CENTERING THE MASSES: MONDAY NITE VC
Join us for a provocative series of Monday sessions with filmmakers and artists as we gather to discuss what drives these individuals, something about their backgrounds and what has gotten them to their current place. We will review clips and memories with them as Walt Louie — veteran director/editor/educator — provokes them into penetrating conversation and storytelling in an intimate and casual setting as part of CENTERING THE MASSES in Little Tokyo.
All events below will be at 341 FSN (341 E 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).
FREE ADMISSION. Capacity is limited. Informal seating is available on a first come, first served basis.
RENEE TAJIMA-PÉNA | Monday, April 15, 2019 | 7:00 PM
Renee Tajima-Péna is a documentary Filmmaker whose work focuses on immigrant communities, race, gender and social justice. Her directing and producing credits include the documentaries WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?, NO MÁS BEBÉS, MY AMERICA...OR HONK IF YOU LOVE BUDDHA, CALAVERA HIGHWAY, SKATE MANZANAR, and LABOR WOMEN. Currently she is producing a 5-part documentary series on Asian Americans for PBS.
TADASHI NAKAMURA | Monday, April 22, 2019 | 7:00 PM
Tad Nakamura's films focus on the Japanese American experience. Three of his films, YELLOW BROTHERHOOD, PILGRIMAGE, and A SONG FOR OURSELVES, form a documentary trilogy about Asian Americans and the importance of community. His most recent film, JAKE SHIMABUKURO: LIFE ON FOUR STRINGS is a full-length documentary about Jake Shimabukuro, a Japanese American ukulele virtuoso and composer from Hawaii. The film won the 2013 Gotham Independent Film Audience Award.
GRACE LEE | Monday, April 29, 2019 | 7:00 PM
Grace Lee is a director of narrative and documentary films. Her credits include, THE GRACE LEE PROJECT, a documentary about Asian American women who share her name, two mockumentaies, one about zombie civil rights and another about a conservative housewife covering the 2012 Republican Primaries. Other documentaries include AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS and MAKERS: WOMEN IN POLITICS.
Grace and Leo Chiang are the co-founders of The Asian American Documentary Network (A-DOC) which is a documentary filmmaker-led group that was created to elevate each other and our stories. The filmmakers seek to subvert the narratives of power, racism and extremism with their activism and filmmaking.
KENNEDY KABASARES and TRACI KATO-KIRIYAMA | Monday, May 6, 2019 | 7:00 PM
Kennedy Kabasares is an aerial artist and actor. He has worked with a diversity of theater companies, including: East West Players; Singapore Rep; Center Theater Group; The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors; and Kinetic Theory Circus Arts. He was invited to compete in the 2011 Aerial Acrobatic Arts Festival in Denver, where he took first place for static trapeze, and went on to perform in the finals.
traci kato-kiriyama is an award-winning artist, community arts builder, and cultural producer; educator and springtime Teaching Artist-in-Residence for Grand Park; Arts & Culture Consultant/Artist-in-Residence for NeighborWorks America; Director/Co-Founder of Tuesday Night Project - presenter of art+community series, Tuesday Night Cafe, embarking on its 21st season as the longest-running Asian American open-mic series in the country.
HARRY YOON | Monday, May 13, 2019 | 7:00 PM
Harry Yoon is a feature film editor in Los Angeles who recently worked on FIRST MAN by Damien Chazelle. His next film out is BEST OF ENEMIES about a civil rights activist facing off against the Klan in 1971. Past editing credits include DETROIT, THE NEWSROOM series on HBO, HALF-LIFE and credits as a VFX editor on THE REVANANT, ZERO DARK THIRTY, and THE HUNGER GAMES.
JENNY YANG | Monday, May 20, 2019 | 7:00 PM
Jenny Yang is a former labor organizer turned standup comedian, writer and actor. She was a staff writer and performer for the premiere season of the late-night talk show Busy Tonight on E!. Jenny produces the Disoriented Comedy tour and The Comedy Comedy Festival. In 2016, President Obama honored her as a White House Champion of Change for her leadership in Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling.
