Surrogate Valentine rocks - Check out the Sexy 16th Annual Asian American Showcase

The 16th Annual Asian American Showcase

April 1 - 14 at the Gene Siskel Film Center

164 North State Street Chicago, Illinois 60601

http://www.faaim.org/

From Chien-An Yuan's City of Lights, City of Sorrow series

Friday, April 1st the 16th Annual Asian American Showcase opened. Before heading over to the showcase, my husband and our 5-year old daughter, Midori, went to the Chicago Cultural Center for a Japan Earthquake fundraiser where we got to listen to great music and have Midori personally meet Chicago music legends Tatsu Aoiki, Yoko Noge, and Jimmy Ellis. It was hard to break away from the Kobe beef appetizers and boom of the taiko drums and jazz.

At the Gene Siskel Film Center we saw a Sexy show of artwork curated by Larry Lee (the rated R vs isn't at the Siskel...for Sexier you have to trek down to the Zhou B Art Center). Loved Chien Yuan's selections from his City of Lights, City of Sorrow series and Mayumi Lake's photographs are always on point and a little creepy!

Mayumi Lake from her Aether series

The opening night film, Surrogate Valentine, was so sweet and funny. I think I'm in love with Goh Nakamura's singing! The filmmaker, David Boyle, is originally from Arizona by way of Salt Lake City Utah and, as was pointed out in the Q&A, it's not every day a white Mormon becomes a leader in Asian American films (he also made White on Rice). David just says he likes to make movies with people he likes to work with. Enough said. He can write, edit, and produce and his timing is excellent. All I can tell you is that Asian American film has come so far from back in the day. This little film is a gem.

It's playing again on Monday, April 4th at 8pm and Goh will be performing live again. Check his music out at: http://gohnakamura.com/

Surrogate Valentine
A feature film by David Boyle
Starring Goh Nakamura, Chadd Stoops
Filmmaker David Boyle and Musician/Actor Goh Nakamura will be in-person for the premiere!

Cult favorite songwriter/musician Goh Nakamura, whose songs have been featured in films including Robert Benton’s FEAST OF LOVE and Ridley Scott’s BODY OF LIES, plays himself in this laid-back black-and-white road movie comedy. Nakamura’s song "Daylight Savings" was the jumping-off point for director Boyle (WHITE ON RICE, BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO), who pits the loneliness of the musician’s life on tour against a wacky array of acted-out fantasies centering on groupies and erotic adventures, when Goh is hired by a film production to teach their hot young TV actor (Stoops) how to play the guitar, and to coach him in the ways of a rock star.