At 22, Zachary Yoshioka would be the youngest working director in Hollywood, by far. As it is, he's ASU's only filmmaker with 14 movies and music videos on his rsum -- and a legion of low-budget cinemaniacs yearning for him to make it big. "I'd love a picture deal tomorrow," says Yoshioka, who already runs his own local production company -- Ballistic Entertainment -- and who graduates in May. "But I also love Arizona. I mean, we've got such a great following here."
Yoshioka's fan base will be out in force on Friday, April 30, when he screens his latest film, Disk Jockey, at 8 and 10 p.m. at Tempe Cinemas, 1825 East Elliot. The movie, which features stars of local wrestling company IZW and several ASU babes, tells the story of Ashley, a 16-year-old girl implanted with a mini-disk of secret information. The soundtrack includes music by Authority Zero (who will appear at the screenings) and The Format. Admission is $5. For more information, call 480-897-0677 or visit www.ballisticentertainment.com. -- Joe Watson
Band Aid
Benefit concert for Rosie's House
Fri 4/30
Funky philanthropists rock on for the kids Friday, April 30, as local bands Booby Trap (pictured) and Rising Conviction play at Chasers in Scottsdale to benefit Rosie's House, which provides free instruments and lessons to underprivileged children. Showtime is 8 p.m. at 8005 East Roosevelt. Buy tickets, $5, at boobytrapmusic.com. -- Joe Watson
Gone Ice Fashion
LabelHorde hosts designers fashion show
Sat 5/1
The local fashion scene is moving downtown -- or, rather, to town, as LabelHorde magazine hosts its second local designers show, "Stitch," at the Icehouse, 429 West Jackson, on Saturday, May 1. The success of LabelHorde's first show in November -- in spite of the farm stench of northeast Mesa -- created such prêt-à-porter pandemonium that an all-day shopping fair was added to the runway extravaganza, which features 70 local designers. "Stitch" begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $2 to shop, $10 to $30 for the show. See labelhorde.com for details. -- Joe Watson
Local Colores
Join the fiesta during the Latino/a Arts Festival
4/29-5/2
Cheech Marin's blunt-smokin' movie character may have spawned a generation of loafs, but Marin himself, a serious collector of Chicano art, has had a much more fruitful effect. Gary Keller, director of ASU's Hispanic Research Center, says it was a run-in with Marin in late 2002 that inspired the local Latino/a Arts Festival, which continues through Sunday, May 2, at venues in Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe.
"The festival is the unanticipated culmination of ASU's commitment to Latina/Latino arts," says Keller, who helped start the first festival last May. The event includes an art auction, a mercado, a tribute to Pablo Neruda and a lowrider car exhibition. For a schedule, visit www.latinoartcommunity.org. -- Ashlea Deahl