3rd Annual Asian World Film Festival (Oct. 25 - Nov 2) Opens with Official Turkish Oscar® Selection Ayla: Daughter of War

News provided by

Oct 19, 2017, 10:05 ET

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Oct. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:

The Third Annual Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) kicks off on Wednesday, October 25 with an awards presentation followed by a screening of Can Ulkay's Ayla: Daughter of War, Turkey's official entry into the 2018 Academy Awards. A reception at the historic Culver Hotel will follow the screening. All films will be screened at the Arclight Cinemas in Downtown Culver City (9500 Culver Blvd.) To Purchase Tickets Here

Ayla: Daughter of War Opens the Asian World Film Festival 2017

WHO:

Expected celebrities and local city officials include: actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Pirates of the Caribbean, Hotel Rwanda, 24), actors Ian Chen and Forest Wheeler (Fresh Off The Boat), producer Gil Netter (Life of Pi), DJ's Bernie and Johan Yang from the Electro Pop band Beauz, actress and model Maria Shantanova, French model and actress Anne Hui Zha, Academy Award-winning writer and director Bobby Moresco (Crash).

From the opening film Ayla: Daughter of War, director Can Ulkay will be joined by actors Cade Carradine, Johnny Young, Gozde Sinem Uslu, Ismail Hacioglu, Changyeb Han, the actress who plays Ayla, Kim Seol and the "real life" Ayla, Eun-Ja Kim.

Previously announced guests include: Bai Ling (The Crow, Anna and the King, Red Corner); Billy Zane (Titanic); Kieu Chinh and Ming Na Wen (The Joy Luck Club); Kimberly Cheng (KTLA); Sharon Tay (MSNBC); German director Uli Edel (Last Exit To Brooklyn, The Baader Meinhof Complex) and Don "The Dragon" Wilson (Actor and Kickboxer). Jury Members include Lisa Lu (The Joy Luck Club); Oscar-nominated director Sergei Bodrov; actress and international Emmy nominee Tuba Büyüküstün; actor and director Thomas Lim (China/Singapore); U.S. actor Michael Nouri; Vietnamese actress, singer and philanthropist Ha Phuong; music composer Nathan Wang (US); and Nancy Wang Yeun, Ph.D. (US) documentary producer and author of "Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism." More names will be added closer to the date.

WHEN:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

5:00 PM Press Check in Opens

5:45 PM Red carpet arrivals begin

7:00 PM Opening Ceremony

7:45 PM Screening of Ayla: Daughter of War

PRESS CREDENTIALS:
For The 3rd Annual Asian World Film Festival (Oct 25 - Nov 2): http://bit.ly/2hzRZk5
For Ayla: Daughter of War on October 25: http://bit.ly/2ydBMeq
For Allegiance on November 2: http://bit.ly/2wMP0eG

TICKETS:
To purchase festival passes or tickets, please go to Asian World Film Festival Line Up & Tickets

ABOUT THE ASIAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
All films selected by their countries as Oscar or Golden Globe contenders are automatically invited to participate at the Film Festival. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizes selected showings as the required official screenings for their members who vote on the Golden Globes. At last year's event, some 30 films from 27 countries participated.

Sponsors include Presenting Partner Ha Phuong Foundation, as well as the city of Culver City, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Variety, East West Bank, RK Media (Radio & TV Korea), the Arclight Theatres and Emporium Thai Restaurant (Los Angeles) and AWFF host venue the historic Culver Hotel.

AWFF recently partnered with The Snow Leopard Trust to raise awareness for the endangered snow leopard and its ecosystem in the high mountains of Asia. The Film Festival's main cinematic award is named after the snow leopard. Snow Leopard Trust

The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles to draw greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers, strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. Uniting through cross-cultural collaboration, our festival champions films from over 50 countries across Asia spanning from Turkey to Japan and Russia to India and the Middle East. All films that participate in the Festival will have a unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, and showcased for the Motion Picture Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and awards consideration. AWFF is a non-profit organization under Aitysh USA. www.AsianWorldFilmFest.org

Media Contact at Weissman /Markovitz Communications:
Jane LaBonte I [email protected] I o: 818-760-8995
Eric Yamagata I [email protected] I o: 818-760-8995

SOURCE Asian World Film Festival