Asian CineVision
announces POL POTıS BIRTHDAY
winner of the Excellence in Short Filmmaking Award
at the 28th Asian American International Film Festival
New York, NY (July 24,
2005) - Asian CineVision announced on Saturday night
short film POL POTıS BIRTHDAY directed by Talmage
Cooley, as the winner of the second annual Excellence
in Short Filmmaking Award. Festival director Diana
Lee made the announcement during the Final Cut Party
of the 28th Asian American International Film Festival,
held at White Rabbit (145 E. Houston). Takeo Lee Wong,
an actor from the film, was present to accept the
award.
The Excellence in Short Filmmaking Award, a juried
prize, is awarded to the best short film screened
at the festival. The final five shorts were selected
by the AAIFF's Shorts Screening Committee, and then
presented to a panel of judges to pick the winner.
The judges for the Excellence in Short Filmmaking
included Charles Stone III (director MR. 3000, PAID
IN FULL), Jessica Hagedorn (writer/artist), Roger
Garcia (producer).
"Each short film at this year's festival was
amazingly talented and strong. The quality of these
films is a testament to the growth of Asian American
media arts. We are honored to present the Excellence
in Short Filmmaking to POL POT'S BIRTHDAY," says
Diana Lee, Festival Director.
POL POT'S BIRTHDAY is a 10-minute short set in 1979
after the fall of Phnom Penh when Pol Pot and his
ruthless Khmer Rouge army spent the next decade retreating
slowly towards Thailand. In 1985, the office staff
of this brutal dictator attempt to throw a surprise
birthday party for their boss. The film has also screened
at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and the 2005 Tribeca
Film Festival.
Other shorts finalists included: G23 (Anthony Chan,
Singapore), MISSING (Kit Hui, USA), JEFFEREY'S CALYPSO
(Vashti Anderson, USA/Trinidad), SILENT YEARS (James
Sereno, USA).
The 28th Asian American International Film Festival,
presented by AZN Television, took place from Friday,
July 15 through Saturday, July 23 at the Asia Society
(www.asiasoc.org) -and
IFC Center (www.ifcc.com)
in Manhattan. Selected films will also screen at the
Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, Long Island (www.cinemaartscentre.org)
from July 29-31.
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.
For
more information, please contact:
Asian CineVision
212.989.1422
info[at]asiancinevision[dot]org
