By Maria Esteves –July 26, 2012

The 35th Asian American International Film Festival 2012 (aaiff12) Opening Night New York City Premiere of SHANGHAI CALLING, directed by Daniel Hsia, commenced Wednesday, July 25, 7:00 pm, at Asia Society, New York. Co-presented by Asian CineVision (ACV) and Asia Society, the Asian American Media Award for outstanding achievement and contribution to Asian American Media preceded the premiere screening. This year’s recipient of the Asian American Media Award went to producer JANET YANG. SHANGHAI CALLING opens in China theaters, August 10, 2012.

A special Q&A session with director Daniel Hsia, producer Janet Yang, actress Gillian Rexach, and actor Sean Gallagher moderated by program director Martha C.M. Tien, Asian CineVision immediately followed the premiere screening. A limited edition of I’m Awesome Wang t-shirts were given away to festival audience for tweeting their questions to #ShanghaiCalling.

Questions posed to cast & crew by ACV moderator Martha Tien and festival audience included: "Tell me about the casting, how did you make the choices that you made? Why was the film title changed from American Town to Shanghai Calling?" 

aaiff12 Opening Night New York Premiere SHANGHAI CALLING
Q&A session, from left, moderator Martha C.M. Tien,
program director, Asian CineVision, producer Janet Yang,
director Daniel Hsia, actress Gillian Rexach and actor Sean
Gallagher.

aaiff12 Opening Night New York Premiere SHANGHAI CALLING Q&A
session, director Daniel Hsia and producer Janet Yang.

aaiff12 Opening Night New York Premiere SHANGHAI
CALLING Q&A session, moderator Martha C.M. Tien,
program director, Asian CineVision.

aaiff12 Opening Night New York Premiere SHANGHAI
CALLING Q&A session, actor Sean Gallagher.

aaiff12 Opening Night New York Premiere
SHANGHAI CALLING Q&A session, actress
Gillian Rexach.