11 May 2016 SDAFF SPRING SHOWCASE ENDS WITH SOLD-OUT SCREENINGS OF VIETNAM’S TOP COMEDY, SWEET 20
2016 SDAFF SPRING SHOWCASE ENDS WITH SOLD-OUT SCREENINGS OF VIETNAM’S TOP COMEDY, SWEET 20
SAN DIEGO, CA — May 11, 2016 — Nearly 2,000 audience members came out for Pacific Arts Movement’s 6th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase, a presentation of 14 spectacular film programs from 10 countries, April 28-May 5, 2016. After eight days of song, dance, love, family, triumphs and tears, all captured through cinema, the Showcase concluded with SWEET 20, a frolicking Vietnamese comedy gathering together generations and audiences from across San Diego County.
SPRING SHOWCASE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Film and music brought the world together during the Opening Night screening of THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS, a musical documentary, and winner of the Union Bank Audience Award, featuring Yo-Yo Ma and other virtuosos from Spain to Japan. Preceding the screening, Pac Arts presented live local musicians from San Diego playing instruments depicted in the film, such as the Chinese pipa, Chinese dulcimer, and Persian kamancheh.
- Gamers and strangers bonded over the power of community, both in the audience and on the screen, during the West Coast premiere of the documentary THE LOST ARCADE, followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Kurt Vincent and Irene Chin, who were present at the Spring Showcase.
- Bold documentaries and animations blocked from screening in China came to San Diego for one day only during an international tour. The four-program series “China Now” celebrated the daring spirit of independent filmmakers and underground film artists in mainland China.
- A special treat for aficionados of cinema technology and martial arts movies, a mystery kung fu film was presented in 16mm film, with audiences sworn to secrecy about the title of the film.
The Spring Showcase was made possible with support from the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, Councilmember Chris Cate, Barona Resort & Casino, Think Blue, Union Bank, SDG&E, Stella Artois, Repromagic, Southwest Airlines, Pacific Islanders in Communications, The San Diego Union-Tribune, KPBS, Wawanesa and Zion Market.
Pacific Arts Movement is best known for presenting the San Diego Asian Film Festival, which returns for its 17th edition, November 3-12, 2016.
For more information about Pacific Arts Movement, go to www.pacarts.org.
###
ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
The San Diego Asian Film Festival is an annual program presented by Pacific Arts Movement. The 10-day festival showcases hundreds of independent and foreign films from dozens of countries at six different venues across San Diego County. An estimated 15,000 people attend the star-studded red carpet awards night, screenings, Q&As, and panel discussions. The annual festival receives national and regional attention for its awards and premieres.
ABOUT PACIFIC ARTS MOVEMENT
Pac Arts launched in 2000 when it debuted the San Diego Asian Film Festival, a showcase of Asian American and Asian international cinema. Rooted in the love of film and the arts, global citizenship, and Asian culture and communities, Pac Arts became an official nonprofit media arts organization in 2002, and is now one of the most significant exhibitions of Asian cinema in North America. Pac Arts presents two major annual events: the Spring Showcase (April) and the San Diego Asian Film Festival (November), which bring awareness to and educate the public about, Pan Asian cinema and media issues throughout the year.