October 3, 2009
DC APA Film Fest opener
This past Thursday, it took 2 hours to leave work, find a cheap gas station to fill my empty tank, drive to DC, find a free parking spot, and walk to the E Street theater... for the first day of the 10th annual Asian Pacific American Film Festival.
So I got there late, before the end of the opening short, "The Other Way Round" by Geoffrey Quan. Eric of the festival staff was kind enough to find me an empty seat in the front row.
Following the screenings, there was Q&A with the filmmakers. Desson Howe, critic for the Wash. Post newspaper served as moderator.
That's Quan on the left and Howe on the right.
The picture below shows Howe with Eric Byler and Annabel Park, the makers of "9500 Liberty", the documentary about the Prince William County, Va. struggle over immigrants (especially Latinos) the past couple years.
More Q&A, with Byler making a point...
Here's a shot of the audience:
Film festival merch on sale:
And finally, a shot of the rooftop party, afterwards, at an office building several blocks away. (The Washington Monument is visible in the distance.)
