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HK Actress Maggie Cheung in "Clean," honored at the 28th AAIFF. Photo courtesy of www.offoffoff.com.
July 21, 2005: News Bites
Asian American International Film Festival Begins; Yankees Rookie Out for the Season Because of Shoulder Injury; Asians Represented in Emmy Nominations; Vietnamese American Competes for Scholarship Money on Reality TV; Tsunami Song Producer Finds New Employment in San Francisco. All this and more in this News Bites bonanza.
28th Annual Asian American International Film Festival Kicks Off
July 15 saw the start of the 28th annual Asian American International Film Festival in New York City. The non-profit group, Asian Cinevision organizes the annual film festival, and this year’s was presented by AZN Television, formerly the International Channel. The venues this year include the Asia Society, the IFC Center, and the Cinema Arts Centre. The opening night celebrations included a tribute to Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung following the screening of her film, Clean. Other films to be screened at the festival include The Grace Lee Project, The Fall of Fujimori, and The Motel, among many others. The festival concludes with closing ceremonies on July 31st.
For more information, check out the AAIFF website at www.aaiff.org
Oompa Loompa Doopity-Doo
What would Charlie and the Chocolate Factory be without the Oompa Loompas? This year’s remake of the classic children’s film featured Deep Roy as Willy Wonka’s ultimate helper. Sure he may not have a leading role, but he might as well -- Deep Roy plays every single Oompa Loompa in the movie! The trained actor and stuntman has appeared in more films than you might have guessed, including Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Neverending Story, and Big Fish. Interestingly enough, he just so happens to be a descendant of India’s Maharajah Vinepal. Deep Roy stands at a mere 4’7”, but don’t let his height fool you; his characters have been described as nothing short of larger-than-life.
-- Victoria Chin
NY Yankees Lose Their Wang...
...Their Wang Chien-ming, that is. New York Yankees rookie pitcher Wang is potentially out of the season because of a recent shoulder injury. While Wang’s return is still uncertain, prospects don’t look positive, as he has already been sent to an orthopedic surgeon in Alabama for treatment. Wang has had a history of shoulder ailments; he missed the 2001 series in his minor league days due to shoulder problems. Wang, 25, is the Yankees' most consistent starter.
2005 Emmy Nominations Recognize Asian Talent
This year, Emmy nominations were extended to two Asian American actors. British-Indian actor Naveen Andrews was nominated in the category of Best Supporting Male Actor, Drama Series, for his portrayal of the character Sayid Jarrah in the ABC television show Lost. Also nominated was Korean-Canadian actress Sandra Oh, in the category of Best Supporting Female Actor, Drama Series, for her performance as Dr. Cristina Yang on the ABC television show Grey’s Anatomy. The 57th annual Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18th, 2005. Check your local listings for coverage, and stay tuned to see if they won.
ABC’s The Scholar
Vietnamese American Jeremy Tran is a contestant on the ABC reality TV show, The Scholar. The Scholar pits academic achievers in financial need against each other in hopes of winning a scholarship to the school of their choice. Hailing from Westminster, California, Jeremy Tran is certainly a contender for the scholarship money. Already accepted by several prestigious universities including some of the Ivy Leagues, he is the Class of 2005 at Westminster High School with a GPA of 4.68. Aside from his academic achievements, Tran is also well-known for his community involvement, and his kindness; on the show, he has earned the nick-name “Mr. Gentleman” from his peers on the show. The six-episode show began airing on June 6th. Find out if Jeremy wins.
Tsunami Song DJ Finds New Employment in a City by the Bay
The producer fired for creation of the “Tsunami Song” that aired in New York City just found a new job in the San Francisco Bay Area radio market. Rick Delgado, fired for his racy antics producing the controversial Opie and Anthony Show, and later for his production on the derogatory song making light of the tsunami in December 2004, will now be producing the Strawberry in the Morning show on Clear Channel-owned hip-hop station Wild 94.9. Despite his past controversies, Clear Channel is hopeful that the producer has learned from his mistakes. On anti-Asian racism, Delgado said he would not use similar racial epithets because, “because I like their food and want to eat in their restaurants." Delgado’s first day with the show was July 11th. The Organization of Chinese Americans said it would monitor the show for racism. Since learning of Clear Channel’s decision, activists have begun petitions to reverse the hiring decision and remove Delgado from San Francisco radio.
Fast and the Furious 3 Casting
Casting for the latest installment for the Fast and the Furious film franchise has begun in Los Angeles. The film is set in Japan following the adventures of Shaun, a street racer exiled to Tokyo. While there, he is mocked for being an outsider, but continues to be drawn to the street-racing subculture where he meets a friend Reevise and the film’s love interest, Tani. Tani’s boyfriend DK, the antagonist of the film, is the drift racing king, and Shaun and DK compete in the streets of Tokyo. The film is scheduled to start filming on September 12th in Tokyo and Los Angeles, and is directed by UCLA Alum, and Better Luck Tomorrow director, Justin Lin.
For more information on casting check out http://finnhiller.com/fastandfurious.html
Date Posted: 7/21/2005