Newport Beach Film Festival

ALTRA was extremely delighted to be invited as Q&A panel moderators for their West 32nd screening and the "Insights from Asian American Professionals in Entertainment and Media" at the 9th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival (www.newportbeachfilmfest.com), which took place from April 24th to May 1st in the Fashion Island of Newport Beach, California. This year, the festival's President/Director Gregg Schwenk decided to add a different twist to the festival, by offering two Q&A panels dedicated to Asian American Entertainment Industry, along with exclusive post screening parties, to delight his audience in quality international films and to celebrate diversity in filmmaking.

Opening Night

The festival opened with the comedy film Sherman's Way, with celebrity guests including Brooke Burns (actress), Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (The Hills), Elisa Neal (actress), Richard Sherman (songwriter). But the best part of the opening night happened right after the screening – the opening night party that boasted over 15 of the best restaurants in Orange County, generously giving away their delicious signature dishes in appetizer portions, along with complimentary cocktail and beverage sponsors including Level Vodka and Perrier. Below are three of our favorite restaurants from the event:

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant
453 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-640-7697
roysrestaurant.com
(Also in New York City)

Caspian Restaurant Persian Cuisine
14100 Culver Drive
Irvine, CA 92604
949-651-8454
caspianrestaurant.com

Blanca Spanish Italian Coastal Cuisine
3420 Via Oporto
Newport Beach, CA 92663
949-673-0414
www.blancanewport.com

The Panels: Moderated by ALTRA's Publisher/Editorial Director Nancy Moran, along with co-moderators Steve Tsai (Web Director) and Jane Park (Contributing Writer) "West 32nd" - Producer Teddy Zee, Director Michael Kang and cast member Hans Kim openly discussed the making of the film and its message, along with the rising popularity of Asian & Asian American actors and filmmakers. The audience was delighted to hear their perspective on why this film has been so warmly received worldwide, and the importance of recognizing Asian American talents on the big screen.

"Insights from Asian American Professionals in Entertainment and Media" - The guests on this panel all came out with one uniformed mission – to raise support and recognition for Asian American Entertainment and Media Professionals. Panelists included Bill Imada, Founder/CEO of the IW Group, Simon Yin, Actor and VJ of formerly known as MTV Chi, Ron Oda, writer/director of "Asian Stories (Book 3)", Carl Choi, Music Mogul and Founder of "Plan C" group, and actor Camille Mana (Smart People, Equal Opportunity). They enthusiastically talked about their experience and achievements, while encouraging the Asian Americans in the audience to become more involved in the media and entertainment industries.

We were also pleasantly surprised to see people who traveled from other parts of the country to participate in these panel events. Their presence undoubtedly showed a strong desire to support talented Asian American talents, and the pride of being part of the Asian American film community.

"We were glad to have partnered with ALTRA Magazine on the Q&A panels for West 32nd and Asian American Professionals in Media and Entertainment. Through ALTRA's strong relationships and resources within the Asian American Media and Entertainment sectors, the panels resulted in a great turnout and added a new layer of dimension to the festival. It's always great when those involved with the films can come out to show support and interact with the audience," said Gregg Schwenk, who was thrilled with the panels' turnouts.

The Asian Films Cinema Showcase
"It's nice to be able to expose films from different cultures, it is also nice to see that a variety of Asian films can gain an audience in an area where they might not have had the chance to see them if it were not for the Festival," said Jennifer Perez, the showcase coordinator who presented renowned films from Asia including Up the Yangtze River (China), Before the Rains (India), Hellcats (Korea) and Always:Sunset on Third Street 2 (Japan). The showcase received great feedbacks from the audience, along with media support from various local publications. And of course, we have to mention the wonderful post screening party that offered complimentary yummy catering from the area's top Asian restaurants, and great goody bags that included handmade, all natural chocolates from Kron Chocolatier in Beverly Hills (www.dkron.com).

ALTRA had a fabulous time at the Newport Beach Film Festival and truly appreciate everyone there for being such gracious host, as well as their strong support of Asian and Asian American films. We look forward to seeing them again at their 10th anniversary next year.

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