Calling all filmmakers and fans of Asian cinema! The San Diego Asian Film Foundation has announced its call for 2010 entries for their 11th annual film festival to be held October 21-28, 2010. The festival is estimated to bring in an audience of 18,000 through the eight days to celebrate Asian cinema, interact in Q/A panel discussions with actors and filmmakers, and attend special events. Its rising popularity plus the strengthening voice of Asian cinema ranks the SDAFF as one of the must-attend film events each year. Allow me to share with you my experience with the festival before sharing the rules for entry.

I’ve personally witnessed the attendance grow and the quality of films get stronger in each of the last three SDAFFs. The event is easily accessible and casual but the atmosphere is filled with excitement. Screenings are filled with eager viewers who want to watch stories told from the Asian perspective, and are able to fill the large void left by what Hollywood thinks you want to see each week. Where else can you get short and feature films from the US, Canada, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines in one place? It’s always programmed with provocative selections including eye-opening documentaries, fun family pleasers, Bollywood classics, and new releases by popular Asian filmmakers, which are impossible to find playing at a theater near you.

Along with submitted films, a sample of the official selections screened last year include the vampire thriller Thirst by fan-favorite Park Chan-Wook, John Woo’s epic Red Cliff, the brutally violent Yang Ik-Joon buzz film Breathless, the Korean crime hit Rough Cut directed by Hun Jang, and the story of Bruce Lee’s master Ip Man starring Donnie Yen. This festival is lean in fat, rich in flavor, high in noodle count and well, maybe a little high in MSG. In other words, if you love Asian Cinema, this is one of the best places to find it!

Do you want to enter a film in this prestige and fast-growing festival? The San Diego Asian Film Festival is competitive and is seeking entries in the following categories:

• Narrative Feature
• Narrative Short
• Documentary Feature
• Documentary Short
• Animation

An independent jury selects winners in each category plus a Grand Jury prize winner. Festival programmers will award a first-time filmmaker the George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award along with a $1,000 prize.

Films/videos submitted must be directed or principally acted by an artist of Asian or Pacific Islander descent; or whose subject matter relates to Asian or Pacific Islander culture.

**Early Deadline is April 30, 2009 ($25 Submission Fee)

**Late Deadline is June 11, 2009 ($40 Submission Fee)

There’s a little something for everyone with a program designed for audiences of all ages and all interests. Panel discussions from the past have included one with comic creators Jim Lee and Greg Pak, a spotlight on Korean films, and workshops for budding filmmakers. If you are a filmmaker, consider entering into this fine festival, and if you are a filmgoer start making your plans for one of the coolest stops on the film festival tour.

The 11th San Diego Asian Film Festival is scheduled for October 21-28, 2010 at the Mission Valley UltraStar Cinemas at Hazard Center. All rules, entry forms, application, and festival info can be found online at www.sdaff.org. The San Diego Asian Film Festival is an event of the San Diego Asian Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting audiences with the Human Experience through the Pan-Asian media arts.