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LOS ANGELES, CA -- Even Rob Schneider wanted to watch Brown Soup Thing. And he left the building the same way the rest of a packed Los Angeles Theatre Center did: entertained and hungry.

The premiere of the acclaimed Brown Soup Thing in Los Angeles was a star-studded, red carpet affair that had fans laughing, craving food, and able to relate to the Filipino American experience from the unique vantage point of writer/director Edward J. Mallillin. Combining laughs, characters that the audience could relate to, and Mallillin's thought-provoking observations on Filipino life in America, Brown Soup Thing left a strong, positive impression at the Filipino International Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Words by Edward J. Mallillin

There's been a wave of hilarious Pilipino American comics in the last several years.  Jo Koy, Justin Rivera, and Joey Guila especially come to mind.  But before all of them, there was Rex Navarrete, who has been making audiences laugh for two decades with his signature brand of comedy geared towards Philippine Americans.

You might say he's the comedian for us.  

Words by Edward J. Mallillin, Images by Stephanie Drutman

Okay, now this was fun.  I was already planning on going to Dodger Stadium for their first Filipino Heritage Night (the first of many to come, I am sure).  It's not hard to twist my arm when it comes a beautiful summer night in iconic Dodger Stadium, with a couple of thousand Philippine fans and Dodger Dogs, and with Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals coming to town.  It's a no-brainer.

words & images by Edward J. Mallillin

The Three Filipino Tenors kicked-off a star-studded night in song.  Then, actress/host Tamlyn Tomita welcomed the packed house by speaking in Tagalog.

Pilipinos were well-represented last night at the East West Players 43rd Anniversary Visionary Awards Dinner and Silent Auction at the Hilton in Universal City.

Since 1965, the EWP has served as "the nation's pre-eminent Asian American theater troupe" (New York Times) and served as one of the most prestigious organizations to showcase the talents of Asian American entertainers.  Their annual Visionary Awards salutes many artists who have helped to raise the visibility of the Asian Pacific American community.