Category Archives: chicago

19th Annual Corporate Dinner

The Chinese American Service League’s (CASL) 19th Annual Corporate Dinner Benefit “Building Futures. . . Housing Dreams” takes place at the Hilton Chicago. This year’s event will include a Special Asian American Fashion Show featuring the works of nine different Chicago area designers. Held in conjunction with the celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the event is expected to attract more than 500 leaders from Chicago’s business community and raise over $250,000.

Here’s some of the Asian American designers for the fashion show:

Cyndi Chan (www.malabarboutique.com)

Michelle Tan (www.michelletan.com)

Medini Joshi (www.helenyi.com)

Anna Fong (www.anna-fong.com)

Calvin Tran (www.calvintran.com)

Kevin Vong (www.kevinvong.com)

Sujata Gazder (www.sujatagazder.com)

Vatit Virashpanth & Itthi Metanee (www.vatititthi.com)

See a sample of the designers:

Pretty To Think So

“Pretty To Think So” will also be playing at the Chicago Asian American Showcase. This film world premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. And is the Official Selection for both the Chicago Asian American Showcase and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. If you miss the film is Chicago, the next stop for this film is the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Watch the trailer for “Pretty To Think So”



The Killing of a Chinese Cookie

“The Killing of a Chinese Cookie” will be playing at the Chicago Asian American Showcase. This is your second chance to check the film out in Chicago. Next stop for this film is the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival in Eugene, Oregon.

For nearly a century, people have turned to this prophetic dessert for advice, inspiration and even winning lottery combinations. While the fortune cookie has been a source of fascination and a Chinese cuisine staple in North America, it remains nearly non-existent in China. THE KILLING OF A CHINESE COOKIE examines the heated debate over the true origin of the fortune cookie, the mixing of eastern and western cultures that produced it, and the cookie’s rise from a simple pastry to a pop culture phenomenon.

Watch the tailer for “The Killing of a Chinese Cookie”

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Watch the full documentary of The Killing of a Chinese Cookie (or get it on amazon)

Vincent Who? and West 32nd

Playing today at the “Asian American Showcase” in Chicago are two great films: “Vincent Who?” and “West 32nd”. If you are in the area, be sure to check them out.

A documentary on Vincent Chin presented by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress in association with Tony Lam Films:

Learn more about Vincent Chin.

The other film is “West 32nd” by Michael Kang. When John Kim, an ambitious young lawyer, takes on a pro bono case to exonerate a fourteen-year-old boy from a first degree murder charge, he finds a world he never knew existed in the underbelly of Manhattan – the Korean underworld.

Visit the “West 32nd” movie site. This film is also slated to be the opening night film for the “Disorient Asian American Film Festival” on April 24 in Eugene, OR.

2008 Chicago Asian American Showcase

If you are in the Chicago Area, drop by the 13th edition of “Asian American Showcase”. The showcase runs from April 11 through 24. This year’s theme is “Lucky 13”. They will celebrate film and video production by Asian American directors through 13 Chicago-premiere programs and a “Lucky 13”-themed exhibition by Asian American artists in their gallery/café.

Details:

April 11-24, 2008

Gene Siskel Film Center

164 North State Street

Chicago Il 60601

Here’s some of the films in the lineup:

Opening Night – Ping Pong Playa

Closing Night – Santa Mesa

Other films of note include “Vincent Who?” and “West 32nd”

Directors scheduled to appear include Michael Kang (West 32nd), Amyn Kaderali (Kissing Cousins), and Frances Hsueh and Steven Hahn (Pretty to Think So)

Playing tonight is “Kissing Cousins”. Watch the trailer below.

You can see the program guide here:

Read this doc on Scribd: 2008 Chicago Asian American Showcase