Feature article in Evil Monito by Terry Hwang

A couple months back my friend Terry Hwang was kind enough to write a feature on me for Evil Monito. It's one of the most insightful articles that have been written on me (like all three of them) and I know that Terry really spent a lot of time working on it. I went to school with her at UCLA and it's been inspiring to watch her chase her dreams as a writer. You can read the article here.

A Song For Ourselves at Minneapolis/St. Paul Asian Film Festival - 11/10

A Song For Ourselves is coming to the land of Purple Rain! The first annual Minneapolis/St. Paul Asian Film Festival kicks off on Nov. 3rd and runs until the 13th. Song will be playing in the "Asian American Shorts Program" on 11/10 at 7pm. Much respect to all the organizers of the festival for making Asian American cinema a little more accessible to their communities!

A Song For Ourselves at the Pacific Rim Film Festival

A Song For Ourselves returns to Santa Cruz for the Pacific Rim Film Festival. Wish I could make it up for the screening. Fall in the Cruz is beautiful.

PACIFIC RIM FILM FESTIVAL
Sunday, Oct. 17th at 10p
Del Mar Theatre
Santa Cruz, CA.

A Song For Ourselves Wins at RiverRun!

A Song For Ourselves was awarded both Best Documentary Short and Best Student Documentary Short at last week's RiverRun Film Festival!

A Song For Ourselves at RiverRun Film Festival - April 23, 24,25

A Song For Ourselves will be playing at the RiverRun Film Festival in Winston-Salem, NC this weekend. It will be playing in the Documentary Shorts #1 program on the following days:

April 23rd @ 5p at Aperture Cinema 2
April 24th @ 2p at UNCSA Campus - Gold Theater
April 25th @ 11:30a at Aperture Cinema 2

And You Say Chi City

The Chicago trip was too quick, didn't get to see or taste much of the city but I did kick it with good folks and saw some old friends. The Nakamura Trifecta event went well, Goh is always great to see/hear live and Eric schooled me on the hu$tle game and called me a leach during the panel.

Before I got there, Eric, Goh and Tim were guests on a local radio station (listen to the show here).

Before our presentation at Columbia College, Tim found himself surrounded by Nakamuras and a whole lot of aaaaaahhyeaaaaaahh!


First thing I had to do in Chicago was get a hot dog, and it lived up to all the hype. As much as I love LA dirty dogs, I would rather have one of these any day.


Giant Robot X FAAIM


Two groups that made the Nakamura Trifecta possible was the Columbia College Office of Asian-American Cultural Affairs and the Multi-Cultural Youth Project (MCYP). I met a lot of dope students who are already making an impact in their area.


Before jumping on the plane home I caught up with the good homie Steve from MCYP over some Italian beef sandwiches. We talked about The Chi's fading connection to it's local Asian American history, hip hop, weddings, and he hipped me to the amazing things his youth are doing.


Check out Eric's report back here which includes photos of some of the best sushi I've ever had.

Trilogy Screening in Austin

All three of my films will be screened together for the first time at the Association for Asian American Studies Conference tomorrow in Austin, TX! It'll be my first time in Texas, so of course I'm going to surround myself with a hotel full of Asians.

Thanks For The Love Claremont!

I've presented at the Claremont Colleges three times now and each trip has been worth that long ass drive. Last week I presented a workshop on "API Youth Cultures and Empowerment" at their Asian American Students Spring Conference. I got to build with a room full of students as we watched and listened to the evolution of API cultural workers from Chris Iijima to Faith Santilla to Hari Kondabolu. After the conference we all met up at Bambu's album release party.

The homies from the Claremont Colleges (and a couple of alumni who still think they are students):

Thanks USC Nikkei

I had the privilege of screening Pilgrimage at USC Nikkei's Week of Remembrance last Tuesday. I participated two years ago at the same event and was so impressed by the students at SC that I couldn't pass up another opportunity to come back, even though it was at the other school in LA.

The USC Nikkei crew:

After the film I sat on a panel with Sumi Pendakur, the director of Asian Pacific American Student Services on campus and USC Sociology Prof. Leland Saito, and discussed multiple reasons why it's important to connect the American WWII concentration camps to present day abuses of power and human rights violations. Big ups to Mika and Sean for organizing the week of events!

206 Rock Rock On!

A newly formed organization of young Japanese Americans in Seattle who call themselves The YoGos (Yonsei-Gosei) had their first event last Saturday and asked me to be a part of it. My favorite type of screenings are the ones that take place in the middle of a community with the people who built it. And of course, there is just a special kinda feeling when it's with my people. It was a true pleasure to show my films in Seattle's International District and build with a group of JA's who are active in shaping their community.

The YoGos


It was ironic that I left a rainy LA for a sunny Seattle. It was a gorgeous day in the 206!


I even got some ink in the International Examiner!

Song Wins Special Jury Award at the San Diego Asian Film Festival!

A Song For Ourselves won the Short Film Special Jury Award last weekend at the San Diego Asian Film Fest. SDAFF has a super official awards gala that Eric Tandoc and I were lucky enough to attend. "Lucky" meaning that the San Diego JACL generously sponsored our tickets and let us sit at their table. Eric made the most of the free beer while I popped an anti-anxiety pill.



There was a gala after-party which was "cool, but it's not what i'm use too" so i celebrated the night with the homies from AnakBayan LA & SD over some late night carne asada fries:


Mass Movement in the building! Eric's film Sounds Of A New Hope screened to a packed house.

Screenings in New Orleans, DC and Philly This Weekend

Three big screenings this weekend! All the films that are playing with A Song For Ourselves in these festivals are excellent, please try and catch one in your city. Unfortunately, I'll be stuck in my room working on film school applications.


DC APA Film Festival
Saturday, Oct. 10th @ 12p

Playing with Manilatown Is In The Heart This screening is FREE!


Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
Sunday, Oct. 11th @ 1p Playing with Sounds of a New Hope by Mass Movement's own Eric Tandoc


New Orleans Film Festival
Sunday, Oct. 11th @ 5p Playing with A Village Called Versailles (I've heard this film is amazing. This will definitely be a special screening since it will be in New Orleans)

Taiyo Na performs "War of the Flea" with Nobuko Miyamoto and Charlie Chin in NY

Last Saturday at the Basement Workshop Reunion in New York the homie Taiyo Na performed "War of the Flea" alongside Nobuko Miyamoto and Charlie Chin. Taiyo has always mentioned Chris Iijima as one of his biggest influences and inspirations as an artist so I can't imagine how amazing it must have been for him to sing Chris' lyrics with his old music partners.



Listen and download the original "War of the Flea"

Here's the filthy Senz of Depth Remix featuring Bambu off the A Song For Ourselves Mixtape:

Honolulu Weekly Cover Story

One of the coolest parts of the Hawai'i trip was going to Boots & Kimo's to eat this (banana pancakes swimming in macadamia nut sauce)... ...and then walking over to Foodland and seeing this:
The small print along the yellow fist reads "Long Live Chris Iijima"!
Read the whole article here.

Flicks from Hawai'i Premiere on Honozooloo

I had the privilege of meeting a grip of inspiring and talented people while in Hawai'i and photographer Aaron Yoshino was one of them. I became a fan of his photos earlier this year through his website honozooloo.com. After hanging out with all these filipinos, it was really good to see a fellow buddhahead making a name for himself and doin it big! SEE ALL THE PHOTOS AT HONOZOOLOO.COM