FILM/SNEAK PEEK : ASIAN FILMMAKERS FEATURED AT FEST.

Byline: - Bob McCarthy

A grab bag of feature films, world premieres, dramas, documentaries and shorts by Asian and Asian-American filmmakers is there for the taking at the 14th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival, which opens Thursday.

Three films are making their world premieres: ``Freshmen'' by Tom Huang, a character-driven story about four young collegians who struggle with new-found personal freedom and their pasts; ``Catfish in Black Bean Sauce'' by Chi Muoi Lo, a dramatic family comedy about two Vietnamese children raised in an African-American home; and ``Much Adobo About Nothing'' by Dom Magwili and Stann Nakazono, a screwball comedy that examines modern Asian-American attitudes on romance.

The festival, which runs through May 20 at the Directors Guild of America and the Japan America Theatre, begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with the Los Angeles premiere of ``Life Tastes Good,'' the directorial debut of playwright Philip Kan Gotanda, at the DGA.

Also scheduled are Keibo Ibi's Academy Award-winning documentary about a senior-citizen acting troupe, titled ``The Personals: Improvisations on Romance in the Golden Years''; and Barbara Sonnenborn's Oscar-nominated documentary, ``Regret to Inform,'' in which the director returns to Vietnam, where her husband, Jeff, lost his life, and encounters other war widows.

Lela Lee and her animated character, Angry Little Asian Girl, are back with a new installment titled ``Hi There!''

Workshops with tips on breaking into the film business, discussions of recent successes and a discussion with Peter Chan (``He's a Woman, She's a Man'' and ``Comrades: Almost a Love Story'') are scheduled. Chan will preview his newest film for DreamWorks, ``The Love Letter,'' starring Kate Capshaw, at the May 15 ``Afternoon With a Filmmaker'' program at the Directors Guild of America Theatre. New this year is a segment focusing on cinema from Thailand.

From director Dail Sil Kim-Gibson comes a treatise about a painful chapter in modern Asian history titled ``Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women.'' The film explores the degradation and shame brought upon Korean women who were held as sex slaves in World War II for Japanese soldiers.

The closing night feature, ``The Bird People of China'' by Miike Takashi, centers around an uptight white-collar worker, a bad-tempered hit man and a forgetful guide (played by Mako) as they wander the mountains looking for a fortune in jade and a mythical village. ``The Bird People'' will screen at the Japan America Theatre.

The Directors Guild of America is at 7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. The Japan America Theatre is at 244 S. San Pedro St. in downtown's Little Tokyo. Tickets for festival events are $8.50 general admission and $6.50 for students and seniors. Closing-night tickets are $20 and $15.

For screening times and festival information, call [phone], Ext. 68. Tickets can be purchased by calling [phone].

Here's looking at you, kid

Humphrey Bogart's hat and raincoat from ``Casablanca.'' Dorothy and Toto. A ``Star Wars'' stormtrooper helmet. A deck chair from ``Titanic.'' Vivien Leigh's coat from ``Gone With the Wind.''

These bits of American movie history, which are making their way around the country as part of the American Film Institute's traveling exhibit, make their only L.A. stop today through Sunday at the Los Cerritos Mall. This celebration of the movies also features a mini-theater showing clips from the AFI's list of top 100 films, a 3-D scene from ``The Wizard of Oz,'' an animatronic Bogart, plenty of costumes and a photo opportunity in a scene from a classic motion picture.

In addition to showcasing the past, the roving exhibit also includes forward-looking displays of high-definition television and Web TV. The AFI is also promoting its three-hour CBS special on June 15 titled ``100 Years ... 100 Stars'' the AFI's follow-up to last year's 100 top American films special. This year's list of 50 screen legends will be presented by 50 current Hollywood stars.

If you've always wanted to follow the yellow brick road, then take the San Diego Freeway (405) south to the San Gabriel River Freeway (605) and head north to the South Street exit. The mall is just off the exit at 239 Los Cerritos Center.