Eric Byler
Encyclopedia
Eric Byler is an American
film director
, screenwriter
and political activist. He identifies as hapa
biracial
, born to a Chinese American
mother and a white American
father. He grew up in Virginia
, Hawaii
(where he attended Moanalua High School
), and California
. He graduated from Wesleyan University
in 1994, majoring in film. He currently lives in Gainesville, Virginia
.
in 1995, went on to win six film festival awards, and was a regional finalist in the Student Academy Awards
.
His first feature film, Charlotte Sometimes
was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards
in 2003, including the John Cassavetes
Award for Best Feature under $500,000, and a Best Supporting Actress award for Jacqueline Kim. The film was called "Fascinating and illuminating" by film critic Roger Ebert
, and won the Audience Award at South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW), the Special Jury Award at the Florida Film Festival, and the Best Dramatic Feature at the San Diego Asian Film Festival
. The film was distributed theatrically by Visionbox Media and Small Planet Pictures before being released on DVD.
Byler's second feature is the Charlotte Sometimes quasi-sequel, TRE which was the winner of the Special Jury Award at the 2007 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
. TRE was distributed in theaters and on DVD (May 6, 2008) by Cinema Libre Studio.
His third feature, Americanese
, is an adaptation of Shawn Wong
's seminal Asian American
novel, "American Knees
." It won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW, in addition to a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast, which includes Chris Tashima
, Allison Sie, Joan Chen
and Kelly Hu
. It was acquired by IFC First Take
. He also directed the PBS / ITVS
Television pilot
, My Life Disoriented.
His most recent feature film, "9500 Liberty" (co-directed with Annabel Park
), is a documentary about immigration and politics. "9500 Liberty" won the Breakthrough Filmmaker Award at the 2010 Phoenix Film Festival, the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 Charlotte Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 St. Louis International Film Festival.
He is a member of the Directors Guild of America
and the Writers Guild of America
.
. Byler directed and edited the "How we Started" video for Coffee Party USA, the "National Kick-off" video, and other videos that appear on the Coffee Party YouTube channel,. Coffee Party USA http://www.coffeepartyusa.com is coalition that began as a fan page on Facebook.
During the 2008 presidential primary
, Byler volunteered as co-director (along with Warren Fu) of a music video of a song written and performed by artist Andres Useche
, entitled "Si Se Puede Cambiar
", in support of Sen. Barack Obama
. The video was released on YouTube
on February 22, 2008 and was viewed more than half a million times.
In 2007, Byler volunteered and created YouTube videos for the "121 Coalition" a national grassroots organization that helped to pass House Resolution 121
, urging the Japanese government to acknowledge and apologize for military rape camps (comfort women
) during World War II
. The resolution passed on July 30, 2007.
In the fall of 2006, Byler participated as a volunteer in Virginia U.S. Senate election
. In response to incumbent Sen. George Allen's use of the term "Macaca
" on the campaign trail, referring to a South Asian American student from the University of Virginia
, Byler and others rallied the Asian American community together, forming a group calling themselves "Real Virginians for Webb" and supporting Allen's democratic opponent, Jim Webb
. Their efforts can be credited as a significant contributing factor to Webb's eventual victory, where he won the final vote count by a margin of less than 9,000.
Byler also is a content producer for the interactive documentary "2010 Okinawa" exploring the controversy over U.S. bases in Okinawa.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and political activist. He identifies as hapa
Hapa
Hapa is a Hawaiian language term used to describe a person of mixed Asian or Pacific Islander racial or ethnic heritage.-Etymology:In the Hawaiian language, hapa is defined as: portion, fragment, part, fraction, installment; to be partial, less. It is a loan from the English word half...
biracial
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
, born to a Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
mother and a white American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
father. He grew up in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
(where he attended Moanalua High School
Moanalua High School
Moanalua High School is a public, co-educational college preparatory high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education and serves grades nine through twelve. Established in 1972 and graduated its first class in 1975, Moanalua High School is located in suburban Salt Lake near Moanalua in the...
), and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He graduated from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in 1994, majoring in film. He currently lives in Gainesville, Virginia
Gainesville, Virginia
-Demographics:Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the census estimate of 2009, there were 28,662 people, 10,300 households, and 8,604 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile . There were 10,300 housing units...
.
Filmmaker
Byler's senior thesis film, Kenji's Faith, premiered at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 1995, went on to win six film festival awards, and was a regional finalist in the Student Academy Awards
Student Academy Awards
The Student Academy Awards is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' annual competition for college and university filmmakers. The awards were originally named the Student Film Awards and were first presented in 1973. Since 1975, the awards have been given annually, usually in June...
.
His first feature film, Charlotte Sometimes
Charlotte Sometimes (film)
Charlotte Sometimes is a 2002 film written, directed, and produced by Eric Byler.-Plot:Nominated for two 2003 Independent Spirit Awards, and hailed by Roger Ebert as a breakthrough for Asian American filmmakers, Charlotte Sometimes is a "mysterious and erotic" romance exploring the kinds of love...
was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
in 2003, including the John Cassavetes
John Cassavetes
John Nicholas Cassavetes was an American actor, screenwriter and filmmaker. He acted in many Hollywood films, notably Rosemary's Baby and The Dirty Dozen...
Award for Best Feature under $500,000, and a Best Supporting Actress award for Jacqueline Kim. The film was called "Fascinating and illuminating" by film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, and won the Audience Award at South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW), the Special Jury Award at the Florida Film Festival, and the Best Dramatic Feature at the San Diego Asian Film Festival
San Diego Asian Film Festival
The San Diego Asian Film Festival is an annual event organized by the San Diego Asian Film Foundation. The festival was first held in 2000 at the University of San Diego by the Asian American Journalists Association of San Diego.-Organization Overview:...
. The film was distributed theatrically by Visionbox Media and Small Planet Pictures before being released on DVD.
Byler's second feature is the Charlotte Sometimes quasi-sequel, TRE which was the winner of the Special Jury Award at the 2007 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
. TRE was distributed in theaters and on DVD (May 6, 2008) by Cinema Libre Studio.
His third feature, Americanese
Americanese
Americanese is a 2006 American independent film acquired by IFC Films but not yet released. It is a romantic drama about the break-up of a couple, about love and memory, and how race plays into the lives of contemporary Asian Americans and Hapa/mixed-race Americans.- Background :The film was...
, is an adaptation of Shawn Wong
Shawn Wong
Shawn Hsu Wong is an author and Professor of English and former Director of the University Honors Program , Chair of the Department of English , and Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Washington where he has been on the faculty since 1984...
's seminal Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
novel, "American Knees
American Knees
American Knees is a novel written by Shawn Wong, first published in 1995 by Simon & Schuster. It is currently published by the University of Washington Press...
." It won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at SXSW, in addition to a Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Cast, which includes Chris Tashima
Chris Tashima
Chris Tashima is a Japanese American actor and director. He is co-founder of the entertainment company Cedar Grove Productions and Artistic Director of its Asian American theatre company, Cedar Grove OnStage. He is the son of U.S. Circuit Judge A. Wallace Tashima...
, Allison Sie, Joan Chen
Joan Chen
Joan Chong Chen is a Chinese American actress, film director, screenwriter and film producer. She became famous in China for her performance in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to international attention for her performance in the 1987 Academy Award-winning film The Last Emperor...
and Kelly Hu
Kelly Hu
Kelly Ann Hu is an American actress and former fashion model. She was Miss Teen USA 1985 and Miss Hawaii USA 1993.-Early life:Hu was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of Juanita, an engineering drafter for Honolulu, and Herbert Hu, a salesman and exotic bird breeder; the two divorced during...
. It was acquired by IFC First Take
IFC Films
IFC Films is an American film distribution company based in New York, owned by AMC Networks. It distributes independent films and documentaries under the IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. It operates the IFC Center....
. He also directed the PBS / ITVS
ITVS
Independent Television Service is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries and dramas on public television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly series Independent Lens and Global Voices on PBS....
Television pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, My Life Disoriented.
His most recent feature film, "9500 Liberty" (co-directed with Annabel Park
Annabel Park
Annabel Park is a documentary filmmaker, political activist and community volunteer.- Early years :Born in 1968 in Seoul, South Korea, Annabel immigrated to the United States with her family when she was nine years old, and was raised in Texas and Maryland...
), is a documentary about immigration and politics. "9500 Liberty" won the Breakthrough Filmmaker Award at the 2010 Phoenix Film Festival, the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 Charlotte Film Festival, and the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2009 St. Louis International Film Festival.
He is a member of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
and the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
.
Netroots Organizer
In February 2010, Byler cofounded the Coffee Party, along with Annabel ParkAnnabel Park
Annabel Park is a documentary filmmaker, political activist and community volunteer.- Early years :Born in 1968 in Seoul, South Korea, Annabel immigrated to the United States with her family when she was nine years old, and was raised in Texas and Maryland...
. Byler directed and edited the "How we Started" video for Coffee Party USA, the "National Kick-off" video, and other videos that appear on the Coffee Party YouTube channel,. Coffee Party USA http://www.coffeepartyusa.com is coalition that began as a fan page on Facebook.
During the 2008 presidential primary
United States presidential primary
The series of presidential primary elections and caucuses is one of the first steps in the process of electing the President of the United States of America. The primary elections are run by state and local governments, while caucuses are private events run by the political parties...
, Byler volunteered as co-director (along with Warren Fu) of a music video of a song written and performed by artist Andres Useche
Andres Useche
Andrés Useche is an award-winning writer, film director, graphic artist and singer/songwriter.-Early life:...
, entitled "Si Se Puede Cambiar
Sí Se Puede Cambiar
"Sí, Se Puede Cambiar" is a song and music video created in support of Sen. Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. However, the video has no official ties to the Obama campaign. The song was written by Andres Useche...
", in support of Sen. Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. The video was released on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on February 22, 2008 and was viewed more than half a million times.
In 2007, Byler volunteered and created YouTube videos for the "121 Coalition" a national grassroots organization that helped to pass House Resolution 121
United States House of Representatives House Resolution 121
United States House of Representatives House Resolution 121 is a resolution about comfort women which Japanese-American Congressman Mike Honda of California's 15th congressional district introduced to the American House of Representatives in 2007...
, urging the Japanese government to acknowledge and apologize for military rape camps (comfort women
Comfort women
The term "comfort women" was a euphemism used to describe women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.Estimates vary as to how many women were involved, with numbers ranging from as low as 20,000 from some Japanese scholars to as high as 410,000 from some Chinese...
) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The resolution passed on July 30, 2007.
In the fall of 2006, Byler participated as a volunteer in Virginia U.S. Senate election
Virginia United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George Allen ran for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jim Webb.-Background:...
. In response to incumbent Sen. George Allen's use of the term "Macaca
Macaca (slur)
Macaca is a word used by George Allen in 2006 that began a controversy because it sounds similar to the French word "macaque". It was reported by journalists to be a racial slur against African immigrants in some European cultures; and by Zairian painter Tshibumba Kanda Matulu to be a pejorative...
" on the campaign trail, referring to a South Asian American student from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, Byler and others rallied the Asian American community together, forming a group calling themselves "Real Virginians for Webb" and supporting Allen's democratic opponent, Jim Webb
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
. Their efforts can be credited as a significant contributing factor to Webb's eventual victory, where he won the final vote count by a margin of less than 9,000.
Byler also is a content producer for the interactive documentary "2010 Okinawa" exploring the controversy over U.S. bases in Okinawa.
Filmography
- Kenji's Faith (1994) student thesis
- Charlotte SometimesCharlotte Sometimes (film)Charlotte Sometimes is a 2002 film written, directed, and produced by Eric Byler.-Plot:Nominated for two 2003 Independent Spirit Awards, and hailed by Roger Ebert as a breakthrough for Asian American filmmakers, Charlotte Sometimes is a "mysterious and erotic" romance exploring the kinds of love...
(2003) — director, writer, producer, editor - My Life Disoriented (2006) — director, producer
- Americanese (unreleased) — director, screen-adaptation
- TRE (2008) — director, writer
- 9500 Liberty9500 Liberty9500 Liberty is a 2009 documentary film about the struggle over immigration in Prince William County, Virginia. It was directed by Annabel Park and Eric Byler....
(2009) — director, writer, editor
External links
- Coffee Party USA (2010)
- 9500Liberty (2009)
- Charlotte Sometimes (2003) trailer
- Tre (2008)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ky8Hvq-F0U"Si Se Puede Cambiar" Obama Music Video on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
] - http://throughourlens.asianweek.com/Through Our Lens Political BlogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
on AsianWeekAsianWeekAsianWeek was a widely circulated publication of Asian American news, across all Asian ethnic groups, providing coverage of Asian-American issues such as the killing of Vincent Chin, Asian American college admissions, and quotas on Chinese students in competitive San Francisco examination schools...
.com]