This year, with 133 films and videos the 21st annual San Francisco International Asian American Festival, as always, promises to bring an interesting collection of Asian and Asian American cinema to the Bay Area.

Fifteen films will actually be US premiers this year, one of them being Bend It Like Beckham, a British film directed by Gurinder Chadha about an Indian girl who dreams of being a soccer star to the dismay of her parents who have more orthodox plans for her future. Since premiering at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, it is already making waves in Europe and the UK and is chosen as the film showcased to kick off the festival here on March 6th. There will be a gala reception following the film at 9:30pm with Chadha and featuring DJ Rekha from NYC.

I attended a screening of Bend It Like Beckham and it lived up to the hype from the press overseas. It combines common themes such as coming of age, cultural and generational differences in families, mother-daughter relationships, and girl power (complete with references to the Spice Girls.) Jess Bhamra is a teenage tomboy obsessed with playing soccer and her idol, David Beckham. In the process of pursuing her dream of competing in a woman’s soccer league, she is pulled in different directions by her obligations to her sister’s traditional Sikh wedding and her dedication to the sport and her coach, played by Jonathan Rhys-Myers (Velvet Goldmine, Prozac Nation). Regardless if you are unfamiliar with the British obsession of football (soccer) or the traditional sensibilities of the Indian culture, there are many levels in which to be seduced and entertained by this lighthearted film.

Another standout film in this year’s festival is Where’s The Party, Yaar? directed by Benny Mathews. At first I was skeptical of the plot, it sounded like your typical Nerd-Overcoming-Nerdiness-And-Mean-Cool-Kids situation, complete with stereotypical slapstick jokes about bad clothes and lack of social skills. My skepticism pleasantly melted away as I realized that although there are some predictable jokes, Mathews is able to cleverly refrain from overdoing them and manages to keep the humor fresh throughout. Hari Patel (Sunil Malhotra) travels from his native India on his first trip to America to stay with the Bakshi family and his American counterpart, Mo. Malhotra is an immediately likeable character; in fact, the entire cast of young actors are energetic and appealing. His cousin Mo and his crew eschew accents, traditions, and FOBs (people 'Fresh Off the Boat'). Hari tries his best to fit in with his college classmates and tags along with Mo and his buddies who shake him off every chance they get. The film begins with Hari receiving a prediction that he will meet the woman of his dreams in America during a full moon, a fever, and her name will start with a "P." Although this quest for the love of his life provides the basis for Hari’s adventures, it is the relationship between Mo and Hari that takes precedence in the film. Asian Americans can relate to Mo’s conflicted attitudes towards his ethnic roots, his acceptance of Hari, and his ability to evolve from being a rich spoiled brat embarrassed by FOBs.

The highlight of Where’s the Party Yaar? is when Mo and his friends serenade a girl by performing a song and dance routine that is a hilarious satire of the Bollywood (Indian Hollywood) movie tradition of couples playing peek-a-boo and chasing each other around... complete with rain. The twist is that Mo and his friends include hip hop and break dancing moves into their routine, a scene that makes this entire film worth watching. The soundtrack is also outstanding. Mo and his friends throw Desi dance parties with DJs that combine Bhangra sounds to modern dance beats and the music thumps from beginning to end, keeping the energy up and by the end you’ll be dying to buy the soundtrack. Featuring songs by Cornershop , Panjabi MC, and RDB, this is a tight collection of songs that will definitely make my top 10 soundtracks of the year.

More Chaser Magazine reviews of films and events will follow. For more information about the festival, tickets, and venue information, go to the NAATA website.