process. He taught us that working on film doesn't have to be labourous, difficult or expensive. I still do hand process on occasion. Just this Spring I went to the Caribbean and shot on b&w stock and hand-processed. However I was stalling so much on this project that I forced myself to finish on video to get it done.


AC: Further to working with film what would you say are the challenges of working in the medium?

JK: It is the challenges of working in film that make it such a wonderful medium. I started out making dramatic work with highly skilled collaborators, and now I'm trying to learn how to shoot, process and edit myself. I'm trying to simplify and streamline the process to find a new personal, poetic approach. I'm still working on it but I think it's slowly making some sense and I have a better vision of where I want to go -- especially after finishing this project.

AC: Considering your experience as a filmmaker and programmer, plus you've no been in two all-asian canadian programmes the last two years, how would you characterize "asian canadian" film/video?

JK: I don't want to label or categorize such diverse work -- I find that too limiting and defining. I'm still trying to find my voice and style so I can't tell you how I fit into this context. I think "Asian-Canadian work" is constantly changing and new artists are making works that expand our ideas of what it should look, sound and feel like.


AC: What is your next project/what are you working on now?

JK: I'm continuing to work with family footage and artifacts but I'm hoping to move into an even less structured and more poetic way. I've been doing a lot of research on various film/video artists who work with multi-frames, hybrid forms and fragmentation, and read poets who deal with issues of immigration, diasporic issues and language. I think my piece will explore earlier generations of women in my family who had to live through war, patriarchy, economic difficulties and a lot of bad luck.

AC: what's the story behind your headshot

JK: Is this the headshot you took? i'm not sure...?

AC: yes, it is. And it was like pulling teeth to get you to take that pic! Thanks!

The Book Launch!!!

My friends. You are all invited to the launch of Reel Asian: Asian Canada on Screen!


Wednesday, November 7, 2007 - 7:00pm
Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON

Come gab with contributors, Reel Asian staff, film makers and Asian Canadian film enthusiasts! You will also have first crack at placing your order for the book!

Come out and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Special performances by contributors:
Ann Marie Fleming
Leon Aureus and David Eng
Jason Anderson, Colin Geddes and Phil Tsui

Get to know an Asian Canadian Filmmaker: Howie Shia, FLUTTER

Hey all,

So this is the first installment of a series of interviews I'm hoping to have on some Asian Canadian directors who will have their work in this year's festival (Nov. 14-18). First is Howie Shia, who's film FLUTTER is in the Power Play programme, which is an all-Canadian shorts programme. You should really check out this film, its beautiful. And show up early, cuz FLUTTER plays first.





aram (ME): first off, I'm sure people always comment on this, but anyone ever tell you you sound JUST like James Shigeta

hs_kungfu (HOWIE): umm..

aram: this guy … he was in flower drum song. and kind of an asian male lead when there werent many in the early 60's. anyway. check him out.

hs_kungfu: oh this dude, yeah...
hs_kungfu: actually, no, nobody's ever said that but in highschool people used to tell me I sounded like Sulu (sp?) from star trek. I would say "warp speed, captain." and everyone would clap.
hs_kungfu: And in college one guy said I was the Chinese Dustin Hoffman.

aram: fools! dead ringer for shigeta...
hs_kungfu: what can I say, I grew up in Saskatchewan. Shigeta not a big seller there.


aram: okay. so Flutter. what was the inspiration for project?
hs_kungfu: er... inspiration? Nothing special really. I was in Montreal and had just bought some really nice paper. I started drawing and ended up with this picture of a kid with wings on his feet. I put it away. Then a few months later, Michael Fukushima at the NFB called and asked if I had any ideas I wanted to pitch. I offered a couple, all too complex, then I found this old drawing and thought, there's probably a story there somewhere. I wrote something up and that's sort of that. So. It began with some nice paper.



aram: -your animation style is very unique, have you consciously tried to cultivate a personal style in your work?
hs_kungfu: Like every coloured kid in art school (or maybe every kid period) I made a real conscious effort in university to try to work with a mix of eastern and western influences. So there was a lot of experimenting with Chinese ink drawings - especially Loui Shou-kwan, as well as trying to figure out the line work and gestural ideas of guys like Schiele and Picasso and Hockney. Plus comic book guys like Lorenzo Mattotti and Dave Mckean (especially when trying to figure out how to use the computer)…It wasn't as much a conscious concern when it came time for Flutter but I guess I'd sort of internalized the thinking by then.

aram: What is your background in? if not in animation?
hs_kungfu: I studied drawing and print making and Video art in University. It's pretty humiliating when talking to real animators now because they have such intense chops and know-how and I'm like, "uh, drawing hurts my hand..."

aram: can you talk about the animation process, from the sounds of it, the process is very labor intensive, how long does it take and what was your everyday like?

hs_kungfu: My animation process or the process in general?
aram: both, animation process and process in general

hs_kungfu: Well, animators are generally horrified when I explain how I work to them. I do almost everything in Photoshop - which is really not designed for animating at all - but I like it because it gives me a lot of control over the drawing. Also I'm very stupid and incapable of learning new software. Also, I don't really storyboard with any commitment. I roughly map out what I'm doing or where I'm going and make everything up as I go.

aram: kind of an improv approach then right?

hs_kungfu: Improv with a preconceived goal, I guess. I should be clear, I'm not proud of the way I work. It's just easier and more relaxed when you're working on your own to do it this way - for me anyway. I'm working with Lillian Chan right now on a couple of things and it's forced me to step up and do things more traditionally because well, it would be infuriating to the other party if I showed and was like "oh I'm just going to wing it and see what happens."


aram: You also seem to have a lot of Shias working on your films. How is it working with your brothers. (who are musicians yes?)
hs_kungfu: Tim's a session drummer and the leader "The Worst Pop Band Ever" and Leo's (LEO37) is a rapper/producer/DJ.
aram: that's great to have family members you can really collaborate with. Did your parents kind of guide you guys towards "the arts" and are you gonna open a "Shia Brothers" studio like the 1970's kung fu studio?
hs_kungfu: We were lucky in that our parents were really adamant about making sure we had a constant diet of arts and culture. Maths and sciences were important too, but it was very important to them that we were well rounded.
aram: math sux
aram: well, my math...
hs_kungfu: As for the Shia Brothers - we have our own studio PPF House which does commercial and independent stuff and someday all dream of producing the world's greatest kungfu movie ever - I'm hoping to get bruce lee to star in it.

hs_kungfu: Actually, to be topical for a moment, don't you find that math is a real sensitive spot for Asians?
aram: yes, I do. its the language of the universe. if you're good at it, that means you have a mind that can think that way you know? which probably allows you to be a architect, engineer, whatever.
hs_kungfu: It's a bigger deal than rice with them.
hs_kungfu: us.
hs_kungfu: oh crap. I've outed myself. This is actually howie's Jewish assistant writing.
hs_kungfu: Wait, are there Asian jews? There must be. Tonnes, actually.
aram: i have a friend who is japanese/jewish.
hs_kungfu: Yeah? well, I have a friend who is Moses.
hs_kungfu: wait, we're not competing are we.
aram: no
hs_kungfu: anywhoooo.... I love math. Math rocks.
aram: -The NFB seems to support/produce a lot of great animation. Can you talk a little bit about your experience w/ the NFB? Will Michael Fukushima kill you if you say anything bad?

Offline
hs_kungfu: has signed out

Online
hs_kungfu: has signed back in

aram: you alright there?
hs_kungfu: hey dude, sorry,
hs_kungfu: computer crashed.
aram: if you dont wanna talk about NFB that's fine
hs_kungfu: Ha! I bet it was them spying on me.
aram: you were talkin shit about fukushima
hs_kungfu: I knew he was good, but not this good...


hs_kungfu: We're lucky to have the Board and the various granting bodies here in Canada. Shorts are so hard to get off the ground that to have an institution that actually has a mandate to produce such work is pretty incredible. Michael has been amazingly supportive of me throughout all of my hackneyed attempts at making cartoons and a great critic and advisor. Sadly, funding keeps dropping for these groups despite the increasing success of our work - which is silly.


aram: might be a little different for animation but : on the DVD special features, what would be a "deleted scene" from your film? (eg. something that you maybe really liked but it didn't quite work and is not in the final film)
hs_kungfu: There are actually a couple of deleted scenes on the website (www.ppfhouse.com/flutter%29. The whole buffalo sequence was actually supposed to be much longer and more violent but I had to cut it for time which I'm a little sad about.



aram: what is your next project/what are you working on now?
hs_kungfu: I'm working on a bunch of stuff actually. Lillian and I are working on some animation for a documentary called Women In Warzones, which is a about sexual violence in the Congo. As well, I'm developing a couple of TV series - and action/adventure cartoon with Lillian again and an architect/animator friend of mine, Kelly Sommerfeld, and a comedy show with Jonathon Ng and my writing partner Dave Wolfe. I'm also working on an animated short/play with the NFB and the Belltower Theatre company and working on some music with LEO37 and Magnolius and some other PPF cohorts.
aram: wow!
hs_kungfu: In my spare time, I'm practicing my drop kick.
aram: soccer?
hs_kungfu: I can take down 2 people with one strike right now, but I'm working on 25, 000. That's right, Lloydminster, I'm coming for YOU!
aram: oh, my bad. I dont know what a drop kick is.
hs_kungfu: And you call yourself Asian.
aram: I thought you were talkin' futbol. so I have your headshot, which i will post, are you being tickled?
hs_kungfu: ha!... oh dear god, they gave you that photo? That thing took like 20 min to get. It was the only one where I didn't look angry or constipated.
aram: is that from the NFB?
hs_kungfu: yeah.
hs_kungfu: it's also 5 years old.
aram: really?
hs_kungfu: I still have the shirt though. And the hair.
hs_kungfu: The smile is gone though.
hs_kungfu: Ever since they took veronica mars off the air...

aram: well, we're done!

hs_kungfu: okay. ciao!
aram: ok, we'll talk soon.
hs_kungfu: ciao? i've never written that before in my life.
aram: haha

If you see Howie at the festival, say what's up, he's the one with "the voice".

Reel Asian Press Launch...

The 2007 program schedule is online!!!!

The Reel Asian Press Launch was this past Wednesday at the Japan Foundation. Here a few pictures. More to come shortly.






Christina Sit Yee, Director of Development


Acting Executive Director, Grace Bai.


Festival Coordinator, Chris Chin and his bartenders.


Programming Manager, Heather Keung.


Heather and Canadian Spotlight Artist Lesley Loksi Chan


Elaine Chang, editor of Asian Canada on Screen. More on this shortly!


Christina and filmmaker Joyce Wong.

Hot off the press...

Well, the program books are printed and the festival schedule will be up in the next few days. So keep checking back!

I can tell you now, the industry series this year is phenomenal!

The Rising Action...

The festival is only a few weeks away! But you don't have to wait! RAFF is holding an event you should check out:

Sunday October 14th 2007
6:45 - 7:30 Special Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Screening

A one time screening of film and video works by Richard Fung, Ho Tam, Midi Onodera, Paul Wong, Mishann Lau and Alison S. M. Kobayashi will highlight some of the major discussions in the forthcoming book "Reel Asian: Asian Canada on Screen" edited by Elaine Chang (Coach House Books & Reel Asian, Fall 2007). The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. Works include films and videos by East and Southeast Asian artist in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world.

This will take place at the A Space Gallery at 401 Richmond.

I will be posting some details about the book it in a few weeks.