FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Ming Lai: 626-372-1301, minglai@pawnsoftheking.com
Michael Blair: 310-909-3548, mike@mikeblair.com

“PAWNS OF THE KING” WINS “AUDIENCE AWARD-BEST SHORT FILM”
AT THE BIG BEAR LAKE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Los Angeles, CA, September 18, 2005—“Pawns of the King,” a short film by Ming Lai (Producer/Writer/ Director) and Michael Blair (Producer/Director of Photography/Editor), won the “Audience Award-Best Short Film” at the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival.

In “Pawns of the King” (pawnsoftheking.com), a World War II Zero fighter pilot (Sab Shimono), haunted by the past, is forced to confront his fears when he meets an old enemy, a U.S. Army 442nd soldier (Michael Yama), and plays a fateful game of chess. Imperial Japanese Navy Zero fighter pilots are legendary for their battles in the Pacific. The U.S. Army 442nd Regimental Combat Team is the most decorated unit in U.S. military history and composed almost entirely of Japanese Americans. (Super 16mm/Color/Running Time: 17 Minutes)

The Big Bear Lake International Film Festival (bigbearlakefilmfestival.com) is a non-profit organization dedicated to showcasing emerging screenwriters, film talent, and independent films. Their goal is to create a forum by bringing upcoming filmmakers and industry professionals together, staged in the Big Bear Lake Community.

“Big Bear Lake is a very special place to me, my family, and our friends,” explains Lai. “We travel there every year to go fishing and have enjoyed many happy times. Our friends started a fishing club, called Hana Pa’a, and host an annual tournament there. To be able to share our film with the Big Bear Lake community and then win the ‘Audience Award-Best Short Film’ is a great honor.”

Lai says, “We’d like to thank the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival and our kind audience for this wonderful award.” Blair continues, “We’d also like to thank the many companies, organizations, and individuals who supported our project, especially Panavision, Kodak, East West Players, and Go For Broke Educational Foundation.”

“This award is a wonderful tribute to our talented actors and hardworking crew,” comments Blair. The filmmakers built a powerful cast with distinguished actors Sab Shimono, Michael Yama, Jim Ishida, Rodney Kageyama, Emily Kuroda, and Ken Takemoto. They also teamed up with award-winning composer, Scott Nagatani, to create the beautiful score. “We were honored to work with such great actors and a fine composer,” says Lai. “We learned a great deal working with them.”

ABOUT FILMMAKERS MING LAI AND MICHAEL BLAIR:

Ming Lai is a Producer/Writer/Director, and Michael Blair is a Producer/Director of Photography/Editor. Currently, Lai and Blair are developing a feature film that Lai wrote, entitled “Wall of Nanking.”  Exploring similar themes to “Pawns of the King,” the film is about a Japanese lawyer, who takes on the case of an 81-year-old Chinese woman, who claims that she was raped by a Japanese soldier during the Nanking Massacre.