CULVER CITY, (LA Elements) 11-01-2015- “My main and first goal is to choose the story,” says Asian World Film Festival honoree Shoreh Aghdashloo of the process of selecting her roles. “It’s the story that brings us together.”
Shoreh Aghdashloo
Stories from Asian cinema brought together a gathering of producers, directors and stars at the inaugural Asian World Film Festival, which held its red carpet gala on October 26 at the Culver Hotel in Culver City. Official foreign language submissions to the Oscars and the Golden Globe Awards from nations throughout the Asian continent, qualified those films for entry into the festival which seeks to highlight their artistry and excellence. The movie selected to open the festival was The Shameless from South Korea, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and is directed by Oh Seung-Uk.
From left to right: Georges N.. Chamchoum, Festival Co-Founder Asel Sherniyazova and Culver City Mayor Michael O’Leary
The Asian World Film Festival gave its Global Vanguard Award for Cinematic Achievement to Aghdashloo who expressed empathy with characters overwhelmed by insurmountable odds. Characters such as Nadi Behrani, from The House of Sand and Fog, a role that won Aghdashloo an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. “It’s the story that makes me want to portray the character. Yes, I would search for strong female roles but if I have been given a voiceless character to portray like Nadi Behrani, the wife of Colonel Behrani in The House of Sand and Fog, I would do that gladly as well because I just don’t want to be the voice of a strong woman, I want to also lend my voice to the voiceless. Those are the ones who need my voice more than anybody else, any other categories. In general, I’ve tried to be a part of meaningful films as much as I can.”
Aghdashloo was presented her award by Anna Khaja, one of the stars of Quantico who expressed appreciation of acting in a hit show that celebrates diversity. “I’m excited to be a part of it and be working with such great actors,” says Khaja. “Josh Safran (executive producer) who’s just an amazing story teller and who creates these roles for diverse actors and also Pryanka Chopra who has always been an inspiration to me, the way that she handles her career and how she’s breaking ground in this way.”
Is the push for diversity in film and television a movement that’s here for the long run?
“I hope it is,” says Khaja. “I hope it’s not just a blip. I think there’s a lot more to do. I’m glad to see it as part of the discussion. I think that Viola Davis’s Emmy speech was so spot on and really an inspiration. It’s hard to deny the inequality anymore and it’s changing.”
Anna Khaja
Mongolia’s official entry to the Asian World Film Festival, Thief of the Mind, was especially intriguing because its almost unbelievable plot is actually a true story. “In 1994 a 22 year old man cheated the Mongolian president,” says B. Amarsaikhan, the film’s lead actor and producer. “He took about $100,000, he went to jail, came to Jesus and then built a church in the jail. It’s the first movie that I produced. I also acted in the main role and sang the song.”
Casting for Thief of the Mind was exceptionally notable in that 300 actual inmates from prison were portrayed in the jail scenes.
B. Amarsaikhan and spouse
With a number of acclaimed film festivals already in existence what is the inspiration for this particular one?
“We have so much wealth in the Asian communities with their talent,” says Asian World Film Festival Executive and Programing Director Georges N. Chamchoum of the inspiration behind the Asian World Film Festival. “There are 50 countries throughout the Asian continent. from the eastern shore of the Mediterranean all the way to Japan, Turkey, to China, Russia and India. So every year we have those countries that submit to the Oscars and we never see them. They go into oblivion. Maybe we see three, four and now thanks to Netflix, we see a little bit more, but it is very sad to see that. So that’s how this was born, out of this frustration because I want the general audience to see these amazing movies.”
Georges N. Chamchoum
Outstanding movies aside, the Asian World Film Festival also offered panel discussions on the all important business aspect of filmmaking such as Film Financing, Sales and Distribution, Cross Cultural Collaboration and PR, Marketing and Awards Campaigns.
Theater venues for all of films featured in the Asian World Film Festival are at Arclight Cinemas, Culver City and Ipic Theater Westwood. Please visit website for further showtimes and information.
The Asian World Film Festival closes on Monday, November 2 with Taiwan’s official Oscar submission and Cannes Film Festival Winner, (Best Director, Hsiao-Hsien Hou) The Assassin.
All photos courtesy of Asian World Film Festival.
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