Awards: Narrative Competition

This years Narrative Competition consists of twelve exciting new feature films, including four World Premieres. With actors and directors familiar to any devotee of American independent cinema, the crop of nominees explores a wide range of subjects. The films dissect love and sex, explore the immigrant experience and meditate on the connection to the motherland through diverse and distinct styles: romantic comedies, historical epics, thought-provoking dramas, gritty urban stories, a horror/thriller, and even a Rotoscope-animated contemporary fairy-tale.

The Best Narrative Award is presented to the best feature-length narrative film by or about Asian Americans or Asian Canadians, as selected by a three-person jury. The winner will be announced during the Closing Night Gala party on Thursday, March 22.

Click here for the full list of nominated films

THE JURY

Jacqueline Kim

Jacqueline Kim was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Independent Spirit Awards for her role in CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES and has starred in such films as RED DOORS, BROKEDOWN PALACE and VOLCANO. She won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for best female lead performance in East West Players acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheims musical, PASSION. Her short film PRESENT, which she directed, is featured in this years Festival. She is currently developing a feature film that she has written and will direct about the continuance of a beloved Shakespeare heroine.

Chris Lee

Chris Lee is the former President of Production for TriStar Pictures and Columbia Pictures and has produced such films as SUPERMAN RETURNS, SWAT, FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN, and ECKS VS. SEVER. He graduated from Yale University with a degree in Political Science and then worked with director Wayne Wang as the Assistant Director for the film DIM SUM. Chris is the founder and director of the University of Hawai’i Academy for Creative Media (ACM). He has been honored with awards from East-West Players, the Museum of Chinese in America, and A. Magazine.

Eric Nakamura

Eric Nakamura is the co-founder and publisher of Giant Robot Magazine. He got his start in publishing after a short stint at Larry Flynt Publications and at various newspapers and punk rock zines. An award-winning filmmaker also, his films include the super-8 short SUMO: THE WRESTLERS and the 1997 feature SUNSETS, made with his cousin Michael Idemoto. Eric has also opened up Giant Robot stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, along with a restaurant, gr/eats, also in Los Angeles. He lives in Los Angeles, does Sculpey projects, and juggles his many ventures.