TaiwaneseAmerican.org’s special correspondent Annie Tung takes you to Kollaboration SF’s red carpet to greet two Taiwanese American stars: Eric Hsu, lead singer of Johnny Hi-Fi, and Jeremy Lin, NBA player for the Golden State Warriors.

Kollaboration is an annual event produced by young Asian and Pacific Islander (API) professionals and students to promote a strong API presence in entertainment and media. Their shows take place in cities across the nation and showcase emerging talents in the API community. This year, Kollaboration SF was held on September 10, 2011 at Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, CA.

Johnny Hi-Fi was one of the competing bands at Kollaboration SF. With more than 10 years and numerous US and Asia tours under their belt, Johnny Hi-Fi’s alternative rock sound made them stand out from the crowd as they launched the second half of the show. During our interview, lead singer Eric Hsu talks about his musical influences and how he got started in music.

Jeremy Lin, point guard for the Golden State Warriors, served as one of the guest judges, along with YouTube artist Clara C, Angry Asian Man Phil Yu, and MYX TV Supervising Producer Anthony Garcia. A Bay Area native, Jeremy made his entrance by chatting with TaiwaneseAmerican.org about his recent trip to Taiwan and shared what it was like working with KevJumba, one of the most popular Asian American YouTube comedians out there. Check out Jeremy’s real thoughts about KevJumba in the video!

If you want to catch the next Kollaboration SF in the Bay Area, check out: http://kollaborationsf.org for more info! Or if you’re in another major city in the US, there’s a good chance Kollaboration has or will organize an event near you!

Learn more about Johnny Hi-Fi or Jeremy Lin here:
http://johnnyhifi.com
http://youtube.com/thejlin7

Annie Tung is a student at UC Berkeley who serves as an intern for the Asian Pacific American Student Development Office on campus. She is all about the ’90s, film & TV, and sun-shiny days.

TaiwaneseAmerican.org is pleased to catch up once again with Stephanie Chuang who now is a morning reporter for KPIX (CBS) in the San Francisco/Bay Area. When we first interviewed her in 2008, she was a recent graduate of Northwestern University who majored in broadcast journalism and Asian American studies. One year into her career, we were fortunate enough to extensively interview her about her new life as a reporter and weekend anchor for KSBW Action News 8, an NBC affiliate in the Central Coast region California.

Revisit the Spotlight article here: http://taiwaneseamerican.org/ta/2008/12/02/behind-the-scenes-with-stephanie-chuang/

Since that time, we’ve been pleased to support her, and likewise, see her strong support for the Bay area Taiwanese American community. In the past few years, she has served as an MC for the Taiwanese American Cultural Festival in San Francisco and as a speaker for the West Coast Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Conference.

Even as she progresses in her professional broadcast journalism career, she continues to find time to serve the Asian American community. On the day we caught up with her in a park in San Francisco, she was just coming from a meeting for the Asian American Journalists Association interviewing candidates for one of their programs.

Check out our recent video interview, hosted by special correspondent Jessica Kung, as we catch up on the life of Stephanie Chuang.

Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephchuang
Check out her website: http://stephaniechuang.com

We recently discovered an interesting website “for friends of Taiwan to get together and discuss how much they love the island, the language, and all parts of Taiwanese culture.” Launched in June 2011, the site caught our attention because of the breadth of content that has been posted in such a short time by its twenty-something creator Elena T. aka “Jade Star.”

As a foreigner living “outside” (“wai”) of Taiwan, yet a fan of Taiwanese culture and identity, Jade is of Liberian and American heritage, but claims a broader sense of identity and culture gained from traveling throughout Latin America and Taiwan and other international studies residential experiences. We were curious about what fueled her personal interest in Taiwan and her motivation behind starting the website, Wai-Taiwan.com. We caught up with her in Chicago, where she lives and blogs from, to ask her, “Why Taiwan?”

Q: Hi Jade! Or is it Elena? What do we call you? We’re confused!

A: [Laughs] Actually, I go by both. So, the people who are closest to me—the people who meet me in person—they’ll usually call me Elena, because that’s my real name. But all throughout the website, I post everything exclusively under the name Jade—for a number of reasons, one reason being that the name Jade is pretty symbolic to me.

My Chinese name is Chéng Yù Xīng (程玉星). And the last two characters translate to “Jade Star.” Given that the website is about Taiwanese culture, I thought that it’d be appropriate to use my Chinese name. But given that there’s this cultural tension and that I’m an outsider to the culture, I translated the name into English. So it just really fit with the theme of the website and this very dualistic identity.

But I’d definitely say that any of my readers who meet me in person can feel free to call me by either name.

Q: Thanks for straightening that out. So tell us a little more about this wonderful website you’ve created. What’s the focus? What do you blog about?

A: The content on the website is pretty diverse. But it’s all connected by a very common theme. I’ve separated the website into three main sections. One deals with Taiwanese Entertainment, another deals with Learning Mandarin—Learning Chinese—and the last one is more like blog posts and articles dealing with specific, very personal topics.

Kind of overarching is the theme that my name symbolizes—that Jade symbolizes. It’s this experience of being culturally very interested in and connected to Taiwanese culture and Taiwanese American culture, but also of being outside of it. For me, I’m outside of it because I’m ethnically not Taiwanese, and because I’m geographically not in Taiwan.

And so, through each of the sections I try to find a way to deal with some aspect of being outside. Whether I’m watching a TV show or a movie, I’ll talk about the little culture gems that I get from that. For example, “I found it interesting that this is how the movie portrayed X, Y, or Z.” Or I’ll talk about what I got out of it linguistically. With the “Learning Chinese” section, I think there is so much of culture that you can get and understand and you can grow through when you’re learning a language. And so I explore that cultural growth through those posts and I spend a lot of time giving suggestions to others as well.

The “Wai-Taiwan? Articles” are a little different. Unlike the other sections which are a more subtle treatment of being an outsider, the articles are much more explicit in the way they deal with issues of cultural identity and cultural exploration. I try to be as frank and as honest as possible. The articles cover all sorts of experiences. Whether I’m in a store trying to find travel chopsticks and someone confronts me about it. [Laughs] Or I’m going around Chicago trying to find things like books or food or pens. I talk about relationships. I talk about topics like holidays. I talk about personal stories.

As the website evolves, I hope that there will be more depth to each section, especially the “Wai-Taiwan? Articles.” Some friends have offered to write articles for the website and I hope they’ll share their unique experiences of being an outsider. And as the website grows, I hope that it’ll turn into more of a dialogue rather than just stand alone experiences.

Q: When you post your content and articles, who is the audience that you have in mind? What kind of following do you hope to attract?

A: The content is diverse, so I’m sure the people who read the website will be equally as diverse. I think Chinese language learners will enjoy the advice and experiences in the “Learning Chinese” section. I think entertainment lovers and especially newbies to the Taiwanese Entertainment scene will be drawn to that section.

Through the Wai-Taiwan? Articles, I’m trying to speak to pretty much anyone who feels like they reside in this space of being inside but also being outside of Taiwanese culture specifically, but any culture generally—for any reason. Hopefully people will feel like they can relate to those experiences.

Q: What was it about Taiwanese culture or experiences that drew you toward it? I mean, one could easily just write about Asian cultures generally, but you have such an appreciation for Taiwan specifically. Can you share more about that?

A: That’s a really interesting question. I remember during my freshman year in college I lived in a dorm with a girl who was Taiwanese American. She had so much pride for Taiwan that she would talk about it all the time. “Taiwan’s the best place on earth! It’s so wonderful!” Later on, I decided that I wanted to really learn Mandarin, so I had to pick a place to study. Her words stuck with me, so I went to Taiwan and I fell in love with it. There’s something about Taiwan that I just really connected with when I was there. When I moved back to the States, I was in LA and my appreciation grew even more.

When it comes to the language, I love the Taiwanese-Mandarin mix. When it comes to food, I love everything about the food. When it comes to entertainment, I love that it’s such a small community, so you get to feel like you know and can actually follow everyone throughout their careers. There’s also a unique character to the people I meet who are culturally very proud of being Taiwanese American that just clicks with me.

Of course, there are certainly going to be pan-Asian elements to this experience. So that’s there, too. But I just think Taiwan is pretty special.

Q: Outside of your Taiwanese experiences, you spent a few years living in Los Angeles where there is a significant Taiwanese American population and community. What was that experience like for you?

A: So, I lived in LA immediately after coming back from Taiwan. I’d meet people and it would come up in conversations here and there that I lived in Taiwan, and I’d been studying Mandarin. And it was kind of a mixed experience. One of the responses I got a lot was “Oh. That’s really cool. Let’s go out and do this or that.” A lot of new friends that I met there were so excited to meet someone like me who was this outsider who was really interested in the culture. So, one Thanksgiving when I stayed in Los Angeles my friends had me over for hot pot Thanksgiving. They’d take me out to KTV and they’d invite me to all of their Asian American and pan-Asian activities.

There’s a very large part of my Asian American, and specifically my Taiwanese American friends who really did embrace me and accept me and introduce me to really cool things around the city—which were so abundant. There was another part of the community that was less accepting and more skeptical. And on some level, I understand that, too. But overall the experience was really positive. And it was probably the perfect transition going from Taiwan to a very part-Taiwanese part-American place. I really enjoyed it.

Q: Now that you’re living in Chicago, the Midwest, what is the Taiwanese American community like there from your perspective?

A: If you had asked me when I first got here, I would have definitely said “It’s incognito.” But, now my answer is more, “I’m not really sure yet.”

I’m starting to realize that LA made me very lazy and it really spoiled me by giving me this attitude of “Oh. I should be able to just drive somewhere and be completely surrounded by Taiwanese stores, and restaurants, and whatever I want.” To me, that was a big part of what it meant to be in an ethnic community. But I think here, because things aren’t so overt or consumer-based, finding community is a bit more complicated.

What I’ve been discovering lately, through the help new friends and organizations like TaiwaneseAmerican.org, is that there are some great groups here that really unify the community in a different ways. To be a part of the Chicago or Midwest Taiwanese American community, you really have to be proactive to meet people. You have to actively develop relationships. And I think that’s pretty cool.

So, I’m still exploring, and hopefully I’ll learn more as I continue to relate through this website.

Q: Do you have a favorite Taiwanese food?

A: I actually eat a lot. So I definitely couldn’t tell you just one favorite Taiwanese food.

I’m a huge fan of papaya milk and ginger milk tea. When I lived in Taiwan, night markets were like wonderlands for me. So any foods that I associate with night markets, I love. Topping that list would be oyster omelets. Beef noodle soup is my personal comfort food. I have a sweet tooth that is out of control. So, besides Mango Snow Ice, the kind that’s drenched in condensed milk, I also really love just about any baked good that’s not made with shredded pork.

And because I used to live in Taichung, I’m super partial to Sun Cakes and Taiwanese meatballs. But the list definitely goes on from there.

Q: What are you doing these days, and where do you see your path going in the future?

A: That’s a tricky question. In my personal life, I wear a lot of hats. Professionally, I’m an attorney and I practice law. But I also do a lot of other things. I try to surround myself with as many creative and artistic people as possible. I write a lot. I’m still trying to explore Chicago more bit by bit.

When I look at my path in the future, I see it as pretty open. I’m always exploring and learning and growing. I’m really excited about all the possibilities for me in the future. So, we’ll see.

Q: Your site is really cool, and we hope to see more perspectives “from the outside” as you continue to grow! Thanks for taking the time to hang out with us!

A: Thank you, Ho Chie. It was a pleasure meeting you. I’m super excited to be a part of the community.

Visit the website Wai-Taiwan? at http://wai-taiwan.com
Follow Jade on Twitter at: @liljadestar

Guest contributor Hanna Huang, interviews Joann Lo, one of the two founding co-coordinators of the North American Taiwanese Women’s Association 2nd generation group (NATWA II) during their 2011 National Convention, which took place in St. Louis, MO. NATWA II’s mission consists of establishing a network for 1.5- and 2nd-generation Taiwanese American and Canadian women in order to cultivate and promote talents among young Taiwanese American and Canadian women and to preserve Taiwanese culture and identity.

Hanna: Hi Joann! Can you tell us about NATWA II?

Joann: NATWA II is the young generation group under the parent group NATWA. We promote the talents and leadership of 1.5 and 2nd generation women and try to connect our generation to our Taiwanese culture.

Hanna: How do people join?

Joann: People actually become members of NATWA and they sign up to be a part of our NATWA II chapter. We’re a special committee of the organization.

Hanna: What kind of events does NATWA II organize?

Joann: Since we have a bigger group of women in Los Angeles and San Francisco, most of our events take place there. We organize culture gatherings, cooking lessons, discussions, sometimes social activities like hiking. Our major program is the annual convention where we feature talented Taiwanese American and Canadian women in various fields.

Hanna: Can you tell me how NATWA II came about?

Joann: NATWA itself is actually over 20 years old, and it was started by 1st generation Taiwanese American women who were here in the US looking for a space to come together to support the leadership of women and also democracy in Taiwan. About six years ago, we started NATWA II as a space to develop the leadership and participation of 1.5 and 2nd generation women to continue NATWA on as the first generation gets older.

Hanna: How did you personally become involved with NATWA II?

Joann: My mom has been involved for a long time, and I used to hear a little about her going to these conventions when I was younger. She also told me about how they once published a cook book, and that caught my interest. It wasn’t until NATWA created an internship to try and start up NATWA II when she asked if I was interested. It was then when I started learning more about how NATWA would really fit in to my values and principles about women’s leadership and gender issues. So, I became the first intern.

Hanna: What kinds of things did you do as an intern?

Joann: In the beginning, I worked with TsuAnn Kuo who became the other co-founder of the 2nd generation group. It was really her idea to start NATWA II. We start creating a database, so 1.5 and 2nd generation women could reach out through their mothers and aunts. We organized the first NATWA II programs and conventions, and we highlighted Taiwanese American writers and authors, as well as filmmakers.

Hanna: Where do you see NATWA II going in the future?

Joanna: We really hope to host more local get-togethers and gatherings, so between the conventions there will be more activities taking place, and the women in our community feel more connected to NATWA II. I think when women come out to our conventions, they see how what a special space this is. Next year the convention will be in San Jose. There are so many Taiwanese in California, so we’re hoping more women will come out and get connected with us.

Hanna: Thank you so much for sharing about NATWA II!

Joanna: I just wanted to also let people know that Hanna’s been a great intern, and she’s the one who created our new website and really updated our blog. So, thank you!

To learn more about NATWA II, visit their website: http://natwa2.org
Follow their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_2253744067

Photo credits: Shu-Jon Mao

TaiwaneseAmerican.org’s Ho Chie Tsai takes a few moments to speak with talented spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai about her life and work as a full-time poet. She’s been one of our favorite folks to follow over the years, and in the past we’ve pointed out her frequent touring schedule across the nation as well as her co-productions with filmmaker Karen Lin.

This interview takes place during the 2011 North American Taiwanese Women’s Association (NATWA) National Conference, which was held in St. Louis, MO where she was an invited speaker and performer.

Kelly has been featured in over 450 performances worldwide at venues including the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, the House of Blues, the Apollo Theater, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and three seasons of the award-winning “Russell Simmons Presents HBO Def Poetry.” The author of Inside Outside Outside Inside (2004), Thought Crimes (2005), No Sugar Please (2008), and the CD’s Infinity Breaks (2007) and Further She Wrote (2010), Tsai has shared stages with Mos Def, KRS-One, Sonia Sanchez, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Amiri Baraka, Harry Belafonte, and many more.

To learn more about Kelly, or to see her upcoming performance schedule, visit: http://yellowgurl.com

Guest correspondent Timothy Tau recently met with fellow filmmaker Erin Li at the 2011 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF). Erin’s film, L.A. Coffin School, which stars Elizabeth Sung, Michelle Krusiec, Jerry Ying, Megan Lee Angela Ai and Danni Lang, had the rare honor of being selected as one of the ten films sponsored by a Visual Communications “Armed With A Camera” Fellowship for Emerging Media Artists. All ten films screened as part of the “VC Digital Posse Ver. 2011” Program on May 1st at the Director’s Guild of America. Here, Erin answers some questions about her film and what’s next for her down the line.

T: Congrats on having your film “L.A. Coffin School” being selected as one of the films sponsored by the Visual Communications “Armed with A Camera” Fellowship. Can you tell us more about the VC Fellowship and maybe its underlying purpose or mission? How did the fellowship inspire or influence the production of your film?

E: Thanks, Tim! Creating L.A. COFFIN SCHOOL with the support of Visual Communications’ Armed With a Camera (AWC) Fellowship was a fantastic experience. The fellowship supports up-and-coming Asian Pacific American media artists and selects about 10 fellows each year based on their past work, exhibition and production experience, and screens the films at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The fellowship created a supportive environment for the fellows to make our films and provided structure and a sense of urgency to meet deadlines. The industry veterans who came to teach the workshops did a fantastic job. VC also provides the fellows access to facilities and equipment and a grant to create our short films. You could feel that the VC staff, our mentor and instructors really cared about the program and the fellows, and everyone wanted us to succeed and complete our films in the best way possible. This year, we got to screen at a 600-seat theater in the Directors Guild of America, which was absolutely amazing. It was surreal! A million thanks to Shinae Yoon, Abe Ferrer and Kennedy Kabasares at VC, our mentor, Ann Kaneko, and to my fellow AWC fellows.

T: One thing that really stands out about “L.A. Coffin School” is your interesting and stellar cast selections. The film stars Elizabeth Sung, Michelle Krusiec, Angela Ai, Jerry Ying, Danni Lang and Megan Lee. What were some of the motivations behind your cast selections? Michelle had a great hilarious role, and Elizabeth, Jerry, Angela, and Megan really delivered some incredible dramatic performances. How did you like working with each of the cast members?

E: I was extremely excited to work with such a talented cast. I received multiple recommendations and referrals from people to contact Elizabeth Sung for the lead role of MING. She was open to reading the script and I was ecstatic when she decided to come on board. Elizabeth referred me to Jerry Ying, a former student of hers who will soon be appearing in FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS, and Megan Lee, a talented actor and young music sensation. Coincidentally, Jerry had played Megan’s father in another project, so the fact that everyone knew each other already really helped during the short rehearsal process. Danni Lang, who plays Ming’s daughter-in-law, the rest of the “family,” and I had a lot of fun with improv. I always wish I have more time for rehearsals and improv; I love working with actors and seeing them bring the characters to life.

SAVING FACE is one of my favorite films, and I had met Michelle at Sundance last year and kept in touch with her. She recently created a one-woman-show, MADE IN TAIWAN, that will potentially be adapted into a sitcom. Kara Sullivan, my casting director, found Angela Ai for the role of the instructor, Danni Lang as the daughter-in-law and Craig Tsuyumine as one of the featured coffin school students. Angela recently moved from New York where she performed in Avenue Q on Broadway. Robert Ryu, a talented young up-and-coming actor not only played one of the porters, but also cast all the extras in the coffin school scene.

T: The premise of the plot/story sounds extremely engaging, compelling as well as ironic with a fair share of dark humor. It revolves around a once-renowned Chinese painter (played by Elizabeth Sung) who, after being kicked out of her son’s home, enrolls in a controversial school that claims to teach people how to start life anew. How did you come up with this very interesting script idea? Was it based on any personal experiences?

E: With this and my last film, I’ve been exploring the themes of death and rebirth. This is partly influenced by a drastic career change that I made. After several years of working in finance in New York and Hong Kong, I felt like it wasn’t the right fit – I didn’t spend my free time reading up on the trades like some of my colleagues did. For many people, to really succeed in an endeavor, and to be happy, you really have to love what you are doing. I’ve always felt a calling for the arts and finally decided to pursue my passion; I also jumped in with both feet because I didn’t want to ever regret not having tried. That being said, I am extremely thankful for my business background. I’ve found it to be incredibly useful as a director and producer, especially in the current world of DIY marketing and distribution. My years in finance built a strong work ethic and expertise in fundraising and project management, which are essential aspects of directing and producing. Hollywood and Wall Street are more similar than many people realize.

Given my ethnic background, I’ve also always wanted to tell a story about a first generation Taiwanese American family and having to navigate two different cultures. When I came upon a blog about coffin academies in South Korea, it sparked the idea for L.A. COFFIN SCHOOL. From there, I wrote a treatment and submitted it to AWC. I worked on numerous iterations of the script, as my AWC fellows, mentors and friends know… It was fun to collaborate again with Dana Kendler, a talented writer who I met while at Radiant Productions.

T: What did you shoot on? Many of the shots and scenes in the film were simply breathtaking and amazing to witness (e.g., the cliff scene for one).

E: The DP, Russell Bell, and I ultimately agreed on the Canon 7D; some scenes were shot with a rig and some without. The cliff scenes were shot handheld.

T: How do you feel your background as a Taiwanese American filmmaker and artist informs or influences your work? Were there particular themes or ideas (particularly involving generational conflict or spirituality themes) that were really tied to more overarching cultural themes or experiences or things you’ve experienced first hand?

E: Growing up with parents who had emigrated from Taiwan, I wanted to tell a story that touches upon some facets of the Asian American experience and some of the generational conflicts and acculturation issues that often arise within immigrant families. I also wanted to create L.A. Coffin School in part to shed light on the elderly Asian American community, in particular elderly Asian women, which is a demographic group with one of the highest suicide rates in the US. L.A. COFFIN SCHOOL touches upon the story of just one of these women. Although the film sounds heavy, I did try to inject humorous moments into the characters.

While conducting research for this film, I came across numerous articles and studies that shed light on the high suicide rate among elderly Asian women in the U.S. The causes range from acculturation stress and language barriers to poverty, illness, weakened family support and social isolation. Asian Americans as a whole are the least likely demographic group to seek treatment for mental illness. Shame and cultural stigmas against acknowledging mental illness play a major role. Interestingly enough, there are actual “coffin academies” in existence. Companies in South Korea often enroll their employees in coffin academies as part of their orientation activities. The experience is supposed to help students view life with a new perspective, force you to confront what really matters and cherish your life when you “graduate” from the academy. This may also be one method that they are implementing to remedy and address the high suicide rate in the country. I’m currently adapting this project into a feature film and plan to enroll in a coffin academy to experience the process firsthand. It should be an interesting experience and I’m looking forward to it!

T: Were there any influences from any other films or literature on “L.A. Coffin School”, and what are some other artists, films or work that inspire your work or your artistic style?

E: I love intense colors and often use them in my artwork and wardrobe, and I was excited to incorporate dramatic colors in this film. The DP and I worked together to create dramatic, monochromatic hues for certain sets. One of my favorite scenes, visually, is the L.A. Chinatown scene with Ming and her son – the environment really reflects the chaos in her life. What inspires my work the most is traveling to new places and experiencing new things… The Milford Sound, Isle of Skye and Ilha Grande are some of my favorite places in the world… Galapagos is next on my to-go list. Zorbing and black water rafting are some of the more random “extreme” sports that I’ve tried. Meeting people who are really passionate about what they do and those who are happy, wherever they are in life… Being around other artists; I absolutely loved the few weeks I spent studying at La Llotja School of Fine Arts in Barcelona – I sometimes painted for 8 hours straight and time flew by, surrounded by other students doing the same thing. You get so caught up with the work that you forget to eat! Filmmakers whose work I admire are Yasujiro Ozu, Ang Lee, Spike Lee and Julian Schnabel…fashion, music, theater, I could go on and on.

T: You also directed another short film entitled “Who Is Candy Bernardino” that was well-received at a number of film festivals. How did you first get involved in filmmaking, what has been your training, and what are some other interesting projects you have been involved with or helmed in the past?

E: I’ve always loved the fine arts and pretty much started drawing the minute I could pick up a pencil. It’s in my blood. I continued to study the fine arts up until college, where I studied business administration and drama at Carnegie Mellon University. While at CMU, with the encouragement my professor, Shirley Saldamarco, I had the opportunity to produce several short films in conjunction with PBS / WQED. I also directed and wrote a documentary short, my first film, and loved the process. That’s when I knew I wanted to pursue filmmaking. It wasn’t a direct path, but after working in finance in New York and Hong Kong, I eventually moved to Los Angeles where I gained film development experience at Radiant Productions and Plan B Entertainment.

T: What’s in the pipeline for you down the road?

E: Given the positive feedback after the screening, I’ve decided to go ahead with the feature adaptation of L.A. Coffin School. VC has already submitted the AWC films to select film festivals for consideration and I’ll also be submitting the short to some festivals. In the meantime, I’m associate producing THE GIRLS IN THE BAND (http://www.TheGirlsintheBand.com), a feature documentary about female jazz instrumentalists helmed by Emmy-nominated director, Judy Chaikin. I’m excited about the film because it will re-introduce to the world numerous talented women musicians and their work; many didn’t receive the acclaim they deserved during their career or lifetime. I’m also directing a music video, a fashion lookbook and commercial for a designer, as well as a web series about up-and-coming artists of all disciplines in Los Angeles.

BIO OF ERIN LI

Follow Tim on Twitter @timothytau and on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/timothytau

TaiwaneseAmerican.org guest correspondent Annie Tung interviews Taiwanese American director Christina Yao, director of “Empire of Silver.”

Set in 1899, “Empire of Silver” follows the story of a carefree young man who must prepare to take over his family’s Chinese banking empire. The film stars Aaron Kwok, Jennifer Tilly, and Lantian Chang. It has won 19 prestigious festival awards around the world including “Best Director” at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The film opens nationwide in June of 2011.

If you’re near San Francisco or Los Angeles, join Taiwanese American Professionals chapters for screenings and meet & greets with Christina Yao:
LA on June 3, 2011: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203403293030929
SF on June 4, 2011: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203403293030929

Empire of Silver Trailer:

Visit:
http://empireofsilver.com
http://facebook.com/empireofsilverfilm