Messages

Working my way through the backlog of replies. I will say that the schedule has been completed and will be announced in the coming days.

As for the replies, here goes:


It's kind of tricky with those due to copyright. Also, the goal of the room was always to promote the latest films coming out of East Asia.

Love to see some Asian American films on the list myself. I suggest movies like "Fruit Fly" and "All About Dad" unless there'd be some copyright issues in which case you can completely disregard my post.

This was on the film schedule in years past, and with its popularity and our department's goal to promote newer films, I am not optimistic of this film's chances of showing up on any future schedules.

Anyone else wanna watch trainmen?

Most of these have either been shown in previous years or have been licensed. We do have a lot of newer Japanese films that are on our schedule this year, though, so I do hope you will enjoy those!

Cyborg Girl [JP]
A Millionaire's First Love [KR, 2006] It's older than 2008 but I want a chance to watch it :P
Baby and Me [KR]
Taiyou no Uta [JP]
Nana [JP]
Hello Schoolgirl [KR]
100 Days With Mr Arrogant [KR]
200 Pounds Beauty [KR]
My Sassy Girl [KR]

I personally don't really care how old the mv is as long as it's good! I don't know much about movies though, lol, I just watch dramas

We didn't put this on the schedule this year, but we can consider it for next year's room.

I would love to see "My Darling is a Foreigner" ! If you do show it, can you show it on Saturday??  Heeheee  :)

We had an Asian Drama room the past three years due to popular demand. Ironically, nobody ever went to the room, so we removed it from the lineup. Sorry!

yeah less room is no bueno ; ;  but def. glad the room is still around at all as it's one of my favorite things at fanime.

i was hoping to catch the mushishi film as well, but i'm sure there are good reason why it isn't going to be shown this year (right?).

i'll see the L movie for sure since i missed it when it was in theatres.

would anyone know if any of the films being shown are in the vein of an "art-house" release (like a wong kar wai or tsai ming liang film)?  not really a fan of "genre" films (martial arts / slapstick or screwball comedy / romantic comedy / horror etc); looking for something a little more experimental on a formal and/or narrative level.

Re: One Room Only. Asian Film will move on just fine with one room. The 2nd and 3rd rooms were really just designated for Asian Dramas and for retreads of films shown at the first room in previous years, so the programming will definitely be bringing a lot of great new films to the convention, just as it has in previous years.

Re: Mushishi. The film is from 2006, and normally would have been shown in previous years. As the series is quite known at this point, the decision was to move on with newer films and bring more fresh content to the Asian Film room.

Re: Non-genre Films. I'm always looking to have a diverse schedule of Asian films for Fanime, and this year is no different. I still believe that a great story can be told regardless of a film's genre, and while I understand how typical genre films can get repetitive, I am always looking to find great movies to show regardless of what type of films they are. If you are looking for more unconventional films to watch, films such as The Chaser, Paco and the Magical Picture Book, and The Equation of Love and Death are all fine choices amongst the other great films being shown this year.

I hope there is a big crowd for "The Late Shift!" It's going to big variety show and the host (read: me) has really been burning the midnight oil to make this show spectacular for all Fanime attendees!

The show is split into two nights, with the first night bringing some comedy and action, then the next night will be a big music show on the stage!

The Fanime audience has been really supportive in making the Asian Film room (my previous project) into a big hit, so I hope they'll come out and wish me luck in this new endeavor. Come out on Friday and Saturday, and I hope you all enjoy the show!

All new movies this year. Great schedule, though.

Negatives:
-Lack of things to do after 8PM or so. I mean, sure, there's Yaoi-Con's nightly event, and usually one other big thing, but for some of my younger friends (15-16) there's nothing for them to do but go to the dance, as they aren't allowed off-site. Even small panels would have been appreciated.

Did you check out the Asian Film Room area? We usually have themed programming from 6PM - 12AM every night, and in addition, we had some really huge screenings during the prime hours of the evening, including Memories of Matsuko (from the director of Kamikaze Girls), Honey and Clover live-action, the Death Note movies, Jackie Chan's latest film Rob-B-Hood, Dragon Tiger Gate (based on a Chinese manga of the same name), The Host (internationally-acclaimed monster movie from Korea), and a ton more.

We keep our programming fresh and are open all hours of the night, so this might be a place you look to check out next Fanime. It's just too bad that you didn't make time for us this year.

[HUGE]

I realize how much having a program guide could have helped our traffic, but did the summaries in front of the rooms help at all? We do try to have full summaries for the films in front of the rooms, so I am just trying to gauge how much they make a difference.

Thanks!

And the replies...

Having the summaries in front of the room was a HUGE help. And I enjoyed the music vids that were used as filler between movies/shows. Thanks!  :wink:

Glad you enjoyed the music video intermissions! The main reason we do it is because we know there is time between showings, but I'm always happy to hear about people enjoying the music (most of which is coming from my personal collection of music video DVDs). I was really quite flattered when someone came up to me on Sunday and asked about one of the artists.

If you have questions or are looking for more information on the artists, just let me know, and I'd be more than willing to share.

I know they sure helped me. If you guys hadn't posted that my friend's and I probably wouldn't have seen any of the movies. We ended up watching 4 of them, all of which we enjoyed. Thanks. :)

By any chance do you remember which four films you and your friends watched? I'm just trying to get a better feel of what people checked out on our schedule.

Those summaries are lifesavers btw. I was able to peak at stuff that I would have missed.(I did miss some stuff, but at least I know the names of interesting flicks to hunt down.)

Anything notable that you were able to catch? Again, just trying to gauge what our audience watches.

Overall, though, sounds like those summaries were really useful. Maybe next year we'll work on larger versions of them so that they are more visible.

Thanks!

[The Unknowns]

The Unknowns
-Asian Cinema. Without a program guide, I didn't have anything to go on when choosing movies to watch, so I ended up not actually walking into the viewing rooms except during one movie while I was practically falling asleep on Monday at 6am. So I didn't really get a taste of what was there, sadly.

I realize how much having a program guide could have helped our traffic, but did the summaries in front of the rooms help at all? We do try to have full summaries for the films in front of the rooms, so I am just trying to gauge how much they make a difference.

Thanks!

If Media Blasters and other companies hit San Francisco's Chinatown, that would be one great raid. Unfortunately, many of the Hong Kong (and anime) movies they sell are counterfeit. It's really sad. Though there was this boxset of Kung Fu Hustle which included the handprint and martial arts training booklets (just like in the movie). Maybe that was legit, but I'm rather iffy about spending money to a place that sells boots.

I scour Chinatown for DVDs all the time, and those Asian film releases they have are mostly legit. Places like Sun, QQ, Asia-Star, and the place next to Golden Gate Bakery (I keep forgetting its name) all sell legit Hong Kong releases, be it of Hong Kong films, Japanese films, Korean films, or what have you.

As for the handprint boxset of Kung Fu Hustle, this is absolutely legit and is an ultra-rare special edition that was released when the film made it to DVD in Hong Kong.

When it comes to Anime, it's a little tougher to discern this because in Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, there really are no companies that release Anime like it's released over in the United States, and what may seem to be a bootleg over here to the common American anime fan is actually the only real copy you'll find of a movie, OVA, or series over there in Asia.

You can usually tell which copies are the R3 copies because they usually have at least two audio tracks, if not three. They are usually Japanese/Cantonese, Japanese/Mandarin, or all three. They usually also include English, Chinese (Simp.), and Chinese (Trad.) subtitle tracks.

The real problem isn't that these are "bootlegs," because to an Anime fan in Hong Kong or Taiwan, they're plenty real to them. I mean, it's all they've got. The problem is that these copies are not region-encoded, and the English track makes it possible for American Anime fans to purchase them. The fact that they are usually cheaper and sold in bundles really doesn't help American Distributors.

Rap fan, guro fan, sadist, sociopath, rapist, theyre all the same to me.

While I am in agreement with most people on this board that the face of rap music and hip hop today is awful, there is no place for a comment like that on this board. There are many people who enjoy both rap music and anime, and they do not deserve to be insulted in this way.

The rap performance at Stage Zero this past Fanime weekend was quite a draw for many people, who obviously enjoyed it. I'm not going to lie and say that there weren't people who did not enjoy it, mainly due to the fact that they are not fans of rap music, but the ones that were there and enjoyed it were anime fans, just like yourself.

I find it ironic that people can make a statement like that, when there is such a mass appeal for rap, hip hop, and R&B in Japan. Artists like Koda Kumi, Heartsdales, m-flo, CHEMISTRY, and others are an example of this. Some of these artists even have their songs go on to become opening and ending themes to anime. I am sure they would be shocked and appalled if they were to discover that the people watching the anime that features their music believe them to be a bunch of racists and sociopaths. I'm sure Yoko Kanno would love to know that her music choices for Samurai Champloo has now grouped her into such a horrible group of people.

Look, there's probably no way to change your negative opinion on rap music or the people that listen to it, but the least you can do is to keep that to yourself. The last thing we need on this board is someone to insult the members of this board that like both anime and rap music, and we sure don't need comments like that to instigate arguments between yourself and other forum users.

I am highly dissapointed that a comment like that could be made on this board. You don't have to like rap music, but you don't have to make such a biased, prejudiced, and hateful comment towards the people that do. Had bad experiences with people that do listen to rap music? Okay. But don't take down all the rap-loving staff members, congoers, and members of this board by associating them with those bad experiences. After all, they're all just anime fans too.

I know there were signs, but I saw no sign of schedules. And by that I mean a sheet (or five) of paper that said "Friday ... [list of films] Saturday ... [list of films]... etc."

We had these at all the Asian Film Rooms. Did you check the Asian Film Rooms? We always have schedules posted up, complete with summaries, running time, and pictures.

Not to sway this conversation off the whole yaoi/yuri debate (which is really a can of worms I'd like to stay far, far away from), did anyone here catch the film Welcome to Dongmakgol on Saturday in Asian Film 1? It was a film about some soldiers that end up in a magical mountain village? It was on at 10PM on Saturday.

I'd really like to know if anyone was able to catch that film, and what the response to that film was. Thanks.

4. Were there any films or dramas that you did not enjoy? When we went to see A Tale of Two Sisters they couldn't get the subtitle track to play so they screened a different movie about a murder investigation instead. We tried it out anyway but we were out of there in about 10-15 minutes - it was boring.

5. What can we do to improve your experience in the Asian Film rooms? I can't think of anything right now, but I was pretty happy about the variety offered. I did notice that there was kind of a lack of Chinese material, particularly in the drama area.

We actually had a ton of Chinese movies on the schedule, but we'll work on adding some Chinese dramas as well.

As for the subtitle problem with A Tale of Two Sisters... REALLY sorry about that. We figured out what the problem was, and we're taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again next year. I'm sorry to hear you didn't like The Big Scene, though. I do admit that it is very slow at the beginning, but once it picks up, it's actually very good. Maybe next time, perhaps? :)

[For those of you that did not visit the Asian Film Rooms:]

Wow. I'm glad to hear so many positive things about the Asian Film rooms. It's always gratifying to know that all the work we do is appreciated by the attendees of the convention.

Now, some questions.

For those of you that did not visit the Asian Film Rooms:

1. Was there any reason that you did not visit the Asian Film and Drama rooms?

2. What would it take to get you to watch Asian Films and Dramas next year at Fanime?


For those of you that did visit the Asian Film Rooms:

1. What films or dramas did you enjoy the most?

2. Were there any films or dramas on the schedule that you had made plans to see going into the convention?

3. Were there any films or dramas that you dropped in on, without any previous intention of watching the film, but ended up enjoying?

4. Were there any films or dramas that you did not enjoy?

5. What can we do to improve your experience in the Asian Film rooms?


Thanks!  :)

[Edit]

You did say drama, but I just want to double-check -- Densha Otoko movie or TV series?

Edit: Nevermind, just checked the schedule, and it IS the TV series.  KITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~  I'm so there.

We had the choice to show both the movie and the TV series, but we thought that might be overdoing it. Instead of showing the movie, we decided to put Koi no Mon on the film schedule, as it's a love story between two otaku (a doujin artist and a cosplayer). I definitely think it wouldn't be a bad call to check this movie out, either.

In general, the schedule this year is really good. In the time I've been staffing Fanime, I don't think I've ever put together a schedule that is as good as this year's, which is more reason for all of you to come visit the Asian Film rooms.

Also, if you're looking to find out more about Asian Films, I will be hosting two panels about Asian film at the convention as well. Feel free to check those out as well.  :)

[Welcome to Dongmakgol]

Hey folks,

I'm Brandon, the manager of Asian Films at Fanime. This year, we'll be giving away tons of stuff in between the screenings of the films we're showing this year. Make sure to check us out and get as much free stuff in your hands as possible!

If you've never been to any of the Asian Film Rooms before, don't usually check out the video rooms, or just think Asian film only consists of spooky horror or martial arts, there is a lot you've been missing out on. I've been running the Asian Film Rooms at Fanime since FanimeCon 2000, and the rooms and our crowds have only been getting larger each year. The reason for that? Quality entertainment, great crowds, and one of the most unique experience you'll find at Fanime.

There are a lot of similarities between Anime and Asian Film. Not only are both industries that started by attracting cult audiences, but both provide entertaining stories that have an Eastern flair, making them different from the type of programs and films that we see here in the West. Also, both are forms of entertainment that have reached a boom in popularity. If you haven't caught on yet, now is as good a time as any.

Whether it's the Miyazaki-like wonder of a film like Welcome to Dongmakgol or the innocent beauty of a film like Just One Look, there are plenty of films this year that are sure to please, whether they are films you just haven't seen yet or the first Asian film you experience at Fanime this year. In addition, we have live-action movies based on Initial D and NANA, as well as the film Koi no Mon (also known as "Otakus in Love") and the drama Densha Otoko, which all have their roots in Anime/Manga and Fandom.

So make sure to check out the Asian Film Rooms this year! Even if you only come in for one movie, it may just be the best thing you see at Fanime '06 this year.


The schedules:
Fanime Asian Films 2006 - http://www.fanime.com/video/view.php?cat=5
Fanime Asian Dramas 2006 - http://www.fanime.com/video/view.php?cat=6
Fanime Asian Film Marathons 2006 - http://www.fanime.com/video/view.php?cat=7

PS - Don't forget:
THE ASIAN FILM ROOM IS GIVING AWAY FREE STUFF! MAKE SURE TO BE THERE FOR IT![/size]

For those of you waiting for the schedule, make sure to check out the Asian Film programming! We've been running this department for 7 years strong, and there's a reason why our crowds keep getting BIGGER and BIGGER!

We were the star of last year's convention and if you missed out last year, make sure not to miss out on us this year! Even if you've never been to the Asian Film rooms before, make sure to check us out and see what you're missing!

Also, check out the schedule to see what our "secret" movie is that we're showing on Friday at 7:30PM!

See you guys at the show!

And that pizza restaurant nearby there. (anyone remember the name?)

Pizza My Heart.

Don't forget all the places just a few blocks away. Sonoma Chicken Coop, The Old Spaghetti Factory, and Pizza Chicago are just a few.

I believe there should be some documentation this year on where to eat, but don't quote me on that. Believe me, there are tons. I would actually go and say one of the best things about the move to the SJCC is the abundance of food around the con site.

My suggestion: a Glade Plug In at very available electrical outlet.  :oops: