AHHS is screening tomorrow in the Bay Area. Thursday May 15 at 4:30 PM in the FORUM 1 building at De Anza College in Cupertino, CA.

click to view full flyer

Thanks to Nathalie Mvondo Hyland for organizing this event!

I also got a nice write-up in Campus Circle magazine. You can view the article here or download the entire issue (featuring a summer movie preview) here (I’m on page 6).

I’ve also added pictures to the previous Blog entry so check out the pics.

Finally, I started a Blog of my own to rant about non-Akira stuff. Bookmark http://dreamandimaginate.blogspot.com/ From now on I’ll leave the Indy trailers and Obama news off of here and keep this site focused on the movie. A free copy of the AHHS DVD for anyone who can guess the story behind the name Dream and Imaginate (Yes I know there’s no such word as “imaginate.”)

Back from the Bay Sunday night and then it’s time to plan for our free screening in Brooklyn on June 3rd and the Hollywood Black Film Festival on June 5th.

We will begin selling the DVD sometime this summer for those who are interested.

Best,

Joe

We had a great screening at the Visual Communications’ Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival last Friday night at the Director’s Guild. The house was packed and AKIRA was one of four shorts in the program. The picture and sound was excellent and the audience very responsive.

Afterwards, we had a lively Q&A moderated by Jim Herr, the former head of diversity for Film Independent and an all-around cool guy. There were three other filmmakers on stage including the dynamic Rocky Jo (his Bunny & Clydo is a whole lot of fun if you haven’t seen it… it also stars Akira’s own James Kyson Lee). We didn’t have much time, but we got the usual questions about budget and format. One of the more interesting questions had to do with casting and I relayed the story about how I chose the performers I did. I relayed the casting drama I had to deal with relating to casting a non-Japanese performer in a Japanese role.

Following the screening we milled around in the atrium then went into the VIP room for more mingling and drinks. Then it was off to Koreatown for the filmmaker’s afterpary at Club Kool which was, true to its name, pretty cool.

I met a lot of cool people and connected with some new old friends I’ve made on the film fest circuit over the past year (Juwan Chung, the director of Baby and Michael Kang of The Motel and West 32nd fame just to name drop a few). My producers and I reflected on how far we’ve come, while planning where we want to go with the feature version. All in all, it was a great night.

Actor/filmmaker Jason Joven, Supa-producer Joseph Shim, yours truly Joe D., Producer Ralph Wilson and dynamic Director Michael Kang. (c) VC/W.K. Tom

I returned to the fest on Sunday to take in some other films and do some more networking. I was glad I did as I ran into Akira himself! James Kyson Lee was hanging out after watching The Sensei, an unconventional martial arts film starring the daughter of Jeet Kune legend Dan Inosanto. James and I got to talk and catch up. He just returned from shooting a SciFi flick in Bulgaria of all places and only missed our Friday night affair because he was shooting something with Bobby Lee of MadTV fame. It was great seeing him and listening to all that’s going on in his career. We’re both excited about expanding the character and world of AHHS.

Next up for me is a trip to the Bay Area next weekend and then on to New York for our screening in Brooklyn on June 3rd! Details to come. Thanks for visiting and be good to the planet and each other.

- Joey D.

But such was the case on April 23rd when AHHS was screened at Oregon’s DisORIENT film festival in Eugene, Oregon. Thanks to my workload (teaching and a new gig at a post-production house) I couldn’t make the trip to the Pac Northwest last weekend. If anybody reading was in attendance please drop me a line and let me know how the film was received.

This Friday, May 2nd, AHHS will screen as part of Visual Communication’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in LA. The venue is the Director’s Guild of America theater 2 on Sunset @ 7:00 pm. For ticket info see http://www.vconline.org/festival/program.cfm?program_id=2

More screenings will be announced here soon including our very first New York City screening on June 3rd in Brooklyn (where I lived in 1999-2000). We’re also planning a trip to Northern Cali to visit a couple of college campuses in May. June brings the Hollywood Black Film Festival and later in the summer “Akira” will screen in the ATL as part of the traveling Pan African Film Festival!

In the meantime, enjoy these clips from my appearance at the University of Michigan last month courtesy of my good friend Dwight Patillo. Dwight and I met on the set of “Poetic Justice” and he went on to direct some of the most memorable music vids of the 90’s including Big Snoop Dogg’s first music vid for “Murder Was the Case.” Thanks a lot DP.

U of M Part I

U of M Part II

U of M Part III

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804130335

Of course I want Terrance Howard to portray a young Coleman Young.

And either Ice Cube or Anthony Anderson to portray our current embattled mayor. I’m talking about the hip hop mayor himself, Kwame Kilpatrick, in case you don’t know.

Finally, a word from my boy Barack defending himself from how Hilary and McCain twisted his words. (Though if Condi hooks up with McCain he’s doomed - if he even gets that far with all these attacks designed to make whites think he’s crazy.)

Getting political in the shop. Sho’ you right.

- Joe

The day of my screening I had arranged to meet some old friends at Pizza House before the event. Martin is an old high school buddy of mine. He was a year ahead of me and we both majored in Aerospace at Cass Tech. He went on to Michigan where he met his wife, the lovely Helen. They both work on campus and reside in Ann Arbor. Ironically enough (as it relates to my movie) he’s Black and she’s Asian! I went to their wedding and ended up helping my boy Chris videotape the event. The night before the ceremony, we had a rehearsal dinner at the very same Pizza House in Ann Arbor! (I can’t shake this place.)

So after scarfing a couple of slices and talking about everything from high school to the mayor of the city of Detroit’s troubles, it was time for me to go meet my sorority contact in the nearby East Hall. Martin led the way.

ChiChi, one of the sorority members, was as nice in person as she was in her e-mails. She was a gracious host and welcomed me and my crew (my mother came up with me and there was the aforementioned Martin and Helen). I met the other gals of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Incorporated and they were all bright, charming young ladies.

Joe poses with the ladies of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. “Chi Chi” is 3rd from the left.

We waited until around 7:30 to actually roll the film, but even then we had some late arrivals. It started snowing on my drive up from Detroit and continued well into the night. It’s been nearly a year of me going around and showing the film, but this night was special because I was in my hometown! I had family and many friends in the audience. People enjoyed the film and laughed in the right places.

After the screening, I talked about how “Akira” had come about and fielded quesitons from the sorority before opening it up to the audience. We had a lively discussion and since the event was part of Asian Heritage Month there was a mixed audience of Blacks, Whites, Asians and Latinos. The discussion involved dating outside of your race, campus politics, preferences vs. fetishes, and the state of race relations in Michigan as opposed to other parts of the country. It was pretty lively with many different viewpoints represented.

The University of Michigan recently abolished affirmative action regarding their admission policies and was the subject of much debate.

Joe D. speaks. Photos courtesy of Christian Twothunderclouds.

I had a great time and look forward to taking the film to other schools. The only thing that could have made it better is if some of my cast was in attendance. Afterwards we went back to (where else) Pizza House and had more food and drinks. Then I had to drive back to Detroit in the middle of a snowstorm which made for an interesting trip.

If you’d like to schedule a screening drop me a line and if my schedule and those of any cast members allow we will do our best to make it.

UPCOMING SCREENINGS: Check the screenings page as usual, but my webmaster is pretty busy right now so I’ll run them down:

April 23, 2008: DisORIENT in Portland, Oregon. Check their site

May 2, 2008: Visual Communications presents the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

June 7, 2008: Brooklyn Museum. More information to come.

Hopefully I’ll have some video footage of the event to post soon. A buddy of mine in Detroit came out and shot some footage he’s editing.

Take care and God Bless,

Joey D.

Speaking of which, the New York Times has a great piece on bi-racial Americans. Check it out at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/31/us/politics/31race.html?scp=2&sq=biracial&st=nyt

or search for “Who Are We?”

Pics and video from U of M soon. A few more colleges have expressed interest in bringing the film to their campuses so stay tuned. Back to the grind on the feature.

“AKIRA’S HIP HOP SHOP” TO SCREEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CAMPUS ON MARCH 27TH

Los Angeles, CA (March 24, 2008) – “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop”, the award-winning romantic comedy short film written and directed by Joe Doughrity, will screen in Ann Arbor on Thursday, March 27th. The screening will be followed by a Q&A on the film and race relations.

The event is being hosted by the Alpha Epsilon Colony of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Incorporated in honor of Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PIA) Heritage Month. The screening venue is the University’s East Hall, Room 1360 at 7pm.

“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 for an African-American culinary student (Emayatzy Corinealdi). They wrestle with prejudice and stereotypes from family and friends in an effort to sustain their relationship.

Writer and Director Joe Doughrity, recipient of the Directors Guild of America’s “Best African-American Director Award” in November of 2007, will appear at a Q&A session following the screening.

“I’m excited to be returning home to the Detroit area for the region’s first screening of my film,” said Doughrity. “I was raised in Michigan and it’s an opportunity for many of my friends and family to see the film with an audience.”

For more information please contact Theta Nu Xi’s Chinenyenwa “Chi Chi” Onyemaechi at chinenyeo@gmail.com

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. In English with some Japanese subtitles.

Plot synopsis: Akira’s Hip Hop Shop is a romantic comedy/drama about a rap music-loving Japanese guy named Akira who owns a record store with his best friend. When Daphne, a young Black culinary student walks into his shop one day Akira’s life is changed forever.

As their relationship blossoms, Akira must deal with the struggle of running a small business and pressure from his family to return to Japan. Daphne is torn between her feelings for Akira and her devotion to Corey, her brash music video boyfriend.
Does love truly conquer all? Or will prejudice and politics drive the couple apart?

www.akirashiphopshop.com
www.myspace.com/akirashiphopshop
Trailer: http://www.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. His second film, “Akira’s Hip Hop Shop”, is currently on the film festival circuit and beat out two thousand other works when it was awarded the Directors Guild of America’s Best African-American director student award in November 2007. Joe is a graduate of Columbia College and a member of the Writers Guild of America.

Go see “Shutter” co-starring Akira’s own James Kyson Lee this weekend! I’m gonna find a theater in the Detroit area and show my support. James is blowing up with tons of movies coming up.

Emayatzy Corinealdi just shot a commercial directed by Kasi Lemmons! Kasi is best known for playing opposite Jodi Foster in “Silence of the Lambs” but to me she’ll always be the sexy (and fine) reporter in the underrated “Fear of a Black Hat” turned director of films like “Eve’s Bayou” and “Caveman’s Valentine.” Go ‘head Emay…. the rest of the world is about to discover your shining star.

Cordele Taylor, who plays Corey, just did an advertising campaign with Donald Trump, is kickin’ it with college hotties in Mexico during Spring Break, and can be seen around Los Angeles on billboards where he portrays a drug addict! Brother man is versitile and on the grind.

Hitoshi Yoshikawa, Associate Producer of “Akira” is currently shooting his own thesis film. Good luck Yoshi, you’ll do fine…. just sorry I can’t be on the shoot with you.

Randi Tahara and Rintaro Sawamoto just worked together on a USC thesis film playing mother and son. Can’t wait to see it.

“Akira” will be shown in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan next week. I’m excited as it’s the first screening in my home state! Yay!! And I get to spend some time with my family which is always good.

Lots of action on the feature front, but like KRS One said when he was part of Boogie Down Productions: “Real bad boys move in silence.”

And there’s weddings galore happening behind the scenes with several “Akira” crew members. This info isn’t for public consumption, but let’s just say the love generated with “Akira” spread to the crew as well.

Have a Happy Easter everyone.

Industry peeps feel free to e-mail me for ticket info. Others prepare to pay $5. You also get another short or two and a live performance.

I’d also like to acknowledge the passing of acting great Ivan Dixon. If you only know him from TV’s “Hogan’s Heroes” then you’re missing out with his performance in the classic “Nothing But a Man” and his work as a director on “The Spook Who Sat By The Door.”

VARIETY has the story at http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982642.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562

I also had the pleasure of working with his daughter Doris when we were PA’s together on “Boyz N the Hood” and even got to shake his hand. As my friend Chris Thompson in Detroit reminds me, he was part of the ‘black Espionage Triumvirate’ with Bill Cosby and Greg Morris. Ivan was a pioneer and a great man who’ll be missed.

But the “reel stars” if you will, were the filmmakers themselves! While we were among the nominees for Best Short, AHHS alas came away empty handed. We were thrilled to be among the 163 chosen out of 2,500 and 1 of only 8 shorts in competition.

I was happy to see Cordially Invited directed by Michael Fouther with producing help from his wife Lesa walk away with an Honorable Mention in the all important Audience Award category. AHHS’s own Emayatzy Corinealdi is one of the stars in their ensemble wedding pic.

The Pan African Film Fest was a wonderful event. I look forward to attending future fests and hopefully submitting more films.