Los Angeles, CA, May 19 (Canadian-Media): Presented by Visual Communications, the 34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) came to a close this past weekend and announced their audience awards for best films at this year’s film extravaganza that began on May 3 and ended on May 12, 2018.

The venue was: CGV Cinemas; Downtown Independent; Directors Guild of America; Japanese American Cultural & Community Center; Japanese American National Museum; Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center; AMC Sunset 5; East West Players; 341 FSN.​

​Visual Communications' mission is to develop and support the voices of Asian American & Pacific Islander filmmakers and media artists who empower communities and challenge perspectives. The organization turns 50 in 2020. 

​Complete list of winners are as follows:

LAAPFF AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS
NORTH AMERICAN NARRATIVE FEATURE
SEARCHING                       Directed by Aneesh Chaganty
NORTH AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
MINDING THE GAP                       Directed by Bing Liu
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE
IN THE LIFE OF MUSIC    Directed by Caylee So and Visal Sok
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY   Directed by Frank W. Chen 

LAAPFF JURY AWARD WINNERS
NORTH AMERICAN NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS
Grand Jury Award                  FOR IZZY, Directed by Alex Chu
Best Director                           Joanne Park, FISHBONES
Breakout Performance            Adelina Amosco, THE FEVER & THE FRET
Best Cinematography              Eunsoo Cho & Jose Asunción, AUGUST AT AKIKO'S
 
NORTH AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS
Grand Jury Award                  CALL HER GANDA, Directed by PJ Raval
Best Director                           Bing Liu, MINDING THE GAP
Special Mention                       ANOTE'S ARK, Directed by Matthieu Rytz
Best Editing                             Alejandro Valdes-Rochin & Tom Maroney, SCIENCE FAIR
Best Cinematography              Nathan Fitch, ISLAND SOLDIER
 
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION AWARDS
Grand Jury Award                  PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE, Directed by Hao Wu
Best Director                           Jin Jeon & Moon Chang-Yong, BECOMING WHO I WAS
Best Editing                             Hyewon Jee & Wonjung Bae, SINGING WITH ANGRY BIRD
Best Cinematography              Jeon Jin & Moon Chang-yong, BECOMING WHO I WAS
Special Jury Mention - Most Urgent and Cautionary Film       
THE CLEANERS, Directed by Hans Block & Moritz Riesewieck
INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE COMPETITION AWARDS
Grand Jury Award                  WARU, Directed by Chelsea Cohen, Ainsley Gardiner, Casey Kaa, Renae Maihi, Awanui Simich-Pene, Briar Grace-Smith, Paula Whetu & Katie Wolfe
Best Director                           Caylee So & Visal Sok, IN THE LIFE OF MUSIC
Best Actor                               Timothy Castillo, NEOMANILA
Special Mention                       KISS & SPELL, Directed by Stephane Gauger
 
SHORTS NARRATIVE COMPETITION AWARDS
Golden Reel Award (Excellence in Narrative/Animated Short Film)
SILENCE (MAUN), Directed by Priyanka Singh
Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Directing   
Paris Zarcilla, POMMEL
 
SHORTS DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION AWARDS
Golden Reel Award (Excellence in Documentary Short Film)   
THREE BOYS MANZANAR, Directed by Preeti Deb
LINDA MABALOT NEW DIRECTORS/NEW VISIONS AWARD
Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions Award (Innovative Use of Cinematic Language)
MISS WORLD, Directed by Georgia Fu

LAAPFF, largest festival of its kind in Southern California is the premiere showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema.

LAAPFF is also a proud Academy Award®-qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards. 
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The Festival is proud to be partnering with our following screening venues across Los Angeles and Southern California.

• Aratani Theatre @ JACCC – Little Tokyo (DTLA)   
• Aratani Hall at JANM (Japanese American National Museum)   
• Tateuchi Democracy Forum @ NCPD  
• Downtown Independent – Downtown L.A. (DTLA) 
• CGV Cinemas – Koreatown – Mid-Wilshire
• Wilshire Blvd.), Los Angeles, CA 90005
• Directors Guild of America – West Hollywood   
• CGV Cinemas         
• Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center      
• AMC Dine-In Sunset 5  
• East West Players   

The 2018 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is sponsored by:

PLATINUM LEVEL: Comcast/NBC Universal HBO

GOLD LEVEL: Nielsen, Directors Guild of America Tiger Beer

SILVER LEVEL: Department of Philippines Tourism Sony

BRONZE LEVEL: Center Theatre Group City National Bank
Creative Artists Agency Taiwan Academy Film LA

STAR LEVEL: Go Little Tokyo/METRO, JINS Eyewear, Kondo Wealth Advisors, Union Bank CAAM

GOVERNMENT: National Endowment for the Arts; California Arts Council; Dept. of Cultural Affairs; Los Angeles County Arts Commission; City of Los Angeles; HCNC; Councilmember David Ryu, District 4

FOUNDATION: Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences; Aratani Foundation; Asian Pacific Community Fund; Screen Actors Guild-Producers Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund

MEDIA: KORE Asian Media; Angry Asian Man; This Filipino American Life; Potluck Podcast Collective; Pacific Rim Video Press; International Documentary Association; Giant Robot Media

IN KIND: Asahi; Boos Philly; Far Bar; First Street Catering; The Park’s Finest; Passion Planner; Chung Jung One; OkiPoki; Meiji; The Freezin' Point; AFC Soy Foods; Cafe Dulce; Found Coffee; Creme Caramel; Yachak; La Colombe Draft Latte; Little Fluffy Head; Tanduay Rum; Ralph Smyth; Sun Noodle; G&B Coffee; Kindness & Mischief; KIND; Spitz; Fugetsu-Do; LT Vibes; Wolf and Crane; KASIH; Five Star Moving; Miyako Hotel; Hotel Indigo; Ninong’s Pastries & Cafe

Los Angeles/Ottawa, May 11 (Canadian-Media): ​Fearless Productions, a new motion picture company focused on the development to final picture of independent movies, is the North American arm of the production company, launched by award-winning producer Gabrielle Whyte Hart, media reports said.
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​The genres that the company, Fearless Productions, likes to develop and produce reportedly are, horror drama and thriller films.

Hailing from the UK, her psychological thriller BECOMING starring Toby Kebbell, Penelope Mitchell and Jason Patric will be promoted this week in Cannes.
  ​

BECOMING, the first film, based in Los Angeles, California (CA), United States (U.S) under the label will be released in late 2018.   

The film BECOMING, written and directed by Omar Naim, is currently in postproduction and follows a  young woman who learns that her fiancé has become possessed by an evil entity.
  
"Ever since Gaby read my script, she has worked tirelessly and been a passionate warrior to the cause of getting the film made. Her faith and support in me and my vision is unfaltering, and as a director that's the best I can hope for in any producing partner," said  Naim.
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“Making BECOMING has been the most rewarding experience of my life.” Says Whyte-Hart.  “The script is truly something special. I began this project when I was pregnant with my first daughter, and I poured my heart and soul into this film. Now, my daughter is 5, and I am so excited about the finished product.”

At  30 years of age, Gabrielle is credited as being one of the youngest women to produce a full feature film.

​Gabrielle continues, “Being able to walk onto a film set surrounded by such a strong network of fierce and diverse women makes me believe in the equality of women’s rights to men’s. On BECOMING, we had a very strong group of women in the production office as well as other departments. I hope to continue to work with such strong women going forward in my career. We are a force to be reckoned with.”

Having risen to fame at such a young age while raising two small children, Gabrielle also received numerous awards for her films to date.

She was the winner of the Super Shorts Film festival in 2005 for SECOND CHILDHOOD, Best Feature film for DEAD END at the WON Music video and Screen awards and Best short film for T.I.D.E. at the Super Shorts Film Festival in the United Kingdom. Other nominations include the Marbella Film Festival for Best feature film DEAD END and the Cannes Short Film Corner for Best film ONE DAY IN HELL. 
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​As a working mother and the managing director of Fearless Productions, Gabrielle exemplifies a successful woman in the film industry.

She recalls, “I remember sending my resume off to 2,000 companies and getting rejected by all of them.

Being a successful film maker in a male-dominated world, it was becoming harder and harder to achieve my vision, but my determination was always there.”

Her next project SACRED GAMES, based on the book written by Gerald Jacobsis currently in development.

The brutality of the Holocaust into the experiences of a real-life individual is shown in this film. 
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It’s the story of one Hungarian Jew’s fight to survive.

Double Dutch International (DDI) -- reportedly a globally recognized sales company is handling international sales on BECOMING -- and Traverse Media -- reportedly founded by producer Cole Payne and talent manager Jeremy Loethen, is a -- production and talent management company is looking after North America.

#IFFSAToronto,  #SouthAsianfilmfestival, #Canada, #NorthAmerica, #PuneInternationalFilmFestival, #PIFF, #BIFF, #SIkhArt&FilmFest, #InternationalFilmFestivalofSouthAsia, #IFFSA,  #SocialImpactFilmFest, #IFFSAYOUTHlens, #MasterClassandDirectors'Workshop, #AnuragKashyap, #HansalMehta, #AnupSingh, #VasudhaivaKutumbakam–theworldisonefamily 
 
Toronto, May 6 (Canadian-Media): IFFSA Toronto, North America's largest South Asian film festival in its 7th year now, has become an international icon and the voice of South Asian cinema in Canada, media reports said.

With operations year around, IFFSA Toronto has grown over the years to become a festival of festivals and transformed into an institution.. 

Based on themes of South Asian cultures and identities around the world in diverse language,  selected best feature films, featurette films, short films, documentaries and music films are being showcased In IFFSA Toronto for more than 12 days.

Included in other IFFSA Toronto initiatives are:  Pune International Film Festival (PIFF), BIFF, SIkh Art & Film Fest, International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA)  Social Impact Film Fest and IFFSA YOUTHlens.  

​Reportedly a select number of foreign films are being considered in the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the world is one family” under Beyond South Asia segment.​

​Included also in the IFFSA Toronto festival would be organizations of workshops, networking opportunities with government representatives, business leaders, local organizations that support film development, film stars, producers, directors, members of the media and more.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)