ASIAN CINEVISION PRESENTS
THE EAST COAST PREMIERE OF DIRECTOR MICHAEL KANG'S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILM THE MOTEL
AT THE 28TH ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

July 21, 2005 (New York) - Asian CineVision (ACV), a non-profit media arts organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Asian and Asian American media expressions, presents the East Coast premiere of director Michael Kang's THE MOTEL, screening tonight at 7PM at the Asia Society (725 Park Avenue, at 70th Street), as the Centerpiece Presentation of the 28th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF). AAIFF is the nation's longest running festival devoted to works by filmmakers of Asian descent.

Fresh from its world premiere at Sundance, Kang's smart and funny feature-film debut offers up some hard lessons about masculinity and ethnicity to its 13-year old protagonist Ernest Chin (Jeffrey Chyau). The young Ernest endures a tedious adolescence growing up in the monotony of daily life at the sleazy suburban motel where he lives with his mother. His sprits are lifted only by the hope of something more and by a crush on the cute waitress at the local Chinese restaurant. Using his own life at the motel as material, Ernest wins honorable mention in a local literary contest, only to have the accomplishment belittled by his mother (Jade Wu). Soon, though, a new tenant Sam (Sung Kang, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW) - complete with floozy and booze - breaks the tedium of life at the motel, as he takes young Ernest under his wing. The problem is, this newfound mentor may be more played-out than a player.

The work of a promising new cinematic talent, THE MOTEL is a heartwarming, coming-of-age comedy. The script for the film won the 2001 AAIFF Screenplay Competition and earned the filmmaker an invitation to the coveted Sundance Screenwriters Lab, no doubt on account of the film's emotional depth and finely crafted characters.

THE MOTEL
2005, 76 min.
DIRECTOR: Michael Kang
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Esther Shapiro, Richard Shapiro, Edie Shapiro PRODUCERS: Matthew Greenfield, Miguel Arteta, Gina Kwon, Karin Chien
CAST: Sung Kang, Jeffrey Chyau, Jade Wu, Samantha Futerman

Asian CineVision, Inc. (ACV)
ACV is a non-profit national media arts organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video arts. Since 1978, ACV has annually presented the Asian American International Film Festival, the first and longest-running festival devoted to Asian/Asian American cinema in the United States. In addition to the festival, ACV's programs and services include film exhibitions, mentoring and educational outreach, training workshops, publications and a media archive.

Asia Society
The Asia Society (www.AsiaSociety.org) is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communications between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific, through innovative Asian and Asian American programming.

For more information, please contact:
Asian CineVision
212.989.1422
info[at]asiancinevision[dot]org