The Asian American Film Lab (AAFilmLab) screened the top ten films of the Eighth Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout (“Shootout”),  at the Asian American International Film Festival, under the auspices of and in collaboration with Asian CineVision. AsianInNY.com we are also a proud media sponsor!

AAFilmLab’s first female president, Jennifer Betit Yen, began the ceremony by thanking the filmmakers and film fans for their support of ethnic and gender diversity in film. She explained, “[t]he 72 Hour Shootout is about empowerment. It enable filmmakers with the opportunity to seize 72 hours within which to tell virtually any story they want in virtually any way they can imagine. The filmmakers [who participated in the Shootout] took control over their own stories. They became independents instead of dependents, leaders instead of followers, creators instead of mainstream mimics. Every single one of them deserves accolades for stepping up to the plate and daring to tell their stories. In doing so, they said, ‘we are not ‘the other.’ We will not be marginalized. We will not be silenced.’”

The awards were as follows:

1 ) RiLL – Distance
2 ) Jong-IL – Maybe Baby*
3 ) ROMIX Productions – Doggie Style*
4 ) ColorTV – The Buy
5 ) Zen Station – The Test
6 ) OZ – BC
7 ) T.C.B.Y. – Jacob
8 ) Fluffy Bunny – Dealbreakers
9 ) Mintcheerios – Early Adopter
10 ) Spring Street Pictures – Evaluation

BEST ACTOR: Billy Zhang in ROMIX’s Doggie Style
BEST ACTRESS: Mallory Wu in ZEN STATION’s The Test
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: RiLL, Distance
BEST DIRECTOR: OZ, BC
BEST SCREENWRITING: COLOR TV, The Buy
MOST ORIGINAL: DAYSIDE PRODUCTIONS, Fight for Love Game Show
BEST EDITING: RiLL, Distance

Judges for the Shootout included Marci Phillips, executive director of casting at ABC Primetimes, Producer Teddy Zee, actors Brian Yang, Michelle Krusiec, acclaimed cinematographer Eric Lin, and Russell Simmons, named by Forbes Magazine as one of “Hollywood’s Most Influential Celebrities” and, by USA Today, as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years,” calling him a “hip-hop pioneer” for his groundbreaking vision.

The Shootout is a worldwide competition in which filmmaking teams are given a common theme at the start and then have 72 hours to write, shoot, edit, and complete short films up to five minutes in length. Teams compete for cash, prizes and the chance to have their films screened at film festivals, both nationally and internationally. The competition creates a valuable opportunity for Asian American filmmakers to demonstrate their talent, gain exposure in the entertainment industry and impact the visibility of Asian American stories and characters in film. ‘)}