The Asian American Film Lab™ (“Film Lab”) today premiered the top ten films of the annual 72 Hour Film Shootout competition (the “Shootout”) as part of the 37th annual Asian American International Film Festival (“AAIFF”). AAIFF is New York’s leading festival for independent Asian and Asian American film and video, and the first and longest-running U.S. festival of its kind. The top Shootout films will also screen at The Asians on Film Festival in Los Angeles, at the Time Warner Media Center and have a chance for televised broadcast on both the Film Lab’s television series, Film Lab Presents, which airs on NYCLife, New York City’s flagship media station and on CrossingsTV.

The Shootout, an integral part of the AAIFF, celebrates the creativity and genius of the directors, their casts and crews as they share stories by, about and for Asian Americans and other filmmakers of color with the world. AAIFF has played a vital role in discovering and nurturing such acclaimed talent as Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB), Ang Lee (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN), Mira Nair (THE NAMESAKE), Zhang Yimou (HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS), Christine Choy (WHO KILLED VINCENT CHIN?), Steven Okazaki (THE MUSHROOM CLUB), Jessica Yu (PING PONG PLAYA), and Justin Lin (FAST FIVE).

The top films and award winner of this year’s Shootout are:

GRAND PRIZE: Return, Team Moon Jacket, led by Jesse Hsu

FIRST RUNNER UP: Himitsu, Third Curtain Productions, led by Steven Gee

SECOND RUNNER UP: Memory 317, Filter Switch Films, led by Michael Tang

Underneath the Grey, Enmaze Productions, led by Patrick Chen

Dyed, Team Romix, led by Rommel Andaya

Five Years, Team Breaking Sky, led by Howard Lui

Family Matters aka Family First, Team Launch Pictures, led by David Rock

The Split End, Team Soy Sauce Chicken, led by Eddie Shieh

Take Out, Team J2, led by Jonathan Lee

America’s Top Hairball, Team Dayside Productions, led by Girard Tecson

Individual Prize Winners

BEST DIRECTOR: Michael Tang, Filter Switch Films

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Director of Photography D.B. Cheng, Team Breaking Sky

MOST ORIGINAL: Tie between My Hair Is Not Black (Team Nolja, led by Sungmin Lee), and Tastes Like Chicken (Team Awkward Hugs, led by Evan Kodani)

BEST ACTOR: Victor Pham in Five Years, Team Breaking Sky

BEST ACTRESS: Olivia Oguma in Takeout, Team J2

BEST SCREENWRITING: Tie between Chasing the Startup Glory (Team Surprise Films, led by Blake Tamaki and written by Blake Tamaki and Joseph Jung) and Casefile 69 (Team Ghetto Slate written and led by Tyler Ham Pong).

The screening was directed/edited by up and coming young editor Jatin Chhugani with assistance from veteran editor William Alexander Runnels. Actor and Film Lab President Jennifer Betit Yen hosted the event with filmmaker and Shootout Coordinator Justin Lee and journalist Shirley Lew. Judges included Marci Phillips, David Henry Hwang, Milton Liu, Celena Cipriaso, David Elliott, Scott Eriksson, Michael McKenna, and Kenneth Lin. Louie & Chan’s in New York City hosted the Awards Ceremony and After Party. Donors and sponsors included Diageo, Tiger Beer, The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, Time Warner, Asian CineVision, MyJennyBook, Alex Ong, East Midtown, Luna, AOF, MCC, Gotham Archery, Executive Wear, The Actor’s Connection, NYC Screenwriters Collective, SAG-AFTRA, The Korea Society, HB Studio, Jacob Krueger Studio, Eric G, Camus, and many more. Celena Cipriaso, Milton Liu, Daryl King, William Alexander Runnels, Elliot Gerard, Dawn Ramic, Isaac Chung, and J.P. Chan presented the awards.

The Shootout films will be available for veiwing free of charge on the Film Lab’s youtube channels (/72hourfilmshootout and /asamfilmlab). For more: www.asianamericanfilmlab.com.