SorryBro (Ep.5) - Making of Potato Story

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Check out the making-of of my stop-motion short starring 3 potatoes for your post-Thanksgiving fix. If you haven't seen the original short, I've reposted the video below. Enjoy!!

Enjoy my 1st stop-motion work!!

Please support & ask friends & fam to "like" my FB pg (http://www.facebook.com/ignatiuslin).

And please subscribe to the SorryBro channel & leave comments!

SorryBro (Ep.4) - Orange Story - Halloween

A hilarious #Halloween stop-motion short by a talented friend, Nino Buzzone. Subscribe/ stay tuned for the Thanksgiving Ep. directed by me.

Salaam Dunk - LA Film Festival

Just watched a wonderful documentary about women collegiate basketball in Iraq. These young women and their young American coach come off as 3-dimensional human beings. The traditional and social constraints they are pushing against. The transient nature of life in a war-torn country. How sports give them pride, solidarity, escape, and hope.

The director, the coach, and others involved in the movie spoke at the Q&A afterwards. Their strong bond are unmistakable. The young women have asked the director not to exhibit the film in Iraq, and the director stated that his priority is not to secure distribution deals for the movie but to do right by these women.

This film reminds me of another excellent sports doc, which I saw at SXSW -- Undefeated. The best sports stories are those that really get you to care about the people, and whether they win or lose, either way, it will be an unforgettable ending that will resonate with long after the lights go on.

Salaam Dunk

STRANGER NOW PREMIERE

The short debuted at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on Tuesday, May 3rd to a packed audience inside the CGV theater in Korea Town. The cast, crew, and the supporters really enjoyed the whole experience from the photo call to the hanging out afterwards. 

ETTV, a global Chinese news outlet interviewed me and Cody, the boy actor, on the red carpet. We discussed the film in the context of the homelessness problem and the economic recession. I also spoke about the wonderful collaboration with Collin, who was filming in China and couldn't attend.

Abe, the co-director of the Festival & a true friend of filmmakers, conducted the post-screening Q&A. He asked some very thoughtful questions, and I thought, "Man, I better step up to the plate."

Many people stayed afterwards to chat. Here I'm with my collaborators, some of them couldn't make it for the photo call. Honestly, it was a hectic evening for me. Wave after wave of people approached me to talk. At the same time, seeing the big smile on everyone's faces made this a night impossible to forget.

Best,

Ignatius Lin

p.s. Shout out to Loïc for becoming #100 fan on my Facebook page. The page is full of breaking news, insightful analysis, updates about my adventure in filmmaking. 

Here Try This: How to evaluate your ideas

Here Try This: How to evaluate your ideas: "It is exciting to think of ideas for a new business opportunity; that's the beginning of a journey for any entrepreneurs. When you discover ..."

STRANGER NOW PREMIERES TONIGHT

97 Facebook shares, 5-star rating on the festival page.

STRANGER NOW (sponsored by NBC-Uni & FIND, starring Collin Chou) PREMIERES IN 12 HOURS at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. It is a story about an unlikely friendship between a boy and a homeless man.

We are very fortunate to be receiving international press coverage for this movie. Here are links to some of the articles, if you're interested: Ovation, SingTao, and World Journal.

Tickets are still available. We love to see you there and truly appreciate your help to spread the words. And please consider following my FB page, twitter feed, or this blog - if you aren't signed up already.

Attending Fast Five Premier tonight in Hollywood

My brother & I won tickets to Fast Five Premier tonight in Hollywood, courtesy of YOMYOMF. Please follow us @ignatiuslin @augustus_lin if you want live updates.

We are hoping to meet Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, The Rock, Justin Lin, Sung Kang, Tyrese, Jordana Brewster, Ludacris, etc. Will they be there; will we be able to?

Lastly, my short, Stranger Now, is also playing at the same LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. No cars or action, but does have Collin Chou (Matrix Reloaded) playing against type as a homeless man. Please check it out! Or for more info/updates here.

Ovation Interviews Filmmaker Ignatius Lin - Ovation Audio track

Ovation TV, a company founded by the producer of National Treasure, interviewed me last week about Stranger Now, The Zone, my background and directorial style. I also provided some advice for beginning filmmaker.

It was an honor to be interviewed. I think I said "you know" and "um" too much during the interview!! Haha. Please check it out & share it. Here is the interview.

Ovation has a short film contest, deadline May 13! Check it out!!

Lastly, a reminder, Stranger Now premiers in theater on May 3rd. Details here.

Video Games/Anime Spree

Last week, my animator buddy, Joseph, found 2 video games/anime/comics stores in Culver City (same owner, stores right next to each other). We and my wife went to check them out.

Joseph dived right into the video games covered from wall-to-wall. I was a bit disappointed because besides awful sports games, it didn't appear to have much Super Ninendo/Famicom games (the only console I still own - since WAY back). I lost my Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and Nintendo Famicom (red/white machine) systems when I moved.

After an hour, Joseph said a little sheepishly that he wanted to check out the sister store. At first glance, the store offered mostly DVD's and Blue-Ray's, but Joseph found huge stacks of Japanese imported PS2 games in the corner. As I sauntered about, I looked inside the store's glass counter more closely and discovered about 20 Super Famicom games.

I was intrigued and asked the store clerk to take them out. As I saw the titles, I began to salivate. Presented to me were several great games I remembered playing from my childhood--五右衛門 (Goemon), 幽遊白書(Yuyuhakusho)--and several that I wanted--Dragonquest, NBA Jam, etc. Can you imagine how I felt as I held them in my hands? I couldn't stop talking about the games and recalling stories of my days as an avid video game player. Please allow me to briefly introduce some of them. 

Goemon allows you the simple pleasure of being the Japanese Robin Hood, walking around and whacking people with a smoking pipe. (Or being his slapstick, happy-go-lucky thief sidekick.)
 

NBA Jam: As sports games become more and more realistic, one's nostalgia for fantastical sports games can't help but amplify. NBA Jam really is the grandfather of such sub-genre. When a player is "on fire," his ball is literally "on fire." FLYING to the basket, LEAPING, TWIRLING, 360 DEGREES, SLAM-DUNKING the hell out of the rim.

Dragon Quest: fantasy genre RPG game. Most notable for the fact that 鳥山明 (Akira Toriyama, Dragonball creator) serves as the character designer for the game. Any true Dragonball fan should be barely able to contain himself/herself when looking at the beautiful game cover.

That day was truly awesome. I really need to thank Joseph for finding the place and my wife for sharing my excitement. While anime and video games have their own strict genre rules, I took away from the visit a feeling of creative freedom and excitement -- that arts can & should go anywhere. They should excite, entertain, and challenge their audience. This applies to cinema. The excitement that I felt as a kid is the type of excitement that I, as a filmmaker, MUST impart on my audience.