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Summer Tour Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“AKIRA’S HIP HOP SHOP” LAUNCHES SUMMER TOUR
AT THE HOLLYWOOD BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
Screenings set for LA, New York & Atlanta

LOS ANGELES, California (June 4, 2008) – “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop”, the award-winning romantic comedy short film written and directed by Joe Doughrity, will screen in several cities over the summer including Los Angeles, New York City and Atlanta.

“Akira’s Hip Hop Shop” is an interracial love story about a Japanese guy (James Kyson Lee from NBC’s “Heroes”) infatuated with rap music who falls in love with a beautiful Black culinary student (Emayatzy Corinealdi, “The Young and the Restless”). The film explores the globalization of hip-hop and world pop-culture as the couple must overcome the prejudice and stereotypes of family, friends and strangers in an effort to find love.

The screening at the Hollywood Black Film Festival is on Thursday, June 5th at 8pm as part of the “Black Men in Film” program at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. Writer/Director Joe Doughrity, recipient of the Directors Guild of America’s Best African-American Student Director Award, will appear as part of a brief Q&A with the filmmakers.

For more information please contact: http://hbff.org or

http://hollywoodblackff.bside.com/2008/films/akirashiphopshop_hollywoodblackff2008

On Saturday June 7th, “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop” will be shown at the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York as part of their ‘Target First Saturdays’ film series.

The film will precede a screening of the feature film “Singapore Dreaming” by Colin Goh and Yen Yen Woo. Admission is free, however tickets are required.

For more information please visit: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php

For media inquiries for this event please contact Richel Cuyler at: Richel.Cuyler@brooklynmuseum.org

Finally, Akira makes its Southwest premiere in Atlanta as part of the Pan African Film Festival Atlanta. The PAFF Atlanta, which takes place July 18 – 27, 2008, is part of the National Black Arts Festival, a cultural celebration of the dance, music, film, theatre, visual arts and literary arts of the African Diaspora.

“Akira” screens on Friday July 25th at the Rich Theatre in the Woodruff Arts Center at approximately 2pm as part of “The Immigrant Experience” program. For ticket information please see: http://www.paff.org/html/atlanta.php

About “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop”

“Akira’s Hip Hop Shop” is a romantic comedy short film about a Japanese guy and a Black girl who fall for each other based on mutual attraction and common passions. The running time is approximately 37 minutes (Director’s Cut) or 22 minutes (Festival cut). In English with some Japanese subtitles.

www.akirashiphopshop.com
www.myspace.com/akirashiphopshop

VIEW THE TRAILER at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MhjxM37-qpk

About Joe Doughrity

Joe Doughrity is a screenwriter, director and documentary filmmaker. He began his careeer as an assistant to Oscar nominated director John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood). Signed by Creative Artists Agency in his early 20s, Joe enjoyed a successful career as a professional screenwriter. After watching many of his scripts languish in development, he decided to make his own films. His first effort, “Seven Days in Japan”, won Best Documentary at the San Diego Comic-con International Film Festival in 2005. Joe is a graduate of Columbia College and a member of the Writers Guild of America. He is currently in pre-production on a feature length version of “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop.”