A diverse collection of films surveying the experience and talent of the Asian American Community will take San Francisco by storm during the 22nd San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.

Thursday, March 4 kicks off eight days of screenings, seminars and parties commemorating the culture and art of the Asian American community. This year's festival features over 120 films which will be shown at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theatre, the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, and at Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley.

The festival is an annual event created to celebrate Asian American filmmakers as well as give exposure to artists trying to get recognition in the world of filmmaking.

“There aren’t a lot of outlets for many of the filmmakers featured in our festival,” said Chi-hui Yang, director of the festival. “We have a lot of excited young directors telling many different stories from all over the world.”

About 24,000 people attended last year’s festival and even more are expected this year.

“Usually the festival attendance grows about 20 percent each year,” Yang said. “We’re looking forward to seeing a lot of people coming out and enjoying themselves and hopefully being opened to new ideas and learning something new."

The first film to be screened is “Hero,” an action packed martial arts film by Chinese filmmaker, Zhang Yimou. The movie is a fictionalized tale of China’s first emperor, who attempted to unify his country. Afterwards, there will be a party at the Asian Art Museum, celebrating the opening of the festival.

“Travellers and Magicians” is the first feature film from the kingdom of Bhutan, a country nestled in the eastern Himalayas. The film, by Khyentse Norbu, is about a young governmental official, Dundup, who is bored with his life and dreams of running away to America. The film shows Dundup’s journey from his small village featuring Bhutan’s rich landscapes.

A central feature of this year’s festival is a tribute to Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress to become world famous and was a pioneering figure for women in the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s.

“She was criticized a lot for her roles in films,” Chi-hui Yang said. “When she was an actress it was a time of strict gender and racial lines. She crossed those boundaries and made it possible for actresses like Lucy Lui to be able to step out and do what they want.”

Four of Anna May Wong’s films will be shown: “Daughter of Shanghai,” “Piccadilly,” “Shanghai Express,” and “The Toll of the Sea.” There will also be a panel discussion following the films chatting about Wong’s screen roles and the effects they had on the industry.

The festival is to be capped off with “Imelda,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The movie is a documentary about the life of Imelda Marcos, the widow of Philippine dictator Fernando Marcos.

Chronicling her life, the film includes archival footage, home movies, state-sponsored propaganda, and personal testimonies, all of which reveal her transformation from a provincial orphan to one of the richest and most powerful women of her era, falling from grace to become an infamous symbol of personal excess. She was infamous for her collection of 3,000 pairs of shoes.

A mecca for art and entertainment, the Bay Area has a long history of strong Asian influence in art. San Francisco is home to The Asian Art Museum which had its re-grand opening a year ago this month and is one of this year’s top festival sponsors.

"We are trying to present a world of ideas, stories and images in the finest new Asian American and Asian cinema," said Chi-hui Yang, director of the festival. "We hope everyone in attendance enjoys this year's festival."

[maybe an if you go box:]
The festival runs from Thursday, March 4 to Thursday March 11. Check out www.naatanet.org/festival or call 415-478-2277 for ticket information and show times.