The New York Asian Film Festival started yesterday with a bang. The Banquet was shown at the IFC Center (it features a star cast and crew, including the behind-the-scenes geniuses from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

Last week I made a spreadsheet listing the films I wanted to see (there are thirty showing over seventeen days). If I attended all of my picks I would have ended up spending over $150, so I prioritized some more. I’m happy with my choices and am prepared to get a lot of wonderfully colorful and emotional hits of culture.

The films touch on everything from gore to mystery, anime, action and the downright surreal. If you decide to attend, you might want to consider buying your tickets in advance - there are a few films getting a lot of buzz already, like those of John Woo (Hard Boiled) and Takashi Miike (Big Bang Love, Juvenile A). There are links to everything - tickets, trailers, synopses, etc. - on the NYAFF site. I recommend NYAFF to anybody in NY who has even a remote interest in Asian culture. This only happens once a year.