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 A SHOESTRING TROPHY
AT THE ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Los Angeles, CA, May 4, 2006—“Pawns of the King,” a short film by Ming Lai (Producer/Writer/ Director) and Michael Blair (Producer/Director of Photography/Editor), wins a Shoestring Trophy at the Rochester 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 Rochester International Film Festival (rochesterfilmfest.org) is the United States’ longest independent film festival. Its organizer, Movies on a Shoestring, was founded in 1959 by a group of Rochester-area movie enthusiasts to provide a venue for independent filmmakers to present their cinematic creations. The name was a double entendre: most amateur filmmakers shot on 8mm back then, and the narrowness of the stock led its detractors to call it "the shoestring gauge."

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this long-running film festival,” says Lai. “And we’re deeply honored to receive their prestigious Shoestring Trophy.” Blair adds, “We appreciate the hard work of Movies on a Shoestring in supporting independent filmmakers.” Lai continues, “Finding distribution for short films is extremely hard, but through this and other respected film festivals, we’re able to reach our audience.”  

The film festival took place at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. Lai comments, “My father was a photographer. So I grew up with Kodak film. Inspired by my father, I’ve also become an avid photographer and love using this film. Kodak is a major sponsor of our short film, donating much of our film stock. To be able to screen our short film at the historic George Eastman House is a great honor. I think my father would be very proud.”

"Pawns of the King" has been selected to screen at 26 film festivals across the country and recently won the “Best in Show” Award at the Fort Lee Asian-American Film festival.

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.