I'm super excited to go to Saturday's panel discussion, Down and Dirty Pictures. It'll be at the Opera Plaza and starts at 1pm.

SFIAAFF is calling the featured directing trio Gregg Araki, Roddy Bogawa and Jon Moritsugu the 'original "bad boys" of Asian American cinema.' How can you resist that? I certainly couldn't.

They're to talk about their bodies of work, the role of the 'truly independent' filmmaker, and, of course, its future prospects. (What panel would be complete without a little prophesying?)

For other panel discussions, see the SFIAAFF website

Another Hyphen staffer will be going to the Ellen Kuras Master Class, which is on Sunday at 3pm, also at the Opera Plaza.

Cinematographer Ellen Kuras' laureled career has included work with Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Rebecca Miller and Spike Lee (Summer of Sam and Bamboozled), and on films such as I Shot Andy Warhol and Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes. She'll talk about her cinematographic and decision-making processes, and colloborating with directors.