On July 25, the 35th Annual Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) opened at the Asia Society and AABANY was there as a Community Partner.  The opening film was “Shanghai Calling,” a light-hearted comedy about Sam Chao, an ambitious Chinese-American lawyer (played by Daniel Henney), who finds himself shipped off to China to open his firm’s Shanghai office, a move that he takes reluctantly.  Besides having to adjust himself to an entirely new culture and a language he doesn’t speak, Sam lands in a legal hassle when a local manufacturer starts making and marketing a fancy new smartphone for which he secured what he believed to be an exclusive license agreement for one of his firm’s top clients. How Sam gets himself out of this mess, and makes news friends and finds love along the way, is what “Shanghai Calling” is all about.  The movie opens in China on August 10 and may be headed to the US next year.

Both the opening night gala at Asia Society and the encore performance for the film on July 28 sold out.

Before the screening, AAIFF presented its Asian American Media Award to the producer of “Shanghai Calling,” Janet Yang.  Among Janet’s credits are Executive Producer for The Joy Luck Club and Producer for The People vs. Larry Flynt.  The award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual to Asian American media.  Janet is in good company. Past recipients include Wayne Wang, Mira Nair, Michelle Yeoh and Andy Lau.

After the screening, Janet, joined by Director Daniel Hsia and members of the cast engaged in a Q&A session moderated by AAIFF Program Director Martha Tien. For photos from the event, click on the image above.

To see the full line-up from AAIFF go to http://www.asiancinevision.org.