Actor James Kyson Lee, most famous for his role on NBC’s “Heroes” television show, will collaborate with San Francisco-based film director Henry J. Kim on an independent feature film that is thought to be the first joint film project between San Francisco and Seoul production companies.
Kim will direct a short prelude film, titled “No Rest for the Righteous,” starring Lee in San Francisco that will start shooting on Dec. 16. The short film will set up the untitled feature film.
Through the collaboration between South Korean and Asian American filmmakers and actors, Kim and Lee hope to spur more opportunities to showcase Korean American and Asian American films and artistic projects in South Korea and other Asian countries.
“The film and entertainment industries in Seoul, Hong Kong and Tokyo have been incredibly successful in influencing their American counterparts,” said Kim, who is also co-founder of Empty Kingdom, one of the leading media arts websites, “which is fantastic since it represents the pendulum swinging back after Asian creatives embraced, adapted and evolved American cinema.”
“Unfortunately, Asian American artists are largely overlooked in Asia, so No Rest for the Righteous and the following feature film represents an effort by James Kyson, me and many others to create more opportunities for Asian audiences to experience Asian American cinema.”
To kick off the filming of the short film, Kim and Lee will appear at a special event to raise funds for the project on Dec. 15, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Aato Restaurant, 1449 Lombard St., San Francisco. Empty Kingdom, Asian Business League of San Francisco (ABL-SF), Korean American Professional Society (KAPS), Keith Kamisugi, Louis Hong, Claire Chang, Suhi Koizumi, Min Lee, Dennis Kwon, Tae E. Kim, Amy Kang and Christine Chang are also on the event host committee.
With the November elections in many states and the 2010 Census behind us, another critical election cycle is right around the corner and APIAVote is ready to help ensure that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are heard loud and clear in the 2012 contests.
We can only do this with your support. Donate today to help us with the resources needed to launch our 2012 programs.
As the only national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing AAPI civic participation, APIAVote’s efforts are needed now more than ever. Although AAPIs are one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S. – with a 46% growth rate compared to a 10% national rate – we have the lowest voter turnout when compared to other groups in the last election according to the Pew Research Center.
In 2012, we will be conducting trainings in states like Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Nevada, Arizona and Florida, as well as New York, Washington State, California and Hawai’i. We want to continue our efforts to work with local nonprofits, coalitions and civic groups to help them incorporate civic and voter engagement into their existing frameworks.
We re-energized our leadership with board members Toby Chaudhuri (Co-Chair), Janelle Hu, (Secretary/Treasurer), Stephanie L. Chang, Johnnie Giles, Keith Kamisugi, William Kaneko, Daphne Kwok, Tina Lee, Tana Lepule, Mini Timmaraju, Bouapha Toommaly and Patrice Yao working together with interim executive director Christine Chen.
Since 1996, you have seen us working hard every day to give a voice to the AAPI community through:
Building the capacity of community-based organizations throughout the U.S.
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Translating materials into different Asian languages
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Toby Chaudhuri, Co-Chair
Janelle Hu, Secretary/Treasurer
Stephanie L. Chang
Johnnie Giles
Keith Kamisugi
William Kaneko
Daphne Kwok
Tina Lee
Tana Lepule
Mini Timmaraju
Bouapha Toommaly
Patrice Yao
Christine Chen, Interim Executive Director
The Topple Hunger in North Korea (THINK) program, organized by the Korean American Coalition, yesterday posted a video of Sandra Oh urging support for the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act of 2011. Express your support by clicking here (http://kacla.org/?page_id=2535) and filling out a short form that will generate a letter of support to your Members of Congress. Although it’s mentioned in the video, ThinkChildren.org is not yet live as of this posting.
If passed, the Act would allow Americans to adopt refugee orphans who have fled the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to neighboring countries such as Mongolia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. These children are struggling in harsh circumstances, and run the risk of being sent back to North Korea, a country facing regular food shortages, and where one in three North Korean children under five are chronically malnourished.
Right now, it is extremely difficult to bring refugee children to the United States. One American family on the East Coast is currently working to secure the adoption of two orphaned siblings from North Korea. The adoption process for them could take anywhere from three to 10 years, and approval is not guaranteed. The passage of this Act would reduce the waiting time for families seeking to adopt refugee orphans.
This is not simply an adoption issue, or a Korean American issue. Refugee orphans do not have access to food and clean water, and are vulnerable to human trafficking and deportation. The North Korean Refugee Adoption Act would lessen the burden on parents in the United States who wish to provide a safe and caring home for refugee orphans.
Express your support by clicking here (http://kacla.org/?page_id=2535) and filling out a short form that will generate a letter of support to your Members of Congress.
Topple Hunger in North Korea (THINK) is a program organized by the Korean American Coalition (KAC) to inform the public about famine and humanitarian issues in North Korea, and to increase civic participation in the Korean American community.
With the November elections in many states and the 2010 Census behind us, another critical election cycle is right around the corner and APIAVote is ready to help ensure that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are heard loud and clear in the 2012 contests.