Kearny Street Workshop presents the 6th annual APAture, September 14-25, 2004

apature 2004: artists

Featured Artists   |   Participating Artists   |   APAture Retrospective Artists

The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors
Matthew Abaya
 Derek Kirk Kim
Shailja Patel
 Erika Shuch
The Skyflakes
 Kana Tanaka

Matthew Abaya: Film


 still from 1998 short Earthworms still from 2000 short f(x)  
Above: Film Featured Artist Matthew Abaya and stills from 1998 short "Earthworms" and 2000 short "f(x)." Abaya will screen "Earthworms and other works at APAture 2004's Film and Video Night, Sept. 23. Kearny Street Workshop's APAture: A Window on the Art of Young Asian Pacific Americans runs Sept. 14-25 at SomArts Cultural Center, SF. (Courtesy Vector Frankenstein Productions)  

Matthew Abaya studied cinema at the College of San Mateo and City College of San Francisco while majoring in Asian Americans Studies at San Francisco State University. He is particularly interested in horror and science fiction films as way to communicate relevant Asian American themes to the masses. He premiered the 1st Asian American Vampire short "Embrace Madness" in 1999 which later went on to screen across the US, Canada and the Philippines and earning an A. Media Ammy award nomination for best short film. Abaya is the 1st recipient of the FA/Cine + UFAAFRA Cinematic Vision Award for his accomplishments in the horror genera. He is currently working on his first feature film while interning at San Francisco States Digital Media Intensive Program, curating short film programs and teaching in the bay area.

And more about Matthew Abaya:

Matthew J. Abaya was APAture 1999's co-founder and the sole film and video curator. He feels that his involvement with APAture was his most rewarding experience as a filmmaker in the bay area because it gave him the ability to meet and network with some of San Francisco's best emerging (h)APA talents. He will miss being a part of APAture's Film and Video Night.

Matthew Abaya has never been afraid to take chances with his work. He has been making short films and videos since the age of eight and he took particular interest in the science fiction and horror genera when he was in high school. He attended film school at City College of San Francisco and the Collage of Mateo while earning his BA in Asian American Studies. In film school, he produced four short sci-fi/horror films titled [f(x)], Earthworms, Embrace Madness and Bampinay. Bampinay, his most recent work, will serve as the catalyst to a feature length film with the same title.

His work appeared in several film festivals and they left a lasting impression on what could be achieved on a modest budget. A short list of festivals included, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, Visual Communications in LA, Arkipelago in New York, Chicago Asian Showcase, CineManila in the Philippines, The Seattle Underground Film Fest, the Freaky Film Festival in Illinois and of course APAture (1999 - Embrace Madness, 2000 - [f(x)], and 2003 - Bampinay).

His short film "Embarce Madness" was nominated for the first AMMY award. Last year, his collective body of shorts was honored with the FA/Cine + UFAAFRA Vision Award by the Filipino community in the Bay Area.

Although Matthew has worked on many documentaries, dramas, music videos and comedies, he feels his work in the horror/sci-fi genera will have its lasting impact on giving (h)APA actors wider roles in the mass media.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

"Science fiction and horror films are the best crossover generas because it allows us to be able to talk about some of the real world's most difficult topics in a fictional universe."

Still from Abaya's 1998 short "Earthworms." (Courtesy Vector Frankenstein Productions)

 

 

» Next Artist: Derek Kirk Kim


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