2011 Asian American International Film Festival Kicks Off With "Amigo"

Director John Sayles at the Clearview Cinema in Chelsea after the Opening Night presentation of "Amigo"

Filipino lead actor Joel Torre (right) poses with a fan

Q & A with Director John Sayles, actor Joel Torre and the producer after the film presentation of "Amigo"

Last night, the 34th Asian American International Film Festival opened with the screening of the film called "AMIGO" at Clearview Cinemas in Chelsea. Caught in the murderous cross-fire of the Philippine-American war in 1900, mayor Rafael (played by Joel Torre) falls under pressure to collaborate when American troops garrison his village. Meanwhile, his brother Simon (Ronnie Lazaro), head of the local guerillas, regards collaboration as treason, The fate of the nation unfolds in this compelling portrait of the turbulent times. The movie is directed by independent film maker JOHN SAYLES. 

This year's festival also features a Lesbian, Gay, Bisxeual, Transgender and Queer (L.G.B.T.Q.) cinema night for the first time in the festival's 34 year history. The movies called "Tales of the Waria," a documentary about a unique Indonesian community of men who live openly as women and "When Hainan Meets Teochwu," an atypical romance between a "manly" woman and a "womanly" man will be featured.

For a complete listing of the movies participating in this festival, click on the AAIFF website. The festival continues through August 20 and takes palce at several locations including Clearview Cinema and the Museum of Chinese in America.

Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and the East River

This is the view of the Ed Koch  Queensborough Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge from Manhattan near Rockefeller University. The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909. It connects the neighborhood of Long Island City in the borough of Queens with Manhattan, passing over Roosevelt Island. It carries New York State Route 25 and once carried NY 24 and NY 25A as well.

The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is the westernmost of the four East River spans that carry a route number: NY 25 terminates at the west (Manhattan) side of the bridge. It is commonly called the "59th Street Bridge" because its Manhattan end is located between 59th Street and 60th Streets.

The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is flanked directly on its northern side by the freestanding Roosevelt Island Tramway.

In December 2010, the city announced that the bridge would be named in honor of former Mayor Ed Koch.

"Lariat Seat Loops" - Functional Subway Art by James Garvey

James Garvey was commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts for Transit and MTA New York City Transit to create these forged bronze structures called "Lariat Seat Loops." These are located at the 33rd Street subway station. Created in 1997, the forged bronze loops around columns providing seating areas for subway riders while waiting for the train along the platforms. The artwork was fabricated by Koenig Iron Works, Inc.

In each, says artist James Garvey, "the thick bronze bar ... resembles the lasso demonstration in a Will Rogers film clip." Useful and decorative, some loops serve as handholds and others as seat rests. Each bar swells where it touches the surface and is attached to the column with custom-forged bolts.

The Loops were handmade and individually crafted in Garvey's forge in Harlem. Describing the work, he said, "I look at the lariat loops almost as earrings, as ornaments that adorn the architecture and add a little flair to the space. My aim is to put inspiration into routine treks and refresh people caught up in mundane thoughts." (information from the subway caption and the MTA website)

"Standard Deviations: Types And Families In Contemporary Design" - MoMA's Acquisition of 23 Digital Typefaces

Digital typefaces, each comprised of several dozen related sizes, styles, variations and behaviors are currently featured in an exhibit called "Standard Deviations: Types and Families in Contemporary Design" at the Museum of Modern Art. These are images from the exhibit showcasing MoMA's recent acquisition of 23 digital typefaces, on view here for the first time. Type is its own design universe and is an essential dimension of modern art and design. The exhibit represents a new branch of the museum's collection. The exhibit runs through January 30, 2012.

Peacock Paparazzi

Fifth Avenue apartment building where the peacock perched on a window sill for hours

The peacock which had escaped from its home at the Central Park Zoo became famous overnight and has been featured in the local news. The peacock wandered from the zoo and made its way to a Fifth avenue apartment building and perched on a fifth floor window sill. Early this morning at sunrise, the bird returned to Central Park Zoo on its own. Side by side with news photographers, I made these blurred images this morning shortly after the bird returned to its home. The notorious peacock had  two dueling Twitter accounts as an escapee - @BirdOnTheTown and @CentralParkPeacock—who joked that he had to come back to the zoo because rentwas too damn high on the Upper East Side. The colorful bird had more than 340 followers on its @CentralPeacock Twitter feed.  

Defying Gravity: "Kichka's Breakfast" By Daniel Spoerri

Daniel Spoerri, Swiss artist born in Romania (b. 1930)  created this piece called "Kichka's Breakfast I" in 1960. It is composed of wood chair hung on wall with board across seat, coffeepot, tumbler, food, china, egg cups, eggshells, cigarette butts, spoons, tin cans and other materials. A "paster of found situations", Spoerri made this artwork from his girlfriend Kichkas's leftover breakfast. The sculpture is mounted on the wall so it "defies the laws of gravity" and the "view to which we are accustomed." The sculpture is now on view at the Museum of Modern Art.