Regardless of the bruised condition of the U.S. economy to recent years, the film industry has witnessed an unparalleled explosion of growth and talent. The American film industry continues to dominate the world market, and lately Americans have even made their mark with small, culturally significant films, which traditionally were seen as the last bastion of European privilege and arrogance.

American independent filmmakers have produced an astonishingly impressive body of work over the past few years, creating a ripple effect that at times bears closer resemblance to a tidal wave. The Fassbinders and the Fellinis of the 21st century are not likely to be found agonizing over Sartre in a leftbank cafe, but more probably behind the counter of a 7-11 serving up Big Gulps and burritos in Baltimore. This column will attempt to get to the beating heart of the world's various film festivals, reporting on the continued emergence of new forces and powers erupting onto the film scene.

The Puget Sound region is host to several groundbreaking film festivals held throughout the year. Two of the upcoming showcases include the Seventh Northwest International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and the inaugural Seattle Asian American Film Festival.

The Seattle Asian American Film Festival will take place May 6th through 9th. Themes that continue to confront Asian-Americans in contemporary society are explored in films such as Ang Lee's 1991 Pushing Hands, a humorous look at the inevitable culture clash between the "new" and "old" worlds of New York and Taiwan. Lee is at the forefront of emerging Asian artistic efforts in America, and is best known for his critically acclaimed The Wedding Banquet, which involved the questions of assimilation and conflicting social mores.

Highlighting the festival will be the the "lost masterpiece of Asian-American film history" by Japanese-American Sessue Hayakawa, entitled The Dragon Painter. Recently rediscovered in a basement in France and painstakingly restored, this 1919 milestone represents a veritable Dead Sea Scrolls of Asian American frlmmaking, delineating an inspirational as well as historical starting point for the Asian-American filmmaker.

Sihung Lung in Pushing Hands by Ang Lee (The Wedding Banquet).

The Seventh Northwest International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will be held from April 29th until May 1st in Olympia. Gay and lesbian issues have increasingly taken center stage in the American forum. According to festival organizers, "Gay is in" and this sentiment is certainly reflected in the trend of gay films becoming increasingly accepted by the "mainstream." The current crop of offerings from the gay film world are representative of a genre that is expanding and diversifying at an amazing rate, making it almost impossible to pinpoint any specific trends. The media myths surrounding the AIDS epidemic is confronted in the opening night feature Zero Patience by Canadian filmmaker John Greyson. Greyson deconstructs the myths regarding the origin of the AIDS epidemic in the form of a dark musical comedy guaranteed to simultaneously rankle and entertain.

Oscar and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong will undoubtedly add gasoline to the fire concerning the debate over gays in the military with the presentation of Coming Out Under Fire, his 1994 documentary on the role of gays and lesbians serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. Dong will be present at the Saturday night screening for a question and answer session following this Northwest premiere.   If you miss his April 30th screening of the film in Olympia, Arthur Dong will be presenting his film again at the Asian American Film Festival in Seattle on May 9th with a personal appearance at the screening and closing night party.

The American independent film explosion continues unabated, inspiring others to make their creative voices heard. These two festivals are tangible evidence of a revolution in filmmaking. The continued emergence of first-rate festivals such as these, combined with the heightened interest in filmmaking in general, should ensure a bountiful future for American independents. MM