We’ve been voicing our feelings about Breakfast at Tiffany’s for years now, which is a bit sad since the movie is 47 years old. Still, the racism of the Mickey Rooney character was too much to let go, even with a movie so beloved, and it continues to teach a valuable lesson about the dangers…
The new face of America’s global cinema. The Academy Awards aren’t generally a big night for Asian Americans — after all, there haven’t been many noteworthy Asian American wins, and little recognition given overall within the community. This year, with the dominance of Slumdog Millionaire, it was exciting to see Asian faces light up the…
MANAA member Lori Kido Lopez recently had the opportunity to interview Oscar nominee Steven Okazaki, who is up for short documentary yet again this year. One of the topics that came up was the absence of Asian Americans at these award shows — a topic that MANAA cares about a lot! Here’s an excerpt from…
Fans of Clint Eastwood will probably head to Gran Torino because the previews promised a growling Dirty Harry wielding a firearm. As an avowed Eastwood skeptic, I came to the theater curious about the first mainstream American film to represent the Hmong. I think the film had plenty to offer both of us—as Walt Kowalski,…
Shalini Kantayya, filmmaker, educator, and activist uses film/video as a tool to educate, inspire, and empower audiences. Shalini recently received the 2001 William D. Fulbright Fellowship to make a documentary film about political street theatre in India. Her recent documentary, MANTHAN ( THE CHURNING ) received the first prize award for best documentary at…
The Perfect Score is a clever teen comedy about six high school kids from different walks of life that devise a plan to cheat on the SAT. The film features an innovative performance by Leonardo Nam in the part of Roy. The character Roy (beautifully written by Mark Schwan, Marc Hyman, and Jon Zacks and directed by Brian Robbins) was never meant to be for a specific race. But casting an Asian American made it surprisingly refreshing.
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