FESTIVAL FORUM: SF Int'l Asian American Film Festival

Monday, February 28, 2011

Saturday, MARCH 12, 2011
FESTIVAL FORUM [12:00PM - 10:00PM]

Japantown Peace Plaza - FREE!
12:00PM J-TOWN CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL PREVIEW

2:00PM HALAU ‘O KEIKIALI’I
3:30PM YOUTH SPEAKS
4:15PM SOFT KNIFE
5:00PM ILLEST VILLAINS
5:30PM SCRABBEL
6:15PM THE HOLA SISTERS
7:00PM MAIKAZE DAIKO
8:00PM BOLLYWOOD UNDER THE STARS

HALAU ‘O KEIKIALI’I: With traditional Hawaiian performances of the hula kahiko (ancient dance), which includes oli (chant), mele (traditional songs), the dances are bound to take your breath away.

YOUTH SPEAKS: Spoken word done right. These emerging poets and spoken-word performers will fight for your mind with their truthful and clever original works.

SOFT KNIFE: One of the true gems in the Bay Area indie-rock scene, Soft Knife’s rhythmic and catchy tune promises to be stuck in your head all day long.

ILLEST VILLAINS: One of the sickest dance crews in San Francisco, these artists will blow your mind with their gravity-defying moves.

SCRABBEL: Scrabbel brings together such a wide array of music, lyrics and pure emotion, gathering it up and neatly parceling it out in tidy packages of pop that will cause you to struggle with the word to define it.

THE HOLA SISTERS: Members of the Taiwanese pop sensation Wonfu, these ladies know how to put on a show. In a rare Bay Area appearance, these pop princesses, with guitar in hand, might just steal the show.

MAIKAZE DAIKO: A community-based Taiko group, the refreshing beats of the drums will surely keep your heart racing.

BOLLYWOOD UNDER THE STARS: Bring a blanket and settle in for a one-of-a-kind movie experience. This is one fun and splashy cinematic event that will warm your heart and keep you entertained ‘til the very end.

Another event includes a new exhibition of socially and culturally conscious of games as well as a panel of breakthrough Asian American female comedians.

PIXEL, POLITICS, AND PLAY
SUPERFROG GALLERY [12:00PM] - FREE!
Games permeate the everyday: We tend to our digital farms, get points for checking in, and play in our phone arcades. Hours are spent on game consoles that feature different was of using the body and the controller. Yet the power of play is not to be trivialized. As a persuasive and unique cultural form, the game medium also includes works of art, environments for learning, new ways of communicating, and calls to political action.

LOOK WHO'S LAUGHING NOW: BREAK OUT FEMALE COMEDIANS
VIZ CINEMA [6:30PM] - $8
In the past few years, the number of Asian American female comedians has blossomed and includes many new and unique personalities. One of which is the star of IFC’s break-out hit “Food Party,” the lovable and truly original Thu Tran. Another new face is Anisha Nagarajan, known for her role as Madhuri, the shy call-center employee in NBC’s “Outsourced.” In this fun and illuminating panel, these talented comedians will reveal what they think is funny, where they get their inspiration and how their backgrounds and ethnicities color their work.

RSVP on Facebook!

Sponsored by TOYOTA and THE WALLACE FOUNDATION