June 13 - 20, 2006

First a word about our festival that ended with us bloody but still on our feet. We unfortunately didn't even come close to breaking even this year, but we still hope to be back next year. But time and our ever shrinking wallets will decide whether it is possible. But thanks very much to those who came out to support the festival - its much appreciated and we certainly hope to return for the 6th year. The sad facts are that these festivals are getting very expensive to put on and without enough sponsorship its impossible to survive on ticket sales.

Here is the press release for the three top Audience Award winners:

The New York Asian Film Festival 2006 ended last week, and we've been feverishly counting up the Audience Award ballots. And now, it's with great pleasure that we present the winner of the New York Asian Film Festival's 2006 Audience Award:

ALWAYS (Japan, 2005)
Takashi Yamazaki's sprawling nostalgic drama about the citizens of a beat-down neighborhood in Tokyo during the beginning of the economic miracle in the late 1950's that sent audiences out into the lobby smiling and crying and it now joins the ranks of MY SASSY GIRL, PING PONG, PLEASE TEACH ME ENGLISH and THE TASTE OF TEA as a winner of the New York Asian Film Festival's Audience Award.

Second and third place for the Audience Award are held by:

WELCOME TO DONGMAKOL (Korea, 2005)
Another epic film, this time it was Korea's word-of-mouth hit of 2005 about an isolated mountain village in the 1950's that has no clue the Korean War is raging just down the hill. It came in just a few clicks below ALWAYS in terms of popularity and we suspected a tie until ALWAYS poured on the steam in the final few votes and took the lead.

FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT (Japan, 2005)

This head-scratching whatzit from directors Katsuhito Ishii (whose THE TASTEOF TEA won last year's Audience Award) Hajime Ishimine and Shin'ichiro Miki started life as a Snickers ad, but mutated into a planet-shaking alien fiesta full of sticky TVs, dance numbers, animation and grumpy,armpit-sucking tennis leeches. The audience loved it, and so it arrives in third place.

NOW PLAYING

LINCOLN CENTER
LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL (July 10 - 30)

From July 10th through 30th, the Lincoln Center Festival brings extraordinary Asian performers to America. The hippest artists in Bangkok converge in New York on July 28th and 29th for Ramakien: A Rak Opera, a radical and lusty re-telling of the timeless Thai masterpiece The Ramayana. Filmmakers, visual artists, rock and pop stars, underground electronica DJs, and other assorted Thai scenesters illuminate present day Thai culture in this vibrant, fiery, and often raucous extravaganza. On July 21st and 22nd, the prolific Japanese choreographer Saburo Teshigawara fuses sculpture with dance, air, space and time in his mysterious Bones in Pages. A cult figure in Japan, this celebrated artist has achieved iconic status throughout Europe and Festival provides a unique chance to witness his rare gifts. And, from July 27th through July 30th, Singapore's Ong Keng Sen explores the secret world of the enigmatic geisha in Geisha, an enchanting tapestry of tea-house stories. This new production by Theatreworks Singapore includes traditional Kabuki dancers and performances on the three-stringed Japanese shamisen.
For tickets and information: 212.721.6500 or LincolnCenter.org

AMC LOEWS VILLAGE 7 (3rd Avenue at 11th Street)
KRRISH (India, 2006)
Daily at 2:00pm, 6:00pm, 9:55pm
The big Bollywood blockbuster about a superhero is still running as fast as it can in NYC. Hrithik stars! Ching Siu-tung (HERO) does the action! Boom go your eyes!
More info:
http://www.subwaycinema.com/frames/nyaff06_krrish.htm

ASIA SOCIETYNEW YORK ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
July 13 - 21
New York's oldest Asian-American film fest comes barreling out of the gate with a smattering of features (JOURNEY FROM THE FALL, TRAIN MAN) and a whole slew of docs and shorts.
Check them out at the Asia Society, Stonybrook and the Quad.
More info:
http://www.aaiff.org/

CINEMA VILLAGE
THE HIDDEN BLADE (Japan, 2006, 132 minutes)
Daily at 1pm, 7:15pm
The follow-up film to TWILIGHT SAMURAI, this offers more of the same only deeper and much, much more satisfying. A revisionist samurai film, here the topknotted sword-slingers aren't cool dudes who chop first and ask questions later but stressed-out company men who worry about their paychecks and live in the sticks. But when the poor samurai in the lead gets pushed to the wall and unleashes his legendary hidden blade technique you'll gasp as you see magic happen onscreen. Self-assured, confident, well-made movies that can still astonish you are rare creatures these days, and this one offers more than enough for everyone.


THE IMAGINASIAN
The theater will be closed for the week and opening next Friday with Motel.

PARIS
WATER (India, 2006, 114 minutes)
Daily at 11:45am, 2:10pm, 4:40pm, 7:15pm, 9:40pm
Deepa Mehta's trilogy draws to a close with this story of widows living in India. Powerful and moving, it rocked the Canadian box office and was targeted for trouble in India where the set was attacked and burned down.
read reviews:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10005763-water/

QUAD
NEW YORK ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
July 13 - 21
More info:
http://www.aaiff.org/

VILLAGE EAST
WATER (India, 2006, 114 minutes)
read reviews:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10005763-water/

WALTER READE
HEROIC GRACE: THE CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS FILMS PART 2
July 12 - 20
They're back. Beautifully restored classic martial arts from the Shaw Brothers library in all their big screen glory. Get thee up to Lincoln Center's Walter Reade theater to bask in their majesty. And if you miss DIRTY HO or LEGENDARY WEAPONS OF CHINA you don't deserve to live.
More info:
http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/heroicgrace2.html

COMING SOON
The New York Korean Film Festival is coming on August 30th.
More info:
http://www.koreanfilmfestival.org/