STUFF Premiere

Date: 24 March 2011
Time: 6.30PM onwards
Where: Riverside Parramatta, Lennox Theatre

I know it’s been a few months since the premiere, but with school having caught up with me, I’ve not found the time to jot my thoughts down. Still, now that I’m back (sort of), I’ll attempt to recollect what had happened that night.

I had the privilege of attending the premiere of all the films that had been going hard in production since the STUFF workshops. For over eight-nine months, each of the writer/directors (including myself) had been hard at work, slaving on our edits, cleaning audio, creating work. The premiere previewed all of our work, and personally, I was both excited and nervous about it. It didn’t really help that I arrived late as well… A director should never arrive late! Shame on me.

Otherwise, when my family and I (yes, my family) seated ourselves, we all indulged in the films that were about to screen. Everyone’s film turned out excellently well. Throughout it all, many can’t tell the hard work and long hours that had been slaved to even make a short film come to life. But it has only made me cherish the time and effort I, as well as many others, had put into making these films, and for that, I don’t regret one bit of it. Watching my film for the first time was unnerving. It was especially made so because I invited my parents and my youngest sister. As soon as my film was announced, I kid you not, I hid myself in my jacket. I dreaded the screening for what type of reception it would bring. The scenes played. I did not look up to see what was going on. I’ve viewed the final cut to the point that I know every nuance and line that spoke in it. To me, I wanted to be away from this film, as far away as possible.

But then, something happened in the theatre. A crack of a giggle, then a snigger.

Everybody was laughing.

Everyone (or at least the majority of the crowd) was laughing in response to the dinner scene – the scene that took the longest to shoot. I even heard my parents laugh and saw a smile on my little sister’s face. I may never know what I’ve done, but whatever it is, I’ve done something right. It may not be the best thing I’ll ever make, but I felt like I’ve connected with people… at least on a humourous level.

Many thanks again goes to Amin Palangi and Billy Marshall Stoneking for teaching us, enlightening us, and for giving us the opportunity to open our creativity to different places. Thanks to ICE for holding these workshops, and hoping that they are one of the first to continue on in the future. Congratulations to all the participants of the workshop for their screenings of their films: Gary Paramanathan (The Lebanese Wallet), Saber Baluch (The Job Hunter), Sadia Saeed (apologies, I don’t quite remember the name of your film… for shame), Lidia Luna (Mother’s Day), Peter Yu (Ad Man), and Mike Kang (It’s About Survival).

Also, thank you to the cast and crew for making Fairytale possible. You have captured the hearts of many others, including my own.

IF article: http://if.com.au/2011/03/18/article/STUFF-The-Drama-Of-It-All—short-films-to-premiere-in-Parramatta/VFTDRQUVWS.html

Concrete Playground article: http://sydney.concreteplayground.com.au/event/16228/stuff-the-drama-of-it-all.htm

Maximum Choppage Round 2 @ The Australian Film Festival

Date: Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Time: 8pm
Location: Coogee Legion Club

Tuesday night brought me back to Coogee Legion Club for another event that was being hosted by the Australian Film Festival: the screening of Maximum Choppage Round 2. Andy Minh Trieu, Maria Tran, Laurent Boiteux, and myself attended the night in support of producer/director/writer of the film, Timothy Ly. However, unlike my Sunday trip, Tuesday’s trip was left with a slight delay in getting to the club. Still, despite the impromptu entrance from the elevator doors, we were able to sit for the screening and join in on discussion during Tim’s Q&A.

The reception for the film had its various responses. It was interesting to gauge the response of the audience during the film and furthermore grasp a clearer understanding of the film’s raw basics (even though I’ve seen the film many times before). I was surprised that there were a few challengers in the crowd that night during Q&A from a group of Eastern Suburbanites, but it added more dimension to how the film is perceived and received from a different part of Sydney.

The night ended on a very casual note with a number of casual acquaintances and friends hanging out afterwards in Coogee Legion Club and around Coogee itself. I even stumbled upon a surprise visit with a former colleague from my university years. Small world, huh?

In the end, congratulations to Timothy Ly for his contribution to the festival. You deserve it dude!

Also thanks to Maria for covering the event through a vox pops. If it were made available, it shall be added to this post in the future. But for now, here’s the trailer, courtesy of Rumble Pictures’ rumbly:

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MAXIMUM CHOPPAGE ROUND 2

Director: Timothy Ly
Producer: Timothy Ly
Writer: Timothy Ly
Cast: Timothy Ly, Roxie Vuong, Robert Trieu, Brian Lee, Maria Tran, David Tran

SYNOPSIS:
Timothy Ly has recently won the converted title of Cabramatta Martial Arts Champion and just when he thought his peaceful, mediocre lifestyle could resume he bumps into his eccentric cousin Rob who has a slightly different plan. Tim is caught in a battle to maintain his title and win the heart of the beautiful, yet feisty Roxie Vuong.

MCII website here!

Jackie Chan’s Little Big Soldier @ Event Cinemas [+ Review]

Little Big Soldier starring Jackie Chan & Lee-Hom Wang

Saturday, February 20, 2010
9:30PM, Macquarie Centre Event Cinemas

The Q4JC crew (Maria Tran, Andy Minh Trieu, Steve Ada, along with Shaun Chang) headed off to Macquarie Park to watch Jackie Chan’s feature “Little Big Soldier” at Event Cinemas, Macquarie Centre. Known as one of the few cinemas to screen Asian Cinema, Macquarie Centre’s Event Cinemas is one of the largest complexes in Sydney.

From Maria Tran:

“One is an old soldier who only wants to survive. The other is a young general who is aspiring to conquer. After a bloody battle, the two are the only ones alive.When the soldier finds the injured general, he decides to kidnap him and brings him on a long journey to collect a reward, thinking by doing so he will no longer need to fight a war.

The general, feeling insulted, attempts suicide but is saved by the soldier every time.Somewhere along the way, the soldier and the general find themselves becoming allies in a fight against the real villains.The story of “Little Big Soldier” is mapped out by Jackie Chan who had conceived it for 20 years.

Chan told Sohu.com in an interview that he has talked about the story with many people. But director Ding Sheng was the only one who has translated the colloquial story into a screenplay.

Ding Sheng also directs the comedic road film, starring Jackie Chan as the soldier and Lee-Hom Wang as the general. Jackie Chan, who supervises the production, says the film is about lives during wartime and is a strong message that peace is priceless.”

My thoughts on the film: I grew up watching Jackie Chan films, and this one didn’t disappoint. Famous for his action choreography mixed with comic relief, Jackie Chan delivered. The film was entertaining, but not stagnant that it would slow its pace. It wasn’t as punchy as his Hollywood counterparts, such as Rush Hour or Shanghai Noon, but it brought back the roots of Asian cinema again. It brought me back to the films I adored and loved as a kid. But what I really admired was the underlying message that was coming across through the entertainment. I agree that Jackie had successfully pulled it off and it came across so powerfully in the end.

Overall, what do I say about the film? It’s MARVELOUS!

In other news: For the Q4JC crew, we shot another Vox Pops at the event. It was rather amusing to watch us running amuck in the cinema complex with our shirts blazing with Jackie Chan pride. Will post the Vox Pops as soon as its available.