NYAFF 2008

The 2008 New York Asian Film Festival is almost upon us (it starts this coming weekend!), so I wanted to do my part, albeit small, in getting the word out and advising anyone reading this who is in the area (or anyone with an interest in Asian film and the ability to travel) to check it out.

The folks who put this festival together always do a wonderful job of selecting a multitude of films (and it keeps getting bigger every year!) that represent a wide variety of countries and genres, from gritty, blood-soaked Hong Kong action/crime to sweet and silly Korean romantic comedies and absolutely everything in between, which of course always includes a healthy dose of that special blend of genre-bending Japanese horror/sci-fi/action/comedy/who-knows-what-else insanity that has become such a crowd favorite.

Over the years I’ve seen them show both eagerly anticipated, highly buzzed-about movies that have gone on to become cult classics (stuff like Versus, Ichi the Killer, Ju-On, etc.), as well as some truly rare stuff that has unfortunately faded into obscurity (or maybe not unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, seeing as some of us around here celebrate obscurity), like the Filipino Spider Man rip off Gagamboy, which was such a treat to see in what was probably the only U.S. screening ever (and we all know that there’s nothing better than getting to see a totally bizarre movie that you might never have another chance to see in a theater with an audience consisting of your fellow cinematically adventurous brethren!).

Most importantly, no matter what I’ve seen them show, I’ve always had fun.

So head on over to the festival website, pick out some interesting sounding stuff, buy tickets, go out and enjoy yourselves at the movies, and support a festival dedicated to bringing some of the most innovative and wildly entertaining films the world has to offer to U.S. shores for our eager fanboy consumption.