If you’re going to the Comic-Con in San Diego tomorrow Thursday, check out the short film “Bookie” by Viet director Bao Tran.
The 19-minute gem is a love story set in a noir crime tale. For someone who didn’t even major in film, Bao Tran has created a real piece of cinematic artwork. Read more about the film here.
(For that matter, Charlie Nguyen and Nghiem-Minh Nguyen-Vo, both successful Viet filmmakers, didn’t major in film either.)
Bookie will play as part of Comic-Con’s Independent Film Festival. The Bolsavik contacted Bao Tran yesterday and he said: “You can strongly hint a door prize for our shows.”
And Comic-Con? It’s America’s largest gathering of all things comics — from American superheroes to Japanese manga and anime, from the books to films to videos to video games.
At Comic-Con they’ll also hand out the Eisner Awards, the most important and best known award given in the comics industry, named for artist Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit (no relations to Disney’s CEO).
But the Bolsavik digresses. The point is, Comic-Con is a huge event, and it’s really nice that the organizers have decided to support independent filmmaking with a festival, and it’s even nicer that a film by a Viet is included.
Here’s screening info:
Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008
Time: 12:40pm – 1:15pm
Location: San Diego Convention Center (Room 26AB, on the south side, above Hall H)
Street: 111 W. Harbor Dr.
City/Town: San Diego, CA
Read more on Comic-Con’s web site here.
Here’s a synopsis of the film:
BOOKIE takes place in 1963 Seattle, long before gambling was accepted social behavior for Saturday nights. It tells the story of a man who learns he can’t live his life on the sidelines forever.
On the night of a wildly anticipated boxing fight, crowds pack into a raucous soul R&B nightclub for a chance at alcohol, wild music, and easy money. Word is out that the champ’s got the fight in the bag and Bookie takes down bets from all corners.
Amidst it all, he can’t help but notice the beautiful waitress Billie have a violent falling out with Jackson, her lover and Bookie’s all-controlling boss. Bookie attempts to help matters, but the odds prove far more difficult — they will have to trust each other completely to totally break free of Jackson and the nightclub.
Unfortunately, tickets and registration for Comic-Con have been sold out for weeks as there is no longer online nor on-site registration. The only way now is to buy on ebay for a ridiculous amount. Hopefully, Bookie makes its round in other film festivals.