Recent Pickups Put APA Pics in the Pipeline

News of distribution deals for two independent Asian Pacific American feature films hit in late October as both were playing the Hawaii International Film Festival in Honolulu.

Writer-director Ham Tran's debut feature "Journey From the Fall," a 2006 Sundance Film Festival official selection and multiple award winner on the festival circuit, became ImaginAsian Entertainment's first theatrical film pickup when the newly minted ImaginAsian Pictures unit acquired "Journey" for North American distribution.

The commitment also includes a home video release through DVD distributor Genius Products, which is majority owned by indie industry heavy-hitter The Weinstein Company. The filmmakers and distributor are planning a Spring 2007 release for the historical drama that details the ordeals endured by refugees fleeing the Communist takeover of Vietnam. The deal was brokered by sales agent Nguyen Tran representing the flimmakers and David Chu on behalf of ImaginAsian Entertainment.

Read my detailed article on the acquistion in the Fall 2006 issue of Filmmaker Magazine.

The "Journey" distribution deal was followed by news that IFC's First Take label has acquired North American rights to "Charlotte Somtimes" writer-director Eric Byler's recent feature "Americanese" for theatrical release and simultaneous video-on-demand distribution.

An double-award winner at Austin's SXSW Film Festival, "Americanese" stars Chris Tashima, Allison Sie, Joan Chen, and Kelly Hu in a bittersweet relationship drama adapted by Byler from Sean Wong's novel by the same title. Release is slated for summer 2007.