Chinese-American film director Eric Byler was nominated in 2003 for a Independent Spirit Award for his debut feature “Charlotte Sometimes,” which also earned a nomination for actress Jacqueline Kim. His second film “Americanese,” starring Joan Chen, Chris Tashima, Allison Sie and Kelly Hu is slated for theatrical release this fall (IFC Films). Byler speaks at colleges and universities around the United States, and is known for grassroots activism and the YouTube documentaries he created during the 2006 Virginia Senate race on behalf of Sen. Jim Webb and Virginia's Asian/Pacific American community.