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Coming Soon - YTMC Streaming Video on Demand

2011-08-30T14:05:00.001-07:00

We are working on making the film available by video on demand - this is a much more direct way of reaching all the people who have been asking to see the film. We are at the forefront of independent film distribution -- this way we can reach our audience directly and quickly. We will be partnering up with non-profit organizations to get the word out, and are looking at a launch date in October or November, so stay tuned! In the meantime, join our facebook page and you will get notified the minute it becomes available!

Won Fox Studio Diversity Award!

2010-09-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Super excited that the film won the Fox Studio Diversity Award at the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles Film Festival! It is really great for the film to be recognized in a mainstream festival.

NEW LA SCREENING!!

2010-09-01T11:04:00.001-07:00

"Yours Truly Miss Chinatown," will be screening at the Downtown LA Film Fest! Thurs., Sept. 9th, 7:30PM. Civic Center Theater- 100 1st St., Corner of 1st & Main. www.dffla.com

New Representation!

2010-09-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

ID represents “Yours Truly Miss Chinatown” documentary, for international sales
Montreal-based ID Communications acquires distribution rights to Asian-themed documentary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 17, 2010 – Montreal, Canada (Wednesday Aug 17, 2010) – ID Communications Inc. announces the acquisition of worldwide distribution rights for “Yours Truly Miss Chinatown” by Los-Angeles-based Daisy Lin, on the subject of Asian women who compete in ‘Miss Chinatown’ pageants.

Every year, two dozen women compete for the crown of Miss Los Angeles Chinatown, one of the oldest and best known ethnic pageants in the world. “Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown” uncovers the intimate stories of three young women who vie for the title Miss Los Angeles Chinatown, while struggling to navigate two cultures with conflicting values.

“Directed and produced by Daisy Lin, an Emmy-winning Producer at KNBC in Los Angeles, the film takes us into the mindset of young women in America of Asian descent, who often find themselves caught between the interests of traditional communities and modern life. This film has a decidedly international resonance and our worldwide client base of TV buyers should find it to their liking ” said ID’s principal, Dan Shannon.

“Miss Chinatown" pageants sprung up in the 1950s as a PR move to head off America's less-than-flattering Cold War impressions of the Chinese. But the weight of that job was put on the contestants, who were asked to hit a mysterious note that fell somewhere between the non-threatening traditions of Chinese modesty and the we're-so-modern 1950s American va-va-va-voom,” says Ms. Lin.

“Yours Truly Miss Chinatown” showcases the fine line that sometimes exists between ‘being true to yourself’ and capitulation -- whether it is to outside forces such as community expectation or even inside forces, where questions of identity are being wrestled with by some young American women of Asian heritage. It’s a universal story of identification, these young women could be from any country, the same issues are being raised everywhere as different cultures come together,” says Mr. Shannon.

The film will be showcased in the Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival on October 9th, 2010, 7:30p, Civic Center Theater at First and Main.
It recently premiered at the New York City International Festival on Aug 16.

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More information about the film and its director is available at www.yourstrulymisschinatown.com

About the Director
Daisy Lin is a filmmaker and Emmy award-winning producer at KNBC in Los Angeles. “Yours Truly Miss Chinatown” is her directorial debut documentary film.

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ID Communications inc. is a Montreal-based boutique film, television and web marketing company specialized in the area of international sales representation and distribution for film, TV, DVD and web-based properties.

YTMC in New York City in August

2010-06-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

The film will be screening in the New York City International Film Festival, and it will be on my birthday. I will be doing the Q and A with a glass of champagne in my hand, and you know I will need help with that cause I've got the Asian glow! August 13th, 6p. Will post location soon -- it will be in the Midtown area.

Occidental Screening Rocked!

2010-04-02T17:38:00.001-07:00

The screening went really well at Occidental. The last thing I thought I wanted to do was to watch the film again, but I sat in the audience - it was a full house - and just laughed and cried with everyone else. I thought to myself, I can't cut this film down to a half hour like PBS is suggesting! Hoping I can find the right home for it on television. Also want to get it to more colleges. That is clearly my audience.

Self Distribution Resources

2010-03-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

So the coordinator for tonight's screening told me that there will likely be some questions from film students about distribution for indie films. I thought I would gather up a few articles here about self distribution.

http://www.indiewire.com/article/eugene_hernandez_breaking_upwards._breaking_even/
http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/issues/fall2008/bomb_it.php
http://www.microfilmmaker.com/tipstrick/Issue18/selfdist.html
http://www.peterbroderick.com/writing/writing/declarationofindependence.html
http://www.distribber.com/

Also some good organizations to get involved with as a new filmmaker to network, and get your questions answered:

http://www.filmindependent.org/
http://www.filmmakersalliance.org/Home.html
http://www.vconline.org/alpha/cms/
http://www.capeusa.org/
http://reelladies.ning.com

BOOKS
"I Wake Up Screening: What to Do Once You've Made that Movie," Laura Kim and John Andersen
"The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide" Chris Gore

LA Screening this Wednesday Night!

2010-03-29T13:07:00.001-07:00

YTMC will be screening at Occidental College this Wednesday night, 3/31/10, with a Q and A with the filmmaker to follow. Events starts at 7pm. Occidental College, Fowler 302, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041. Free. Refreshments will be provided! It doesn't get any better than this, folks. All you who missed the other screenings, this is your chance.

Taipei Photos

2009-10-26T18:11:00.001-07:00

Photos from the Taipei International Women Make Waves Festival now up on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=31582030390&view=user#/group.php?gid=31582030390&ref=mf

YTMＣ　Ｇｏｅｓ　ｔｏ　Ｔａｉｐｅｉ

2009-10-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

Ｉ　ａｍ　ｂｌｏｇｇｉｎｇ　ｆｒｏｍ　ａ　ｃｏｍｐｕｔｅｒ　ｉｎ　Ｔａｉｐｅｉ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｐａｃｉｎｇ　ｉｓ　ｖｅｒｙ　ｓｔｒａｎｇｅ。　　　Ｔｈｅ　ｆｉｌｍ　ｓｃｒｅｅｎｅｄ　ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗｏｍｅｎ　Ｍａｋｅ　Ｗａｖｅｓ　Ｆｅｓｔｉｖａｌ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｗｅｅｋ　－－　ｗｉｌｌ　ｕｐｄａｔｅ　ｙｏｕ　ｓｏｏｎ　ｏｎ　ａｎ　ａｍａｚｉｎｇ　ｔｒｉｐ　ｗｈｅｎ　Ｉ　ｇｅｔ　ｂａｃｋ！　　　　　

Screening at CalState LA!

2009-04-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

A lot of people keep asking me when the film will screen again in LA - well here you go folks, it will be screening on Thursday, April 30th, at CalState L.A., at 6:15p.
It's free! Here are more details from the flyer below.

FILM SCREENING AND DISCUSSION
“Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown”

This documentary film reveals the intimate stories of several unforgettable young women who vie for the title Miss Los Angeles Chinatown, while struggling to find themselves in two cultures with different values and expectations

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2009….6:15PM….CSULA Student Union Theater

Following the screening, there will be a discussion with the filmmaker and one of the featured contestants:

DAISY LIN SHAPIRO—Writer/Producer/Director
A news producer, writer, and director covering community issues, Ms. Shapiro works at KNBC News in Los Angeles. She has produced the series “Beating the Odds” and “Unsung Heroes” and has served as a special projects producer on various specials, including Asian American Heritage Month, “Rubble to Rebirth: The Tenth Anniversary of the LA Riots,” and “California Indians: Stories of a People.”

PRISCILLA TJIO-HERVEY
A former Miss Los Angeles Chinatown, Ms. Tjio-Hervey is a Middle School Math Teacher and the Co-Owner of Beyond Time, LLC, the producer and publisher of the comic book series, “Black Tiger: Legacy of Fury.”

This event is co-sponsored by the Pan African Studies Department, the Asian/Asian American Studies Program, and the Cross Cultural Centers. For further information please phone (323) 343-2290 or go to http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/pas/

Upcoming Screenings

2009-02-16T22:16:00.001-08:00

Very excited to announce that "Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown" will be screening at the Asian American Showcase at the Gene Siskel Theater in Chicago this April! The Showcase is the biggest of its kind in the midwest and has supported emerging Asian American filmmakers early in their careers. Some notable directors who have been supported by the showcase throughout the early part of their careers are Jessica Yu, Justin Lin (“Better Luck Tomorrow,” Showcase 2002), Greg Pak (“Robot Stories,” Showcase 2003). More details to come!

Also the film has been invited to screen at Pitzer College in May, and Cal State L.A. as well. Dates TBA.

Really hoping to get the film out there folks! Stay tuned!

Why?

2009-02-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

So this graduate student working on a thesis about ethnic pageants contacted me about the film. She watched it this is her response:

Hello Ms. Shapiro--

I have finally had a chance to watch your video and it is fantastic!
I appreciated the different (and competing) narratives. Thank you so
much for sending it to me. I will definitely be citing it in my
dissertation (I just don't know how just yet). I found the focus on
race particularly interesting. Was that really obvious when you were
filming or was that a focus that's important to you personally (It is
really important for me)? Could I ask why you decided to do a piece
on Miss Chinatown? Of all the newsworthy things to cover, what did
you find important enough so that you spent so much time on it?

I replied:

Glad you enjoyed the film. It definitely evolved in ways I never expected. In fact, when I started to make the film it was not about Miss Chinatown! I was making a broader film about Asian American women and I went to the pageant because I grew up with my parents going to all the pageants, and I simply was curious about them. Also I had met Kristina the performance artist and saw her act and thought it would be funny to meet the real Miss Chinatowns. To be honest, I thought I was going to go there and hear a lot of airheads say a lot of stupid things. Instead, I got really interested in them. Here they are, competing to be this icon of womanhood, of assimilation and success, and really they were just girls trying to figure out how to handle this confusing transition to womanhood.

They helped me to realize, that I was so afraid of being seen as a Miss Chinatown - demure, people (and parent) pleasing, like a china doll - that it was affecting my self image. In other words, I was so afraid of the stereotype, I let it control who I let myself be. I was rejecting a part of myself out of fear of being stereotyped. And I found that when I brought them down to earth, when I accepted them, I finally accepting a part of who I am. I am Chinese, I am a woman, I am dealing with many of the same issues that they are - body image, racial tensions, honesty, communication, etc.
So this had such a big impact on me, that I realized I had to focus the entire film on them, and it took me a while to decide this, and it was quite a painful decision because by then I had run out of money, and I realized I had to go back and shoot followup video myself, and then thankfully my editor said he would help me learn how to edit. That's why I went back 3 years later to shoot the follow up. Miraculously that was the year that Priscilla got pregnant and the 1st time in Miss Chinatown LA history that a half black half chinese contestant competed.

The race thing happened accidentally - it just happened to be what happened to Priscilla - I certainly had no control over that but a definite interest. So when I stumbled on her story I knew I wanted to follow it.

Girl! (High Five Slap)

2008-10-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

That's what Alex and I kept saying to each other in our sisterhood of the traveling pants weekend at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. All I can say is - it was just what the doctor ordered. We were both fuming from stuff that had happened last week and were ready for a getaway. Hookah in Glendale was not enough to take away our pain. First though, we had to stuff ourselves silly in San Gabriel valley - we discovered our new favorite dessert - passion fruit ice jelly drink - I had so much of it, I was literally in physical pain from it nearly bursting out of my stomach. Then we met our friend, Tina, and her boyfriend for a Chinese breakfast (fried bread strips dipped into steaming hot sweet soy milk, thin slices of marinated beef, pickles, and cilantro wrapped in a crumbly sesame cake.) Again, I ate until I was in physical pain.

We drove down and tried to check into our hotel, a Best Western, but the clerk at the desk told us our reservation had been canceled by someone else! Turns out it was the festival staff - they had switched us over to the Town and Country hotel, a blast from the past (rat pack cool - palm trees, bright yellow seat cushions and white iron chairs, brown block lettering signs) where all the festival events were taking place. On top of that, they were paying for the hotel room. Cool daddio!

We checked in at the festival hospitality suite and met some of the very friendly festival staff, and ate some of the food they provided there - they had all these interesting asian chips and crackers, and juices from the korean market - pear juice, muscat juice up for grabs. And we partook. We sat there, and truly felt we had arrived. Just imagine, I said to Alex, when we met five years ago at the House of Blues at Steve's party and the film was just an idea. Now it's real, and here we were, sitting poolside, enjoying the fruits of our labor.

5 long years! Turns out, all the other documentary filmmakers we met said the same thing - "It took 5 years. It was hell." "Everyone kept asking me when I was going to finish the damn thing." But, just like after a long labor - once the baby is born, the pain doesn't seem to matter.

Later on that night we attended the gala, and danced to 80's songs (Hungry like the wolf! Hungry like the wolf! Thanks Timo) at the karaoke night.

Sunday was the big day. I kept telling Alex, "We could be the only 2 people at the screening," because I truly did not know who was going to show up. Much to our delight, the festival did a great job marketing and getting sponsors, and there was a great turnout by a multicultural crowd. They laughed, they cried. They asked good questions afterwards.

On our way back home, Alex and I got into an animated discussion in the car. She was really struck by the statistic that Kristina talked about in the film, about suicide rates among Asian American young women. We talked about the pressure that we felt growing up to be proper, perfect, and poised - like a Miss Chinatown, and how we all had this mask on that hid our true feelings - and how this can drive you crazy! We talked about how life had taught us to reveal more of ourselves and peel away that mask, a sometimes painful process that was ultimately liberating.

The day before Alex asked me whether I would make another film. I say, no way. Somehow by the time we got to talking back in San Gabriel Valley and after another order of passion fruit jelly ice, we decided that we wanted to try to make a narrative feature film with a similar theme! Stay tuned...

San Diego Asian Film Fest Oct. 12th

2008-10-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Very excited about the film screening at the San Diego Asian Film Festival on Sunday October 12th 3:30p! http://sdaff.bside.com/2008/films/yourstrulymisschinatown_sdaff2008

I have always heard it's a fun festival and so Alex Tieu (Associate Producer) and I are going to road trip it down for the weekend! She missed the sold out screening in LA so this will be her first time seeing it. The response after the LA showing was amazing - more than 400 people showed up and most stayed for the Q & A.

Kristina Sheryl Wong, one of the film subjects, who was too scared to watch herself on the big screen, described in her hilarious blog people's responses to her afterwards:
http://www.kristinawong.com/2008/05/hocus-focus.html
I am happy to report that Kristina has since seen the film, and is no longer in the dark!

The International Documentary Association also wrote a review:
http://www.documentary.org/content/hidden-histories-revealed-los-angeles-asian-pacific-film-festival

People ask me, what is your purpose in making this film? I went into it thinking I wanted to show how Asian women were beating "stereotypes." But what I discovered during the course of this film was that what I really wanted to show was not how Asian Americans were "not this" or "not that (submissive, model minority, etc)." In fact I just wanted to show the multi-dimensionality and complexity of our experience - and our common humanity with everyone else. I wanted to hear people being totally honest. I also wanted to explore the dynamics of racism, and how sometimes we can shut out what is most precious to us, because we can't accept other people. What a shame, when we are all made of the same stardust!

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