Animations Short and Punchy!
Chinese Restaurants, On the Islands

Montreal, April 19th, 2007- In collaboration with the National Film Board, Festival Accès Asie is proud to present on May 6th, 2007, a bouquet of animations and a short fiction with emergent and talented directors as well as a screening of an episode from a documentary series. The program is : Asthma Tech by Jonathan Ng, What are you Anyways by Jeff Chiba Stearns, experiment 02_06 by Alison Reiko Loader, The Girl Who Hated Books by Jo Meuris, Jaime Lo, small and shy by Lilian Chan, Consultant by Florence So. The second screening will be a three-part episode, On The Islands by Cheuk Kwan which is a remarkable documentary series on Chinese restaurants from around the world. This diverse program will be the sharing with you, moments of humour, joy and reflection.

Animator and illustrator Jonathan Ng, has been interested in drawing since a very young age. After having studied at Sheridan and Seneca College, he furthered his studies with a Bachelor in Fine Arts and in Film Animation at Concordia U. In 2004 in Montreal, he undertook his first professional film, Asthma Tech working in NFB's animation studios. This biographic work of inspiration tells the story of an asthmatic young boy who overcomes his handicap due to his artistic talent. Borrowing from fantasy, Asthma Tech is a tale that explores the problems that are based on being different and carries a beautiful message of hope to those who do not feel like « the others ».

Jeff Chiba Stearns is a remarkable animator and illustrator with his works such as Kip and Kyle (2000), The horror of Kindergarden (2001), What are you Anyways (2005). Having been honoured by multiples prizes of excellence in Canada and in the USA and a diploma in Media arts and Film Animation from Emily Carr and in education from UBC, Jeff Chiba Stearns divides his time between teaching classic animation and creating works. His works presents stories combining elements of honour with philosophy. His most recent work, What are you Anyways is an playful reflection on identity as a young half Japanese, half  Canadian  boy as he combines the styles of Japanese animation with American cartoons.

With Japanese origins, Alison Reiko Loader studied animation at Concordia University where she presently teaches as a professor in film and digital animation. Alison directed two films, Showa Shinzan and Roots that have been presented and awarded in international festivals such as  WorldFest in Houston, Taiwan International Children's TV & Film Festival and the International Trick Film Festival in Stuttgart. Wanting to push the limits of her art form, Alison Reiko Loader explores video art in this most recent short  experiment 02_06. This experimenal work with no narration plays with the effects of film, animation, video and photography.

After having completed her Bachelor of Arts studies in animation at the University of Concordia in 2000, Jo Meuris worked as an animator at the NFB. Jo Meuris animated Christopher, Please Clean Up Your Room! directed by Vincent Gauthier, Lights for Gita directed by Michel Vo, I Want a Dog directed by Sheldon Cohen and participated in the project Animation Hothouse in which she directed a short animation,. Presently, Jo Meuris is pursing her studies at UCLA in Theatre, Film and Television. Her short animation, The Girl Who Hated Books is an engaging story of a little girl who suddenly discovers the enchanting world of books. As part of the second series of NFB's Talespinners, this animation is based on a book by Manjusha Pawagi.

Born in Toronto, Lilian Chan studied classic animation at Sheridan College. Her film Obert Egan Invents the Smile brought her a Nelvana prize for « Best Film » that is awarded to students in their final year. Lilian worked as a workshop coordinator in animation at NFB's Mediatechque in Toronto. In Montreal, she has produced her first professional animation with NFB, Jaime Lo, small and timid. This short animation tells the story of a little girl who takes refuge in the world of drawing overcoming the absence of her father who has to leave the family to work abroad. This first work of Lilian Chan is a witness to her talent as a director.

Born in Hong Kong, Florence So arrived in Canada in 1990. After having completed her studies in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo, in 2002, she founded Moonlight Productions, her own company of shorts and video projects. In 2003, Florence received support from a Filmmaker Assistance Program from the NFB for her first film, Split Ends. Her second film, Manny, Vol. 2 was presented at the Film Festival of Cinema and Technology in NY and at the Exploding Cinema 2006 in London, England. Consultant is a short fiction that explores Milicent, a young, ego-centric, professional woman and from where circumstance forces her to question her behaviour.

Born in Hong Kong, Cheuk Kwan, lived in Singapore, Hong Kong and in Japan before moving to Canada in 1976. With a diploma in Systems Engineering, he pursued his career in information technology until 1978, the year in which he founded Asianadian, a magazine dedicated to the promotion of the arts, culture and politics of Sino-Canadians. Cheuk Kwan studied film at the University of NY in 1998 before creating his own company, Tissa films. Chinese Restaurants is a 15-part episode documentary series that leads the public into the kitchens of Chinese restaurants in the four corners of the world with telling tales of the Chinese and immigration. On the Islands, featuring the Mauritius Islands, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, is a touching witness of the families of the Chinese diaspora who carry the tradition from one generation to the next, of the Chinese culinary arts.

NFB (National Film Board), May 6th
1 p.m - animations and shorts
3 p.m.- On the Islands, Chinese Restaurants
1564 Saint-Denis, Montreal
Information: (514) 523-1047 www.accesasie.com
Entrée: 5$ (tickets are on sale just before the screenings)

Media contact: Andy Carton (514) 575-9436