Asian World Film Festival's GLOBAL AND ASIAN ENTERTAINMENT FORUM Opens Tomorrow

The 4th Annual Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) has announced a Global and Asian Entertainment Forum to be held as part of the Film Festival on October 26, at the historic Culver Hotel. The theme of the 2018 AWFF celebrates women in film, a nod to the growing role of women in the Asian entertainment business and the #metoo movement. As previously announced, 14 Oscar Foreign Language Film submissions and seven Golden Globe Foreign Language Film contenders will be screened as part of the festival's schedule at the Arclight Cinemas in Downtown Culver City (9500 Culver Blvd) which runs from October 24 to November 1, 2018. To purchase tickets

The panel schedules are as follows:

STREAMING: THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT DATE: Friday, October 26 TIME: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM LOCATION: Culver Hotel Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Youtube, iQiyi, Youku Tudou, HotStar, Jio, Iflix and countless other OTT platforms are able to reach more viewers around the world than ever before. How does this rapidly growing distribution technology and the voracious appetite for content shape the future of entertainment? How will "old" media respond? Hear from digital content creators, how digital deals work and the international growth potential and proliferation of streaming platforms.
PANELISTS: Sophia Yen, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Rajeev Kheror, President & Head of Programming, Zee TV / Zee Entertainment Enterprises Selyna Warren, Actress, Writer, Producer, ShowRunner on YouTube's Foursome Marissa Read, Writer, Producer and ShowRunner on YouTube/AwesomenessTV Foursome Moderator: Rick Ambros, Principal, Pacific Horizon Pictures & Consultant, Ivanhoe Pictures

ASIA - HOLLYWOOD: WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T AND WHAT ARE THE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CROSS-CULTURAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE WORLD'S TWO MOST IMPORTANT ENTERTAINMENT REGIONS DATE: Friday, October 26 TIME: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM LOCATION: Culver Hotel China remains of strategic importance to Hollywood. However, much has changed since the euphoria of the last few years. Nevertheless, Asia is where the growth is, whether for Hollywood product, co-productions or local language production. This panel will explore which collaboration models have worked and what the challenges are going forward. Hear from the studio that was behind last summer's phenomenal hit The Meg, the production/financing company behind the trailblazing Crazy Rich Asians, the bankers and lawyers that make the deals happen, and two of the major Chinese players in media and entertainment. This panel will explore the importance of IP, choosing the right partner, how to approach a deal, film financing, co-production, popular brands that travel and the nuances of the all important guanxi.
PANELISTS: Bennett Pozil, Executive Vice President, East West Bank Lindsay Conner, Partner and Co-Chair, Entertainment & Media, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Xian Li, Senior Vice President, Production, SK Global/Ivanhoe Pictures, Crazy Rich Asians Alex Dong, CEO, Sun Entertainment Culture, Ltd. Shane Duffy, CEO, Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment / Camsing Global Entertainment Adam Presser, Senior Vice President, International, Warner Bros. Entertainment Moderator: Rick Ambros, Principal, Pacific Horizon Pictures & Consultant, Ivanhoe Pictures

FILMMAKER PANEL: FEATURING DIRECTORS ATTENDING THIS YEAR'S AWFF DATE: Friday, October 26 TIME: 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM LOCATION: Culver Hotel Directors of the Foreign Language Oscar and Golden Globe submitted films taking part in this year's AWFF discuss their films and the challenges, opportunities and new trends of filmmaking in their specific regions.
PANELISTS: Tabrez Noorani, Director, Producer, Writer, Love Sonia Mustafa Karadeniz, Director, Cinar Justin Chon, Director Man Up and Gook Moderator: Meral Duran, Montage E - Founder and President, WECTAC Executive Director, WECTAC Entertainment Committee President.

WOMEN IN ASIAN FILM DATE: Friday, October 26 TIME: 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM LOCATION: Culver Hotel 2018 is the Year of Women in Film and Asians in Film. Whether Crazy Rich Asians or local language films from Asian countries, this panel will explore the increasing role Asian and Asian-American women have been playing as actors, producers, writers, directors and executives in shaping the future of film.
PANELISTS: Aviva Bergman, Partner, The Point Media Deepti Chawla, Head NFDC - Distribution/Syndication/Marketing Sasha Gradiva, Singer, Songwriter, Producer and Award Winning Director Melodi Tuna, Assistant Director, Warner Bros Entertainment Julie Harris Walker, Speaker, Producer Host of the Podcast The Other 50% Moderator: Meral Duran, Montage E - Founder and President, WECTAC Executive Director, WECTAC Entertainment Committee President

BLOCKCHAIN: A NEW WAY OF ENTERTAINMENT FINANCING WHICH HAS TAKEN OFF IN ASIA DATE: Friday, October 26 TIME: 4:30 PM - 5:45 PM LOCATION: Culver Hotel Blockchain is a new method of entertainment financing. In Asia, particularly Korea and China, it has taken off. This panel will explore the opportunities, benefits and risks associated with this innovative technology.
PANELISTS: Ki Eob Park, Founder, Soom Foundation Antoine Guinot, CEO, Soompay USA Moderator: Charles Choe

AWFF has previously announced the honorees for this year's Film Festival. Freida Pinto (Love Sonia) will received the American Red Cross/Tiffany Circle Courage to Dream Award at the Festivals Opening Night Awards Ceremony. On the AWFF closing night, LISA LU will be honored with the Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement Award and AWKWAFINA will be given the Snow Leopard Rising Star Award. AWFF is once again partnering with The Snow Leopard Trust to raise awareness for the endangered snow leopard and its ecosystem in the high mountains of Asia.

In addition, Turkish superstar Türkan Soray will be accepting a special tribute award honoring Chingiz Aitmatov as the AWFF spotlights the 90th anniversary anniversary of the Soviet/Kyrgyz author and statesman. Aitmatov is known for such films as Pervyy uchitel (1965), The Girl with the Red Scarf (1977) and Jamila (1994). His literary works have been translated into more than 150 languages. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Aitmatov's novels found a new audience in the West and gained popularity in Germany.

The Asian World Film Festival is proudly sponsored by SOOM FOUNDATION, City of Culver City, Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), Arclight Theaters, SC Johnson, JK Holdings, MoRedii, Sun Entertainment Culture Limited, MDSUN Skin Care, CTX Club, Korean Cultural Center (Los Angeles), CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), CJ Entertainment, SAMSSON GROUP, Variety, The Korea Daily-JoongAng Ilbo, RK Media, AKIpress News Agency (Kyrgyzstan), Novartizan, WECTAC (West Coast Turkish Chamber of Commerce), PROCOLO.CO, Emporium Thai (Westwood), Fifty One Chinese Kitchen (Culver City), Gaby's Mediterranean, Tiger Beer, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Pechanga Resort & Casino, SC Global, LOTTE and Nutrivista. The AWFF host venue is the historic Culver Hotel.

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,

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