For Immediate Release
16 May 2003

ASIAN CINEVISION IN ASSOCIATION WITH ASIA SOCIETY
ANNOUNCES
THE 26th ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
PRESENTED BY CADILLAC®
June 20-29 at the Asia Society and Museum

New York, NY - Asian CineVision (ACV), a non-profit media arts organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Asian and Asian American media expressions, in association with Asia Society proudly announces the 26th ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AAIFF). The Festival - presented this year by Cadillac® - will run from Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 29 at the Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue (at 70 Street).

The AAIFF - the nation's oldest and longest running film festival devoted to the works by filmmakers of Asian descent - annually showcases over 100 features, shorts, documentaries, animations and experimental works by established and emerging artists. This year, selected films can also be viewed at Flushing Town Hall, on June 28 and 29. "We are proud and excited to launch the 26th Asian American International Festival. The 26th AAIFF continues our heritage of promoting and featuring works by international filmmakers of Asian descent, from Bangladesh to Taiwan. We hope, with this year¹s festival, to showcase the depth and diversity within the Asian Diaspora," said Diana Lee, Festival Director.

"The Asia Society is very excited to be hosting the AAIFF for the second year in a row," said Vishakha N. Desai, Senior Vice President of the Asia Society and Director of the Museum and Cultural Programs. "Our partnership with the longest running festival of Asian American cinema is central to the role of the Asia Society in presenting and promoting a dialogue about the experiences and lives of Asians and Asian Americans today." Festival highlights will include the premieres of A Peck on the Cheek (directed by two-time Academy Award nominee Mani Ratnam), Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity (directed by Mina Shum), and Asakusa Kid (directed by Makoto Shinozaki and based on the autobiography of Takeshi Kitano). There will also be a special presentation of Inner Senses (directed by Chi-leung Lo), the last film made by late-actor Leslie Cheung and Tribute and Remembrance (directed by Renata Huang), commissioned by the Asian American Federation of New York, which examines the extensive effects of 9-11 on the Asian American community. In addition to the screenings, ACV will present the second annual "Emerging Director Award" and guest appearances by H.E. Pramathesh Rath Consul General of India, The Honorable John Liu New York City Council Member, director Wayne Wang, international fashion designer Anna Sui, among others.

The AAIFF was created in 1978 by ACV founders Tsui Hark (Once Upon a Time in China), Christine Choy (Who Killed Vincent Chin?), film journalist Daryl Chin, and producer Peter Chow with the mission to provide a formal annual showcase for filmmakers of Asian descent. For over two decades, the AAIFF was the only festival in North America to premiere and introduce to the public now internationally acclaimed directors including Oscar-winners Ang Lee and Steven Okasaki, as well as Oscar-nominees Zhang Yimou, Mira Nair, and Ismail Merchant. Since its inception, the AAIFF has also helped to pave the way for the establishment of other Asian film festivals in major cities - including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver.

In addition to the screenings, the 26th AAIFF will feature panels and workshops. For complete program and ticket information, please visit www.asiancinevision.org or call the Festival hotline at (212) 989-1422.

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. Since 1978, ACV has annually presented the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to showcase cinema works by international artists of Asian descent. In addition to the festival, ACV¹s programs and services include film exhibitions, mentoring and educational outreach, training workshops, publications, and a media archive. ACV is based in New York City. For more information, please visit www.asiancinevision.org. 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.

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For more information about Asian CineVision and the Festival, request for an interview, or to obtain screening cassettes for films, please contact:

Diana Lee
Asian CineVision, Inc.
(212) 989-1422