chicago

What do Vince Vaughn, the Chicago Bulls, and a restaurant that serves San Miguel and pancit have in common?  They are the answers the public gave when Victoria's Secret asked "What's Sexy Now Chicago?"  And you can't find a much bigger authority on sexiness than Victoria's Secret. 

To be fair, this is not your neighborhood Pilipino restaurant.  Sunda, which opened its doors in March of 2009, is the newest downtown place to be seen. 

The film "Brown Soup Thing" recently had a successful screening at the inaugural Filipino International Film Festival Los Angeles this past weekend (click here for what else played there), but the movie's premiere happened at the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival.  Now preparing for their 6th annual festival, it will take place in the historic Portage Theater from November 6-8, 2009, and they just announced their list of selections.  I also got the chance to talk with a former entrant to get his take on his experiences and what he wants to see come from the Pilipino film community.

While FPAC was happening on the West Coast, the Pilipino community of Chicago was also gathering together to celebrate their accomplishments and culture.  However, our gathering was a bit more focused on one aspect of our culture: the food!  The second annual Adobofest was put on by the Filipino American Network of Chicago (FAN Chicago) in order to find the city's best adobo.  During his trip to the Philippines, Anthony Bourdain was confused by the fact that there was no clear definition of what identifies Pilipino food, and concluded that it's really defined by its diversity.  That was quite clear at Adobofest, where there was everything from traditional chicken and pork adobo to adobo with plantains to tofu adobo.

There's just one week left to get your entries in for the Chicago Filipino American Film Festival (CFAFF)! Now in their 6th year, the CFAFF will take place in the historic Portage Theater in the heart of Chicago. They are looking for entries across all their categories: feature length (over an hour), shorts (under an hour), documentary (feature-length and short) and music video. There is no entry fee, and as long as the film has a Pilipino/Pilipino-American theme or has Pilipinos/Pilipino-Americans involved in its production, it's eligible to be part of the fest. You have until September 1st to submit your work!