Bai Ling dazzles on red carpet!
There was a show of force from the Asian community last night at the Director's Guild as the Asian Pacific Film Festival broke out the bubbly to celebrate their 25th Silver Anniversary.
The glittering event was awash with film celebrities who strode down the red carpet in high-style as the paparazzi snapped away.
Beau Sia (Deaf Poet @ HBO) was a fashion plate who piqued a lot of interest as he ran the gauntlet.
When I jotted down his comment about being artsy-fartsy he was pleased.
"I'm into individual style," he quipped wickedly.
And, on occasion, the performance artist doesn't hold back when it comes to taking up a social or political cause.
Last night, for example, he sported a brilliant green neckerchief which sparkled under the bright overhead lights as a show of "Solidarity for the Swine Flu".
Bai Ling dazzled everyone when she glided up in an Italian Couture outfit which certainly overwhelmed me!
Her chic cocktail outfit was fashioned from a flutter of pink feather-like flourishes on top (a plunging neckline didn't leave much to the imagination by the way) which were the perfect foil for the body-hugging black skirt that accented her petite sexy figure.
Although SANS necklace, a stunning one-of-a-kind designer bracelet - and matching signature ring - struck gold in the accessories department.
The other evening Ms. Bai Ling and I danced the light-fantastic at the beach-side Newport Film Fest.
Ms. Ling is becoming a regular fixture at "The Tattler" & "Pop Culture" sites - a darling gorgeous one, I might add - with a frenzied fan base!
Look for the sensuous actress in Crank (2) in the near future.
"I'm the color in the film," she giggled.
Not surprising!
When I asked Bai who she liked in the industry, I was quite surprised by her response.
"Angelina Jolie. She's so sexy," she purred.
I was tempted to pose a question - Miss Ling are you bisexual? - but opted not to get too personal.
She noted that one of her faves in the biz is Richard Gere- a close friend - who she may work with in the future.
But, she's pining to be cast opposite Johnny Depp.
"You'd make a dazzling couple," I piped up as I noted I would get the word out.
Johnny, give Ms. Ling a call, will 'ya?
As Bai started to drift off down the carpet to a handful of photogs drooling at the mouth, she leaned into me and whispered:
"Come to my web site - Bai Ling dot com - so we can get intimate."
If anyone could turn a guy's - um - persuasion - it's definitely Ling!!!
The two young stars of "Children of Invention" were such a delight as they strolled by.
Michael Chen (11 years old) showed up in a Rock 'n Roll shirt etched with eye-catching glitter.
The charismatic young actor currently resides and attends school in upstate New York.
His favorite MBA team? The Houston Rockets.
When I asked the polite young actor what was the most difficult aspect of working on the project, he was quick to respond that it was the script.
"It was about this thick," he quipped, as his hands demonstrated a depth of about 5 inches.
There was one boo-boo that caused Chen a little discomfort during filming, too.
One morning before heading off to the set, his parents took him to the dentist to have braces installed on the lower teeth, without informing the director.
On location that evening when the shoot started up, the ubiquitous silver contraption turned out to be such a glaring continuity problem, that the crew was forced to summarily remove 'em pronto.
"It hurt," he recalled with a grimace.
Crystal Chiu, who played Michael's young sister in "Invention", looked for all-the-world like a perfect little China Doll, with her porcelain skin, deep soulful eyes, and enchanting party dress.
Although a bit shy on the carpet, she managed to confide in me that memorizing the scripted lines was a bit tough.
Jun Kim (West 32nd Street) just made the trek out to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career in Tinsel Town.
Mr. Kim is currently seeking an agent, so I promised to put the word out.
I've included a publicity still to help along the process.
Good luck Jun!
The Director and two actors who star in "Karma Calling" were on hand to promote their film which screens on Sunday.
One plot line reminded me of another popular Indian feature - "Outsourced" - which I penned a review on last year.
See for yourself how the film compares when it screens this Sunday (May 3rd).
The co-producer and Director of "All About Dad" had some interesting input in respect to their film.
The project focuses on conflicts that often arise with 2nd Generation Asian-Americans in respect to family and traditions in their culture.
An aggressive outgoing (handsome) young director from Alabama (Nathanial Nuon) strode up and invited me to his screening at 9:45 on Sunday evening at the Laemmle Sunset 5 venue.
"When I was a kid, I lived with some Cambodian refugees. So, I speak the language fluently. I promised I would tell their story one day."
"Residue" is a controversial and intriguing story about the CIA's involvement in Cambodia during the war in Vietnam and the chilling aftermath that follows several years later, according to the press blurb.
Art Hsu is a tall articulate man (handsome, too, though not reflected in the character shot opposite) with a distinctive voice who sauntered in to mix & mingle and exchange ideas with the filmmakers and actors at the DGA.
Just what I envisioned Film Fests should be all about: a forum for a meaningful dialogue about the film, the state of the industry, you name it.
In the near future, you can catch the dashing actor on the wide screen in the upcoming Crank 2 (High Voltage).
In the recent past, Mr. Hsu appeared in EQUUS (he played one of the horses) opposite celebrated Star Trek actor, George Takei.
David Magdael, head of Public Relations for the festival again this year, was thrilled with the large turn-out.
"There is quite a variety. 181 films," he beamed.
Before the opening night feature film - "Children of Invention" - sprang to life on the state-of-the art wide screen, a DGA rep welcomed the Asian Pacific Film Festival back to the fold for the 14th consecutive year.
"Treat this like your home this weekend," she urged.
"And think of it as your home in the future."
The perky young woman noted that a handful of DGA reps were in the audience to be of assistance to Asian Filmmakers in their bid for membership into the Guild in the event they were prepared to go one step further in their professional career pursuits.
Shinae Yoon, the Executive Director for the Festival, dashed up to the podium at one point and enthusiastically chirped:
"It's all about you!"
Yoon welcomed all the filmmakers to the annual event which is sure to be a resounding success this year in view of the slated line-up.
Info: http://www.vconline.org/festival/
Director Nathanial Nuon (left) with crew of "Residue"
http://www.julianayrs.com
