The Insider

Sort of. I'm not the programmer extraordinaire, but I've seen a handful of movies and I do have picks for the SFIAAFF this year.

In no particular order:

• SAVING FACE (Opening Night, March 10, 7pm, Castro Theatre) -- Joan Chen does a great comical turn as a middle-aged mother who is coming to terms with her own choices about an indiscretion and the fact that her daughter is a lesbian, played by Michelle Krusiec. (Director and cast are scheduled to be in attendance at the screening and also at the Asian Art Museum.)*
• TURTLES CAN FLY (Tuesday, March 15, 6:30pm, AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres) -- An amazing film that stars Kurdish-Iraqian child non-actors and their (very rough) lives the weeks leading up to the US invasion of Iraq. This is the movie from Iraq that you've heard so much about.*
  
• MUSIC VIDEO ASIA (Monday, March 14, 8:45pm, AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres) -- Videos from your favorite Asian/Asian American Indie rock artists, including Guitar Wolf, Dealership, Citizens Here and Abroad, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.*
• DUMPLINGS (Saturday, March 12, 9:45pm, Castro Theatre and Sunday, March 13, 8:10pm Pacific Film Archive) -- Directed by Fruit Chan and starring Bai Ling(who has now promised to be in attendance!!!) Dumplings in an excerpt of the life of a former abortion doctor and her specialty "youth rejuvenating" dumplings which she sells at a high premium. My favorite cinematographer, Christopher Doyle, shot this - he's known for intense color washes and interesting angles. He makes everything look gorgeous.*
  
• SOCERESS OF THE NEW PIANO (Sunday, March 13, Castro Theatre) Documentary about the toy pianist, Margaret Leng Tan. Tan will be in the audience and will give a performance before the screening! How cool is that?
• THE MOTEL (Closing Night, Thursday, March 17, AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres) Great coming of age film from director Michael Kang. It follows an adolescent, Ernest, as he bumbles his way through the mundanity of living in suburbia at the motel that his family runs. he meets a new motel resident and they become friends as they both struggle with where they are in their respective lives. Super hotty, Sung Kang, from BLT will be in attendance as will the actor who plays the protagonist, Ernest, and director Michael Kang.*

* I've seen this movie.