Formal Japanese bureaucrats go casual to help fight global warming

TOKYO (AP) - Japan's public servants loosened their collars Wednesday, showing up to work at the centre of power in Tokyo without their customary suits and ties as part of an unusual effort to fight global warming. Public buildings will cut down on air-conditioner use this summer and officials are asking bureaucrats to dress more casually to help beat the heat. "It's so comfortable not to have a necktie," said Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who strode into his office - where the thermostat was set at a steamy 28 degrees C - wearing a long-sleeved, blue Okinawan shirt with white trim.

The effort is aimed at helping Japan meeting its targets under the Kyoto global warming protocol. Tokyo needs to cut so-called greenhouse gas emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels by 2012.

To help make the goal, government buildings' air conditioners will be set at 28 C, the maximum allowed by law. Offices usually keep the temperature at around 25.

The Energy Conservation Centre estimates if all offices in Japan increase summer temperatures to that level, it could save 310,000 kilolitres of oil in one summer.

But the effort could prove to be a hard sell in Japan where conformity and tradition are prized and formal dress is considered essential for success.

To rally support, the Environment Ministry has released a manual on dressing down, and it's planning a Cool Biz Collection fashion show June 5 at the 2005 World Expo in Aichi.

"I hope that the policy of dressing casually will take hold, and that people won't dress formally and try to endure the heat," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda.

The new policy is expected to boost the economy, as the country's 250,000 national bureaucrats refurbish wardrobes. Economy Minister Heizo Takenaka said the effort could raise consumer spending by the equivalent of at least $115 million Cdn.

It's not the first time "cool biz" has been tried in Japan.

In 1979, after the second "oil shock," Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira introduced a "save energy look," wearing a half-sleeve suit and tie, but the effort failed, as did a subsequent attempt in 1994.

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Simultaneity

A Solo Presentation of Paintings by Seung Won Suh
June 2 - July 28, 2005

Art Beatus (Vancouver) Consultancy Ltd. is delighted to introduce the works of Seung Won Suh in a special solo presentation entitled, Simultaneity, a title based on the artist's series of abstract paintings with the same name. Seung Won Suh has been an active artist in Seoul, Korea for over forty years. While the exposure of his art to North American audiences has been somewhat limited, he has received much recognition for his work in his homeland. Suh has been granted numerous awards, has paintings held in many private collections, and has an extensive exhibition history.

Simultaneity is a series of work which has been in progress for almost 20 years. Rectangles which seem to appear and disappear into limitless space have been a constant force in his paintings. However consistent the theme of Simultaneity, Suh's work has noticeably evolved from art which was somewhat cold and minimalist in nature to a much brighter and warmer aesthetic. "In the pictures of the past, rectangles and cold feeling of the corners are strong, but in this work, I tried to express like the glow of sunset with mild colours of light, removing corners".

Suh's latest works are rhythmic; the rectangles continue to appear and disappear into the infinite but the shapes are softer in hue, the space in-between, airy. Pulsing violet and muted grey-blue shapes fading into pale yellow is dreamlike, meditative and hypnotic; the artworks envelop viewers in a collage of light, warmth, colour, and sound, provoking contemplation of space and time. Simultaneity is a sensory experience and will be on display at Art Beatus (Vancouver) Consultancy Ltd. starting Thursday, June 2, 2005 and ending Thursday, July 28, 2005.

Art Beatus (Vancouver) is located in the Nelson Square Office Tower at 108 – 808 Nelson Street. For more information, please contact Media Relations, Tamla Mah by email to info@artbeatus.com or by telephone at 604.688.2633.

Youths attack Indo-Canadian teen; police call it hate crime

RICHMOND, B.C. (CP) - An Indo-Canadian teenager was attacked by five white men outside a school and had his hair hacked off, police said Tuesday. The police said the attack was a hate crime and are searching for the suspects.
The attack occurred May 26 as a 17-year-old boy was walking through the field of an elementary school on his way home. Police said the suspects, who had been playing basketball, approached the victim and made a racial slur before punching him several times in the head and knocking him to the ground.

One of the suspects removed the victim's turban and cut his hair off with what's believed to be an Exacto knife. The victim was also robbed of his wallet and other personal papers, said police, who are looking for five white men in their early twenties.

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Japan plans to reassess import of genetically modified canola from Canada

TOKYO (CP) - Genetically engineered canola believed from Canada has been found growing in the wild in Japan, prompting concerns among farmers and environmentalists in a nation generally wary of such crops. The Japanese government says the import of canola seed from Canada is considered safe. But the agriculture ministry indicated Japan intends to reassess the situation soon. The conclusions could affect one of Canada's main exports to Japan, a key agricultural market.

Canadian exporters are responsible for 80 per cent of all the canola Japan imports each year. It's estimated that of the 1.6 million tonnes of seed Canada ships annually to Japan, the same proportion - 80 per cent - is genetically modified.

Canola, or rapeseed, is crushed to produce vegetable cooking oil. Japan is one of the world's largest markets for canola but the country produces very little canola itself and relies on imports.

Strict guidelines are in place to prevent genetically engineered seeds from contaminating local plants. When researchers at Japan's National Institute of Environmental Studies discovered genetically engineered canola growing wild, conventional farmers and environmentalists expressed shock.

There is no definitive proof of origin but it has not stopped critics from blaming Canada.

"We cannot distinguish where the wild GE canola is from because we have no molecular marker with which to distinguish a Canadian strain from that imported from other countries," said Nobuyoshi Nakajima of the environmental studies institute.

"However, I expect that the possibility is very high that it is in fact from Canada."

France and Australia also ship canola seed to Japan, but neither commercially exports genetically engineered varieties at present.

Genetically engineered canola strains were created to resist heavy doses of herbicides. Some researchers believe that once spread into the wild, either of the two strains discovered in Japan can transfer herbicide-resistant genes to domestic plants, creating so-called "superweeds" that require increasingly toxic chemicals to control.

Such a view is not unanimous.

Manabu Yoshikawa, a leading science writer, wrote in the Mainichi newspaper that even if genetically engineered seeds "are spilled and grow wild, such plants will have low fertility; therefore there is no possibility they will spread and disturb the native species."

Japan's agriculture and environment ministries do not see any problems right now.

"At the moment GE canola imported from Canada is deemed safe," said Hirokatsu Watatani, a spokesman at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

"This assessment is based on both the Food Hygiene Law and the Feed Safety Law."

But Watatani noted "these laws were established before implementation of the Cartagena protocol" - an international convention on biological diversity aiming to prevent contamination from genetically modified organisms.

"However, the use of these (laws) is just a transitional measure and we plan on giving a new assessment of the current situation based on the Cartagena protocol in the near future."

Some 800 delegates from around the world are expected at a meeting on the Cartagena protocol in Montreal this week. The protocol was signed by 150 governments, including Japan and Canada, at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

In a recent survey by the Food and Consumer Safety Commission, 74 per cent of respondents expressed serious concerns about the safety of genetically engineered products in Japan.

Steve Shallhorn, a Canadian representative of Greenpeace in Japan, says Canadian dominance in the canola market means Canada has a leading role to play in safeguarding the environment of Japan.

"The Canadian government has a responsibility to the people of Japan to stop exporting this GE canola," he said.

Local non-government organizations and farmers groups recently delivered a letter of protest to the Canadian Embassy, calling on Ottawa to "stop the contamination of food products and the environment in Japan by exporting only non-GE canola in future."

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Canada's McCain Foods to build potato processing plant in India

FREDERICTON (CP) - New Brunswick-based McCain Foods will construct an $18-million potato processing plant in India. The company said Monday the plant will be built north of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat province.

"Our new production facility in India will help supply our business in the country and across the Indian subcontinent," said Dale Morrison, president of McCain Foods Ltd.

"This factory is designed to expand as we build our business and grow the market for frozen potato products."

Construction will begin next month and is scheduled for completion by July 2006.

The new plant is expected to employ up to 125 people.

Potatoes supplying the new facility will be purchased from independent Gujarat farmers.

McCain Foods began in Florenceville, N.B., in January 1957 and is now the largest manufacturer of frozen potato products in the world.

The company has 55 food production facilities on six continents and over 20,000 employees.

The company's international consolidated net sales figure for 2004 was $5.8 billion.

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Chinese energy giant Sinopec to buy 40% interest in Northern Lights oilsands

CALGARY (CP) - Synenco Energy Inc. said Tuesday it has sold a 40 per cent stake in the Northern Lights oilsands project for $105 million to SinoCanada, a subsidiary of China-based oil giant Sinopec Group. The Calgary-based energy firm said under the deal it will retain a 60 per cent interest in the new partnership and operate and act as managing partner of the project, which is estimated to cost $4.5 billion over the next five years.

It was the second large oilsands-related project to involve a Chinese company in recent months. Calgary-based Enbridge announced a potential deal in April with PetroChina, China's largest oil company, targeting about half of the anticipated capacity of Enbridge's so-called Gateway Pipeline, or 200,000 barrels a day of oilsands crude.

The Northern Lights Project is an integrated oil sands mining, bitumen extraction and upgrading project, located northeast of Fort McMurray with design capacity of over 100,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil.

Approval from both the Canadian and Chinese governments has been given, the companies said.

"We are excited about this partnership and look forward to a long-term relationship," Jim Donnell, president and chief executive officer of Synenco said in a release.

"Sinopec shares our strategic vision, possesses the financial strength, has extensive crude oil production and downstream experience, and brings upgrading expertise essential for this project."

Synenco was formed in 1999 to evaluate lands in the Athabasca oil sands region. In 2003, the company moved from exploration to development.

Sinopec is China's second-largest crude oil and natural gas producer, largest refiner and marketer of oil products, and largest petrochemicals company.

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Underwear shortage strikes Thai prisons

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Female inmates in Thailand's prisons are so short of underwear that the head of the main women's prison appealed to the public for donations - new or recycled. The director of the Central Women's Prison, Ankhanueng Lebnak, said Friday that the government refuses to provide a budget to buy each female prisoner more than two pairs of underpants each year because they are considered a luxury item, the official Thai News Agency reported.

An appeal for assistance yielded donations of 74,010 new and used garments, and Ankhanueng began distributing the extra underwear to prisons across the country on Friday, the report said.

Thailand, with a population of 65 million people, holds more than 250,000 prisoners, about one-fifth of whom are women. The prison population has grown dramatically in recent years because of convictions for drug offences, and most facilities hold many more convicts than their planned capacity.

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Study: Hong Kong's office buildings coldest in the world

HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong's office buildings are the coldest in the world due to cranked up air conditioning, according to a study released Sunday. Most Hong Kong offices keep their temperature at between 21 (70 Fahrenheit) to 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit) - with the coldest office measuring 17.6 degrees (64 Fahrenheit) - well below the recommended 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit), the study by Hong Kong Polytechnic University professor Daniel Chan said.

Mei Ng, director of environmental group Friends of the Earth, which released the study results, urged employers to allow casual wear during the summer so that air conditioners can be turned down.

An upward adjustment of one Celsius degree will reduce electricity consumption by 3 per cent, Ng said in a statement, noting that air conditioners account for 60 per cent of electricity consumption in the summer.

Lawmaker Choy So-yuk was quoted as saying in the statement that she has on occasions left legislative meetings to get more clothing because the building was too cold.

© The Canadian Press, 2005

Toyota to build new plant in Ontario

Toyota Motor Corp. has chosen to build a second vehicle assembly plant in southwestern Ontario, according to media reports published Monday.

The Toyko newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun said Toyota will build its new plant near Woodstock, located 40 km east of London. Several U.S. locations were said to have been in the running to land the plant.

The move is expected to create 1,000 jobs at the facility, along with thousands of spinoff jobs at suppliers. The company is reported to be aiming to begin car production at the plant in 2008.

Toyota's board is expected to officially decide next month where to build its new North American auto plant.

The vehicle maker already has a manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Ont. Opened in 1989, the Cambridge plant employed more than 4,300 people as of the end of December 2004, and produces the Corolla, Matrix and Lexus RX-3,

The new plant, slated to be up and running by 2008, is expected to cost about $600 million to build and have an annual production capacity of 150,000 sub-compact cars.

explorFILM: Five Dynamic Korean Canadian Women Filmmakers

explorASIAN is pleased to present a showcase of dynamic Korean Canadian films from
Helen Lee, Ann Shin, Min Sook Lee, Sun-Kyung (Sunny) Yi and Eunhee Cha

June 2 to 4, 2005
Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre
Terasen and Fletcher Challenge Theatres
515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

Sponsored by Asia Pacific Foundation, David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communications, Simon Fraser University and National Film Board of Canada

explorASIAN welcomes five established Korean Canadian women filmmakers to Vancouver. Come see their films and participate in the workshops and filmmaking panel discussions with these dynamic filmmakers.

Saturday's screening of Four Seasons Mosaic (60 min - Ann Shin) is a Western Canada Premiere. Filmmaker in attendance.

Don't miss this opportunity to meet all five of these dynamic women filmmakers together in Vancouver for the first time!

Tickets at the door (per film screening day):
$5 Adult $2 Student/Senior
Filmmakers Workshops & Discussions: Free

All films are in the ENGLISH language.

June 2 Thursday
7:00pm Terasen Theatre
Korean Alphabet (8 min - Kim In Tae)
Tribe of One (39 min - Eunhee Cha)
8:15 Terasen Theatre
El Contrato (52 min - Min Sook Lee)

Korean Alphabet, an animated film by Korean filmmaker Kim In Tae, in training in the NFB's animation division, with synthetic sound by Norman McLaren. The film was made to teach the alphabet to Korean children, but its colorful images, style of animation, and tunes produced without instruments give it a much wider appeal.

A Tribe Of One is the story of a woman who grows up thinking she is fully Chinese, but then discovers she is half-native. Rhonda Larrabee is not only part of a forgotten First Nation in B.C. but she helps re-establish the band and becomes its Chief.

El Contrato follows Teodoro Bello Martinez, a poverty-stricken father of four living in Central Mexico, and several of his countrymen as they make an annual migration to southern Ontario. Under a well-meaning government program that allows growers to monitor themselves, the opportunity to exploit workers is as ripe as the fruit they pick.

June 3 Friday
6:30pm Terasen Theatre
Almost real: Connecting to a Wired World (47 min - Ann Shin)
Western Eyes (40 min - Ann Shin)
8:00pm Terasen Theatre
Thai Girls (44 min - Sun-Kyung (Sunny) Yi)
Scenes from a Corner Store (45 min - Sun-Kyung (Sunny) Yi)

Almost Real focuses on a few individuals for whom the Internet has become a lifeline, a way to connect with like-minded souls in surprising ways.

Western Eyes examines the search for beauty and racial identity through the eyes of Maria Estante and Sharon Kim, young women contemplating cosmetic surgery. Both of Asian descent, the two believe their looks--specifically their eyes--get in the way of how people see them.

Thai Girls is a rare, first hand look inside the international export of Asian sex slaves to Canada. From the bordellos of Bangkok to the massage parlours of North America, young Thai girls are sold into sexual slavery by their parents.
The film is a tale of two girls whose lives were sacrificed to duty and honour.

Scenes From A Corner Store is a film about divided loyalties that capture the tension between old and new world family values. It's portrait of the generation gap between immigrant parents and their daughters, who are coping with their father's inability to show love while searching for ways to live their own lives.

June 3 Friday
6:30pm Fletcher Challenge Theatre
Journey For Lotus (52 min - Eunhee Cha) (Moving Images Distribution)
8:00pm Fletcher Challenge Theatre
Short films: Sally's Beauty Spot, Prey, Subrosa, My Niagara (100 min - Helen Lee)

In Journey for Lotus, Canadian-born director Eunhee Cha takes a moving personal journey, exploring this history not only within the Korean community, but also giving space to the Japanese experience. With a balanced hand, she paints a portrait of both Korean resistance heroes and Japanese individuals who risked kindness to Koreans during this harsh period.

Sally's Beauty Spot 12 min
A large black mole above an Asian woman's breast serves as a metaphor for cultural and racial difference in this engaging experimental film.

Prey 26 min
The morning after a break-in at her Korean immigrant father's convenience store, Il Bae, 20-something and strong-willed, catches a hunky shoplifter.

Subrosa 22 min
Subrosa traces a young woman's journey to Korea, the land of her birth, to find the mother she's never known.

My Niagara 40 min
Grasping the texture of half-expressed desire, this beautifully drawn drama evokes the complex dislocations of an Asian American woman.

June 4 Saturday
1:00pm Terasen Theatre
Art of Woo (90 min - a feature film by Helen Lee)
3:00pm Terasen Theatre
Journey For Lotus (52 min - Eunhee Cha) (Moving Images Distribution)

The Art of Woo a feature by Helen Lee, starring Sook-Yin Lee and Adam Beach, is a sly romantic comedy about Alessa Woo, a beautiful and ambitious art curator who meets her match in gifted painter, Ben Crowchild. Alessa Woo poses as a rich Asian heiress to catch her man of means. Alessa’s well-laid plans to find her millionaire go awry when Ben moves in next door. Not only does the pair share an affinity for art and an adjoining bathroom, her enigmatic neighbour has secrets of his own.

June 4 Saturday
1:00 pm Fletcher Challenge Theatre
El Contrato (52 min - Min Sook Lee)
2:30 pm Fletcher Challenge Theatre
Korean Alphabet (8 min - Kim In Tae)
Western Eyes (40 min - Ann Shin)
3:30 pm Fletcher Challenge
Korean Alphabet (8 min - Kim In Tae)
Four Seasons Mosaic (60 min - Ann Shin) Western Canada Premiere. Filmmaker in attendance.

The Four Seasons Mosaic takes viewers on a tour of world music traditions by Canadian artists, climaxing in a wholly original multicultural collaboration composed by award-winning Mychael Danna, which takes as its base Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

www.explorasian.org

Western Canada Premiere of FOUR SEASONS MOSAIC

explorASIAN is pleased to present the Western Canada Premiere screening of FOUR SEASONS MOSAIC by Ann Shin. Filmmaker in attendance.

June 4, 2005 3:30pm

Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre
Fletcher Challenge Theatre
515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

Sponsored by Asia Pacific Foundation, David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communications, Simon Fraser University and National Film Board of Canada

The Four Seasons Mosaic takes viewers on a tour of world music traditions by Canadian artists, climaxing in a wholly original multicultural collaboration composed by award-winning Mychael Danna, which takes as its base Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Ann Shin is a Toronto writer and filmmaker who has been published in anthologies and magazines across Canada and the United States. Her documentaries have garnered
international awards at the New York Festival, the Columbus International Festival and in the National Film Board Reel Diversity Competition.

Shin's family immigrated to Canada from Korea in the 1960s. She grew up on a mushroom farm in Langley, BC. She's liked the communal life ever since and has stayed in villages throughout Europe and Asia. No matter how far you travel, no matter where you end up, Shin believes all you need are a handful of certain rituals to make a place your home. She currently resides in Toronto in a home that's been subject to an exhaustive and slow renovation.

Tickets at the door
$5 Adult $2 Student/Senior

(60 min - ENGLISH)

CENTRE A presents CHAMPURU : CONTEMPORARY ART IN OKINAWA

IE Ryujin
MAEDA Hiroya
HANASHIRO Ikuko

Presented in partnership with the Okinawa Museum of Contemporary Art

Exhibition: June 4 - 25, 2005
Opening: Friday, June 3, 8pm
Location: Tinseltown, 88 W. Pender Street

Symposium: Saturday, June 4, 10 am - 5 pm
featuring Okinawan food, music and dance, and sumi painting workshop
Location: Vancouver Japanese Language School, 475 Alexander Street

Curated by Hank Bull

Okinawa is a group if semi-tropical islands located between Japan and Taiwan. Although a province of Japan, Okinawa maintains its own distinct culture. Over centuries of trade with China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands, Okinawa has developed a unique cultural mix, popularly called "champuru", which is reflected in its exquisite textiles, ceramics, music and lacquer. Okinawa also has strong local traditions that include matriarchal shamanism, cuisine, a close connection with nature and the world's best longevity statistics.

It is a tragic counterpoint to this alluring image that in 1945 Okinawa was the site of the longest pitched battle in history, one which took an awful toll on the civilian population, and that the presence of huge US military bases remains today a highly unpopular fact of life. Okinawa has been a staging ground for the Korean war, the Vietnam war and both wars in Iraq and constitutes a bastion of US foreign policy in Asia.

The exhibition, the first of its kind to take place in North America, will present examples of contemporary collage, sculpture and installation art.

The symposium will begin with a discussion of planning for the Okinawa Museum of Contemporary Art, slated to open in 2007. The afternoon session will feature performances of Okinawan music and dance, karate, and a sumi painting workshop.

Three artist/curators associated with the Okinawa Museum of Contemporary Art will attend the exhibition and symposium. Many years in the planning, this museum project raises questions about the role of the museum in the construction of national identity and offers an opportunity for comparison with Centre A's own development plans. Experiencing Okinawan contemporary art will offer insights into neo-colonialism, globalization and trans-culturality.

The Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, the BC Gaming Branch and the City of Vancouver through the Office of Cultural Affairs.

Media Contact: Hank Bull, 604-683-8326; centrea@centrea.org

fFIDA INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL, TORONTO

Canada's largest dance festival kicks it up for its 15th birthday with
studio performances, a family-friendly weekend event for 15,000 people,
galas and soirees!

August 10 - 21, 2005 @ Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill Street and
various locations
www.ffida.org

SOAP OPERA AT TORONTO FRINGE

There are three sides to every story...
Written by Ralph Pape. Directed by Bernadette Jones
Featuring Carolyn Goff, Teza Lwin, and Siu Ta
Stage Manager: Serena Lee, Lighting Designer: Jennifer Yap
July 8 - 17 @ Poor Alex Theatre, 296 Brunswick Avenue - Tix approx. $10
416-966-1062 / www.fringetoronto.com

BANANA BOYS STORMS MAGNETIC NORTH THEATRE FESTIVAL, OTTAWA

Following their sold-out debut in Toronto, Fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Co.
stages 5 performances of Banana Boys at this national showcase in Ottawa.
Written by Leon Aureus, based on the novel by Terry Woo. Directed by Nina
Lee Aquino. Featuring In-Surp Choi, Derek Kwan, Richard Lee, David Yee, Dale Yim
June 9 - 12 @ Arts Court, Ottawa - Tix $25
Tickets: 613.755.1111 / www.ticketmaster.ca
Info: www.magneticnorthfestival.ca / www.fu-gen.org

BANANA BOYS SNEAK PEEK, TORONTO

Toronto audiences get treated to 4 send-off performances of last season's
runaway success in advance of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival in Ottawa.
June 3 - 5 @ Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Tickets: Preview $16, Performances $22 - 416.504.9971
www.fu-gen.org

Trinity Square Video

Short 10 minute film project looking to cast, as part of the Trinity Square
Video's "Liberté" theme commissioned project.

Asian Female (20 - 40) - Lead, non-union, 3 day shoot (mid July), $100 honorarium.

role: "Hannah" - a Korean woman with an anxiety disorder.
English speaking. Improv skills a plus. This is a juicy role.

Please send head shots to:

Attn: Hannah
c/o Trinity Square Video
401 Richmond W Suite #376
Toronto M5V 3A8

Hannah.movie@gmail.com

Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival

The 13th annual Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival (Nov 10-19, 2005), in
Toronto, is now accepting entries. Please send in your film before August
15th, 2005. The submission form can be downloaded from
www.rendezvouswithmadness.com

4th Annual Female Eye Film Festival

June 3-5, 2005

- Mid life crisis, chocolate, lampshades, and affordable brides -

The unique, one of a kind Female Eye showcases Shorts, Documentaries,
Experimental, Animation and Feature films directed by women!
The best of film from the female perspective!

Something for everyone at this year's Female Eye: SEX , ROMANCE, WOMEN.

AWARD WINNING FILMS nominated for BEST SHORT, BEST FEATURE, BEST
EXPERIMENTAL, BEST ANIMATION and BEST DOCUMENTARY will be presented at
the CLOSING PARTY followed by the AWARDS CEREMONY on Sunday, June 5th 2005
at The Gladstone Hotel. All are welcome!

Other Special Female Eye Events include FeFF Art Exhibit, Script Reading and Panel discussions: "Women In Film, Women In Story" and "The Status of Canadian Film & Television".

FESTIVAL DATES: Fri., June 3- Sun. June 5, 2005
LOCATIONS: NFB Cinema, National Film Board, 150 John St. at Richmond St.
WARC Gallery, Women's Art Resource Centre, 401 Richmond St., Suite 122
FeFF Art Exhibit: WARC Gallery, June 3-11, 2005

TICKETS: $5.00
ALL ACCESS PASS: $50.00
Tickets are available at door.

Contact Information: Female Eye Headquarters
Phone: 905 264-6777 ext. #1
Email info@femaleeyefilmfestival.com.
Web site: www.femaleeyefilmfestival.com

SpotLight on a Member: Heather Keung

Co-presented by Reel Asian Festival @ TSV Gallery
June 2, 2005 at 7pm

Reel Asian Festival and TSV are proud to co-present the first SpotLight on a
Member, focusing on Heather Keung. SpotLight on a Member is a new annual
event where a TSV member is chosen to present a short selection of his/her
own work and works by artists who inspire them. This is a chance for an
emerging artist to contextualize his/her practice for the first time and
receive peer critiques in an informal situation. In this SpotLight, Heather
Keung will be showing two new videos in her series Losing to Winning (2005)
paired with The October Tapes: Free Fall (2004) by Tom Sherman.

In Losing to Winning, Keung adapts footage shot at the Canadian Tae Kwon Do
Association National Championships where she competed this year. Keung
edited the two videos to highlight different aspects of the competition and
imbue the fight with personal meaning. She explores how the medium of video
can draw out the charged moments between personal gain and loss, and how
editing can construct very distinctive outcomes for the game.

Keung will pair her works with Tom Sherman's new video The October Tapes:
Free Fall. Keung draws inspiration from Sherman's intoxicating visual
reactions to a time of violence and extremisms, and sees a kindred desire to
find beauty in the rough and tumble. Echoing the thrill of the martial arts
fight in Keung's videos, Sherman finds joy in the sensuous physicality of
small-town wrestling matches and carnival midways.

Bio:
Heather Keung is a Toronto-based artist and an active facilitator of
emergent art and culture. Her multidisciplinary artistic practice ranges
from video installations to performances. She is also currently active in
promoting independent video through artist-run organizations such as Vtape,
Images Festival of Independent Film & Video and Planet in Focus:
International Environmental Film & Video Festival. She has recently
exhibited her work at the Drake Underground, Ladyfest: Toronto, and Trinity
Square Video Themed Commission: Eat.

For more information about SpotLight on a Member, contact Aubrey Reeves,
Programming Director at Aubrey@trinitysquarevideo.com or (416) 593-1332.

Ruba Nadda's SABAH

Ruba Nadda's SABAH, which charmed Talk Cinema audiences earlier
this season, opens theatrically in Toronto and Vancouver this
Friday, May 27, 2005.

Earning virtually unanimous approval from the Talk Cinema set,
SABAH was lauded for its humour, warmth and nuanced portrayal of
a Muslim, Arab family. The film stars Arsinée Khanjian in the title
role of a woman who falls in love with the wrong man.

SABAH opens the following cinemas, before expanding nationally:
Cumberland Cinemas, Toronto
Eglinton Town Centre, Scarborough
Square One Cinemas, Mississauga
Sheppard Grande Cinemas, North York
Tinseltown, Vancouver

For more information about films screened at Talk Cinema please
visit the website at:

http://www.bell.ca/talkcinema

ACCP Professional Development Workshop - "Maintaining Work/Life Balance"

Struggling to get a balance between work and life...? ACCP is pleased to be holding a work-life balance workshop on May 31st at the Vancouver Racquets Club. This informal workshop features panel discussion about the panelists' personal experiences in balancing demanding careers while maintaining a strong family life and life outside of work in general. As an interactive discussion, the moderators will be inviting the audience to comment and ask questions throughout the workshop. It will be a very casual setting and light refreshments will be provided. Seating is limited. Priority will be given to members.

Guest Panelists:

Dr. Victor Ling, Vice-President of Research, BC Cancer Agency
Ms. Diane Sung, Financial Planner, Royal Bank
Ms. Helen Low, Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin
Mr. Bill Yuen, Engineer and former School Board Trustee
Dr. Brenda Lau, Anesthesiologist
Mr. Ray Chu, President, CWA Engineers

Guest Panelist Biographies

Moderator: Ms. Anna Fung and Ms. Selena Sit

Date: Tuesday, May 31st 2005 at 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Vancouver Racquets Club, 4867 Ontario Street, Vancouver (near Nat Bailey Stadium) 604-874-0242

Price: Free for ACCP members; $20 for non-members payable either by cash or cheque

Reservation: Email reservation@accp.ca
and indicate whether you are a member or non-member

RENFREW COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE PROJECT

CALL TO YOUNG ARTISTS
join the 2005
RENFREW COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE PROJECT

an opportunity not to be missed!
For aspiring instrumentalists, vocalists or composers with some experience there will also be a hand-made percussion component for those with little or no experience

This exciting project will start with a group composition/workshop
process where the Artistic Directors will bring basic ideas to develop.
The participants will be encouraged to explore musical composition
through improvisational games & exercises. They will create some melodic

& thematic material of their own and help develop the ideas brought by
the Artistic Directors. A one-week band camp will further develop the
music into a complete work, which will be showcased at the
2005 Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival In addition to experiencing & contributing to a community group artistic process, participants will enjoy the benefits of rehearsing and performing with highly skilled professional artists who will participate
individually in the band camp, and collectively in the rehearsals & performance
Space is limited, by total participants and by instrument, so sign up now!

*note: there will be a nominal registration fee of $50 for the Band
Camp, otherwise participation is free - some scholarships will be available - inquire at the contacts below

Workshop dates
July 5, 6, 7, 13, 27 10:00am - 3:00pm (one hour lunch 12:00 - 1:00)
location TBA
Band Camp
August 15 - 19 10:00am - 3:00pm (one hour lunch 12:00 - 1:00) location
TBA

Performance for family & friends (excerpts from the big work)
August 19 Renfrew Park, evening

*it is hoped that one or two similar performances can be scheduled
at local schools in early September.

Moon Festival rehearsals
August 24 & 31 afternoon, September 6, 12 & 15 evening
all at Renfrew Park (weather permitting)

Moon Festival Performance
(parade & complete big work @ finale) September 17
Slocan Park & Renfrew Park, evening

Brad Muirhead - Artistic Director
Alex Chisholm - Assistant Artistic Director

for information & registration call: 604-874-5299
or email: crassbrutes@telus.net

CVC 75th Anniversary Gala

The Chinese Varsity Club at UBC is proud to present the CVC 75th Anniversary Gala. A celebration of the club's history and a reunion of club execs and members, the Gala is open to anyone who was ever a part of the CVC. This event will commemorate CVC's anniversary with key note speeches, a slideshow, a stand-up buffet dinner and other entertainment throughout the evening.

Date: Friday, September 9th, 2005
Time: Doors open at 6:30pm; Dinner begins at 7pm
Venue: The event will take place at UBC’s elegant and highly renowned Sage Bistro, located at the University Centre at the north end of campus. Sage Bistro, 6331 Crescent Road, Vancouver, B.C. Phone: 604-822-0968

Dress Code: Semi-Formal
Tickets: $40 - Please pre-register as tickets will not be available at the door.
http://www.ubccvc.com/gala/

CASTING CALL! BOLLYWOOD FEATURE (COMEDY)

Look Pictures Inc. is producing a low budget North American, U.K. Bollywood Feature production. Seeking the following South Asian characters and actors between the ages of 20 and 55. Most characters will be required to dance and men will also be required to do stunts. Looking for actors from other ethnicities as well.
Mayur Sharma, late 20s, Indian accent.
Rajiv Mehra, 51, Indian accent.
Akash, 27, Indian accent, fluent in Hindi.
Kavita Patel and Kohinoor, 25 (double role) - Kavita, North American accent. Kohinoor, Indian accent, some Hindi dialogue, slim physique, long hair.
Prem, 25, North American accent, some Hindi dialogue.
Sapna, 55, Indian accent, fluent in Hindi, some English
Cham-Cham Chakrabarty, early 30s, Indian accent, some Hindi dialogue, slim physique, long hair. Must be prepared to wear revealing outfits.
Firoz Anwar, early 30s, some Hindi dialogue.
Jaggu, 40s, Indian accent, slim physique.

Acting experience an asset, but not necessary. This is a non-union shoot. Actors will be paid a flat fee. Must be available for rehearsals during July and for shoot from August to first week in September. (tentative). Please mail or courier hardcopies only of headshot and resume including height and weight to the address below by June 6th, 2005. Only individuals selected for an audition will be contacted by June 10th.

Casting – Look Pictures Inc.
29 O’Hara Ave.
Toronto, ON M6K 2P7

The Canadian Book Camp needs volunteers!

Please contact Marilyn MacPherson [mpherson@interchange.ubc.ca] for details
or see http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/YSP/bookcamp.html for more information.

Canadian Pacific Railway names Kamloops' interchange in honour of Chinese rail worker

Canadian Pacific Railway continues to honour the significant role of Chinese railway labourers during railway construction more than 120 years ago. In a ceremony highlighted by a Lion Dance that symbolizes good luck and good blessings, Canadian Pacific Railway named a railway interchange in Kamloops in honour of Cheng Ging Butt, a railway labourer who represented the dedication of those who came forward to work on the CPR transcontinental line in the B.C. interior. Thousands of Chinese railway workers helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway from the West Coast to Eagle Pass in the Monashee Mountains of Western Canada and many perished.

"Cheng Ging Butt is representative of the extraordinary people who withstood hardships to not only help build a railway, but a nation, as well," said CPR Vice President, Paul Clark. "The Cheng Interchange also symbolizes the important role Chinese railway workers made in the development of the entire railway industry in Canada. In recognizing all Chinese workers for their sacrifices, CPR is paying our deepest respects and gratitude."

Joining the CPR at the ceremony were members of Cheng Ging Butt's family, representatives from the Chinese community in Kamloops and officials from the City of Kamloops.

"Our Grandfather was just one of many Chinese men who worked on this railway. These men accepted the risks involved and many perished; but most survived. Our family was fortunate that our grandfather not only survived but also prospered after working for the CPR," said Cheng Ging Butt's descendent, Kevan Jangze. "Today, our children are fourth generation Canadians, and have strong ties to the history of Canada. We are proud to be Canadian and are privileged that our grandfather chose to come to Canada to work for the CPR."

The Cheng Interchange is located just east of the CPR Station in Kamloops on Lome Street. An interchange is a key part for any railway, as it keeps the efficient flow of rail cars from one railway to another. The Cheng Interchange is the central junction point for freight and passenger rail service in Kamloops. Mayor of Kamloops, Mel Rothenburger, welcomed the designation of the Cheng Interchange. "This is a fitting honour for all Chinese residents in Kamloops and across the country whose forefathers built the railway. As well, it demonstrates the role Kamloops played as a centre for western railway construction and the fact it continues to be a rail hub for CPR."

In addition to the Cheng Interchange, Canadian Pacific Railway announced a special monument in honour of Chinese rail workers would be unveiled in Kamloops later this year.

Clark added what Cheng Ging Butt and the thousands of other Chinese railway workers did many years ago made it possible for CPR to embark on its recently announced $160 million western corridor expansion project. "Their hard work and dedication to open up the west many years ago makes our company's current expansion possible, which will benefit Canada's economy for the future."

About Cheng Ging Butt
Cheng Ging Butt was born in Southern China's Guangdon province in 1858, came over to work on the railway as one of the thousands who emigrated to Canada between 1881 and 1885. After 1885 when he had completed his railway construction work with CPR, Cheng Ging Butt settled by the tracks near Yale, where he ran a dry goods store, a temple and farmed cherries, which he and his children sold to CPR's dining car staff and passengers on passing trains. Married with eight sons and two daughters, he also was the founder of the Cheng Association in Vancouver. Cheng Ging Butt passed away in 1930.

About Chinese Railway Labourers
Between 1881 and 1885, 17,007 Chinese arrived in Canada (according to an 1885 Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration). Up to 9,000 of them worked building the railway for the federal government from Port Moody to Savona and for CPR through to Craigellachie, B.C., during the 19th century - from the West Coast to Eagle Pass in the Monashee Mountains of western Canada. They helped greatly to achieve a united Canada.

About Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway is a transcontinental carrier operating in Canada and the U.S. Its 14,000-mile rail network serves the principal centres of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. CPR feeds directly into America's heartland from the East and West coasts. Alliances with other carriers extend its market reach throughout the U.S. and into Mexico. For more information, visit CPR's website at www.cpr.ca.

explorFILM Workshops & Discussions - June 4

If you are a film student or novice filmmaker or are thinking of getting into filmmaking, you don't want to miss these filmmaking workshops and discussions!

FREE admission

Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre
515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

Sponsored by Asia Pacific Foundation, David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communications, Simon Fraser University and National Film Board of Canada

1:00pm (SFU Placer Dome Lecture Room)

Cross-Cultural Filmmaking

Negotiating cultural and social divides and telling stories from a visible minority point of view is the focus of this panel discussion with the filmmakers. Come learn about their experiences and and decision to enter the filmmaking medium.

2:00pm (SFU Placer Dome Lecture Room)

Point of View: Documentary Filmmaking

Telling a compelling story within 30 or 60 television minutes and how to succeed in the Doc making business and influence people at the same time

3:00pm (SFU Placer Dome Lecture Room)

How to Pitch to CBC: Documentary opportunities at CBC

Sun-Kyung (Sunny) Yi, a program executive with the independent documentary unit in Toronto, and Gary Marcuse, programming executive for CBC Television in British Columbia host a discussion about opportunities for emerging and experienced documentary filmmakers at the CBC. They will be discussing programs including Rough Cuts, The Nature of Things and the Passionate Eye, as well as the TransCanada fund which supports the development of program proposals.

THE UBC-LAURIER INSTITUTION MULTICULTURALISM LECTURE - June 13 - 7pm

2005 Guest Lecturer: Dr. Roy Miki
Redress: A Critical and Personal Perspective

How can past injustices be recognized by today's generation?

Dr. Roy Miki's lecture draws on his memories of the redress movement of the 1980s and reflects on the underlying forces, both personal and collective, that enabled Japanese Canadians to achieve a settlement with the Canadian government on September 22, 1988. He also speculates on the continuing importance of redress as a principle of human rights and as a means through which new forms of democratic governance may arise.

Dr. Roy Miki is a writer, poet, and editor who teaches contemporary literature at SFU. He was born in 1942, six months after his second-generation parents had been uprooted from their home in Haney, B.C. and sent to work on a sugar beet farm in Ste. Agathe, Manitoba. His early years were framed by stories of the mass uprooting and the "exile" from the West Coast, by missing photo albums that were to have been kept safe by neighbours but instead were sold at auction, and by an overall feeling of loss and absence. "I always felt the dichotomy between our pre-internment and post-internment lives," recalls Miki. "There was the mythical and glorious world of the Fraser Valley with its great weather and landscape that my parents told me about, and then there was this God-forsaken place called Manitoba. I always had a feeling of having been sent into exile."

Miki is the author of Justice in Our Time (co-authored with Cassandra Kobayashi) (Talonbooks 1991), a documentary history of the Japanese Canadian redress movement in which he actively participated, two books of poems, Saving Face (Turnstone 1991) and Random Access File (Red Deer College Press 1995), and a collection of critical essays, Broken Entries: Race, Subjectivity, Writing (Mercury Press 1998). He has also edited numerous books, including Pacific Windows: Collected Poems of Roy K. Kiyooka (Talonbooks 1997), which won the 1997 Poetry Award from the Association of Asian American Studies, and more recently, Meanwhile: The Critical Writings of bpNichol (Talonbooks 2002). His third book of poems, Surrender (Mercury Press 2001), received the Governor General's Award for Poetry. His latest book is Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadian Call for Justice (Raincoast 2004), a work that explores the Japanese Canadian redress movement through a creative blend of personal reflection, documentary history, and critical examination.

The evening will be set by the Vancouver Opera who will perform special pieces from their new opera Naomi's Road. The opera is based on the novel by Joy Kogawa.

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC
Tickets are FREE of charge and can be reserved by calling 604.822.1444.

About the UBC-Laurier Institution Multiculturalism Lecture:
The annual UBC-Laurier Institution Multiculturalism Lecture was launched to celebrate Canada's diversity by examining the various aspects of today's multicultural society. The lecture series sponsored by UBC and The Laurier Institution brings together speakers from many cultural backgrounds who share their views as Canadians and shed light on the many threads which make up our mosaic. It is proudly presented by CBC Radio and will be broadcast on their IDEAS program.

Alcan Dragon Boat Festival - June 17 to 19

The Alcan Dragon Boat Festival is a sizzling three days of the very best in sports, entertainment, culture and food.

On June 17, 18 and 19, 2005 visitors can take in vibrant live musical and dance performances, interactive art demonstrations, fun-filled children's activities and of course, non-stop dragon boat races.

The Festival takes place at Creekside Park beside Science World, Concord Pacific Place and on the waters of False Creek. Visitors entrances to the Festival are through the main gate on Quebec Street just north of National Street or in front of the Science World dome at the intersection of Quebec and Terminal. There's pay parking in the area or come by SkyTrain.

Make this Vancouver summertime classic a must see for you and your family!

www.adbf.com

4th Annual Korean Heritage Day Festival - June 18

The Hanin Heritage Society and Corean Canadian Coactive (C3) Society – in partnership with the Consulate General of Korea, Mayor Jon Kingsbury and the host City of Coquitlam - invite you attend the fourth annual Korean Heritage Day Festival, an all-day (11am-6pm) cultural event free to the general public. Opening Ceremonies (11am-12pm) will be co-hosted by CTV anchor Mi-Jung Lee and Dr. Ross King, UBC.

The Festival is being held at the Town Centre Stadium in Coquitlam (just northeast of the Coquitlam Centre Mall, 1299 Pine Tree Way). Highlights of this year's festival will include a delicious food fair, spectacular performances by various dance groups, musicians and martial artists; an outdoor market of local vendors and community organizations; an art exhibition of winners from the 1st annual Korean Heritage Day Festival Art Competition (for students K-Gr.12); and Korean culture and games that the whole family can enjoy!

http://www.c3society.com/

The 9th Annual Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival

November 23 to 27, 2005

Selected Toronto's "Best Small Festival"
NOW Magazine's Best of Toronto Issue
"Reel Asian strikes the best balance between cutting edge and community.
Strong programming and deep roots attract a super-hyphenated tribe while the
festival keeps a year-round presence with screenings of Thai epics,
homegrown debuts or mad jolts from Japan."

NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2005 FESTIVAL!

Please find attached a PDF of our entry form or find it online at
www.reelasian.com.

We are looking for features, shorts, videos, documentaries, comedies,
animation, obscure experimental films with or without sound, complex
political rants, ironic chop-socky kung-fu flicks, deconstructivist
mockumentaries, minimalist Generasian X slacker dramas, and anything else
that is brilliant, creative, weird, or just plain entertaining.

All films must be independently produced with an Asian/Asian North American
in a key creative role. We encourage submissions from first-time and
emerging directors. Student films are welcome.

DEADLINE: July 1, 2005 (postmark)
ENTRY FEE: $10* (U.S. dollars outside Canada).
*Entry fee waived if postmarked before May 2.

For more information, contact the festival office at 416-703-9333 or email
programming@reelasian.com.

Deanna Wong
Executive Director

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
401 Richmond St. West #309
Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
PH: 416-703-9333 FX: 416-703-9986
www.reelasian.com

"Best Small Festival" (NOW Magazine Best of Toronto)
"Reel Asian strikes the best balance between cutting edge and community.
Strong programming and deep roots attract a super-hyphenated tribe."

The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra

The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra is unique in the world, and uniquely Canadian. It is the only concert orchestra currently in existence that brings together musicians trained in a wide variety of cultural disciplines, to perform new inter-cultural works on a grand scale. In the VICO, violins and flutes rub shoulders with the shakuhachi, the erhu and the sitar…and fertile ground is created for cross-cultural teamwork between classical, jazz and world music artists.

The VICO was inaugurated on November 13, 2000 for the city's Sacred Music Festival, with the world premiere of founding program director Moshe Denburg's piece “Rapprochements for Inter-Cultural Orchestra”. The piece embodied the concept on which the VICO was founded, bringing together a mixed choir and a large ensemble of 28 instrumentalists from a variety of different cultural and musical backgrounds. The premiere was well received in the local and national media, and was hailed as one of Vancouver's ten best musical events of 2000.

As part of our explorASIAN celebration, CBC Radio and Radio-Canada are presenting a concert recording in Studio One on Sunday, May 29th. The centerpiece of the program will be the performance of a work called “Dance of Sunrise”, a Kayagum concerto written by Grace Lee. The Kayagum is an instrument from southern Korea and is one of the most favored solo instruments in that country’s traditional music. It is fitting that this work will be included as the “theme country” for explorASIAN this year is Korea.

Other works on the program include “Circling” by Jin Zhang, “The King is Dancing” by Moshe Denburg and additional works showcasing tablas and also the Chinese zheng.

Time: 4 PM, doors open at 3:30
FREE admission. Limited seating, first come/first served.
Where: CBC Radio Studio One
700 Hamilton Street, Vancouver (across from the downtown Library)

Come down to CBC Studio ONE and enjoy a nice Sunday afternoon of intercultural music.

RAYMOND CHOW - "50 YEARS AS AN ARTIST"

May 28

Public Exhibition: 1pm to 5pm
FREE admission. Free Parking
Artist in attendance.

Private Reception: 7pm to 10pm
$20.00/person Tickets at the door. Free Parking
Meet the artist. Special musical performances. Refreshments. Door prizes.

In keeping with our festival theme "THE ART OF SURVIVAL", explorASIAN is pleased to present as our festival closing event a special one day RAYMOND CHOW RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION showcasing selected pieces of his visual art spanning 50 years.

Raymond Chow is an internationally reknowned artist from Vancouver who now makes his home in Richmond. He is a UBC graduate in Art Education, and Piano from the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music. He first became known in 1960 for his drawings of old Victorian homes and buildings. His paintings and drawings now decorate homes of prominent personalities, collectors and gallery owners. Aside for his love of art, he also composes music and collaborates with other musical artists. He is very active in the pursuit of his artistic endeavours and participates in many charitable activities.

The daytime public exhibition will be followed by a special private evening reception with live performances in one of the city's most beautiful settings overlooking English Bay.

On display will be the beautiful Heintzman Beijing Carved Jade Piano courtesy of LOWEN PIANO HOUSE. There are hand carved human characters and landscapes made from approximately 16 different kinds of jade surrounding the side of piano. All the jade color is natural without any artificial modifications. The top lid is decorated with additional artwork made of thin gold and silver coloured copper leaf layers. It takes up to 8 craftsmen artists approximately 4 to 5 weeks to handcraft the entire set of decorations on the piano. The artists handcraft each character based on a Chinese literature masterpiece called "THE DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER". The handcraft technique is a very traditional method of decoration from Northern China.

Raymond will perform on this visually stunning piano throughout the day and evening.

Joining Raymond in the evening will be Korean Canadian Composer Grace Jong Eun Lee who will be performing on the Korean Kayugum and Kelvin Ng who will be working his special magic on the guests.

Please join us in this special celebration of artistic achievement!

Exhibition sponsored by VANCOUVER MUSEUM and GASTOWN PHOTO
Heintzman Beijing Carved Jade Piano courtesy of LOWEN PIANO HOUSE
Refreshments provided by "T", SUNRISE SOYA, JJ BEAN, ONE MORE SUSHI

Vancouver Museum - Joyce Walley Centre
1100 Chestnut, Vancouver

www.vanmuseum.bc.ca
www.raymondchow.com
www.gastownphoto.com
www.lowenpianohouse.com

Choommy Dance and N.O.N.

explorDANCE - May 27 - 8:00pm
Main Stage – Surrey Art Centre – corner of 88 Avenue and King George Hwy

First Move – Hip Hop dance with Modern dance flare
Featuring: Choommy Dance and N.O.N.

Vancouver based Korean dance choreographer Hanna Kiel is trying something new. Hip Hop culture has spread all over the world and its strong influences are apparent in today’s music, dance, fashion, and movies.

As a modern dancer and a choreographer by trade, Kiel loves to learn and teach all different types of dance. So about two years ago, looking to get more involved in the Korean community, Hanna began to teach dance to Korean young people. Originally she was looking to hold modern dance classes, however there was more interest in hip-hop. Since then, she hasn’t looked back and now has a dedicated dance troop that loves to feel the groove.

“First Move” is all about freedom in making movements, expressing who we are and most importantly, having a lots of fun. This isn’t any ordinary hip-hop and jazz dance show.

Check out what happens when a Korean modern dancer brings together a high-energy, all-female dance team that loves to move. They will make you sweat. The performers’ average age is 17, but Hanna is proud to have such a diverse age group, as the youngest dancer is 13 and the oldest is well, let’s just say in her early forties.

N.O.N. is a very talented, up and coming B-Boy group based in Vancouver. They currently are ripping it up all through the dance community. N.O.N. will show you what It takes to be one of the hottest B-Boy groups in town! Dancer, B-Boy, choreographer and teacher, Hyun Moon Kim is one of the best b-boys from Korea. His most recent Canadian accolades include winning first prize from Dance Idol - presented by FM94.5 in Vancouver and SFU 1on1 Battles. He currently teaches dance to more than 100 students across the Fraser Valley.

Tickets: $12.00 + $1.45 s/c

Order By Phone: 604-501-5566 (pay by VISA or MasterCard)

Buy In Person: 88 Avenue/King George Hwy. (pay by cash, debit card, VISA or MasterCard)

Order Online: http://www.city.surrey.bc.ca/Living+in+Surrey/Arts/default.htm

National Association of Japanese Canadians Responds to Steven Fletcher

WINNIPEG May 25, 2005
The recent comments expressed by Steven Fletcher, MP for Charleswood-St. James, whereby he characterized Japanese soldiers during World War II as "Japs" and "bastards" deserves a response.

Mr. Fletcher's negative feelings toward Japanese soldiers of WWII are
understandable, given the ill treatment inflicted upon many POW's like his
grandfather. Many cruel and barbaric acts took place during the Second
World War, and, regrettably, have continued to the present in many parts of
the world. Like Mr. Fletcher, many Canadians have been impacted by the
brutality and violence of war.

What is disturbing and destructive about Mr. Fletcher's comment is the use
of racial slurs to express his views of wartime violence. His use of the
term "Jap" is not only derogatory but dehumanizing. To hide behind the
rationale that it was the "historical terminology of the time" is
inexcusable, and a license for any closet racist to continue to promote
hatred and bigotry.

It is precisely this negative labelling of a group of people that
precipitated the forced relocation, internment and confiscation of property
of Canadians of Japanese ancestry during the Second World War. In the
decades following this action, government archival records have clearly
shown that a pervasive racist attitude was the sole reason for creating the
internment camps and for stripping thousands of law-abiding citizens of
their freedom.

Mr. Fletcher's comments not only offended Canadians of Japanese ancestry,
but also many of the veterans in attendance at their annual convention in
Winnipeg.

The National Association of Japanese Canadians, in concert with many ethnic
and cultural organizations within our country, has worked tirelessly toward
promoting human rights and fostering greater understanding amongst
Canadians. Although Mr. Fletcher is to be acknowledged for expressing
regret at making these comments, his words demonstrate a lack of enlightened
leadership expected of an elected Member of Parliament and harkens us back
to a deplorable racist past.

This is not our Canada today.

About the NAJC

The National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) is a non-profit
incorporated community organization in Canada that represents the Japanese
Canadian community. Formed in 1947, the NAJC focuses on human rights and
community development. For more information about the NAJC, please visit
their Web site: www.najc.ca.

CHAMPURU : CONTEMPORARY ART IN OKINAWA

CENTRE A presents
CHAMPURU : CONTEMPORARY ART IN OKINAWA

IE Ryujin
MAEDA Hiroya
HANASHIRO Ikuko

Presented in partnership with the Okinawa Museum of Contemporary Art

Exhibition: June 4 - 25, 2005
Opening: Friday, June 3, 8pm
Location: Tinseltown, 88 W. Pender Street

Symposium: Saturday, June 4, 10 am - 5 pm
featuring Okinawan food, music and dance, and sumi painting workshop
Location: Vancouver Japanese Language School, 475 Alexander Street

Curated by Hank Bull

Okinawa is a group if semi-tropical islands located between Japan and Taiwan. Although a province of Japan, Okinawa maintains its own distinct culture. Over centuries of trade with China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands, Okinawa has developed a unique cultural mix, popularly called "champuru", which is reflected in its exquisite textiles, ceramics, music and lacquer. Okinawa also has strong local traditions that include matriarchal shamanism, cuisine, a close connection with nature and the world's best longevity statistics.

It is a tragic counterpoint to this alluring image that in 1945 Okinawa was the site of the longest pitched battle in history, one which took an awful toll on the civilian population, and that the presence of huge US military bases remains today a highly unpopular fact of life. Okinawa has been a staging ground for the Korean war, the Vietnam war and both wars in Iraq and constitutes a bastion of US foreign policy in Asia.

The exhibition, the first of its kind to take place in North America, will present examples of contemporary collage, sculpture and installation art.

The symposium will begin with a discussion of planning for the Okinawa Museum of Contemporary Art, slated to open in 2007. The afternoon session will feature performances of Okinawan music and dance, karate, and a sumi painting workshop.

Three artist/curators associated with the Okinawa Museum of Contemporary Art will attend the exhibition and symposium. Many years in the planning, this museum project raises questions about the role of the museum in the construction of national identity and offers an opportunity for comparison with Centre A's own development plans. Experiencing Okinawan contemporary art will offer insights into neo-colonialism, globalization and trans-culturality.

Media Contact: Hank Bull, 604-683-8326; centrea@centrea.org

YOUTH: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

PUBLIC COMMUNITY FORUM/OPEN REHEARSAL
JUNE 6, 2005 from 6 pm – 8 pm
GATEWAY THEATRE ~ RICHMOND, B.C.
6500 Gilbert Road -- Studio B

JOIN US FOR AN OPEN REHEARSAL WITH AN AUDIENCE FEEDBACK SESSION OF THE COMMUNITY-BASED PERFORMANCE, VIDEO AND ART PROJECT: e – r a c e

WHO? MISCELLANEOUS Productions, creators and producers of THE REENA PROJECT / Outcasts & Angels and What You Carry With You…, will be holding & facilitating a PUBLIC COMMUNITY FORUM/OPEN REHEARSAL of a work-in-progress, e – r a c e.

WHAT? Miscellaneous Productions’ cast will perform scenes from e – r a c e as a work-in-process, including songs written by Ndidi Cascade. Selected “on-stage” video segments will also be screened.

Then the evening will be turned over to the audience for a feedback session moderated by Artistic Director, Elaine Carol.

WHY? This forum is a chance for your voice to be heard in our public discussion of “speed” in young lives,

exploring the issues of street racing, drinking/drugging and driving, amphetamine-based drug use (crystal meth), gang activity and “fast” girls. This project features a diverse cast aged 15-27 years old.

This event is FREE. Youth are encouraged to attend. Everyone is welcome.

For information please contact MISCELLANEOUS Productions at:
telephone - 604.873.6522 e-mail – elaine-c@mdi.ca
website - www.miscellaneous-inc.org

Toronto Art Gallery Looking for Full-Time Gallery Administrator

Start date: last week of May
Ideal candidate would have experience working in contemporary art gallery,
experience handling works of art; some involvement in Toronto arts
community, computer proficiency. Must be thorough, responsible, and able to
multi-task. Please contact Aleks Rdest by email at contactus@tatargallery.com

Building Your Successful Craft Career

2005 Conference
June 17-18, 2005 Toronto, Ontario

Craftspeople, panelists and workshop presenters discuss in depth the important issues that concern you today. Come and learn from successful craftspeople and industry experts who'll share their experience and knowledge in a series of business development workshops tailored to meet your needs.

A PDF of the conference brochure can be downloaded from:
www.craft.on.ca/info/pdfs/Build_Suc_Craft_Career.pdf

RESERVOIR BITCHES

(a live all-female parody of "Reservoir Dogs")

written by Laura McGhee
directed by Allan Guttman
and starring
*Ayumi Iizuka as Ms. Blonde
*Christina Collins as Ms. White
*Lesley Kelly as Ms. Pink
*Laura McGhee as Ms. Orange
*Jackie Laidlaw as Jo
*Jenny Parsons as Eddie
and Jennifer Rockett as The Cop

*What would have happened if women had planned and executed that heist
instead of men? "Reservoir Bitches" takes a humourous look at gender
differences - using the Tarantino cult classic as a canvas.

* Creator Laura McGhee was listening to "Stuck in the Middle With You" and
she thought what a different connotation the dancing torture scene would
have had if a woman had been playing that role instead of Michael Madsen.
Then she started to wonder what else would have been different . so she
rewrote the screenplay for chicks and then assembled some of the best
comedic talent in the city. Hint: Being assigned the code name "Pink" is no
longer an issue!

THE STEALTH LOUNGE (upstairs at The Pilot Tavern)
22 Cumberland St. (1 blk n. of Bloor between Yonge & Bay)

Tues. May 31, 8pm; Wed. June 1, 8pm; Thurs. June 2, 8pm;
Fri. June 3, 9pm; Sat. June 4, 9pm and Sun. June 5, 8pm
Tickets $15 Box office opens at 6pm

For more information kindly contact
The Bitches Hotline at
(416)469-8145 or mcmanic@iprimus.ca

RESERVOIR BITCHES . same heist, different sex

NFB Reel Diversity call for submissions

Deadline July 15, 2005.
Eligibility: open only to filmmakers from visible minority groups.

www.nfb.ca/reeldiversity
or call 1-800-267-7710

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSION FOR VAFF 2005!

VAFF welcomes features, shorts, and videos of all genres and lengths. All films must be independently produced with an Asian/Asian North American in a key creative role. Student films will also be accepted.

Set in beautiful Vancouver with its strong film community and diverse Asian population, VAFF provides a forum for independent filmmakers, both emerging and established, to screen their films to Asian and non-Asian audiences.

The 2004 Festival featured 37 films by up and coming and award winning filmmakers including *A Chink in the Armour* by Baun Mah, Greg Pak’s *Robot Stories* (winner of over 30 film festival awards), /*Just Smile and Nod* /by local director Katie Yu, and */Chika’s Bird/*,winner of VAFF’s first annual "Best Canadian Short Award". VAFF also featured international screenings such as *Silmido*, Korea’s most successful film to date about the secret 1971 military operation.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR FILM/VIDEO AT VAFF 2005!

DEADLINE and ENTRY FEE
Early Bird – Postmarked May 31, 2005 ($10 CDN or $7 US)
Final Deadline – Postmarked June 30, 2005 ($20 CDN or $16 US)

http://www.vaff.org