We had such a good time at last year's Music Video Asia program, we signed up immediately for this year's screenings too. Why hasn't anyone taken our suggestion from last year and given Chi-hui Yang a video show yet? It could run on the AZN channel! We'd totally watch it.

Hip-hop made a strong showing this year: our faves included an Asian-Canadian female rapper (Masia One, with a big-ass boombox), a fun video shot in the East Bay over a high-energy Korean rap, and several moody gangster videos. Subtitles are the new pimp cup. South Asians did innovative work too, with one particularly cool bit featuring tabla drums and beatboxing.

We also loved indie rockers +/- (ex-Versus), with a catchy tune and a great video -- we're predicting it lands on Subterranean soon -- and French-Asian Lalipuna shot a beautiful formalist piece. Pinoise did very well too, with the Pacifics back in the house; Invid's hilarious Filipino exorcism party, and an music video film production company featuring someone's dad saying "xylophone."

We always leave this screening excited to have more Asian and Asian-American artists to check out. If our computer crashes at work today, it's from overdownloading .mp3s.

Picture of MC Masia One.