She founds magazines. She makes stop-motion videos. She eats lots of cheese. And she runs an Asian American film festival in Houston!

Our Melissa is amazing. But she can't keep doing that last thing, without you.

You know the story: budgets slashed, arts organizations flailing. Slant: Bold Asian American Images turns 10 in 2010! But it won't happen this year if she can't raise the money to fund it. She doesn't need much (an incredibly modest $1,500 for a festival! resourceful, this one), so do help, where even a little will do an awful lot.

www.slantfestival.org

(And a note to filmmakers: the deadline to submit work to Slant is January 30.)