Punching at the Sun West Coast Premiere After-Party

A very unique independent film titled PUNCHING AT THE SUN
directed by Tanuj Chopra is making it's west coast premiere
on Friday March 17 at the Asian American Film Festival in
San Francisco at 7:00 pm at the Kabuki 8. Shot entirely on
the streets of Queens, NYC the film stars local teenagers
from the community and just premiered at Sundance in
January to cheering crowds. It's a film filled with humor,
pain and politics and is the first feature by a new director
with a fresh voice.

Following the premiere will be the WEST COAST PREMIERE
AFTER-PARTY starting at 9:00 pm at 111 Minna. Beats will
be laid down by Maneesh the Twister of the Dhamaal crew,
Kush Arora and Marcella (Lady-Lu). The party is also
featuring a very special live Bhangra dance performace by
Dholrhythms. Admission is $10 or $5 with a stub from the
movie and all proceeds go towards getting this movie out to
the people in 2006. It's gonna be off the hook so come
through and celebrate the spirit of independent film.

Check the link for the party flyer:

www.punchingatthesun.com/sfevents/

...and please circulate this email to your people in the bay.

peace and blessings,
Tom Rubio
associate producer


South Asian immigrant culture, post 9/11 politics, interracial
relationships, violent streets, and the American firestorm of
hip-hop culture all mix into a fierce concoction in Tanuj
Chopra's vibrant and spirited first feature, Punching at the
Sun. Elmhurst, Queens, is a rough place for Mameet Nayak,
a beautiful 17-year-old South Asian immigrant with a
passion for basketball and a hair-trigger temper. It gets
rougher when his older brother, Sanjay, is gunned down in
the family convenience store. The loss leaves Mameet in a
complicated state of mourning and adolescent nihilism. His
rage and antagonism toward the world make him a magnet
for trouble. His friends, Ritesh and Parnay, are hilarious
company, though not particularly encouraging in Mameet's
attempts to rise above the negative forces in his life. But an
adorable neighborhood sneaker salesgirl, Shawni, offers a
light of hope in cracking Mameet's self-destructive shell. And
inspiring rap performances by the charismatic MC Uncle
Sonny conjure Mameet's ability to find a sense of optimism
in a violent world that he feels is determined to view him as
an outsider. Chopra draws passionate and genuine
performances from his talented young cast, led by the gifted
Misu Khan. Urgent and contemporary, Punching at the Sun
sheds light on an American perspective rarely reflected on
the screen, and glistens with the freshness and vital energy
of a new directorial voice.


- Shari Frilot

Sundance film festival