FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           February 23, 2007

Release No. M-19-07

MOVIE NIGHTS IN A‘ALA PARK WILL CAP CITY’S MONTH IN CHINATOWN

‘Mission Impossible IIl’ tonight; Jackie Chan double bill tomorrow

            The Month in Chinatown celebration winds up tonight and tomorrow with two exciting Movie Nights at A‘ala Park – free movies on a big screen in the park, with food, games and free entertainment for the entire family.

            Movie Night at A‘ala Park takes the Sunset on the Beach format that’s so popular in Waikiki to historic A‘ala Park on the edge of Chinatown. It’s part of the first month-long celebration of Chinese New Year and part of the effort by leading Chinese organizations and the City to jointly market Chinatown.

            “We invite everyone to take advantage of this opportunity to have fun, celebrate Chinese New Year and come and visit A‘ala Park,” said Mayor Mufi Hannemann. “Together with recent efforts by the City Department of Facility Maintenance, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Honolulu Police Department, these movie nights will help return A‘ala Park to the kind of place it was years ago, when families picnicked and children frolicked there.

            “This will be a fitting end to the outstanding success of our month-long Chinatown celebration,” said Hannemann. “We thank all of the participating groups, who have come together in an unprecedented fashion to help revitalize Chinatown.”

            The schedule of events is:

·           Today, food and craft booths open and rides and stage entertainment begin at 3:30 p.m. The movie, “Mission Impossible III,” starts at 7 p.m.

·           Tomorrow, food and craft booths open and rides and stage entertainment start at noon. A A twinbill of Jackie Chan movies – “Shanghai Noon” and “Shanghai Nights” starts at 7 p.m. A Jackie Chan look-alike/act-alike contest will be held.

             “Movie Night at A‘ala Park” was a suggestion from the Mayor’s Chinatown Summit last year, a suggestion that won a Bright Idea Award. Principal sponsors are the Chinatown Merchants Association and the City and County of Honolulu.

            Supporting sponsors are the ARTS at Marks Garage, Aloha Tower Marketplace, Celestial Film Entertainment, Hawaii International Film Festival, Hawaii Vertical Transportation, Honolulu Culture and Arts District, Jackie Chan Foundation, Jackie’s Kitchen, KBFD TV, KGMB9, Hawaiian KINE 105.1 FM, Lin & Ella Wong Foundation, McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii and Star-Bulletin/Midweek.

            Prizes are provided by McDonald’s Restaurants and Jackie’s Kitchen.  Rides and keiki ID by Heather Inflatables, Ahuna’s Tents and the Honolulu Police Department.

            Additional supporters are C&J Telecommunications, Inc., KCCN FM100, KRTR 96FM,  Power104.3FM, Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Gravity, Honolulu Chinese Jaycees, Techmonde Corp., United Chinese Coalition and the United Chinese Society.

            Parties interested in participating as a food or craft vendor should direct inquiries to Chinatown Merchants Association, 1448 Young St., Suite 18. Call 951-0350 or fax 951-0352.

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Contact:

            Bill Brennan, 527-6928

            Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767