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In this issue (#23):

FILM
2008 Asian American International Film Festival
The longtime New York festival featured offerings from Asian independent cinema. coverage by Yuan-Kwan Chan and Eric Hung

"The Killing of a Chinese Cookie": A documentary charting the evolution of the fortune cookie sounds as enticing as the desire to crack open the bland biscuit and read the words printed on the tiny slip of paper in it.

"The Princess of Nebraska": At a time when directors of serious films often feel the need to create epics, Wayne Wang's latest film is a breath of fresh air.

72 hours. One short film. All Systems Go.: Abiding by a required theme and a set of strict rules, a team must conceive, shoot, script and complete a five-minute short film in 72 hours. Cue the 2008 edition of the Asian American Film Lab’s “72 Hour Shootout.”

BOOKS
Review: Sweet Mandarin: Helen Tse, the co-owner of a Pan-Asian restaurant in Manchester, England, that bears the same name as her book, has penned a memoir that spans almost a century, recounting tales from three generations of headstrong women across two continents. by Pei Chien

FILM
2008 New York Asian Film Festival & Japan Cuts Festival
coverage by Christopher Bourne and Yuan-Kwan Chan

An interview with Naomi Kawase, director of "The Mourning Forest": Christopher Bourne spoke to Naomi Kawase, whose film, “The Mourning Forest,” received its New York premiere as the opening night film of the Japan Cuts Festival of New Japanese Film.

Reviews:

"Accuracy of Death": From Fredric March in “Death Takes a Holiday” to Brad Pitt in “Meet Joe Black,” the idea of a handsome figure representing Death has had immense appeal in the movies. Perhaps the most dashing Grim Reaper of them all is the one played by Taiwanese-Japanese heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro.

“Dainipponjin”: A hilarious and inventive kaiju eiga repurposed for the modern media landscape, “Dainipponjin” showcases the considerable talents of its writer-director-star Hitoshi Matsumoto.

"Kisaragi": Celebrity conspiracy meets fan club mania in a cleverly-crafted feature called “Kisaragi,” the closing film of this year’s Japan Cuts Festival.

"M": A man is haunted by the ghost of his first love...or perhaps not. That, in a nutshell, is the premise of Lee Myung-se’s latest film, “M.”

"Sparrow": Johnnie To, best known in the West for such gangster sagas as the “Election” films and “Exiled,” opts for a delightful change of pace in the comic caper “Sparrow,” a stylish film with a distinct Gallic air.

"Sukiyaki Western Django": Takashi Miike’s “Sukiyaki Western Django” is a cinematic concoction chock-full of potentially tasty ingredients.

"Yasukuni": Li Ying’s extraordinary documentary examines one of the most politically contentious spots of land in Japan: the Yasukuni Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, a memorial to Japan’s fallen soldiers during World War II.

FILM
2008 Tribeca Film Festival
It really should be called the Manhattan Film Festival. In its seventh year, Robert DeNiro's brainchild attempts to find its voice. coverage by Christopher Bourne and Yuan-Kwan Chan

Articles:

Beastie Boy's documentary a slam dunk: The "start-and-stop" feel to Adam Yauch's basketball documentary, "Gunnin' for That #1 Spot," perfectly syncs to the typical pace in a game. Yauch also talked about his film at a Tribeca Filmmaker Talks event at the Apple Store SoHo. | Video: Yauch talks about his film

ESPN and the Tribeca Film Festival? No need to “Run for Your Life”…: A look at the partnership between the sports giant and the emerging film festival, with a review of "Run for Your Life," the documentary about New York Marathon founder Fred Lebow. (from our sister publication, Sportsbiztech)

Reviews:

"Fermat's Room": A movie about a quartet of eccentric mathematicians may not sound sexy on the outset, but put these four characters in a room shrinking by the minute and the result is a tense, 88-minute intellectual whodunit.

"Let the Right One In": Tomas Alfredson’s superior vampire yarn “Let the Right One In,” a visually striking film that deepens its outrageous story with an evocative examination of adolescence and suburban life.

"Lou Reed's Berlin": Lou Reed performed his controversial album Berlin over several nights in 2006. The concerts were filmed by Julian Schnabel, and the result is this compelling documentary.

"Man on Wire": Philippe Petit's high-wire walk is the stuff of legend and New York folklore, and it is illustrated with considerable verve and visual flash in Marsh's rendering of these events.

Meniscus TV: Videos from the events we cover

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