As November approaches, so does the annual San Diego Asian Film Festival. As the highly celebrated film festival in America’s Finest City celebrates its 15th year, from November 6-15, the Pacific Arts Movement will be host to some of the best independent Asian filmmaking around. Even Martin Scorsese wants in on the action as he helped produce the festival’s opening night film, Revenge of the Green Dragons. Check out the full schedule after the break.

Aside from the Scorsese-produced gangster drama, I look forward to seeing the documentary about Studio Ghibli ex-head honcho Hayao Miyazaki. Since the Japanese equivalent of Walt Disney finished his final film, The Wind Rises, I am intrigued to see how much depth Miyazaki goes into his retirement.

This will be my first year attending the SDAFF. Twice as long as the San Diego Film Festival, I am anxious to take in 10 days of filmmaking from a different perspective than what I’m use to. With more than 140 films from 21 countries at this year’s fest, the choices are quite overwhelming.

And I thought the San Diego Film Festival was a bit dizzying with two locations. The SDAFF’s 10-day festival will be all over the county, which will include screenings at the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp 15, UCSD, La Jolla’s Sherwood Auditorium, Ultrastar Mission Valley, and the historic La Paloma in Encinitas.

Without further ado, here is the SDAFF festival lineup:

OPENING NIGHT FILM

• Revenge of the Green Dragons – An action packed crime drama set in 1980’s New York following two brothers who are pulled into the world of organized crime with a Chinatown gang. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, co-directed by Andrew Lau Wai Keung (INFERNAL AFFAIRS) and Andrew Loo. Starring Justin Chon (21 & OVER, TWILIGHT), Kevin Wu (Youtube star, Kevjumba), and Ray Liotta. Director Andrew Loo, and leads Justin Chon and Leon Wu scheduled to attend.

CENTERPIECE EVENT

• Fresh off the Boat (ABC Pilot Episode Debut)– Based on the memoir of celebrity chef and TV personality Eddie Huang, FRESH OFF THE BOAT is a sitcom about an Asian American family from Washington, DC that relocates to Orlando, Florida in the1990’s. FRESH OFF THE BOAT is the first Asian American sitcom on network television since Margaret Cho’s ALL AMERICAN GIRL in 1994. Starring Randall Park (VEEP, THE MINDY PROJECT,LARRY CROWNE), Constance Wu, Ian Chen, and Hudson Yang.Live Q&A with Executive Producers Nahnatchka Kahn and Melvin Mar.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

• Meet the Patels – This heartwarming documentary is a real life romantic comedy about Ravi Patel, an almost-30-year-oldIndian-American man who enters a love triangle between the woman of his dreams … and his parents .Filmed by Ravi’s sister in what started as a family vacation video, this hilarious film reveals how love is a family affair. Directed by Geeta Patel and Ravi Patel. Director Geeta Patel, Ravi, and parents are expected to attend.

WEST COAST PREMIERES

• KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS, a documentary following beloved animation director, Hayao Miyazaki as he completes his final Studio Ghibli film.
• YASMINE, the first feature film produced in Brunei, a sweet comedy about a high school student who brings her school’s ragtag team of misfits to a martial arts competition.
• KANO and VANCOUVER ASAHI are inspiration baseball films based on true stories of overcoming adversity.
• The latest films from acclaimed director Tsai Ming-liang include experimental film STRAY DOGS and the latest in The Walker series, JOURNEY TO THE WEST.

US PREMIERES

• FROM WHAT IS BEFORE, a 5 hour and 38 minute long epic from prolific Filipino director, Lav Diaz about a coastal town at the dawn of martial law.
• THE SONGS OF RICE, a beautiful documentary about the life and rituals of farmers in rural Thailand
• DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART 2, a Hong Kong romantic comedy of errors and the sequel to director Johnny To’s 2011 hit, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.

WORLD PREMIERE

• MY LIFE IN CHINA, a documentary about a man retracing his steps back to China after being disillusioned by the American Dream.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014

• 7:00 pm – Revenge Of The Green Dragons

Friday, Nov. 7, 2014

• 4:00 pm – Shorts: Child Star
• 6:20 pm – Vancouver Asahi
• 6:35 pm – Eat With Me
• 6:45 pm – Kano
• 6:45 pm – The Songs Of Rice
• 7:00 pm – The Round Table
• 8:30 pm – The Owners
• 9:00 pm – Fantail
• 9:10 pm – A Hard Day
• 9:25 pm – Love’s Whirlpool

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014

• 11:00 pm Shorts For Shorties!
• 12:40 pm – Hello! Junichi
• 12:50 pm – Limited Partnership
• 1:00 pm – Shorts: Busy Young Pyschic + The Pool Man
• 1:00 pm – Shorts: Animation: The Illusion Of Life
• 1:10 pm – Barber’s Tales
• 1:30 pm – Fresh Off The Boat
• 2:25 pm – Partners In Crime
• 2:45 pm – Blue Bustamante
• 3:10 pm – Appropriate Behavior
• 3:20 pm – Shorts: There Will Be A Storm
• 3:45 pm – Blind Massage
• 4:20 pm – Campus Confidential
• 4:55 pm – The Kingdom Of Dreams And Madness
• 5:35 pm – Ru
• 5:55 pm – Uncle Victory
• 6:25 pm – Queen
• 7:30 pm – Shorts: Gay Of Thrones
• 8:10 pm – Fuku-Chan Of Fukufuku Flats
• 8:20 pm – The Iron Ministry
• 9:25 pm – The Search For Weng Weng

Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014

• 11:20 pm From What Is Before
• 12:00 pm – Reel Voices
• 1:00 pm – The Lost Sea
• 1:00 pm – Telos: The Fantastic World Of Eugene Tssui
• 1:20 pm – My Life In China
• 2:25 pm – Exit
• 2:30 pm – Kumu Hina
• 2:30 pm – Movefest
• 3:00 pm – Shorts: Gravity Burns
• 3:15 pm – 9-Man
• 4:20 pm – Vive L’amour
• 4:45 pm – Man From Reno
• 5:25 pm – Bella Vista
• 5:45 pm – Meeting Dr. Sun
• 6:00 pm – Vancouver Asahi
• 6:30 pm – Movefest
• 6:40 pm – Stray Dogs
• 7:30 pm – A Hard Day
• 7:45 pm – Letters From The South
• 7:55 pm – Anita’s Last Cha-Cha
• 8:30 pm – Venus Talk

Monday, Nov. 10, 2014

• 4:00 pm – The Rice Bomber
• 6:00 pm – Our Family
• 6:20 pm – Uncle Victory
• 6:30 pm – Cicada
• 6:40 pm – Anita’s Last Cha-Cha
• 8:30 pm – Suburbanite
• 8:40 pm – Journey To The West
• 9:00 pm – The Teacher’s Diary
• 9:20 pm – Mystery Kung Fu Theater

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014

• 12:00 pm – From What Is Before
• 3:20 pm – Hello! Junichi
• 3:35 pm – Queen
• 4:00 pm – Shorts: Stranger Things Have Happened
• 5:40 pm – Yasmine
• 6:10 pm – Non Fiction Diary
• 6:30 pm – The Golden Era
• 6:45 pm – Exit
• 8:05 pm – The Kingdom Of Dreams And Madness
• 8:15 pm – Reptilia In Suburbia
• 8:45 pm – Meeting Dr. Sun

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014

• 4:00 pm – Lordville
• 5:00 pm – Our Family
• 5:35 pm – Blue Bustamante
• 6:00 pm – 9-Man
• 6:30 pm – My Life In China
• 6:30 pm – Mothers
• 6:40 pm – Kano
• 7:25 pm – Shorts: Animation: The Illusion Of Life
• 7:40 pm – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart 2
• 8:00 pm – Fuku-Chan Of Fukufuku Flats
• 8:05 pm – Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014

• 4:00 pm – Gangster Pay Day
• 5:55 pm – Non Fiction Diary
• 6:05 pm – The Round Table
• 6:45 pm – The Girl Princes
• 8:00 pm – Stray Dogs
• 8:40 pm – The Teacher’s Diary
• 9:00 pm – Love’s Whirlpool

Friday, Nov. 14, 2014

• 4:00 pm – Shorts: Moonlight Represents My Heart
• 6:30 pm – The Pollen Of Flowers
• 7:00 pm – Meet The Patels
• 8:30 pm – Sabangji

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014

• 10:00 pm Broken Branches
• 12:15 pm – Shorts: Uncle Bar + Auld Lang Syne
• 1:00 pm – Hello! Junichi
• 3:00 pm – Yasmine
• 5:20 pm – The Search For Weng Weng
• 7:25 pm – Uzumasa Limelight

The 15th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival begins November 6.

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Source: Pac-Arts