SPECIAL SCREENING OF "THE FAREWELL" STARRING AWKWAFINA & TZI MA

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival just added a special screening of the Awkwafina and Tzi Ma starring film, The Farewell. The Sundance hit directed by Lulu Wang follows the account of Wang’s own life which was previously featured in NPR’s This American Life.

The Farewell tells the story of New Yorker Billi (Awkwafina), who emigrated from China to the US with her parents when she was a young child. Now years older, she discovers that her grandmother, Nai Nai, who still resides in China, is dying from cancer. Her family decides to conceal the truth from her grandmother and instead, create a plan to have an impromptu wedding as a cover for them to say their “final” goodbyes to their Nai Nai.

The LAAPFF special screening of The Farewell will take place at 7:30pm, Wednesday, May 8 at the Regal LA Live: A Barco Innocation Center. For tickets and more information, you can head to https://festival.vcmedia.org/2019/

The Farewell is scheduled to hit theaters July 12.

LUCY LIU RECEIVES A STAR ON HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

Lucy Liu received a star on Hollywood today, making her the second Asian American woman to receive a Walk of Fame star (and the 11th Asian American person). The first Asian American woman who received this recognition was actress Anna May Wong, when she was inducted in 1960.

“We are excited to honor Lucy Liu, and we placed her star next to the star of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress to grace Hollywood’s film screens,” said Hollywood Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez in a press release.

Liu’s Charlie’s Angels costars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Demi Moore showed their support at the ceremony. Moore and Rhea Perlman also went up on stage to share their own special memories of Liu.  

During Liu’s speech, she thanked her parents for immigrating from China and for overcoming all the obstacles and roadblocks that came their way. She mentioned her gratitude to her brother who let her stay in his apartment, taking over the bunk bed while he slept on the floor.

And she did not stop there. In regards to diversity, Liu stated, “I was lucky that trailblazers like Anna May Wong and Bruce Lee came before me. If my body of work somehow helped bridge the gap between stereotypical roles first given to Anna May and mainstream success today, I am thrilled to have been part of that process.”

She also acknowledged TV Producer and Writer, David E Kelly who hired her to play Ling Woo on Ally McBeal.

“At the time I started on Ally McBeal, it was rare to get a glimpse of any diversity on the screen. David Kelly who is here today took a risk by creating Ling Woo and helped break the glass ceiling. David, thank you for taking a chance on me” Liu said.

You can watch the entire ceremony below:

THE EMPEROR OF MALIBU TO STAR KEN JEONG AND DEBORAH S. CRAIG

Ken Jeong and Deborah S. Craig will star in the CBS comedy pilot, The Emperor of Malibu. Jeong will play Gerry, a Chinese billionaire who is shocked to find out that his son, Auggie, has been secretly dating an American (Kate), for two years and is now engaged. Gerry decides to move his whole family to Los Angeles in hopes of persuading his son to re-think his engagement.

Deborah S. Craig, who is known for her work in NBC’s The Blacklist, will also join the cast playing the role of Shiatzy, Jeong’s wife. She is described as “a terrifying force of nature…sophisticated, a little eccentric and strong-willed.” Shiatzy is upset that Auggie has chosen his wife without her help and tries her best to keep Kate away from Auggie.

The Emperor of Malibu is written by Kevin Kwan (author of Crazy Rich Asians trilogy) and David Sangalli.

MARVEL STUDIOS MOVIE SHANG-CHI HIRES A DIRECTOR

Marvel Studios has signed on filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton to direct their upcoming film Shang-Chi.

In the comic books, Shang-Chi is born in China to a Chinese father and white American mother. His father, the villainous Fu Manchu, teaches him martial arts. and Shang-Chi becomes a hero after rebelling against his father’s ways.

Although no casting news have been announced, Marvel Studios has mentioned that Shang-Chi will be their first project featuring an Asian lead and mostly Asian and Asian American cast. Shang-Chi will be penned by Chinese American Dave Callaham whose recent works include co-writing with Patty Jenkins and Geoff Johns in the upcoming DC Warner Bros sequel, Wonder Woman 1984 and Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2.

Cretton, who was born and raised in Hawaii, is currently directing Just Mercy, a film he wrote, based on the memoir of Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson. The movie stars Michael B. Jordan and reunites him with actress Brie Laron who starred in his film, Short Term 12.

Asian Representation - 2019 Golden Globe Nominations

The 2019 Golden Globe nominations were announced live this morning from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As expected, Sandra Oh received a Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama nomination for her role in Killing Eve.  It’s been a wonderful 2018 for the actress who made history this year as the “first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for best lead actress in a drama series” for her work on the BBC America show Killing Eve. Previously, Oh received 5 Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama series while playing Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC’s hit drama Grey’s Anatomy. She will also co-host the 2019 Golden Globes with comedian and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg.

Filipino American Singer and Emmy winning actor Darren Criss also received a (Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television) nomination for his role as Andrew Cunanan in The Assasination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The FX Show also received a nomination for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and will be going up against TNT’s The Alienist, Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, HBO’s Sharp Objects and Amazon’s A Very English Scandal. Criss’ costars Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez were also recognized for their work.

NBC’s The Good Place which stars Kristin Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil and Filipino born Canadian actor Manny Jacinto also received a nomination for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.

On the big screen, the blockbuster hit Crazy Rich Asians received a Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy nod with Constance Wu also being recognized with a Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy nomination for her lead role in the film.

The animated movie Mirai was honored with a Best Motion Picture - Animated nomination. Mirai tells the story of a boy who runs away from home because he feels forgotten when his little sister Mirai joins his family. He encounters an enchanted garden where he meets a teenage Mirai and they enter a world of wonder, meeting characters from their past and future as they uncover their beautiful family’s story. Featuring the voices of John Cho and Daniel Dae Kim, Mirai is the 10th highest grossing Japanese film in 2018 (according to Wikipedia).

Another Japanese film, Shoplifters also received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language. According to Wikipedia, Shoplifters is the 4th highest grossing Japanese film of 2018. Upon receiving the Golden Globe nomination, Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, “Thanks to many people’s help, Shoplifters has spread its wings farther and farther since the Cannes Film Festival in May. As it is my first nomination for Golden Globe Awards, I am looking forward to being a part of this new experience. My thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press.”

Shoplifters won the Palm d’Or at the 2018 Cannes International Film Festival.

Filipino American Cinematographer and Academy Award nominee Matthew Libatique was the man behind the camera lens for A Star Is Born which received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Libatique also made a couple of cameos in the film. In addition, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper received nominations for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Cooper also received a Best Director – Motion Picture for the project.  

The 2019 Golden Globes will air live on NBC Sunday, January 6th.

For a complete list of the nominees, you can click here