------------------------------------------ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 24, 2003 ------------------------------------------ CONTACTS: Van Diep, Public Relations Director Chez_van@yahoo.com Northwest Asian American Film Festival 2003 c/o Northwest Asian American Theatre Phone: 206-340-1445 Fax: 206-682-4348 Email: info@nwaaff.org URL: www.nwaaff.org ------------------------------------------ NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN THEATRE PRESENTS NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2003: REPORT ON THE SEPTEMBER 5 BENEFIT SCREENING, SPONSOR INFORMATION, AND FILM SCHEDULE BENEFIT SCREENING On September 5, 2003, Northwest Asian American Theatre (NWAAT) hosted a special preview screening of the new PBS series "Searching for Asian America" for an appreciative audience that included Governor Gary Locke and Mrs. Mona Locke. Mimi Gan of KING 5's "Evening Magazine" emceed the evening which featured a Q&A with special guest Donald Young of the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA). The Lockes also joined in the Q&A, charming the capacity crowd with an account of their participation in the series. The three-part series will air on public television stations in late 2003 or early 2004. SPONSOR INFORMATION A number of sponsors have come aboard to help NWAAT produce Northwest Asian American Film Festival 2003 (NWAAFF 2003) in October. These include the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, the City of Seattle Mayor's Office of Film & Music, and Michael Wiese Productions. Individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring NWAAFF 2003 should contact sponsorship@nwaaff.org. FILM SCHEDULE We are pleased to announce that program information for NWAAFF 2003 is now available on our website at http://www.nwaaff.org/schedule. We'll be presenting feature films in our opening and closing night programs (NAATA's SEARCHING FOR ASIAN AMERICA and the independent feature ROBOT STORIES by New York City filmmaker Greg Pak) and over 40 short films in another nine programs over the course of the four-day festival. A summary of the schedule is as follows: • Thursday, October 23rd, 7pm - OPENING NIGHT PROGRAM: SEARCHING FOR ASIAN AMERICA • Friday, October 24th, 7pm - NORTHWEST PROGRAM #1: DOCUMENTARY SHORTS • Friday, October 24th, 9pm - NORTHWEST PROGRAM #2: NARRATIVE AND ANIMATED SHORTS • Saturday, October 25th, 1pm - THE FEMALE VOICE: SHORTS BY ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN • Saturday, October 25th, 4pm - NUGGETS OF TRUTH: ASIAN AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY SHORTS • Saturday, October 25th, 7pm - NORTHWEST PROGRAM #3: CANADIAN WOMEN SHOWCASE • Saturday, October 25th, 9pm - SHORTS PROGRAM: DIRECTOR'S CHOICE • Saturday, October 25th, 11pm - LATE-NIGHT SHORTS PROGRAM: LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX • Sunday, October 26th, 1pm - PANEL DISCUSSION: SEX, VIOLENCE, AND ROBOTS: THE NEXT WAVE OF ASIAN AMERICAN CINEMA • Sunday, October 26th, 4pm - THE ILLUSION OF LIFE: ANIMATED SHORTS FROM THE SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL • Sunday, October 26th, 7pm - CLOSING NIGHT PROGRAM: ROBOT STORIES Special guests will attend the opening and closing night programs, and many local filmmakers will be present at the three programs dedicated to Northwest films. Advance tickets go on sale at the beginning of October. We're also pleased to announce that we'll be partnering with the International Examiner to produce our printed festival catalog. The complete festival program will appear in the pages of the late-October issue of the International Examiner which will be available freely throughout the Seattle area. For more information about NWAAFF 2003, please contact Van Diep, Public Relations Director at chez_van@yahoo.com. ------------------------------------------ KEY FACTS NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN THEATRE (NWAAT) has been this region’s premier center for the presentation and development of theatrical, dance, and video works by Asian and Asian Pacific Island (API) American artists since 1973. Our mission is to seek out, develop, promote and produce API American artists, with a commitment to original and innovative works. Through our work we hope to educate and entertain all audiences regarding the API American experience, develop API youth participation in the arts, and create a better understanding and appreciation of global API arts and artists. For more information about NWAAT, please visit our website at http://www.nwaat.com. NORTHWEST ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2003 is NWAAT's second annual celebration of Asian American film and video works. The festival has two missions: to showcase film and video works by Asian American artists living and working in the Pacific Northwest and to bring Asian American works from across North America to Seattle audiences. Previously presented as "A-Fest: Through the Lens," the 2003 festival will take place October 23-26 at the Theatre Off Jackson in Seattle's International District. For more information about the festival, please visit the festival website at http://www.nwaaff.org or email info@nwaaff.org. Northwest Asian American Theatre gratefully acknowledges contributions from: Cultural Development Authority of King County Ignia, LLC City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs 2003/2004 Season Donors - END -