Thai film director Apichatpong Weerasethakul had an out-of-body experience at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival when he won the Palme d’Or, the world’s most prestigious film award. A nine-member jury led by fellow director Tim Burton chose “Loong Boonmee Raluek Chat” or “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” for the top prize. Weerasethakul, largely considered the dark horse in the competition, was presented the award onstage by Burton while journalists and film critics around the world cheered.

Beginning this Saturday, March 13 through March 21, thousands of film aficionados will flock to the 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Since 1982, the festival has been an annual event showcasing about 120 new Asian American and Asian films in unique venues throughout San Francisco, San Jose and Berkeley. There will be a range of short programs, full-length features, special guests, musical performances, forums, and even happy hours and parties. For a directory of all the films that will be shown, click here and for ticket prices, click here.
As a …

PAPER HEART follows Charlyne as she embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn’t fully understand.  As she and her good friend (and director) Nick search for answers and advice about love, Charlyne talks with friends and strangers, scientists, bikers, romance novelists, and children.  They each offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the age-old question: does true love really exist?

Then, shortly after filming begins, Charlyne meets a boy after her own heart: Michael Cera. …

This past weekend, New York City played host to the 32nd annual Asian American International Film Festival with great success, despite torrential downpours. Thanks to AAIFF, Mochi was graciously granted screening passes for the two films, “Claustrophobia” and “Fruit Fly.” And granted, while the  opening and closing films of this year’s festival don’t sound particularly positive, I assure you, these are two instances where one can’t judge a movie by its title. Kicking things off with a dark, brooding drama (“Claustrophobia”) and ending on a perky, existential musical (“Fruit Fly”), …

I had to do a double take when I first saw the trailer to Pixar’s latest computer-animated feature, Up. No, it wasn’t the talking golden retreiver, the Fruit Loops-esque dodo bird or the endearing octogenarian protagonist, Fredricksen. It was the fat, hyperactive boy scout, Russell, whose almond-shaped eyes and black tuft hair took a moment to register.

Then suddenly, the revelation dawned on me. Is Russell Asian? Could it be? An animated Asian character without a stereotypical accent, martial arts know-how, and other clichéd cultural cues? I had to YouTube …