WASHINGTON, D.C. – In conjunction with the 10th anniversary of its festival, D.C. Asian Pacific American Film announced that filmmaker Tze Chun has been selected the award recipient of the first ever George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award in recognition of his feature length film, Children of Invention. The film is a timely narrative of economic and family hardship about two children forced to fend for themselves when their mother gets embroiled in a pyramid scheme and disappears. The award recognizes the director for his talent and exemplary commitment to filmmaking within the Asian and Asian American media & arts genre.

George C. Lin

“I’m touched and humbled to receive the 2009 George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award,” said Chun upon hearing the news. “I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing George when he was with us, but his memorial fund serves as a reminder to filmmakers that we are only one part of a community of Asian American artists, audiences, and those rare connectors like George, that are so important in bridging that gap.”

Chun will be officially recognized as recipient of this award on October 10th, 2009, at the D.C. debut of Children of Invention, and will be awarded a cash prize and an original bronze sculpture from the artist Chin Wen Chuang.

“Children of Invention captured our hearts and imagination, showing us a depth of character, a portrayal of responsibility, compassion, spirit and wit,” said Tad Doyle, Programming Director of APA Film. “Mr. Chun’s commitment to this film embodies the spirit in which The George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award is being given. It is envisioned by DC APA Film that the award be given to a young filmmaker whose work at the festival not only shows talent but also the independent voice that George so embraced.”

(Tze Chun)

Chun, 29, has already won numerous awards this year and recently was named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine.

Ten years ago, George Lin founded and served as Executive Director of Asian Pacific American Film, Inc. George made a lasting mark on the Asian and Asian American film community through his involvement with D.C. Asian Pacific American Film and thereafter the San Diego Asian Film Foundation, having served as program director and Associate Festival Director. Additionally, George was an active and important figure in the Asian and Asian American media & arts community and played a key role as a spokesperson for Asian and Asian American recognition across the spectrum of film, media, art and education. Unfortunately, in October of last year, coinciding with the run of both the D.C. and San Diego Asian film festivals, George passed away from a lifelong illness at the age of 37.

Children of Invention will screen on Oct. 10th at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Goethe Institut. A Q&A and reception follows both shows. The DC APA Film Festival takes place from October 1 through 10. Visit www.apafilm.org for more information.

About The George C. Lin Memorial Fund
The George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award is funded by public donations to the George C. Lin Memorial Fund. The objective of The George C. Lin Memorial Fund is to provide grants and support to students, educators and professionals in the media & arts industries on a non-profit basis. The fund also provides donations and working support towards pheochromocytoma cancer research, education and awareness. Charitable donations can be made to: The George C. Lin Memorial Fund, c/o The San Diego Foundation, 2508 Historic Decatur Rd. Ste. 200, San Diego, CA 92106

About Asian Pacific American Film, Inc.
Asian Pacific American (APA) Film is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, devoted to encouraging the artistic development of APA media artists and raising public awareness of APA media arts through an annual festival and other events in the Washington, D.C. area. Visit their website at www.apafilm.org.

Related: Our sponsor Angry Asian Man wrote about George Lin Day in San Diego.

Announcing the 2009 Festival Award Winners

“Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) have made incredible strides in the past 10 years,” said festival director Anna Petrillo. “We are more visible in entertainment, more influential at the polls, and more present in elected and appointed offices. All of these things are related, and as the APA film festival of the nation’s capital, it’s our mission to both recognize and facilitate this.”

Eric Byler

Annabel Park

9500 LIBERTY is based on the world’s first “interactive documentary,” which debuted on YouTube in October of 2007, inviting viewers to provide feedback and become part of the unfolding story, both online and in person. The popularity and impact of the channel (over 600,000 views to date) landed the filmmakers on local, national, and international press, leading to an invitation to testify before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The film is in part about their transformative journey documenting this bitter fight.

The film is directed by Asian American filmmakers, Annabel Park of Silver Spring, MD and Eric Byler of Gainesville, VA. Byler, whose critically acclaimed debut CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES was hailed by Roger Ebert as a “breakthrough for Asian American filmmakers,” returned to Northern Virginia from Los Angeles in 2006, just as ethnic tensions were mounting in Prince William County. The film, Mr. Byler’s first documentary, is his sixth film to be selected for the festival. In addition, this is the first time a documentary film about a local issue has opened the DC APA Film Festival.

“One profound lesson that we learned in Prince William County is recognizing the fragility of democracy,” Byler said. “We hope that our film will persuade people of all backgrounds, especially Asian Americans, of the importance of actively participating at all levels of government.”

Park, who immigrated from South Korea at the age of 9, believes that Asian Americans should step up to the plate and take on leadership roles in America’s ongoing debate about immigration. “Politically speaking, immigration has been cast as a Latino issue. This is unfortunate because the subject of immigration is an issue that affects all Americans. Asian Americans must not remain on the sidelines of a debate that will have such enormous significance on America’s future and identity.”

The festival runs from October 1 – October 10, 2009 in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian Institution‘s Freer/Sackler Galleries, the Burke Theatre of the U.S. Navy Memorial, and Landmark’s E Street Cinema. It will showcase 18 feature length films, over 40 short films, and special events including industry receptions and panels, educational workshops, and a retrospective sample of films from the past ten years of Asian Pacific American independent cinema.

Screenings are open to the public and five events will have free admission.  For more information go to: www.apafilm.org and www.9500Liberty.com.

For press screeners and media inquiries, contact Ron Sanchez at Ron@apafilm.org, or (202) 330-5496.

####

The 10th Annual Washington, D.C. Asian Pacific American Film Festival is presented by Asian Pacific American Film, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based registered nonprofit, tax-exempt charity under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code that is devoted to film and media arts made by and/or about Americans of Asian Pacific Islander descent and other Asian Diasporic groups from around the world.