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“Charlotte Sometimes”, Darling at Hawaii Fest, selected to launch the Cape NY New Asian Film Makers Series

November 18, 2002/Los Angeles -

"Charlotte Sometimes" has been selected as the first feature film to launch the NewAsianFilmmakers quarterly series put on by the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), New York chapter this month. CAPE designed the showcase to celebrate emerging Asian and Asian American directors from around the world.

Last week at the Hawaii International Film Festival, the Asian American "anti-romance" became the sleeper hit of the Hawaii Festival when renowned critic Roger Ebert voiced support for the film during question and answer, then offered to take writer/director Eric Byler and actress Jacqueline Kim out to dinner.

"There are scenes in which we sense more is going on than anyone admits," Ebert wrote in his column published Wednesday, "but the movie lets us speculate without spoiling everything with dramatic revelations. We participate in this film. …This is a relationship picture that plays like an emotional thriller."

In his Chicago Sun-Times column, Ebert called Eric Byler's writing and directing debut, "uncannily realistic," "fascinating and illuminating," and "written, directed and acted with the penetrating shorthand of a short story." During his seminar on "Citizen Kane," Ebert referred to "Charlotte Sometimes" on numerous occasions, and implored seminar attendees to buy tickets for Friday night's

screening, which played against the Closing Night Gala. The Friday screening sold out two days in advance, forcing the festival to switch it to a larger auditorium.

Byler, who is half Chinese, also produced and edited the feature, which stars Jacqueline Kim ("Volcano", "Brokedown Palace"), Michael Idemoto ("Sunsets"), Eugenia Yuan ("Three") and Matt Westmore ("Shakedown", Baywatch). The film takes a boldly realistic approach to sex, love, loneliness and race in examining four Asian Americans whose lives intersect in a Silver Lake duplex.

Earlier this year this "Charlotte Sometimes" won the Audience Award for first features at the South by Southwest Film Festival and the Special Jury Award for Narrative Filmmaking at the Florida Film Festival. "Charlotte Sometimes" was a top word-of-mouth film at the Hamptons International Film Festival and the IFP West/Los Angeles Film Festival, and recently took Best Narrative Feature at the San Diego Asian American Film Festival.

The NewAsianFilmmakers screening of "Charlotte Sometimes" will take place on November 20th at the Anthology Film Archives in New York (32 Second Avenue). The feature will follow a reception and series of four short that begin at 6pm ("Charlotte Sometimes" will screen at 8pm). The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) began in 1991 as a non-profit to promote open discussions of issues concerning Asian Pacifics in the industry.

Byler is currently in talks to direct the feature film "American Knees." Executive Producer Lisa Onodera ("Picture Bride," "The Debut"), with financial backing from cable giant Starz/Encore, commissioned Byler to adapt the Shawn Wong novel, and named Byler first choice to direct.

Byler is represented by Brant Rose of The Brant Rose Agency and David Guc of Vanguard Management.