2016

Concerts/Theatre

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At Film Independent, Members enjoy over 250 events per year that benefit both film lovers and filmmakers alike. Members of Film Independent’s Arts Circle include individual and corporate benefactors who recognize the importance of supporting artist-driven, original filmmaking

Film Independent produces the world class Los Angeles Film Festival each June. Members enjoy exclusive benefits, including:

• Members-Only priority pre-sale period

• 10% off all Passes and ticket packages

• $2 off individual tickets

• Members-Only Reception

• Members-Only Screening of a surprise film

At Film Independent, Members enjoy over 250 events per year that benefit both film lovers and filmmakers alike. Members of Film Independent’s Arts Circle include individual and corporate benefactors who recognize the importance of supporting artist-driven, original filmmaking

The Film Independent Spirit Awards, in existence since 1987, is an exclusive celebration of the highest regarded independent films of the year. Only Members vote to determine the winners. During voting season, Members have the opportunity to receive select DVD screeners for voting consideration, attend over 30 free screenings of all nominated films and participate in a raffle to win 2 tickets to attend the show!

Please Note: Members must be current as of December 5, 2014 to be eligible to receive DVD screeners for the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

WORLD PREMIERE OF “THE TIGER HUNTER” FROM LENA KHAN

TO OPEN THE 32^ND LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL

THE LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 32 YEARS WITH

OVER 130 OUTSTANDING FILMS FOR THE 2016 EDITION APRIL 21 – 28

World Premiere of Lena Khan’s Dramatic Comedy “THE TIGER HUNTER”

Starring Danny Pudi, Rizwan Manji, Jon Heder, Karen David,

Kevin Pollak, Sam Page and Iqbal Theba

Kicks Off the Eight Day Fest Presenting the

Best of Asian American and Asian International Films

Dramatic Feature “PALI ROAD” Directed by Jonathan Lim and

Starring Michelle Chen, Sung Kang, Elizabeth Sung and Jackson Rathbone

Bookends the Fest as the Closing Night Offering

Acclaimed Documentary “TYRUS” – A Film by Pamela Tom

Will Be Featured as the Festival’s Centerpiece Offering

March 15, 2016 – LOS ANGELES Visual Communications (VC), the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, announced the Opening, Closing and Centerpiece film programs for the upcoming 32nd edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) running April 21-28, 2016. This annual film celebration will be presented across Los Angeles from Little Tokyo to Downtown Los Angeles to Koreatown and to West Hollywood featuring 140 films from over 20 countries.

VC will celebrate 32 years as Southern California’s largest and most prestigious film festival of its kind. The LAAPFF launches the pre-celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month through this year’s slate of over 130 films from both Asian Pacific American and Asian international directors from over 20 countries. For over three decades, the Festival has presented nearly 5,000 films and shorts by Asian American and Asian international artists.

Opening this year’s Festival at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo is the World Premiere of dramatic comedy THE TIGER HUNTER from an amazing new director Lena Khan. The film centers upon Sami Malik (Danny Pudi of NBC TVs - COMMUNITY), a young South Asian man who travels to America to become an engineer in order to impress his childhood crush and live up to the legacy of his father — a legendary tiger hunter back home. When Sami's job unexpectedly falls through and he ends up living in a tiny co-op with two oddball roommates, he must resort to constructing an elaborate charade with the misfit accomplices in hopes of convincing his sweetheart that he's far more successful than he truly is...or perhaps ever could be. As Sami tries to pull off the farce of a lifetime, what ensues is a series of adventures involving outlandish schemes, an arch-nemesis in an absurd office environment, and a somewhat functional Dodge Charger with a character of its own. Together, although their plans may contradict each other with terrible consequences, Sami and his rag-tag group must work together while meeting the usual host of obstacles — the "usual," that is, if back-alley brawls, trips to prison, or catastrophic LSD-related misunderstandings are just your usual, everyday fare. The film also stars Rizwan Manji, Jon Heder, Karen David, Kevin Pollak, Sam Page and Iqbal Theba.

Jonathan Lim’s powerful drama PALI ROAD starring Michelle Chen, Sung Kang, Elizabeth Sung and Jackson Rathbone will close out the eight - day film extravaganza at the Directors Guild of America on April 28, 2016. PALI ROAD centers on Lily (Michelle Chen), a Chinese doctor doing her residency in a Hawaiian hospital under Dr. Kayne (Sung Kang). She had fallen in love with schoolteacher Neil (Jackson Rathbone) — at least this is what she remembers. But after a terrible car accident, Lily wakes up to discover, in horror, a married life with Dr. Kayne, that includes a 5-year-old son she has never seen. With everyone around her denying Neil's existence, Lily begins to question her own sanity, but memories of Neil force her to embark on a journey to retrace her past and discover the truth.

The LAAPFF Centerpiece offering this year is the moving and insightful documentary TYRUS from director Pamela Tom which brings the life of Chinese American painter, production illustrator, lithographer, and kite builder Tyrus Wong to the big screen. Wong is best known for his concept art for Walt Disney's feature animated film BAMBI. His strikingly beautiful concept paintings and sketches continue to influence the work of generations of animators and production designers. TYRUS celebrates not only the beauty of his art, but reveals to a larger audience a lesser known part of the Chinese American experience — that of its artists and creators.

“We are excited and proud to present these three films as our celebrations,” states VC Executive Director Francis Cullado. “Having Lena Khan’s THE TIGER HUNTER as our opening, Jonathan Lim’s PALI ROAD as our closing night, and Pamela Tom’s TYRUS as our centerpiece film certainly highlights the amount of Asian American directorial talent out there. The big word this year in Hollywood has been ‘diversity’ and the Festival is one of the ways we address this issue at Visual Communications and for our community. For us, it’s not just about diversity – it’s about inclusivity. We will be releasing more of the Festival line up in the next week and everyone will be able to celebrate inclusion and diversity on the screen, as it should be.”

For program information, a complete listing of sponsors and partners, and to purchase tickets, log on to www.vconline.org/festival or contact Visual Communications at (213) 680-4462. Tickets are available to the general public on Monday, March 21st.

The Festival is proud to be partnering with our following screening venues across Los Angeles:

• ●Aratani Theatre @ Japanese American Cultural & Community Center – Little Tokyo

  • 244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

• ●Tateuchi Democracy Forum @ Japanese American National Museum – Little Tokyo

  • 111 N. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012

• ●Downtown Independent – Downtown LA (DTLA)

  • 251 S. Main Street, (between 3^rd and 2^nd Streets), Los Angeles, CA 90012

• ●CGV Cinemas – Koreatown – Mid-Wilshire

  • 621 Western Avenue (between 6^th Street and Wilshire Blvd.), Los Angeles, CA 90005

• ●The Great Company – Downtown LA (DTLA)

  • 1917 Bay Street (between Wilson and Mateo Streets), Los Angeles, CA 90021

• ●Directors Guild of America – West Hollywood

7920 Sunset Blvd. (at Hayworth), West Hollywood, CA 90046

The 2016 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is sponsored by:

PLATINUM: Comcast NBC Universal; Sony Pictures Entertainment

GOLD: HBO; Directors Guild of America; Nielsen; Wells Fargo

SILVER: AT&T, Pechanga, FIlmLA

BRONZE: SAG Indie

STAR: Motion Picture Editors Guild; SAG-AFTRA; Writers Guild of America/west; Simple DCP;

VENUE SPONSORS: Aratani Theatre/Japanese American Cultural & Community Center; Directors Guild of America; Japanese American National Museum; Downtown Independent; CGV Cinemas; The Great Company; USC Pacific Asian Museum; Far Bar; Far East Lounge

MEDIA SPONSORS: AngryAsianMan.com; LA18 KSCI-TV; MYX TV; TRAKTIVIST.com; International Documentary Association

GOVERNMENT: National Endowment for the Arts; Los Angeles County Arts Commission; Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; California Humanities

FOUNDATION: Aratani Foundation; James Irvine Foundation; SAG-P IACF; Asian Pacific Community Fund; M.A. & Josephine R. Grisham Foundation

RECEPTION: The Park’s Finest; Asahi; Kirin; Stella Artois; LA18 KSCI-TV; Twinkle Brown Sugar; AFC Soy Foods

IN KIND: The Park’s Finest; HBO; Bruce Tea; Peter Ly; Shiftboard.com; FestPro; Telepath Corporation; IKON Office Supplies; Meiji; LA18 KSCI-TV

Danny Pudi checks out the goods in a scene from the film THE TIGER HUNTER - directed by Lena Khan - the Festival's Opening Night and World Premiere.

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Jackson Rathbone and Michelle Chen in a scene from PALI ROAD - A FILM BY JONATHAN LIM is the Festival Closing Night film.

Photo Courtesy of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

We are thrilled to announce the premiere the virtual reality short narrative GIANT, premiering as part of the New Frontiers section at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. We hope you will be interested in covering this fascinating virtual reality experience as part of your Sundance coverage.

GIANT own personal experience as a child being raised in war-torn Serbia. Milica Zec’s draws from director GIANT centers on two parents, trapped in an active war-zone, struggling to distract their young daughter by inventing a fantastical tale. The immersive virtual reality experience transports viewers into the family’s makeshift basement shelter. The story of

New Frontiers is hosting a Press Preview on Friday, January 22^nd at 9AM at the site of New Frontiers (573 Main Street), and director Milica Zec and co-creator/producerWinslow Turner Porter III will be on hand to discuss the installation.

If you cannot attend this press preview but wish to interview the artists behind GIANT, please email to schedule a 1:1 interview.

Let us know if you have any questions or interest in this incredible new virtual reality experience. Thanks for your consideration.

GIANT

A Virtual Reality Short Film

WORLD PREMIERE SUNDANCE 2016 | NEW FRONTIERS

Director, Co-Creator MILICA ZEC

Producer, Co-Creator WINSLOW TURNER PORTER III

On Display at:

New Frontier Exhibition

ClaimJumper

573 Main St., 2nd and 3rd floors

Friday, January 22–Friday, January 29, 1:00–8:00 p.m.

Saturday, January 30, 1:00–3:00 p.m.

Press Preview: Friday, January 22nd at 9AM

The narrative draws from the direct personal experiences of director and co-creator Milica Zec, who grew up in war-torn Serbia. The goal is to transfer the scenario into modern-day American life. By placing an American family at the center of the conflict, an American audience can experience empathy not just through the VR techniques, but also through identifying themselves with the family at risk. It’s happening to a middle-class American family on American soil, not far off in a remote country, to a family that looks different, speaks a different language, and lives in poverty, as is often the case in images typically disseminated by

mainstream media. Instead of war atrocities being experienced merely as a fleeting headline, it allows the viewer to feel what it’s like to be at the epicenter of a conflict zone -- to witness the fear and suffering that millions of innocent families around the globe have to confront every moment of every day.

To view the film, the audience member enters a dark room that is a recreation of the basement in which the short narrative will take place. Once the VR headset is put on, the virtual basement is brought to life and the story begins. The narrative is based around an American family, comprised of parents Clara and Josh and their 6-year-old daughter Rose. They hide in their basement as a fury of bomb blasts approach- es closer and closer outside. Viewers witness the parents’ own fear as the two fabricate a tale of giant who is looking to play with Rose. The allegorical masking of the problem ends up bringing with it humor and excitement. Their playing intensifies with every bomb blast that gets closer and closer to their home, until a final bomb blast ...

After the viewer removes the headset, the room -- which had been dark when they first entered -- will be illuminated in a bright white light.

Talent available for interviews at Sundance:

Director, Co-Creator Milica Zec

Producer, Co-Creator Winslow Turner Porter III

SHOK - A FILM BY JAMIE DONOUGHUE NOMINATED FOR BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT OSCAR®

FIRST TIME NOMINATION FOR ACADEMY AWARD® FOR FILM FROM KOSOVO (UK/KOSOVO CO-PRODUCTION)

January 14, 2016 - The award winning short film, SHOK - A FILM BY JAMIE DONOUGHUE, was just announced as a nominee for Best Live Action Short Oscar® for the 88th Academy Awards. The director, Jamie Donoughue and his producers, writers and cast are currently in Kosvovo this morning celebrating with everyone on this amazing accomplishment. For Kosovo, this makes the first time a film from this country has been nominated for an Oscar®.

"Being nominated for an Oscar® is an incredible experience,” said an ecstatic first time Oscar® nominee Jamie Donoughue. "It is fantastic for the cast, crew and most importantly the people of Kosovo, as this is the first time this country has had a film that has been nominated. We look forward to representing SHOK at the Academy Awards®!”

Donoughue is a UK filmmaker and this marks his first nomination. As a co-production between the UK and Kosovo, this is the first film nominated for an Oscar® from Kosovo. One of the producers is popular Kosovo actor Eshref Durmishi who also stars in the film.

SHOK tells the story of the friendship of two boys whose relationship is tested to its limits, as they battle for survival during the Kosovo War. Based on true events, SHOK is set during the escalation of the Kosovo War when the country was occupied by Serbia. Two young Kosovan boys, Petrit and Oki, are best friends. After Oki buys a bike, Petrit is desperate to have one of his own. Ever the businessman, Petrit finds a way to raise money for his bike by selling cigarette papers to the occupying Serbian troops. However with tensions and violence escalating in the country, many see this interaction with the Serbian troops as traitorous.

Building a steady network of clients and contacts, Petrit drags Oki into ever more dangerous situations until their lives are put at risk. Oki's bicycle is taken away by a soldier and given to a Serbian boy instead. Their school bus is overtaken by soldiers and banned Kosovan books are found in Oki’s backpack. But Petrit steps in and takes a beating for his best friend. These escalating effects of war become even more intense for these boys and their families. And as their relationship is tested to the limits, they encounter the true intentions of the Serbians and learn the meaning of friendship.

###

Filmmaker Jamie Donoughue is available all day for interviews via phone, Skype or email. Please contact David Magdael to set this up at 213 399 1434 or via email at dmagdael@tcdm-associates.com. If you’d like a link to the short, please let us know, as well.

Please view the trailer for SHOK here: http://www.shokshortfilm.com/trailer/

If you have any questions or you need more information or you would your own DVD copy, please let us know.

PHOTOS:

Best friends, Oki (ANDI BAJGORA) and Petrit (LUM VESILI), face Serbian soldiers in a scene from the Oscar® nominated short live action film - SHOK - A FILM BY JAMIE DONOUGHUE

Serbian soldier Dragan (ESHREF DURMISHI) detains Oki (ANDI BAJGORA) at a checkpoint in Kosovo in the Oscar® nominated short live action film - SHOK - A FILM BY JAMIE DONOUGHUE

Behind the scenes - director JAMIE DONOUGHUE works with his actors ANDI BAJGORA and LUM VESILI on the set of the Oscar® nominated short live action film - SHOK - A FILM BY JAMIE DONOUGHUE

PRESCRIPTION THUGS, directed by Chris Bell of the Sundance hit, BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER.

The film will open in select theaters and available on iTunes/on demand on January 22, 2016.

This hard-hitting and thought-provoking documentary exposes the Big Pharma, its marketing practices and impact on the staggering level of addiction to prescription drugs in North America.

**Screener links are available upon request. We are seeking reviews, features, and any other coverage.

Press Day will take place in LA January 13, 2016. Exact location TBD.

Filmmaker Chris Bell, along with executive producer Peter Billingsley (A CHRISTMAS STORY) subject of the film are all available for interviews **

In this follow-up to his film BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER and after witnessing friends and relatives face tragedy as they become addicted to prescription drugs, Bell sets out to explore the goals of pharmaceutical companies and doctors in this ever-growing market and asks how are they any different to back-alley drug-pushers? His journey leads to experts on the nature of addiction in our culture as well as to pharmaceutical whistleblowers that testify to the solely dollar-driven aims of pharmaceutical companies. Chris meets with WWE legends such as Matthew “Horshu” Wiese and Chris Leben, with former California State Senator (now Congressman for California's 33rd District) Ted Lieu, pharmaceutical company whistleblower Gwen Olsen, Cliffside Malibu Rehabilitation Center founder Richard Taite, Professor of Psychiatry David Healy, author of Generation RX Greg Critser, and members of his own family.

Prescription Thugs

A Samuel Goldwyn Films release

Directed by Chris Bell

Executive Produced by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley

Run Time: 86 Minutes

Not rated

Opening in select theaters and available on iTunes and on demand on January 22, 2016.

Laemmle Monica - Los Angeles

Media contacts:

David Magdael & Associates, Inc

Jack Song: Jsong@tcdm-associates.com

Barbara Thompson: BThompson@tcdm-associates.com

WWE legend Chris Leben and Chris Bell in PRESCRIPTION THUGS

We are proud to share with you the theatrical release of PRESCRIPTION THUGS, directed by Chris Bell of the Sundance hit, BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER. The film will open in select theaters and available on iTunes and on demand on January 22, 2016. This hard hitting and thought provoking documentary exposes the Big Pharma, its marketing practices and their impact on the staggering level of addiction to prescription drugs in North America.

**Screener links are available upon request. We are seeking reviews, features, and any other coverage.

Press Day will take place in LA January 12/13 2016 TBD.

Filmmaker Chris Bell, along with producer and subject of the film are all available for interviews **

In this follow-up to his film Bigger Stronger Faster and after witnessing friends and relatives face tragedy as they become addicted to prescription drugs, Bell sets out to explore the goals of pharmaceutical companies and doctors in this ever-growing market and asks how are they any different to back-alley drug-pushers? His journey leads to experts on the nature of addiction in our culture as well as to pharmaceutical whistleblowers that testify to the solely dollar-driven aims of pharmaceutical companies. Chris meets with WWE legends such as Matthew “Horshu” Wiese and Chris Leben, with former California State Senator (now Congressman for California's 33rd District) Ted Lieu, pharmaceutical company whistleblower Gwen Olsen, Cliffside Malibu Rehabilitation Center founder Richard Taite, Professor of Psychiatry David Healy, author of Generation RX Greg Critser, and members of his own family.

Prescription Thugs

A Samuel Goldwyn Films release

Directed by Chris Bell

Executive Produced by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsley

Opening in select theaters and available on iTunes and on demand on January 22, 2016.

Laemmle Monica - Los Angeles