Date: 04/06/2009

San José State's Spartan Film Studios Produces First Big Hit

Contact:
Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU Media Relations, 408-924-1748

SAN JOSÉ, Calif., -- In the strongest sign yet that San José State's Spartan Film Studios has produced its first big hit, Camera Cinemas will screen "All About Dad," a Vietnamese-American coming-of-age flick, for paying audiences at its downtown theater beginning Friday, April 17. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has seen the film, which rivals the finest independent pictures in writing, acting, costumes, sets and cinematography.

The Camera Cinemas engagement comes on the heels of the film's outstanding showing at Cinequest, downtown San José's renowned annual film festival held in March. "All About Dad" played to sell-out crowds, winning the Audience Award for Best Feature. Mark Tran, who wrote and directed the film while an SJSU student and recent graduate, will receive a commendation from the San José City Council Tuesday, April 7.

"I'm overwhelmed. I didn't know such a small film would reach so many audiences of different cultures," Tran said. "I got a call from a Vietnamese father who said he wished he'd seen the film 20 years ago because he would have learned how to be a better father from it."

Not that the film's appeal is limited to San José, home to most of the cast and crew. "All About Dad" will also be shown at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, widely recognized as the most prestigious event of its kind nationwide. Tran wrote much of the script in Vietnamese based on his personal experiences, raising the film's relevancy to Vietnamese speakers of all ages. The flick follows the lives of a Vietnamese-American family of six, including four college-age children struggling to reconcile their father's expectations with their own dreams.

Next up for Tran is a paying job directing action film "Saigon California," which will feature top Vietnamese-American talent including Dustin Nguyen ("21 Jump Street") and Long Nguyen ("Journey from the Fall"). Spartan Film Studios is San José State's film production company. Housed in the Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre, the program provides students the academic and professional training they need to work in the film industry. SJSU's Barnaby Dallas is the program's director of productions.

Visit the "All About Dad" site.

Watch the "All About Dad" trailer.

Read more on "All About Dad" at Camera Cinemas.

Read more on the Cinequest award.

Read more on the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

San José State -- Silicon Valley's largest institution of higher learning with 32,700 students and 5,000 employees -- is part of the California State University system. SJSU's 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation's 10th largest city.