May 23, 2013 – NEW YORK — SAG-AFTRA and The Asian American Film Lab™ (“Film Lab”) are pleased to announce an agreement enabling SAG-AFTRA members to more easily participate in the 2013 72 Hour Shootout™ competition (the “Shootout”), a worldwide filmmaking competition (www.asianamericanfilmlab.org). « more »

The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Subway Cinema in association with Japan Society has announced today that Jay Chou’s THE ROOFTOP has been selected as the Closing Night presentation of the 2013 New York Asian Film Festival. Also announced were 22 additional titles, including several notable premieres, highly anticipated titles and salutes to Hong Kong Cinema, Taiwan Pulp and the Well Go USA distribution company. The 12th edition of The New York Asian Film Festival will take place June 28 – July 15, with screenings at The Film Society of Lincoln Center (June 28 – July 11), Japan Society (July 11 – 14) and Asia Society (July 15). « more »

Internationally acclaimed Liao Wen Ho Puppet Theatre performs in the classic style of Taiwanese glove puppetry with a cast of puppet characters ranging in design from regal to fantastical. « more »

Chinese actress Li Bingbing has joined the cast of “Transformers 4,” Paramount Pictures said Monday. She will co-star in the sequel along with Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer and Jack Reynor. Michael Bay will once again direct and orchestrate the fireballs and global mayhem. « more »

LINSANITY, the feature documentary about Jeremy Lin, the young Asian American basketball player whose stunning rise in the 2012 NBA season captured imaginations of basketball fans and non-fans around the globe, will be the Opening Night Presentation of the 36th annual Asian American International Film Festival. « more »

On June 25, college presidents, education leaders, students, policymakers, federal government officials and corporate executives from across the nation will gather in Washington, D.C. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund’s (APIASF) fourth annual Higher Education Summit. This year’s event will to help increase college completion and student success among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students and help strengthen the capacity for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). The event theme will be Moving Forward: Engaging the Changing Face of America and will build on new research presented by the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE). « more »

In less than a week, NY-based artist Yazmany Arboleda and 130 volunteers will hand out 10,000 globally-crowdfunded pink balloons in Kabul, Afghanistan. « more »

The “Rock for Hope” benefit concert by the Little Fir Foundation and with the special support from Barclays, has established its presence as an ongoing series increasingly embraced by the NYC indie-rock community. Taking place every few months at various live music venues, the “Rock for Hope” series is pleased to present its next charity event–“Rock for Hope VIII” at 6:00 PM on Saturday, June 1, at the Santos Party House, TriBeCa. « more »

Korean American actor Ken Jeong returns in THE HANGOVER PART III, the third and final film in director Todd Phillips’ record-shattering comedy trilogy. Jeong reunites with stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha for the epic conclusion to an incomparable odyssey of mayhem and bad decisions, in which the guys must finish what they started by going back to where it all began: Las Vegas.”The Hangover Part III” opens May 23, 2013. « more »

Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Tri-State Area (RMHC) today honored the six recipients of its 2013 RMHC/ASIA (Asian Students Increasing Achievement) Scholarship Program at a special awards ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Selected from a record-number of applicants from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, each winner was awarded a $17,000 scholarship in recognition of their service to the community and academic achievements. The awards ceremony was hosted by FOX 5 News anchor Christina Park and featured a keynote address delivered by newly-appointed NYPD Community Affairs Chief Thomas Chan. « more »