24-28 March 2004
Various locations

The inaguaral edition of the first Asian film festival of the Netherlands, featuring a diverse mix of Asian independents and documentaries from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, America and the Netherlands. Over 70 feature films, shorts and documentaries will be screened in 30 programs over the Asian diaspora. In addition to the films, Cinemasia has a number of special events, such as a Dutch Asian filmmakers forum, Q's with many of the filmmakers, actors and other special guests.

Festival Opening in Rialto
Wednesday 24 March: 8pm Better Luck Tomorrow

The festival opens with the European première of the Asian-American film Better Luck Tomorrow. Five members of the Better Luck Tomorrow cast and crew will attend the opening of the festival.

The Asian cult film caused much controversy at the Sundance Film Festival and rave reviews from top American critic, Roger Ebert. In it, a group of bored, over-achieving Asian-American high school seniors get caught up in an escalating series of seemingly innocent after-school activities to a devastating end.

Theatre group Internos will provide special entertainment and free snacks will be served by their sponsor Hotel Okura Amsterdam. Make sure to book your tickets in advance at the Rialto.

Film Discussion Cultural revolution
with author Lulu Wang and filmmaker Carma Hinton
after screening of Morning Sun in KIT Tropentheater
Saturday 27 March: 4.30pm lecture & discussion

After the screening of Morning Sun, a comprehensive documentary about the Chinese cultural revolution, there will be a lecture and discussion with author Lulu Wang about the consequences of the cultural revolution on China as of today. (in Dutch)

Director Carma Hinton will be present after the screening to answer questions along with special guest, Dutch/Chinese author Lulu Wang. Both Ms. Hinton and Ms. Wang will discuss their relative views on the cultural revolution as a topic of their work and its relevancy in a modern China (in English).

Ms Hinton was born in Beijing in 1949 of American missionary parents and came of age during the cultural revolution. Ms. Wang was also born in Beijing, and also has a firsthand understanding of the era.

Tjing Tjing Festival Lounge
The hotspot and central meeting point for the festival within walking distance from the Rialto Theaters and the Hotel Okura located in “de Pijp”. It's the meeting place of the volunteers, organisers and festival guests. Especially for CinemAsia this originally South-African restaurant, Tjing Tjing (Cornelius Trooststraat 56, 020 676 0923) is turned into a traditional Asian lounge with a special discounted festival day menu, music and drinks. During the festival, the restaurant will be open from 11am and the lounge from 10pm till late… Entrance is free.

Wednesday 24 March: 10.30pm Opening Festival Lounge
Thursday 25 March: 10pm Drag Queen Lounge
after screening of The adventures of Iron Pussy in Rialto, see below.

Bruce Lee is Back!

On Friday 26 March at 10pm in the Rialto there will be a special screening of the archive film The Orphan from 1960 with Bruce Lee as leading actor.

Bruce Lee's best dramatic role to date, this film has been lost for 30 years and the negative recently found and restored. For the first time ever in Holland. The Orphan will be screened in a 35mm color print courtesy of the Hong Kong Film Archives. Bruce Lee plays Ah Wun a young rebellious orphan who gets mixed up in a street gang to make up for his lack of self-worth. He meets an escaped convict who tells Ah Wun the secret of his background. Bruce Lee himself describes his life as closely matching that of the main character; of getting into fights and gangs at an early age in Hong Kong. His expressions and attitudes that would become so familiar in later films find their origin here. The Orphan is full of symbolism and Freudian imagery, remaining as fresh and relevant today as when it was first released.

The Adventures of Iron Pussy
25 March, Rialto

Thailand introduces the Dutch premiere of the hilarious Iron Pussy. A not so attractive, bald-headed employee of a 7-11 turns into the cross-dressing secret agent, the Iron Pussy. Director aka Iron Pussy Michael Shaowanasai will be present.

Festival Closing in the Kriterion
The world première of the Indonesian #1 box office hit Arisan A romantic comedy that deals with the trials and mishaps of a group of a well heeled Indonesian upperclass. It features the first gay kiss in Indonesian cinema which caused a stir in the predominantly Islamic country. It suprisingly passed the film censors and went on to be a commercial and critical success in Indonesia. the Filmtheater Kriterion on Sunday March 28th at 8pm.
 
Festival locations are the Rialto, Kriterion and KIT Tropentheater. Note that from 1-7 April the festival will tour six cities in the Netherlands.

More info at www.cinemasia.nl