Thursday April 9th to Sunday April 26th -- Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Irvine

Japan Film Festival

The Japan America Media Association presents the Second Annual Japan Film Festival, with a total of 22 feature films, including The LA premieres of Fumihiko Sori's ICHI (female version of the famous sword hero Zatoichi) and Mamoru Oshii's Sky Crawlers. Join the Gala Party on Thursday for dance, karate, calligraphy, and a performance by actor Shin Koyamada.

Gala Party: 4/9 at 7:30. RSVP info here

4/10 -- 4/16
Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex
1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica

4/17 -- 4/19
Downtown Independent
251 S. Main Street, Los Angeles

4/25 -- 4/26
Starplex Cinema
4626 Barranca Parkway, Irvine

Complete schedule and ticket info here

Friday April 10th -- NYC

4th Annual Asian American Writers' Workshop / Cave Canem Celebration

Come to the Workshop for a night of readings featuring Jessica Hagedorn, Sapphire, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Brenda Shaughnessy, and Wayne Koestenbaum.

7 pm
The Workshop
16 West 32nd Street (b/w Broadway & 5th Avenue), New York
$ 5 suggested donation

Saturday April 11th -- San Francisco

International Lao New Year

This year's Pii May Lao Festival comes complete with a Buddha procession, green papaya salad contest, kite making, and loads of performances. Nerakhoon: The Betrayal will also be screening, with a Director Q & A. And be sure to check out the Legacies of War mini-exhibit and sign their petition to clear cluster bombs in Laos. Complete schedule here. Tickets are also available for a special evening reception. 

10 am to 5 pm
City Hall Civic Center
b/w City Hall and the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
FREE

Saturday April 11th --  Culver City

Papershapers: 4-in-1 Robot Paper Toy Project

Toyota Scion and Giant Robot, in partnership with artist Shin Tanaka, recently developed the 4-in-1 Paper Robot Toy Project, challenging the magazine's readers to combine and customize three inserts to create the ultimate robot paper toy. To commemorate the completion of the project, Giant Robot curated the Papershapers exhibition, featuring 10 international artists (including the contest winner) who cut, tear, fold, and sew original pieces made from paper. Image gallery here. Exhibit runs April 11 through May 2.

Opening Reception
7 to 10 pm
Scion Installation L.A. Gallery
3521 Helms Ave (at National), Culver City
FREE

Saturday April 11th -- Seattle

Spam*O*Rama + Burlesque

Pork Filled Players, the Northwest's longest running Asian American sketch comedy group, are adding a dash of burlesque to their Late Night Spam*O*Rama. A trio of Seattle's burlesque legends -- Emperor Fabulous, Atlanta Summer, and Whisper -- will be joining this Saturday's monthly comedy/music cabaret.

8 pm
Theatre Off Jackson
409 7th Ave South, Seattle
$ 6 tickets here

Saturday April 11th -- NYC

Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks Screening

Filmed over nine years, Wang Bing's documentary Tie Xi Qu chronicles the slow death of the once-thriving Tie Xi industrial district, and its impact on the lives of its workers. Running nine hours in length, the film has never been screened in entirety in New York. All attendees will receive a free copy of Leaving the Factory: Wang Bing's Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks, a collection of essays on the film.

10:30 am to 9:30 pm (with several breaks)
NYU Cinema Studies Screening Room 648
Tisch 721 Broadway, New York
FREE, refreshments provided

Saturday April 11th -- Amherst

University of Massachusetts Asian Night with Tim Be Told and Kelly Tsai

The Asian American Student Association at UMass present Asian Night 2009 with the band Tim Be Told and poet Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai.

7 to 10 pm
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Fine Arts Concert Hall
FREE

Tuesday April 14th -- NYC

The Hypersexuality of Race: Performing Asian/Asian American Women on Screen and Scene

Join author and UC Santa Barbara Associate Professor Celine Parrenas Shimuzu as she discusses the depictions of Asian/Asian American women in film, video and theatre. Shimuzu argues for a more nuanced approach to race and sexuality, to move beyond the denunciation of sexualized representations as necessarily demeaning or negative.

6 to 8 pm
A/P/A Institute
41-51 East 11th Street, 7th Floor, New York
FREE
RSVP by Friday April 10 to apa(dot)rsvp(at)nyu(dot)edu

Staceyann Chin Book Launch

Staceyann Chin, the powerhouse poet, performer, and political activist, just released her memoir The Other Side of Paradise. On Tuesday she'll read stories of her upbringing in Jamaica, her Jamaican/Chinese family, and her dangerous coming out in college. Chin's appearances are always amazing -- check her out and buy her book, then head over to Bar 13 (corner of 13th St and University Place) for the after-party.

7 pm
Union Square Barnes and Noble
33 East 17th St, New York
 
Wednesday April 15th -- Chicago

Declare INDIEpendence! 2

Coinciding with the 14th Annual Chicago Asian American Showcase, Declare INDIEpendence 2 features APA artists and musicians. Performances by Cynthia Lin, Spark*Shop, Lanialoha & Kupono, and Wallet-Sized Photo, hosted by Narciso "Seeso" Lobo with DJ Huu T. Ly and special guest Dawen.

8 pm
Subterranean
2011 W. North Ave, Chicago
$10