SF lnt'l Asian American Film Festival Opening Night Film & Gala March 10, 2011

7pm, Thursday, March 10, 2011

Center for Asian American Media presents its OPENING NIGHT FILM & GALA to kick-off the 29th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF). The evening begins with a special screening of WEST IS WEST, the latest heartwarming dramedy from director Andy De Emmony.

After the film, guests are welcome to enjoy the red carpet splendor of the Opening Night Gala at the stately Asian Art Museum, where they will enjoy a unique viewing of its current exhibition, "Bali: Art, Ritual and Performance." Attendees will also be treated to the self-described "turban groove" of music phenom, BlackMahal, a full band that fuses Punjabi tradition with timeless funk and contemporary hip-hop. More music will be provided by DJ Rav-E of the Non Stop Bhangra collective.

About the film

WEST IS WEST is the long awaited sequel to internationally acclaimed hit, EAST IS EAST, that now takes the Khan family on a journey from Salford, England to rural Pakistan. Sajid, the youngest Khan, is deep in pubescent crisis under heavy assault both from his father's tyrannical insistence on family traditions and from the fierce bullies in the schoolyard. In a last attempt to sort him out, his father decides to send him off to his ancestral homeland. As worlds collide, this hilarious coming-of-age tale teaches both elder and younger generations a lesson that they won't soon forget.

About BlackMahal:

Part P-Funk, part Punjabi-Funk, BlackMahal is a San Francisco-based live music experience complete with drums, DJs, horns, hip-hop MCs, and the godfather of Punjabi-American music - Ustad Lal Singh Bhatti. BlackMahal has played major concerts across North America including the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with features in Rolling Stone, Wired, The San Francisco Chronicle, and rotation on the BBC Radio 1.

Film Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoYgaX7jMEw&feature=player_embedded

Film Festival twitter hashtag: #sfiaaff

Official Website: http://caam.gala-engine.com/2011/films-events/film/137/