Boston Asian American Film Festival (10/22-10/25)

Boston Asian American Film Festival (10/22-10/25) 2015 Announces Opening, Closing and Centerpiece Films

New England Premieres of Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching, Ravi Kapoor’sMiss India America and Arthur Dong’s The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor

BOSTON, MA [September 15, 2015] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of theAsian American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program ofindependent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora. The festival theme is Home in America, celebrating the diverse stories about how and why America is home.

This year, the festival takes place October 22 to 25, 2015 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.

The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is pleased to announce the 2015 festival will open with a special presentation of the ‘80s teen comedy from filmmaker Benson Lee (Planet B-Boy, Battle of the Year): Seoul Searching, an official Sundance Selection, LA Film Festival Gala Presenation and winner of the CAAMFest Audience Award.

The coming-of-age film stars Justin Chon (Twilight Saga series, 21 and Over), Esteban Ahn, a.k.a Hispanic Korean musical artist Sanchobeatz from the popular YouTube channel CoreanoLoco, and features actors Jackie Im and Judy Im of Beverly, MA.  Seoul Searching is a 1980s John Hughes inspired romantic teen comedy about a group of Korean misfits from around the world forced by their parents to attend a cultural propaganda camp in Seoul resulting in the best summer of their lives.

The opening film will screen at 7:30PM on Thursday, October 22^nd at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA. Writer and Director Benson Lee, will be in attendance.

The festival’s centerpiece film will feature The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, produced, directed, written, and edited by Oscar^®-nominated and triple-Sundance award-winning filmmaker Arthur Dong (Hollywood Chinese, Forbidden City USA), The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor is a singular documentary on one of the most well-known survivors of the Cambodian genocide. Arthur Dong will be present for this screening (Saturday, October 24 at 6:15pm, Paramount Center)

The Boston Asian American Film Festival will close with the film Miss India America, a comedy by Ravi Kapoor,where Election and Legally Blonde meets the world of Indian-American beauty pageants. An ambitious teenager whose lifelong plans are ruined when her boyfriend falls for the reigning Miss India National beauty queen, leaving her no choice but to try to become Miss India National herself. The film is both a South Asian story, and an American story about the way we define success.  Miss India America won the CAAMFest Comcast Narrative Jury Award, and LA Asian Pacific Film Festival Best Screenplay Award.  Meera Simhan, writer, creative producer, and actress; whose one-woman stage show, Miss India America, provided the basis for the film, will also be in attendance (Sunday, October 25 at 5pm, Paramount Center).

Photography opportunities will take place prior to each screening, and following the screening there will be a conversation/Q&A with film talent in attendance.

The full festival line up will be released in late September, and tickets will be on sale by October 5^th. For more information please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff

麻州府撥款420萬元 兩美國總統昆市墓地將建公園

麻州州長查理貝克（Charlie Baker），副州長白莉朵（Karyn Polito)與能源及環保事務卿畢頓（Matthew Beaton）昨（14）日聯袂到昆士市，宣佈撥款420萬元，協助昆士整修亞當綠地（Adams Green）公園。

這筆經費是由能源及環保事務的“門戶城市公園（Gateway City Parks）”項目中撥出。

查理貝克指出，昆士市是兩名美國總統的出生地，其中的約翰亞當斯（John Adams）更是美國開國者之一。他和妻子Abigail Smith Adams等家族故事，有許多歌劇，電影，小說演繹版本。這前後兩任總統的埋葬地，對美國，對麻州歷史來說，都太重要了。

查理貝克說，麻州人有時忘記了“歷史和我們如此接近”。 他很高興州政府有機會加入整建“亞當綠地”行列，美化這地方，也是尊敬前總統的一種表示。

副州長白莉朵指出，州政府日前才和昆市府簽署了一份社區合作協議，雙方將持續合作，為改善人民的生活品質而努力。

            “亞當綠地 ”是封閉昆士市政府面前那段興國街（Hancock），讓車輛繞經華盛頓街，再右轉連接星國街，把昆士市府和對面埋有約翰亞當斯（John Adams），以及約翰昆西亞當斯（John Quincy Adams）這兩名總統的聯合第一教堂（United First Parish Church）之間的路面，變成一個綠地公園的開放空間。

            這工程是重振昆士市中心計畫的一部分。這公園將有綠地，長廊，供大眾聚集，辦理戶外音樂會及活動。

            能源及環保事務卿畢頓表示，新公園將不但可改善昆士居民生活，遊客體驗，更能展現昆市對兩名前總統的尊敬。

            昆士市長柯奇（Tom Koch）透露，麻州長查理貝克曾經在昆市工作近十年。早年他在構思整頓昆市時，曾邀請時任現名哈佛格林健保公司執行長的查理貝克出席討論會。兩人因此結緣。查理貝克上任州長後，也一直很支持昆士市。           

            麻州參議員約翰基南（John Keenan）表示，這可能是州政府撥給昆市府的最大一筆捐款。整個工程將先從交通路線調整開始，再設計，建造公園，估計要幾年功夫，才能完工。

            柯奇在回應問題時表示，整個相關工程可能共需要一千至兩千萬元，昆市府正一步步的在推動。

            轄區在昆士市的麻州眾議員陳德基（Tackey Chan），Bruce Ayer，曾任聯邦眾議員的狄拉罕（William D. Delahunt ）都出席了宣佈儀式。 

麻州能源及環保事務局指出，該機構的門戶城市公園項目為整修州內26個門戶城市撥備了經費。早前已提供一百萬元給昆士市做設計，建造亞當綠地的工程計畫。

圖片說明：

        麻州州長查理貝克（右起），麻州參議員約翰基南，副州長白莉朵，昆市市長柯奇等人在聯合第一教堂前，宣佈撥款協助建造亞當綠地。（菊子攝）

            昆士市長柯奇（左）和麻州眾議員陳德基（右）。（菊子攝）

            麻州州長查理貝克和昆市長柯奇交換意見。後面是亞當綠地示意圖。（菊子攝）

            埋有兩名美國總統的聯合第一教堂。（菊子攝）

紐英崙藝術學會慶中秋 琴詩書畫加嗩吶

   駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪（左六）接受，左起，池元山，
梅宇國，林卓培，郭義芳，林浩宗，譚嘉陵，趙羨藻，郭天涵，
梅國治，朱紹昌，伍華彥等人送出的“報春圖”。（圖由紐英崙藝術學會提供）

(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 紐英崙藝術學會9月13日晚在龍鳳酒樓以一場詩書樂畫俱全的藝術饗宴，慶祝乙未羊年中秋。藝術家們還攜手，即席揮毫完成一幅“報春圖”，藉以彰顯團結合作精神。

紐英崙藝術學會董事長趙羨藻（左起），副董事長譚嘉陵，創會會長梅國治夫婦
是學會草創時期的骨幹分子。其中趙羨藻和梅國治更是1948年時
的培正中學同班同學。（周菊子攝）

會中要求出席者做100個常見別字測驗，思考四個古體字是現代字中的哪幾個字，更是別創新猷，把國學探究揉進藝術活動之中，再提高了藝術學會的活動層次，也彷如回應該會董事長趙羨藻在節目冊中的題詞，期許“為學會今後更好的發展共同努力”。

紐英崙藝術學會的兩名會長，梅宇國、林浩宗，攝影組組長梅芬芳等人透露，為了在這中秋節聯歡會中周全照顧各種類藝術，他們花了不下二，三個月的時間籌備。梅芬芳指出，節目冊中印出學會主要成員的介紹及作品，也是期社區大眾能更進一步認識該會成員，加入行列，共同追尋，欣賞藝術之美。

梅宇國（右）介紹“飲饗共舞”這四個象形文字。（周菊子攝）

林浩宗，郭天涵，譚嘉陵，郭義芳，林卓培等人，當晚現場即席揮毫，梅宇國題字完成了一幅“報春圖”，送給出席與盛的駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪。

朱紹昌，Sophia Yee兩人分別做詩朗誦。其中朱紹昌吟誦得格外有韻味。

 駐波士頓經文處副處長陳銘俊（左起），處長夫人雲雯蓁，處長賴銘琪，
與藝術學會淵源極深的譚秀婷等人同桌欣賞節目。（周菊子攝）

其他的節目表演包括小提琴演奏，梅國治講笑話等，其中的“拿名” 因發音不准，變成“攞命”， 以及一封討論妻子從大陸到香港探親的短信，竟可以有37個“出”字，最讓廣東人嘴角泛起意在不言中的微笑。

這場聯歡會的壓軸表演，由即將於9月26日在新英格蘭音樂學院喬丹廳推出“大漠長河”音樂會的郭雅志，先以嗩吶吹奏一段該曲，再和拉二胡的妻子何濤合奏“百鳥朝鳳”。

梅宇國（左二）介紹來自廣東的潮州畫家龐雨（右二）將辦畫展。（周菊子攝）

猜字部分，梅宇國拿出了距今約三千年的甲骨文上的象形文字，請人猜。與會眾人，只覺得那幾個字寫得龍飛鳳舞，到底是什麼，卻多半摸不著頭腦。梅宇國表示，一名北京大學文學教授認為是“飲饗共舞”，他認為是“飼饗共舞”。出席者中對草書頗有研究的郭天涵猜中了“共舞”兩字。

梅宇國主持節目。

紐英崙藝術學會董事長趙羨藻在當晚的節目冊中指出，該會成立18年來，經梅國治，梅芬芳，林卓成，謝偉明等幾名老師努力倡導，帶動了大波士頓華人愛好攝影風氣，讓本地華人攝影圈大放異彩。書畫方面有梅宇國，黃鏡明，黎家活等人在美國，中國辦畫展，講學；譚嘉陵博士與林浩宗的不但辦畫展，還教國畫，在傳承中國藝術做貢獻，都讓該會與有榮焉。朱紹昌，伍華彥等人的詩詞造詣深受社區敬重，希望他們也能開班授課，讓該會在會員們彼此交流藝術愛好之餘，更進一步地與社區打成一片。

林卓培等出席者關注台上動態。

當晚出席的藝術家，不勝枚舉，包括北美藝術家協會前會長程嶺，中華書法會會長池元山，陳綺怡，以及書法吳紹營，Pydern拍賣公司營銷主管張勇邀到會場，來自廣東潮州的畫家龐雨，各自與好友圍桌相聚，氣氛十分溫馨。

紐英崙中華藝術學會的下一場活動是定9月26日至10月25日舉行的“荷花特展”。查詢可洽梅芬芳，fenfangmei@hhcc.com，或 fenfangmei@msn.com，或梅宇國， 617- 818- 2973，林浩宗，781- 363- 6476。 

紐英崙藝術學會地址為: 25 Edinboro St. Boston, Ma. 02170

梅芬芳 (右起)、林浩宗、梅宇國主持義賣。

梅芬芳 (右起)、林浩宗、梅宇國主持義賣。

           

           

ROBERT KRAFT, AG HEALEY, AND NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION LAUNCH FIRST-OF-ITS KIND YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM

ROBERT KRAFT, AG HEALEY, AND NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION LAUNCH FIRST-OF-ITS KIND YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM

“Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership” will train students, teachers, coaches on relationship violence in public high schools across Massachusetts;

$1.5 million in gifts distributed by New England Patriots Charitable Foundation
to address domestic violence and sexual assault

BOSTON – New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and Attorney General Maura Healey today announced a groundbreaking partnership aimed at preventing youth relationship violence. 

“Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership” takes a multi-faceted approach to violence prevention education. The program, funded with $500,000 from the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and $150,000 from the Attorney General’s Office, will provide training for students, faculty and coaches at 90 public high schools in Massachusetts. It also includes an innovative partnership that will pair schools with local domestic violence and sexual assault service providers to provide ongoing support to schools.

The Game Change program is one component of a $1.5 million domestic violence and sexual assault prevention initiative developed by the Kraft Family and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. The initiative will also fund a comprehensive training and community building initiative, provide skills training and capacity support for frontline advocates and leaders in the movement to end domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as major funding to select service providers that are delivering programs at the local level.

“One in three young people has experienced physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse in a relationship,” said Attorney General Healey. “Too often, we don’t see it until it’s too late. This program will help prevent violence by reaching students at an early age and teaching them about healthy relationships, how to recognize warning signs and how to intervene. I want to thank Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation for their incredible leadership on this issue. It will make a difference for so many young people and their families.”

“We are excited to team up with Attorney General Healey to help prevent relationship violence, particularly among young people,” said Kraft. “We need to tackle this problem from all angles – through preventive measures like this one, and by providing resources for survivors in the aftermath of trauma.”

The Game Change trainings will be conducted by the Mentors in Violence Prevention Program (MVP), a nationwide leader in addressing violence prevention. Run by the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, MVP uses a sports-themed curriculum and employs collegiate athletes and former professional athletes as trainers.

“The Attorney General and the Kraft Family have each been tireless advocates for using sport to promote positive social change,” said Dan Lebowitz, Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society. “Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society has embraced that platform for over 30 years and is excited to be a part of this first-of-its kind statewide initiative to empower young people, teachers and coaches with the skills and tools they need to promote healthy relationships and to recognize and prevent teen dating violence in their schools and communities.”

Together, the Attorney General’s Office, MVP, and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will select the first 90 schools to participate in the initiative. Schools will be chosen from every region of the state and will include a cross-section of rural, urban and suburban schools. Two adult representatives from each school will participate in a three-day training run by the MVP program. Schools will be selected this fall with trainings to begin in the winter.

MVP will also provide more in-depth trainings to 30 high schools – five in each of the six statewide regions – in partnership with local domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy organizations. The advocacy organizations will help train school staff and parents and work with school administrators on policies and services for students and families dealing with violence. Students from each of those schools will also be trained to become peer leaders who can teach younger students about healthy relationships and bystander intervention.

With assistance from Jane Doe Inc., and in coordination with the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, the Attorney General’s Office will select the local domestic violence and sexual assault organizations that will pair up with MVP in order to provide ongoing support for schools that have gone through the training.

“Through this investment, Mr. Kraft and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation are helping to change how we work across disciplines to promote safety and justice for all survivors,” said Debra Robbin, Executive Director of Jane Doe Inc. “From our local sexual and domestic violence member programs to our partners in government and the private sector, this generous gift will afford us the opportunity to strengthen prevention, support survivors and build a culture free of violence and abuse.”

The Game Change program will also include online support tools for schools and an evaluation component to determine the effectiveness of the program in changing attitudes and behaviors.

Schools interested in applying for the Game Change program can visit www.mass.gov/ago/gamechange.

AG Healey has made tackling domestic violence and sexual assault a key priority. AG Healey is committed to building on that work by raising awareness and providing assistance for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors of every walk of life.

大陳同鄉會歡迎前任總統府副秘書長羅智強

波士頓大陳同鄉會日前舉辦九月份慶生會，來自緬因州，新罕布夏州，麻州，佛蒙特州等4州的40多人，在新月宮酒家歡喜聚會。

創會會長周仙梅（左二）為老鄉們帶了一位特別嘉賓來，甫從總統府副秘書長一職卸任，今年八月來哈佛大學做訪問學者的羅智強（右二）。會長梁娜玲（中）與會員們歡喜接待。

羅智強是1970年在台灣花蓮大陳一村出生的大陳人後代。從2008年起，歷任馬英九競選總部發言人，總統府發言人，總統府副秘書長。2013年曾獲馬英九總統頒給二等景星勳章，因王金平事件，這年他和江宜樺，馬英九被媒體稱為“新鷹派鐵三角“。

江宜樺去年來哈佛大學做訪問學者，今年訪問期滿，已轉往西岸的史丹福大學繼續訪學之旅。（圖：周仙梅提供，文：菊子）

第二屆總統創新獎即起受理報名

「總統創新獎」（以下簡稱本獎項）每二年舉辦一次，為我國鼓勵多元創新最高榮譽獎項，本(104)年度邁入第二屆徵選，本獎項分為科技研發、文創加值、服務創新、人才培育四個項別，總獎額共計5名，含團體組2名及個人組3名，另為鼓勵青年綻放創新創業能量，特別保留1個名額給予40歲以下青年，所有獲獎者將於明(105)年由　總統親自頒授獎牌、獎座及獲選證書，並頒發獎金新臺幣二佰萬元。第二屆「總統創新獎」徵選報名受理至104年10月30日止。

有關資料請參考

http://www.rocpia.tw/news_detail.aspx?NO=63