United Television Broadcast (UTB Channel 18.2) will be screening the award-winning “Lil Tokyo Reporter” film as part of the Nisei Week Japanese Festival celebration on Thursday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (Cable subscribers might be able to view it on other channels.)
Also, during Nisei Week, there will be a free showing at Union Church, 401 E. Third St. (at San Pedro Street) in Little Tokyo, on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m.
Filmed in downtown Los Angeles, “Lil Tokyo Reporter” is a narrative short film inspired by the life and major community contributions of newspaper publisher Sei Fujii. The story takes place in 1935 Little Tokyo, where Fujii confronts the corruption that threatens the livelihood of his community.
“The purpose of this film is to help open minds to the early historical contributions of Asian American pioneers,” said the film’s director, Jeffrey Gee Chin.
The cast includes Academy Award winner Chris Tashima (“Visas and Virtue”), Keiko Agena (“Gilmore Girls”) and Eijiro Ozaki (“Letters from Iwo Jima”).
“Lil Tokyo Reporter” has been shown in 20 film festivals across the country and has received 18 awards for best short film (7), best acting, best cinematography and best editing. It has also been screened multiple times in Japan, including the Sukagawa International Short Film Festival in Fukushima, and at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea.
DVDs are sold in Little Tokyo at Kinokuniya Bookstore, Bunkado, Rafu Bussan, and the Japanese American National Museum, and are also available online at www.ltreporter.com/ and amazon.com.