March 18, 2011

Los Angeles - MANAA is pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Bao Nguyen as its recipient of the Student Scholarship Award for Academic year 2010–2011. His documentary film, "A Tree Falls in the Forest" was compelling and visually striking as it revealed the aftermath of 9/11 and its impact to the New York’s Chinatown community and business. Mr. Nguyen is a student in the School of Visual Arts in New York. He was selected from a number of very talented candidates, but his work stood out. One of the scholarship committee members stated, "Bao’s piece shows great potential. His film on New York’s Chinatown post-9/11 proves that the community is lacking the attention it deserves." Another committee member stated, "The aesthetics, interview subjects, and production value of Bao’s film is exceptional. I can see him breaking into mainstream work." One of his instructors, Deborah Dickson, stated in her nominating letter, "Bao’s work as a cinematographer stood out from the beginning. He brings care and vision to whatever he does... He will bring a special point of view and sensitivity to the story [of the Vietnamese fishing community after the BP oil spill] as a Vietnamese-American." We look forward to Mr. Nguyen being an important voice in film in the years to come.

MANAA is pleased to announce that former MANAA Vice President, Leslie Ishii, has a success on her hands. She is directing "Crimes of the Heart," playing at East West Players from November 4 until December 5. This is Ishii's directorial debut. One of the reviewers calls her direction "spot-on" and the other reviewers asserted that her direction was "with a steady hand." See the links to the reviews, below. Congratulations, Leslie, on a job well done!

Reviews:

StageSceneLA.com

LOS ANGELES- MANAA, the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, is pleased to announce one $1000 scholarship for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers as filmmakers and in television production (not broadcast journalism).

Formed in 1992, MANAA is the only organization solely dedicated to monitoring the media and advocating balanced, sensitive, and positive depiction and coverage of the Asian American community.

LOS ANGELES – Visual Communications (VC) is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applicants for its 2010-2011 Armed with a Camera Fellowship. The Armed with a Camera Fellowship is open to any applicants of Asian Pacific American descent who are under the age
of 30 and have had previous work in a film festival, an exhibition screening or any program of the The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival or VC exhibitions program. VC will award up to ten fellows a fellowship package including a cash grant of $500, access to equipment, editing facilities, training and workshops from industry professionals and mentorship, to complete a five-minute digital video within a five-month span of time.

LOS ANGELES- MANAA, the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, is pleased to announce one $1000 scholarship for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers as filmmakers and in television production (not broadcast journalism). Formed in 1992, MANAA is the only organization solely dedicated to monitoring the media and advocating balanced, sensitive, and positive depiction and coverage of the Asian American community.

"Up's" co-star, Jordan Nagai, plays a Wilderness Explorer who just happens to be Asian American.

LOS ANGELES - The Media Action Network for Asian Americans, the only organization solely dedicated to monitoring media depictions of Asian Americans, is praising Disney/Pixar for creating an Asian American boy as a co-star in their summer blockbuster film, "Up."

April 29, 2009

Asian American Advocacy Groups, Fans Condemn Racial Bias in M. Night Shyamalan’s "Whitewashed" Casting of "The Last Airbender"

Los Angeles--Thousands of fans and two prominent Asian American advocacy groups are protesting Paramount Pictures' upcoming "The Last Airbender," accusing the production of racial bias in selecting white actors to portray ethnically Asian characters.

LOS ANGELES–Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), the only organization solely dedicated to monitoring the media and its depiction of Asian Americans, is demanding that Disney star Joe Jonas apologize for slanting his eyes in a picture that has been widely seen throughout cyberspace. Given its historical significance in degrading people of Asian descent, the mock-Asian pose is considered racially offensive and continues to have a negative impact on the Asian American community.

Film could’ve been just as successful- and more accurate- with Asian American stars

LOS ANGELES – 21, the movie starring Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, and Kate Bosworth, will be issued on DVD on July 22nd. The controversial film, based on the best-selling novel Bringing Down The House, told the true story of the MIT professor who taught his students how to beat Vegas at blackjack and make millions. In reality, the professor, the player who scored the most money, and most of the team, were Asian American. In the movie, they were mostly portrayed by white actors- Kevin Spacey as the professor, and Jim Sturgess as the lead member.