India’s Love Sonia Will Open the Festival On October 24 China’s In Harm’s Way Will Close the Festival On November 1
Actresses Freida Pinto, Lisa Lu And Awkwafina To Be Honored
The fourth AnnualĀ Asian World Film FestivalĀ asianworldfilmfest.orgĀ (AWFF) has selectedĀ India’sĀ Golden Globes foreign language contenderĀ Love SoniaĀ as the Festival’s opening night film onĀ October 24. Ā China’sĀ In Harm’s WayĀ will be the closing night film onĀ November 1. The centerpiece film will beĀ Burning,Ā South Korea’sĀ current OscarĀ®Ā contender. All films will be screened at the Arclight Cinema inĀ Downtown Culver CityĀ (9500 Culver Blvd.)
Shown in the photo is Lisa Lu (Crazy Asians)
TheĀ Courage to Dream AwardĀ will go to actressĀ Freida Pinto, who stars in the opening night filmĀ Love Sonia.Ā She is known for her leading role inĀ Slumdog Millionaire.
TheĀ Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement AwardĀ will be presented toĀ Lisa LuĀ who has been making movies for 60 years, includingĀ The Joy Luck Club, The Last EmperorĀ and this year’s smash hitĀ Crazy Rich Asians.Ā TheĀ Snow Leopard Rising Star Awardgoes toĀ Awkwafina, whose outlandish character was the scene stealer inĀ Crazy Rich Asians.
A special tribute will be made celebrating the 90thĀ anniversary of Sovet/Krgyz author and statesman,Ā Chingyz Aitmatov. He is known for such films asĀ Pervyy uchitelĀ (1965),Ā The Girl with the Red ScarfĀ (1977) andĀ JamilaĀ (1994). His literary works have been translated into more than 20 languages. After the collapse of theĀ Soviet UnionĀ in 1991, Aitmatov’s novels found a new audience in the West and gained popularity inĀ Germany.
Love SoniaĀ is inspired by real events and is the story of a young girl’s journey to rescue her sister from the dangerous world of international sex trafficking. The film was directed byĀ Tabrez Noorani, produced by Academy Award Nominated Producer ofĀ Life of Pi,Ā David Womark, and starsĀ Mrunal ThakurĀ (who plays Sonia),Ā Richa Chad,Ā Freida Pinto,Ā Mark Duplass,Ā Demi MooreĀ and San Tamankar. Pinto, Thakur and Duplass are scheduled to attend the festival’s opening night.
TheĀ USAĀ premiere ofĀ In Harm’s WayĀ tells the story of what happened to one young American pilot who was forced to bail out near the coast ofĀ ChinaĀ after a bombing raid onĀ TokyoĀ followingĀ Japan’sĀ attack onĀ Pearl HarborĀ in the 1940s. He is saved by a young local widow who risks her life as she hides the injured American pilot in her house. Two-time Cannes Palme d’Or winnerĀ Bille August directed andĀ Emile HirschĀ andĀ Crystal Yifei LiuĀ star. The film will be released theatrically in the U.S. onĀ November 2.
BurningĀ tells the story of Jong-su, a part-time worker, who bumps into an old friend, Hai-mi who asks him to look after her cat while she’s on a trip toĀ Africa. When Hai-mi returns, she introduces Ben, a mysterious man she met inĀ Africa. Ā One day, Ben visits Jong-su’s with Hai-mi and confesses his own secret hobby. The film was directed by Chang-dong Lee and stars Ah-In Yoo, Jong-seoĀ Jeon and Steven Yeun.
The festival’s 2018 theme is female empowerment and the role and growing professional influence of women in the Asian region film industry.Ā Roza Otunbayeva, former president ofĀ KyrgyzstanĀ will attend. She is the first woman to be a nation’s president inĀ Central Asia.
Friday, October 26Ā will be a day of panel discussions, starting atĀ 10 a.m.Ā with a panel onĀ “Streaming: The Future of Global Entertainment.”Ā This will be followed byĀ “AsiaĀ āĀ Hollywood”Ā in which panelists will discuss the changing Asian film scene with the growing economies ofĀ India, Korea andĀ Southeast Asia. The afternoon panels will start with a panel of directors attending this year’s festival. This will be followed byĀ “Women in Asian Film”Ā and finally a discussion onĀ “Blockchain,”Ā a new way of entertainment financing which has taken off inĀ Asia. The Asian World Industry Forum reception will be held in the evening.
Festival director Georges N. Chamchoum said: “I am thrilled that this year our Festival revolves around Women – from our respected Honorees, to both the Opening and Closing Movies which are centered around strong female characters. I have always believed in the artistic power, creativity and leadership demonstrated by women. My whole life has been “woven” by women ā therefore, what could be more fitting than this wonderful tribute at AWFF 2018.”
