We’re in business today. Got the box office numbers for the weekend and, well, even Indiewire is covering the kind of biz we did on our opening weekend. Go here to read what they have to say. It almost sounds like we know what we’re doing.

Doing the festival isn’t all about the ticket sales, but they’re a good reflection of a weird feeling we’re all having this year: somehow we’re over the hump. We bust our butts to sell every ticket to the New York Asian Film Festival and, suddenly, people are showing up far out of proportion to the amount of work we were able to do. This must be like what the New Kids on the Block felt like once! The shows are almost all packed, and people are genuinely rowdy this year – and the ticket sales are way over where we were last year. Usually doing the onstage introductions gets to be a bit of a grind but the audience is so pumped that we’re all actually looking forward to them.

To top things off, Dave Fear (film critic for Time Out New York and one of our jury members) appeared with the Time Out NY crew to challenge Subway member, Marc Walkow, to a yakuza trivia contest. It’s part of a series of competitions TONY is running where a member of the public takes on one of their experts. With questions contributed from many sources, including the inimitable Patrick Macias (whose stumpers became a grueling bonus round that caused both contestants to sweat blood and vomit pain), Dave and Marc went at it in a battle in which two men entered the Thunderdome, but only one warrior emerged with his manhood intact. Which gladiator won? You’ll have to check out the July 3rd issue of Time Out New York to see the carnage for yourself.

Dave Fear and Marc Walkow put on their “Man” faces. In the middle is the bottle of sake they had to swig every time they got a question wrong. It was gone in about 10 minutes. Behind them? The Japanese poster for ROLLERBALL.

The only downside to the day was the complete and total absence of Magic Marker Rembrandt.

It’s the saddest dry erase board in the world…

Comments (0) Jun 23 2008

The third day of the New York Asian Film Festival and the screenings are selling out left and right. But what you really want to know is: what’s Magic Marker Rembrandt up to?

Let’s see a close-up:

Just feel the humanity in that drawing of ASSEMBLY. These magic markers weep for the tragedies of mankind.

Comments (0) Jun 23 2008

Every year, our audience at the New York Asian Film Festival votes to give the Audience Award to one deserving film. It’s our very own popularity contest with the winning film getting a metaphorical hug and a diamond tiara while the losers have to stand in the back of the room, bitter and mumbling amongst themselves. Over the years the award has gone to MY SASSY GIRL, PING PONG, PLEASE TEACH ME ENGLISH, THE TASTE OF TEA, ALWAYS: SUNSET ON THIRD STREET and MEMORIES OF MATSUKO. These are the most popular movies at our festival but they fly in the face of conventional distributor wisdom which says that Americans want to see action and horror from Asia and nothing else. In every single case, none of these movies have been picked up for US distribution except for PING PONG, which got picked up almost five years later by Viz and went straight to DVD, and THE TASTE OF TEA which was also picked up by Viz but got an abortive, miniature theatrical release, barely deserving of the name.

After opening weekend at this year’s festival we totaled up the Audience Award ballots and here’s what’s in the first three places:

#1 ASSEMBLY – here’s a shocker. Feng Xiaogang’s war film blew the audience away at yesterday’s screening and they ranked far ahead of the rest of the pack, putting it in a strong first place lead. There’s only one more screening of ASSEMBLY left, and that’s this Wednesday, June 25 at 6:00pm (at the IFC Center). Tickets are still available to the second (and final) screening. (Tickets and showtimes)

#2 MAD DETECTIVE – Johnnie To’s reunion film with Lau Ching-wan sold out the house far in advance of last night’s screening, and it’s come in at a very strong number 2 in the Audience Award polling. There are no more screenings left, but it opens at the IFC Center on July 16. (More info)

#3 TOKYO GORE POLICE – the number three film in the Audience Award polling, this flick destroyed the sold-out audience at Saturday night’s screening. There are two screenings left, one of which is a matinee show, meaning that you can buy a Subway Six Pack, bring five friends, and you’re only paying $8 each for your tickets, instead of $11.50 (go here for details). The remaining screenings are a midnight show on Friday, June 27 (starting at 12:15am at the IFC Center) and the matinee is on Thursday, July 3 at 4:20pm at the IFC Center. (Tickets and showtimes)

Comments (0) Jun 23 2008