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ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FACT SHEET

AAIFF is proudly known as "The First Home to Asian American Cinema." It was the nation's first festival dedicated to screening works by media artists of Asian descent and about the Asian community. It continues to be a leading showcase for Asian American film and video. Founded in 1978, AAIFF was originally held at the Henry Street Art for Living Center in New York's Lower East Side.

The Festival takes place in New York City, the U.S.'s second-largest Asian American market. In addition to the screenings, the Festival also features panel discussions, Q&A sessions, workshops, awards, and a screenplay reading. AAIFF reaches an audience of more than 10,000 during eight days of programs, plus thousands more during our National Festival Tour of American cities. In 2007, the Tour made its international debut screening at universities in Hong Kong and Macau. Hundreds of thousands of viewers and readers follow the festival in local, national and international media coverage.

Did you know that the Asian American International Film Festival

• Is the first and longest-running festival to showcase Asian and Asian America media works in the United States.
• Has been held in five different locations as it gained popularity: Henry Street Art for Living Center (1978), New York University (1979-1984), Rosemary Theatre (1985-1995), The French Institute (1996-2001), and Asia Society (2002-present) with satellite venues such as Cinema Arts Center (Huntington, LI), Imaginasian Theater, and Quad Cinemas.
• Has provided the U.S. premieres of acclaimed film directors including Wayne Wang, Mira Nair, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, and Ang Lee.
• Has screened films from over twenty countries including: Canada, China (Hong Kong and mainland), India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Iran, Germany, England, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Cuba, Indonesia, and Bhutan.
• Has launched its first National Festival Tour in 1982 and the Tour continues to be the only Touring Festival of its kind.
• Has helped established other Asian film festivals in major cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver.
• Presents an annual Emerging Director Award to a first/second time feature director.
• Has awarded the Asian American Media Award since 1987 to Asian Americans who have contributed significantly to Asian American media. Previous recipients are: Wayne Wang (1987), Loni Dong (1988), Christine Choy (1989), James Yee (1990), Steven Okazaki (1991), Mira Nair (1992), Ang Lee (1993), Joan Chen (1994), Kayo Hatta and Freida Lee Mock (1995), Russell Wong (1996), Jessica Yu and Arthur Dong (1997), Michelle Yeoh (1998), Sammo Hung(1999), Andy Lau (2000), Tamlyn Tomita (2001), Marilou Diaz-Abaya (2002), and Jet Li and Maggie Cheung (2005).

ASIAN CINEVISION FACT SHEET

Asian CineVision, Inc. (ACV) is a not-for-profit national media arts organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American media expressions. ACV was founded in 1976 by Hong Kong cinema legend Tsui Hark (ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA), Oscar-nominated director Christine Choy (WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?), Danny Yung, and Peter Chow with the purpose to produce Chinese Community TV, a weekly half-hour video program to effect positive change in areas such as housing, redevelopment, and healthcare.

However, reflecting the growth of the Asian American media community and its expanding needs, ACV amended its certificate of incorporation to specify much larger purposes: "To produce and to exhibit films and video programs about the experience and culture of Asian and Asian American communities," "to provide consultation and technical assistance for artists, cultural and media organizations," "to publish various documentation," and "to organize seminars, conferences and workshops...."

For over 30 years, ACV has provided program and services to filmmakers including the annual Asian American International Film Festival and the National Festival Tour, exhibitions of film and video, media production services for independent artists and producers, publications including CineVue (annual journal), print and media archive, and a variety of training workshops.

ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL STAFF