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THE 41ST ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
festival Sponsors PRESENTED BY
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4 | FESTIVAL SPONSORS
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PUBLIC SUPPORT PUBLIC SUPPORT
CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS & PARTNERS
FESTIVAL SPONSORS | 5
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
THE 41ST ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IS MADE POSSIBLE BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, ASIA SOCIETY, NIELSEN, SAG-AFTRA, CADILLAC HOUSE, AND THE FRIENDS OF ACV. INCUBATED AT THE MADE IN NY MEDIA CENTER BY IFP.
6 | FESTIVAL SPONSORS
T H E C I T Y O F N EW Y O R K O FFI C E O F T H E M A Y O R N EW Y O R K , N Y 1 0 0 0 7
July 25, 2018
Dear Friends: It is a pleasure to join Asian CineVision in welcoming everyone to the 41st Annual Asian American International Film Festival. New York is the proud home to residents who hail from every corner of the map, and this remarkable multiculturalism is reflected in our dynamic artistic landscape. For more than four decades, Asian CineVision has strengthened our vital film sector through its programs that support the development and promotion of independent films and videos made by people of Asian heritage in the five boroughs and beyond. Its flagship film festival is a much anticipated annual event that brings together film professionals and enthusiasts from the United States and around the world for networking events, panel discussions, and screenings of diverse works by and about Asians and Asian Americans. As you gather to enjoy a variety of captivating productions, I applaud AAIFF’s organizers and supporters for their commitment to nurture the talent of emerging and established artists and engage New Yorkers of all backgrounds through the power of visual storytelling. On behalf of all New Yorkers, Chirlane and I offer congratulations to everyone whose work is being featured this week. Please accept our best wishes for a wonderful festival and continued success. Sincerely,
Bill de Blasio Mayor
AAIFF STAFF ACV Executive Director
Jazmin Williams Box Office Coordinator
Ja-Ann Wang Community Partnership Coordinator
Jen Kim Kayla Wong
Kyle Bhiro Guest Services Coordinator
Jospehine Chu Events Coordinator
Programming
William Zhou Operations Assistant
Kenny Shimm Outreach Assistant
Molly Wang Programming Manager
Marketing
Prisca Choe Community Partnership Coordinator
Cecilia Mejia Screenplay Curator
Shefali Lohia Marketing Manager
Jeff Louie Panels Curator
Annie Ning Email Marketing Coordinator
Kris Montello Programming Coordinator
Beau Blumenthal Marketing Assistant
Samantha Seid For Youth by Youth Curator
Claire Chang Program Book Designer
Tina Tran Panels Curator
David Koh Graphic Designer
Wynton Wong Programming Coordinator
Jessica Lee Social Media Coordinator
Zhijia Cheng Programming Coordinator
Ying Yu Situ Editorial/CineVue Coordinator
Operations
Development
Eunice Chen Operations Manager
Michael Dong Development Manager
Chris Gultiano Data Consultant
Beryl Lin Public Relations Coordinator
Chuyao Abigail He Technical Coordinator
Charissa Isidro Sponsorship Coordinator
David Rances Asstistant Operations Manager
Christine Chan Sponsorship Coordinator
John C. Woo
Festival Co-Directors
8 | STAFF
Yifei Wang Sponsorship Coordinator
Screening Team Chan Lin Chuyao Abigail He Dennis Hu Edward Pokropski Gene Wang Ja-Ann Wang Jazmin Williams Julie Tran Maya Lin Delany Michael Dong Rachel Yong Roland Lazarte Son Duong William Zhou
CONTENTS 8 welcome 12 festival schedule 15 ticket info 17 cinevue: interview 22 awards & jurors 29 spotlights 40 shorts program 54 narrative features 60 documentary features 66 special events
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DISTRACT ME NOT
I
n a year of endless distractions, alternative facts, systematic looting of our democratic institutions, toxic nationalism, lies upon lies upon lies, there’s one thing left to be said: don’t despair, resist.
We have fuel for our cause. The filmmakers selected for the 41st Asian American International Film Festival have risen to the challenge, presenting work that confronts everyday injustices with empathy, passion, humor, and grace. Asian CineVision is honored to open the 41st Asian American International Film Festival with SEARCHING, the feature film debut by Aneesh Chaganty, starring John Cho and Deborah Messing. We’ll close with the New York premiere of ULAM: MAIN DISH, a documentary that follows the rise of the Filipino food movement as chefs have crossed over from the margins to the center of the American table. In between, over ten days, the talents and perseverance of over 100 media makers will light up movie screens. In all, this has been a remarkable year for Asian Pacific Islander American cultural production. Represent! I am grateful to our 2018 venue partners and community partners for sharing these remarkable stories with their communities. Thank you to all the AAIFF41 sponsors and contributors for your ongoing support, which makes this work possible. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to the intrepid AAIFF41 staff and volunteers. One would think that after 41 years the work would get easier, but in fact it only gets harder, and so thank you to the entire AAIFF41 organizing team for your dedication. To AAIFF41 Festival Co-directors Kayla Wong and Jen Kim, Program Manager Molly Yuan and her programming team, Marketing Director Shefali Lohia, Development Manager Michael Dong and his staff, Operations team veterans Eunice Chen and David Rances, Box Office Manager Jazmin Williams whose hard work keeps everything chugging along on time and on track: you have assembled and executed an incredible program with social justice, inclusion, and equality as our guiding principles, and we should all be very proud. Finally, we remember just a few of the cultural giants whose courage, vision, and work ethic will continue to inspire the coming generations of storytellers: Sam Shepard, Tom Petty, Fats Domino, Chris Cornell, Harry Dean Stanton, Chuck Berry, Dick Gregory, and our fellow New Yorkers Jimmy Breslin, Anthony Bourdain, and ACV friend, the photographer Robin Holland, you are missed. John C. Woo Executive Director
10 | WELCOME LETTERS
FROM THE FESTIVAL CO-DIRECTORS AMPLIFY
V
erb: to expand by the use of detail or illustration or by closer analysis to make larger or greater in amount, importance, or intensity to increase the strength or amount of, especially to make louder
We are living in a truly inspiring time. In a landmark year, we cried our eyes out watching the first Pixar short directed by a woman; celebrated the announcement of the first Asian American woman to direct a DC superhero blockbuster; dropped our jaws in awe as an ex-WWE athlete turned superstar was officially recognized as the highest paid actor in history; cheered on the first Lead Actress Emmy Award nomination by a woman of Asian descent; and are hoping that summer lasts just a little longer so we can consume even more of the rapidly growing number of mainstream films and major network shows being released STARRING Asian Americans. We ourselves at AAIFF41 experienced a record number of submissions representing all seven continents, and sensed more than ever our filmmakers’ yearning to be seen, heard and understood. Our amazing volunteer staff of bright and resourceful young professionals is larger than usual because each approached us with an undeniable hunger to join our efforts in tackling a challenge bigger than ourselves. And with all this happening in front of and behind the camera, it’s so easy to assume “we’ve made it.” We can ride the waves of diversity initiatives until the well dries up, or we can actively commit to building the next steps on the platform we’ve just created; reach the podium, and have our communities heard. For our part, we’ve been working on hosting the biggest celebration of APIA filmmaking in New York City. It’s our goal to provide films, panels and (an excessive number of) parties that energize and move you, and to create a hub of collaborators and mentors from both near and far. We hope to provide a space for you to hear the stories behind the stories, share some of your own, and create new projects together. So, what do you have to say? Jen Kim & Kayla Wong Co-Directors
WELCOME LETTERS | 11
FROM THE PROGRAMMING MANAGER
D
ear audiences: Two years ago, I came to the U.S. for a graduate program at a film school and during my second semester, I became involved with the Asian American International Film Festival. I still remember the afternoon when John interviewed me. We spent more than four hours talking about my academic interest in Hong Kong films. I told him that the very reason why I long to work for the Film Festival is the love I have for the Hong Kong New Wave filmmakers. Some of them, such as Tsui Hark, founded this Film Festival before going back to Hong Kong to create the New Wave. Then John brought up something that pivoted the conversation for me: beyond just screening films, the Film Festival emphasized providing a platform for the Asian American community. At that time, I didn’t have much knowledge about Asian American history or culture. However, after two years of watching Asian American films created by filmmakers from all around the world, I obtained more colorful perspectives toward understanding Asian American identity. After programming for the Film Festival, I think we have an underlying mission, which is to explore the question we have constantly been running up against: What does it mean to be Asian American? Films will not offer an answer but will continuously raise up the question from different angles. When our programming team picked from over seven hundred film submissions, we paid attention to not only the quality but also the diversity of Asian American storytelling. Some of the programs present national trauma through personal memory, while others showcase the Asian American filmmaker’s talent for creating a cinematic world. It’s tough for us to strike a perfect balance, but we tried our best to exhaust the manner of asking that critical question of what it means to be Asian American. Now I have another question in mind, but it’s meant for you—of all the film fests in all the cities in all of the world, why do you choose to come to ours? I don’t have an answer, but I always feel incredibly flattered whenever I think about it. Unlike mainstream theaters which only pick up major theatrical releases meant to sell, film fests pick up films that might only make the circuit of festival distribution. Our Film Fest falls into this category. As long as we can successfully bring filmmakers and films that meet the appetite of audiences who are eager for more Asian and Asian American storytelling, that would be the greatest happiness for our team. Cinema is the place where audiences can cry alone or laugh with others, and film festivals bring the right films to their audiences. In this light, a film festival is an everlasting fantasy for me. I hope you will feel understood, inspired, or even challenged at our screenings, and thank you very much for coming to our Film Festival. Sincerely yours, Molly Wang Programming Manager
12 | WELCOME LETTERS
Winner of the 2016 & 2015 San Francisco International Wine Competition
BEST SAKE
DOUBLE GOLD MEDALS
Naturally gluten free, low in sugar and preservative free. Produced in Niigata, Japan by Taiyo Shuzo (est. 1635)
95 POINTS
THU 7.26
WED 7.25
festival schedule VEC-1
7:00PM | (101 MIN) + Q&A
VEC-2
YOROZUYA DETECTIVE STORY
6:00PM | (91 MIN)
VEC-3
CUNY
FRI 7.27
OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION & RECEPTION: SEARCHING
CRIME + PUNISHMENT
ON THE EDGE
6:00PM | (101 min) + Q&A
8:15PM | (91 MIN) + Q&A
WOMEN IN FILM: ON THE SCREEN AND BEHIND THE CAMERA
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: AAPI ACTIVISM IN FILM
3:00PM
5:30PM
VEC-2
WHEN WE GROW UP
INVISIBLE HANDS
5:30PM | (96 MIN) + Q&A
8:00PM | (80 MIN) + Q&A
WOMEN OF ALL AGES
VEC-3
SAT 7.28
1-2-3 GASPING FOR AIR 8:00PM | (104 MIN)
5:30PM | (118 MIN) + Q&A
VEC-2
72-HOUR SHOOTOUT
WHITE RABBIT
12:30PM
2:45PM | (71 MIN)
VEC-3
WORTH FIGHTING FOR 1:00PM | (92 MIN)
LETTER FROM MASANJIA 3:00PM | (75 MIN)
14 | FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
MEDITATION PARK 8:00PM | (94 MIN) + Q&A
EVOLVING IMMIGRANTS 4:30PM | (98 MIN) BADASS BEAUTY QUEEN
4:45PM | (70 MIN) + SHORT: I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY (25 MIN)
CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION & RECEPTION: DEAD PIGS
7:00PM | (130 MIN)
CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION & RECEPTION: LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY
TUE 8.1
MON 7.31
SUN 7.29
VEC-1
VEC-2
6:00PM | (99 MIN) FICTION & OTHER REALITIES
RITOMA
1:30PM | (85 MIN)
3:30PM | (58 MIN) + SHORT: NGUYENING (22 MIN)
VEC-3
LOCK AND KEY
A TOUCH OF SPRING
1:30PM | (81 MIN) + Q&A
3:30PM | (99 MIN)
CUNY
SCREENPLAY READING “LOVE YOU CHARLIE”
VEC-2
VEC-3
6:00PM
FAMILY AFFAIRS
CUNY SHORTS
6:00PM | (109 MIN)
8:15PM | (56 MIN)
8 MINUTES AHEAD
NOBLEMEN
6:00PM | (72 MIN) + Q&A
7:45PM | (100 MIN) + Q&A
KEY spotlights shorts programs narrative features documentary features special events
vec 1-3 cuny as-l
village east cinema cuny asia society
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE | 15
FRI 8.4
THU 8.3
WED 8.2
festival schedule VEC-2
FROM THREE FEET TALL 6:00PM | (117 MIN)
VEC-3
GAY HOLLYWOOD DAD 6:00PM | (95 MIN)
AS
AS
ART BEYOND THE SCREEN
8:30PM | (95 MIN)
MINDING THE GAP 8:15PM | (93 MIN) + Q&A
LOUD AND PROUD
FOR IZZY
6:00PM | (105 MIN)
8:15PM | (84 MIN) + Q&A
BEAT’EM TO THE PUNCH 1:30PM | (81 MIN)
BITTER MELON 3:30PM | (100 MIN) + Q&A
CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION & RECEPTION: ULAM: MAIN DISH
7:00PM | (90 MIN)
AS-L
FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH 1:00PM | (86 MIN)
WORK IN PROGRESS WORKSHOP - “BEI BEI” 3:00PM | (72 MIN) + Q&A
KEY spotlights shorts programs narrative features documentary features special events
16 | FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
vec 1-3 cuny as-l
village east cinema cuny asia society
TICKET INFO GENERAL INFORMATION: All programs are subject to change and/or cancellation without prior notice. For updated program and event information, please check our lineup at: http://aaiff.org/2018/schedule/ NOTE: Please arrive 20 minutes before the scheduled program. Seating cannot be guaranteed for ticket holders who arrive after the program begins. Empty seats may be resold; no refunds will be issued. If a screening is sold out by the time you submit the ticket request, you may wait in the “Rush Line,” which forms one hour before showtime.
ADMISSION: GENERAL ADMISSION - $16 MEMBERS, STUDENTS, AND SENIORS WITH I.D., DISABLED, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS - $12
TICKET PACKAGES AND GROUP SALES: GOLD PASS - $400 AAIFF41 all-access pass grants admission for the pass holder to all screenings and events, including Opening Night Reception, Centerpiece Receptions, and Closing Night Reception, panels, workshops, after-parties, and any other events hosted by AAIFF. The Gold Pass also grants the holder an additional complimentary ticket, allowing them to bring one person with them to their desired screening.
SPECIAL PROGRAM PRICES: OPENING NIGHT $80 ($60 PRE-SALE) CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION $50 ($38 PRE-SALE) CLOSING NIGHT $80 ($60 PRE-SALE) SPECIAL PRESENTATION $20 Contact boxoffice@asiancinevision.org for more information about ticket packages and group sales.
CINE PASS - $280 Grants admission for the pass holder to all screenings and events, except Opening and Closing Nights and Centerpiece Presentation.
TICKET INFO | 17
FAQ HOW DO I BUY TICKETS? Buy your tickets online from the schedule page of our website. You’ll receive a confirmation email from boxoffice@asiancinevision.org titled “Your order with 41st Asian American International Film Festival.” You will need the link from this email to retrieve your purchased tickets at a later date. The only alternative to online ticket purchase is to visit our guest services table at Asia Society or Village East Cinema during festival hours, at least a half hour before the screening. Some sessions may be sold out. Admission is not guaranteed. Tickets are not available by phone or fax. Box Office opens one (1) hour prior to the first show of the day. Please purchase tickets early as programs may sell out. WHAT DO I DO IF A SCREENING IS SOLD OUT? There will be a rush line, which forms one hour before showtime, for sold-out screenings. Arrive early and line up at guest services. Admission is NOT guaranteed.
18 | TICKET FAQ
I FORGOT TO BRING MY PRINT-AT-HOME TICKET. WHAT DO I DO? Bringing your print-at-home ticket is the most efficient way to get to your screening. If you forget or misplace it and cannot print another one, show your ticket on your smartphone. Lost the confirmation email? Come to guest services at Village East Cinema or Asia Society and we’ll resend the email. CAN I GET A REFUND? There are no refunds or exchanges. If you have made a significant purchase in error, please email boxoffice@asiancinevision.org. HOW DO I LOOK UP TICKETS I PURCHASED SO I CAN PRINT THEM OUT AT A LATER DATE? Search your email inbox for the email titled, “Your order with 41st Asian American International Film Festival.” Click “Print Tickets,” and your tickets will appear in a new tab or window for you to print.
INTERVIEW WITH ANEESH CHAGANTY
Aneesh Chaganty
Sev Ohanian
CineVue got the chance to talk with director Aneesh Chaganty and co-writer/producer Sev Ohanian about SEARCHING, AAIFF41’s Opening Night presentation. Starring John Cho and Debra Messing, SEARCHING is a hyper-modern thriller that follows a desperate father who, after his teenage daughter goes missing, breaks into her laptop to look for clues to find her. Made by a crop of predominantly recent film school grads and young crew members, SEARCHING was picked up by SONY for $5 million just 24 hours after its screening at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT Audience Award. We got to chat with Aneesh and Sev about how they almost turned down the opportunity to make the movie, how SEARCHING could be the end game for conversations about diversity in media, and advice they would give to other young filmmakers. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO SHOOT THE WHOLE FILM THROUGH VARIOUS DIGITAL INTERFACES, SOFTWARE, AND APPS? SEV OHANIAN: Aneesh and I met at USC Film School and we’ve been partners ever since. He directs, I produce, and we write and develop together. A few years ago we made this great 2-minute short film shot entirely on the Google Glass, which completely blew up and went viral. It led to Google hiring Aneesh to write and direct their commercials for two years in NYC. In the meantime, I was in LA producing indie feature films and I had a general meeting with Timur Bekmambetov’s production company Bazelevs. They had just released UNFRIENDED, which was a movie that takes place entirely on a computer screen, and it did very good business theatrically. They were eager to make more projects like that and invited me to pitch a short film that would take place on a screen. I recruited Aneesh, and together we came up with the idea for SEARCHING… but as an eight minute short film. Once we submitted our pitch to them, they called us into their offices to discuss. The bad news: they didn’t want to make the film we pitched. The good news: they wanted to turn our concept into a full-length feature film. The crazy news: they wanted to pay Aneesh to direct, me to produce, and both of us to write it. Aneesh immediately said, “No thanks.”
20 | CINEVUE: INTERVIEW
AND SEV OHANIAN OF SEARCHING My heart skipped and I remember kicking him under the table. It was insane that anyone would offer a first time filmmaker money to make a feature, and it was even more insane that the director would turn it down. But at the same time, I understood Aneesh’s hesitation. We both wanted to make films together that would engage audiences, and most importantly move them emotionally. We were doubtful we could achieve that with a film that took place via various digital interfaces, software and apps. Regardless, I told them we’d think about it. A few weeks later, we both challenged ourselves to come up with an approach to the film that could work and achieve all the things we wanted. And one day we called each other at the exact same time and pitched each other the exact same opening sequence… and we knew then that we could make this film. Our opening would be one that would make audiences emotionally invested in our characters and hopefully if we did our jobs right, make them forget that what they were watching was taking place on all these devices… because they’d be sucked into the story. So ultimately, we feel that our complete resistance to this idea in the first place is what inspired us to tackle the concept in a way that would hopefully elevate the story past the central conceit. So far it feels like audiences have responded to it… so hopefully we did a good job! ANEESH, WERE THERE ANY CHALLENGES TO SWITCHING OVER FROM THE COMMERCIAL FORMAT TO THE FEATURE-LENGTH FORMAT? HOW DID IT AFFECT THE WAY YOU MADE A STORY ENGAGING? ANEESH CHAGANTY: My experience at Google directly correlated to my time directing SEARCHING. At Google Creative Lab, my job was essentially to take a bunch of tech products—either physical or just an app—and frame them as a narrative for general audiences to understand them. It was here where I learned how to make something as seemingly cold and mundane as a screen into an emotional canvas. How you could make someone cry with the flick of a cursor, or scared with the click of a button, or how you didn’t even need to see a human face to understand how someone felt. I applied all of those learnings to directing SEARCHING, and for the most part, I think they work. But on the challenging side, every commercial I made was only 60 seconds long. It’s much easier to make 60 seconds told on screens go by quickly than making 90 minutes told on screens feel cinematic, engaging, and emotional to the very end. We’ll see what people think. There were a lot of twists in the movie, were there any others that didn’t make it into the movie? SEV OHANIAN: Honestly, no there weren’t. The major central twists in the film were part of the story from the very beginning for us, and it was important that we avoid any twists that would happen just to have a twist. Without spoiling it here, the big twist in the film I think works so well because it makes you rethink everything you’ve seen up until that point in the movie, but at the same time it is completely in line with what the central theme of the movie is… if you think about it. Our process of getting script feedback, and later editing feedback, is pretty neurotic. We sent the script out to 5 close friends, and then interrogated them on the phone for an hour each, asking around 100 questions about every page CINEVUE: INTERVIEW | 21
and whether they picked up on certain clues, etc. And we do the same thing with our test screenings. The goal was for us to make sure audiences were following along with the clues and mystery… but not following along too closely. So rather than twists not making it into the movie, our main focus was on adjusting the prevalence of all the various clues that ultimately add up to the big reveals. We found that sometimes we could be really obvious about clues, and audiences still wouldn’t see what was right in front of them. Not going to lie though—at our world premiere, I was completely nervous and ignored our months of testing. Watching the film, I was suddenly concerned that we had made the clues too obvious and that everyone watching knew what the ending would be. Luckily I was completely wrong, and us being able to sneak into screenings of the film to catch the gasps and whispers of people watching the reveals has been one of the most satisfying parts of this journey for us. PRODUCTION OF SEARCHING MUST HAVE BEEN A BEHEMOTH OF A PROCESS. WHAT WAS THE WORKFLOW LIKE IN MAKING ALL OF IT STACK UP AS A NARRATIVE? SEV OHANIAN: The post production was where it got really nutty. We had this bright idea to make our film look unlike any other “screen movie” that had come before it. Instead of letting the camera sit and watch the action unfold in real time before us, the idea was that SEARCHING would be no less cinematic than any other movie you could see in theaters. The camera moves with the action, it cuts, it zooms, it shakes, it blurs, and more. And all of that was technically very difficult to pull off. We came up with this idea to have our editors begin editing the film seven weeks before we started shooting. I was kind of inspired by the making of a cult film SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW which did something similar. The editors compiled low-res images off the internet and then we shot Aneesh playing the role of every single character, including the 16-year-old teenage girl. By the end of those 7 weeks, we had a full-length version of our movie that just happened to be really ugly. But using that reference or pre-viz, we were able to screen the film to our entire crew to give them a peek of what we were aiming to make. When we got into true editing, the biggest challenge for us was simply that our computers kept crashing. We were using two regular iMacs and an editing software that was not designed to do what we were asking it to do. Every time we’d ask our editors to make an edit, they’d say to come back in 20 minutes so that it could render. While filming only took 13 days, the editing and post production took well over 1 year. It was long, slow and sometimes painful work. But our core team of Aneesh, myself, Natalie Qasabian, and our two amazing editors, Will Merrick and Nick Johnson, were there for each other and we put in all the time necessary to make it happen. By the end of it all, Aneesh got everyone a gift that was a huge framed print out of our Adobe Premiere editing timeline. It’s the only piece of art I have proudly hanging in my apartment right now. My mom thought it was an impressionistic depiction of New York’s skyline.
22 | CINEVUE: INTERVIEW
SO MANY IDEAS ABOUT ASIAN AMERICANS PROLIFERATE THROUGH THE SCREENS OF POPULAR MEDIA. WHAT’S SO INTERESTING ABOUT SEARCHING IS THAT IT SEEMS TO ELUDE THAT BURDEN OF REPRESENTATION TO TELL A STORY ABOUT A FATHER WHO’S LOST HIS DAUGHTER. HOW DO YOU THINK SEARCHING FITS INTO THE ONGOING CONVERSATION ABOUT DIVERSITY IN MEDIA? ANEESH CHAGANTY: As far as American cinema goes, we think SEARCHING represents the end game of where our current media diversity conversation is headed. While we hope stories about race and about culture continue to be made in Hollywood— we’ve got ideas in the pipeline we can’t wait to write or I can’t wait to direct—SEARCHING isn’t a movie about race or about culture. It’s a movie about a dad looking for his kid, both of whom just so happen to be Asian American. Growing up, Sev and I never saw ourselves in the stories and movies we wanted to make: the action films, the love stories, the thrillers, the mysteries. These were all movies where race and culture never played a role in the plot. So for us, the most progressive part of SEARCHING is the lack of acknowledgement about race. That it doesn’t have to be addressed or justified to have a reason to exist. This is an American film about an American family and this is what America looks like. SEARCHING WAS PICKED UP BY SONY JUST 24 HOURS AFTER ITS RELEASE AT SUNDANCE AND THERE’S A KIND OF AWE AROUND YOUR CREW, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF YOUNG PHENOMS AND RECENT FILM SCHOOL GRADS. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO INSPIRE SO MANY? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER YOUNG FILMMAKERS OUT THERE? SEV OHANIAN: Going into our Sundance premiere, our whole team was very confident that we had made a great film. And thanks to our robust testing we were fairly confident that audiences would like it too. But we were absolutely not ready for the response we had. From the awards, to the sale, and most importantly the response from the Sundance crowds… it was beyond our wildest dreams come true. To hear that our ragtag team of close friends inspires so many people, especially with our crazy film, is a really validating feeling. And our advice to young filmmakers who want to make a movie that will get them noticed is to try something different. Stray away from making a film that has already been made before. If you want your work to make a splash in our industry in which there is so much noise right now: create something that has never been seen before. Or take a tried-and-true idea, and flip it on its head so that it’s unrecognizable. That has been the driving philosophy of Aneesh and myself, from our Google Glass short, to SEARCHING, and even to our next film.
CINEVUE: INTERVIEW | 23
A W ARD NOMINATIONS EMERGING DIRECTOR
NARRATIVE ALEX CHU - FOR IZZY XIAODAN HE- A TOUCH OF SPRING VANDANA KATARIA - NOBLEMEN
EMERGING DIRECTOR
aaisc screenplay
competition
FINALISTS THE 89TH TEMPLE DEAR BROTHER LOVE YOU, CHARILIE MOTHER TONGUE
DOCUMENTARY SHILPI GULATI - LOCK & KEY BING LIU - MINDING THE GAP SHRAYSI TANDON - INVISIBLE HANDS
EXCELLENCE IN SHORT FILMMAKING
GOLD FORTUNE JIEJIE STORIES ABOUT HIM A TAXI OF COLDNESS WUDU
24 | AWARD NOMINATIONS
FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH
ONE TO WATCH KILL GREEN RELIGION FOR DUMMIES AREN’T WE HERE FOR EACH OTHER?
EMERGING DIRECTOR - NARRATIVE JURORS
NELSON KIM wrote and directed the award-winning feature film SOMEONE ELSE (AAIFF 2015), starring Aaron Yoo and Leonardo Nam. SOMEONE ELSE was hailed by the LA Weekly as “a tense, unexpectedly moving psychological study of a man’s unraveling” and by VCinema as “a highly intriguing debut.” Kim also teaches film at Wagner College in Staten Island and writes film criticism for websites such as Hammer To Nail and Senses of Cinema.
KEN LEUNG is a native New Yorker and actor who has appeared in films such as RUSH HOUR, KEEPING THE FAITH, and STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Leung has also appeared in television series such as Lost, The Sopranos, and The Night Shift.
DORIS YEUNG is the writer and director of over 15 short films and two feature films, including MOTHERLAND, which stars renowned actors Francoise Yip and Kenneth Tsang, and TAXI STORIES. Yeung was born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong and California. She graduated from the University of California Los Angeles and the Beijing Film Academy with degrees in art history and directing. She was a Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute and a writer/director at Binger FilmLAB in Amsterdam. She is a working film programmer and founder of the CinemAsia Film Festival in Amsterdam. Yeung also curates films for various international film festivals and has served as juror for multiple film fests, including the Berlinale Film Festival. She is currently working on her third feature film FOUR SEASONS, a co-production between the Netherlands and South Korea. She resides and works between San Francisco and Amsterdam.
JURORS | 25
EMERGING DIRECTOR - DOCUMENTARY JURORS KATHARINE GARRISON is a film editor and producer based in New York City and Montclair, NJ. Garrison edited UNITED SKATES, a feature documentary directed by Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown about the endangerment of America’s African-American roller skating community. UNITED SKATES premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival where it won the audience award and was called by Robert DeNiro in the New York Times as one of Tribeca’s “top picks.” UNITED SKATES had its international premiere at Toronto’s Hot Docs and was invited to be the closing night film at AFI Docs. Garrison has also edited and produced stories for PBS, AMC Networks, NBA, IFC, Sundance Channel, Women’s Entertainment, and Oxygen Media. While at AMC Networks, Garrison co-edited an Emmy Award nominated short documentary. She has also produced and edited for multiple Emmywinning series including Mad Men, The Walking Dead, The Killing, Hell on Wheels, and Rubicon. Having worked in most genres, long form documentary film remains her true love. SIKAY TANG is an artist/filmmaker based in New York City. Highlights of her editing credits include Moyers & Company, the PBS series #Me Too, Now What, and award-winning documentaries THE GOOD SOLDIER (Emmy Award 2009), BEIJING TAXI, and CHISHOLM ‘72: UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED (Peabody 2006). Previously, she produced and edited for ABC News. Sikay studied photography and sculpture at the University of Chicago and fine arts at the Jan van Eyck Akademie in the Netherlands. Her video installations have been exhibited in Witte de With Gallery, Volkenkunde Museum in Rotterdam, Oude Bonnefanten Museum in Maastricht, the Netherlands, Raum Aktueller Kunst in Vienna, Austria, International Triennial of Photographic Art in Rovaniemi, Finland, and Shedhalle in Zurich, Switzerland.
KIMBERLY M. WANG is a photographer, director, and producer with over 15 years experience as a visual storyteller. She has served as Director of Development for Comcast’s Asian American Television Network (AZN TV) and created series, specials, and documentaries for a wide range of clients including PBS, Martha Stewart Living, MTV, Food Network, NBC, ESPN, and Christie’s. Her photography has appeared in a variety of international publications including Vogue, Vogue UK, Telva, and Le Monde. Wang’s work can be found on www. eardog.com.
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EXCELLENCE IN SHORT FILMMAKING JURORS
CELIA AU is a director and actor with extensive experience both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. With a penchant for storytelling through imagery, her directorial debut DISTRAKTION was nominated for the Best Showcase Short Film at the SoHo International Film Festival. Since DISTRAKTION, Celia has directed two music videos and a virtual reality film. As an actor, Au is known for her roles in the Sundance favorite, PEOPLE PLACES THINGS, the Martin Scorcese-produced REVENGE OF THE GREEN DRAGONS, and Tony Kaye’s DETACHMENT. She starred in the first ever Nike film BRING YOUR GAME, which was directed by 2015 Sundance winner, Rick Famuyiwa, and costars Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Serena Williams. Au’s upcoming work can be seen on AMC’s new show Lodge 49, set to release in August 2018, and feature film IN A NEW YORK MINUTE.
JOHNNY CHIOU works as Manager of Development for 3AD, the production company which currently produces The Good Doctor on ABC and was founded by actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim. Prior to this, Johnny was Development Coordinator at Universal Cable Productions (Mr. Robot, 12 Monkeys, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce).
FENTON LI is a proud graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. His most recent work includes playing supporting roles on two new indies, MADE IN CHINATOWN and I’M HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH MY WIFE, development reading of Kids Drop (Off) with PlayPenn in their 2018 New Play Development Conference, and performing in a new musical based on Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Sweet and Bitter. He was recipient of the Best Lead Actor award at the First Run Film Festival ‘17.
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EXCELLENCE IN SHORT FILMMAKING JURORS CONT’D
SANJIT DE SILVA is an actor, writer, and director. He received his MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. He wrote, starred, produced, and co-directed the short film TIME AFTER. De Silva has appeared on Broadway in War Horse, which won a Tony Award for Best Play, as well as Off-Broadway for Ordinary Muslim, Dry Powder, and Awake and Sing. He has also appeared in films such as AFTERPARTY, THE GIRL IS IN TROUBLE (produced by Spike Lee), THE COMPANY MEN (which featured Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones), and the critically acclaimed ARRANGED. His television credits include shows such as Blindspot, Elementary, Homeland, Blue Bloods, and The Good Wife.
AAISC SCREENPLAY COMPETITION FINALISTS JURORS
JENNIFER FONG is a veteran indie producer with extensive experience in live action, post production, strategy, branding, and visual effects. She has done comprehensive redesigns for Disney’s Freeform, NBC’s The Today Show, and Turner Entertainment’s TBS, TNT, and TCM networks. Fong was Executive Producer at yU+co, where she produced for THE HULK and MI:2. In the past, she has also produced for FRESH KILL, Shu Lea Chang’s feature film which screened at the 1995 Whitney Biennial. Fong’s documentary and television work includes producing for Alfred Hitchcock: The Genius Behind the Showman, the ABC pilot Next: Life in the 21st Century, and Time Warner’s History of Rock and Roll. Fong holds a BA in East Asian Studies from Barnard College and studied advanced Chinese at Beijing University.
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AAISC SCREENPLAY COMPETITION FINALISTS JURORS CONT’D
ARIEL ESTRADA is an actor, singer, arts advocate, producer, and Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Leviathan Lab. Estrada has performed on television, film, commercials, industrials, new media, on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway. As an arts advocate, he is the Communications Associate at The Tank, a NYC-based nonprofit multi-disciplinary arts presenter and producer, and was the former Manager of Communications & Community Engagement for the Asian American Arts Alliance. He is a graduate of The Broadway League’s Commercial Theater Institute Emerging Producer Program, as well as a graduate of the MFA in Acting Program from the University of Washington. As a freelance grant writer, he has raised over $100,000 in funding for small not-for-profit arts groups. Estrada is also an accomplished Fortune 500 and Inc. 5000 level communications designer.
JENINA RIVERA is the Development Coordinator at Muse Entertainment USA. She works in scripted development and keeps an ear out for fresh voices who can lend words to the experiences she and many other Asian Americans had growing up in America and moving through this world. Rivera was born in Manila, raised in North Carolina, and currently lives in Los Angeles. She would love if everyone could accept that “y’all” is much better and more efficient than “you guys” when referring to large groups.
TOM YOSHIKAMI is a film curator and teacher. He is the Educator for College and Public Programs at the Tang Museum at Skidmore College, where he works with faculty and students to organize public programming and events. Yoshikami co-founded and organized the Tang’s Whole Grain: Experiments in Film and Video series. Prior to joining the Tang, he curated films for the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, the University of Wisconsin Cinematheque, the Wisconsin Film Festival, and the Tales for Planet Earth Environmental Film Festival. He completed his MA and PhD coursework in film studies at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where his research focused on film culture and the history of art house film exhibition. JURORS | 29
FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH ONE TO WATCH JURORS
MICHELLE CHEN has worked with WNET’s Children’s and Educational Media Unit since 2004, creating content for public television and digital platforms. She has received Emmy awards for her work as a producer on the PBS KIDS series Cyberchase and the TV/digital project Get the Math. She serves as producer on the groundbreaking history video game Mission US, which received the Japan Prize for Educational Media and the Most Significant Impact Award from the Games for Change Awards. She has also served as a producer on professional development documentary series for educators, including the Annenbergfunded Power of Music: P-5 Teaching inspired by El Sistema.
DANIEL EAGAN is a film historian and writer based in New York City. He is the author of America’s Film Legacy (Bloomsbury) and contributes to Film Journal, Film Comment, American Cinematographer, Filmmaker Magazine, and other outlets.
DR. SATISH KOLLURI is Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Pace University and has published writing in the areas of Asian Cinema, Secularism and Nationalism, Media and Politics, and Participatory Communication Research. He co-edited a special issue of Cultural Dynamics on Secularism and Postcolonial Theory and the book Hong Kong and Bollywood: Globalization of Asian Cinema. He is a member of the Programming and Selection Committee of the New York Indian Film Festival.
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SEARCHING
opening presentation Wednesday, July 25 | 7:00pm | Village East Cinema Dir. Aneesh Chaganty | USA | 101 mins | English After David Kim (John Cho)’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective (Debra Messing) is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever.
Post-Screening Q&A with Aneesh Chaganty (director), Sev Ohanian (co-writer/ producer), and John Cho (cast) COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian Americans in Media, Asian Heritage Month @ NYU, Korean American Community Foundation, Korean American Story, Taiwanese American Professionals - NY
ANEESH CHAGANTY is a 27-year-old writer/director whose two minute short film, a Google Glass spot called SEEDS, became an internet sensation after garnering more than 1 million YouTube views in 24 hours. Following its success, Aneesh was invited to join the Google Creative Lab in New York City, where he spent two years developing, writing, and directing Google commercials. He is a recipient of the Future of Storytelling Fellowship, awarded to only five young creatives around the world “who have demonstrated a fearlessness to tell stories in unconventional ways” and whose works “will be instrumental in shaping the future of storytelling.” SEARCHING is Aneesh’s first feature. He quit his job to make it.
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meditation
park
special presentation Friday, July 27 | 8:00pm | Village East Cinema Dir. Mina Shum | Canada | 94 mins | English, Cantonese with English Subtitles 60-year-old Maria Wang lives an ordinary, homebody life in East Vancouver. She chats with her neighbors, exercises in the park with her husband, Bing, and tidies up the house. One day while doing laundry, she reaches into Bing’s suit pocket and pulls out an orange g-string thong. Propelled by shock, sadness, and fear, she goes on a journey outside of her home to find out what her husband has been up to. Inspired by a detective show seen on TV, Maria decides to tail Bing—until she realizes she has no money for the cabs to do so. She has spent her past 40 years in Canada entirely dependent on her husband. With the help of a group of neighborhood po-pos (Chinese grandmas) who have all the intel on how to dodge the police, Maria starts an illegal backyard parking business and starts to rake in money. In this deft, subtly emotional “love letter to Asian immigrant moms” (Sandra Oh), MEDITATION PARK is a coming-to-independence story for one 60-year-old woman who questions her identity for the first time and finds a life for herself in the world outside of her home. Post-Screening Q&A with Mina Shum (director) COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian Heritage Month @ NYU, Asian Women Giving Circle, NAPAWF, New York Women in Television and Film
MINA SHUM has written and directed five feature films—including DOUBLE HAPPINESS, DRIVE, SHE SAID, and LONG LIFE, HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY—that have successfully touched international and domestic audiences. Her films have premiered at Sundance, Toronto, and Berlin. The New York Times calls her work “wry and winning.” In addition to her feature films, Shum’s work includes art installations, essays, lectures, and short films. Shum has also directed episodic television in all lengths for a variety of networks including CTV, CBC, Nickelodeon, Oxygen, W, and MTV/Logo.
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dead
pigs
centerpiece presentation Saturday, July 28 | 7:00pm | Village East Cinema Dir. Cathy Yan | China | 130 mins | Mandarin, Shanghainese with English Subtitles | New York Premiere Five lives suddenly collide when pig farmer Old Wang’s entire stock dies en masse and turns up in Shanghai’s waterways, setting off a public health crisis. Cathy Yan’s DEAD PIGS assembles a cast of characters who embody dreamers, deadbeats, and ambitious movers who must answer the question of what the individual should do in a country relentlessly marching away from its past and toward progress. Old Wang is a longtime pig farmer who invests his money in China’s burgeoning tech industry. Candy Wang is a hairstylist facing off mega-developer Golden Happiness Properties, which wants to evict Candy from her ancestral land for a new development. American expat Sean Landry is the chief architect of this project with Golden Happiness. He has questionable credentials, but slides under the radar thanks to the popular bureaucratic attitude of never asking too many questions. Wang Zhen is just trying to make ends meet, kowtowing to the city’s elite youth as a waiter in a roast pig restaurant bar. There, he meets Xia Xia, the wealthy and spoiled child of a successful businessman. Though they may not have met yet, the motley crew of DEAD PIGS is already bound together by simply existing in modern China. Yan’s DEAD PIGS is a portrait of humanity in a country that has adopted an attitude of modernizing at all costs. Full of dark images, but paired with a jaunty, delightful humor, DEAD PIGS veritably bounces in contrast to the social realism that has come to characterize popular arthouse in China today. Post-Screening Q&A with Alex Kopit (Editor) and Andrew Orkin (Composer) COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Bar Association, NYU Asian Pacific Islander Alumni, China Institute
CATHY YAN received a dual MFA and MBA at New York University and a BA at Princeton. Her feature film debut, DEAD PIGS, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition and won a Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting. She is next set to direct Margot Robbie in a girl gang movie featuring the character Harley Quinn based on the Birds of Prey comic books for DC/Warner Brothers. Previously, she was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and was one of the youngest in the paper’s history to pen multiple frontpage stories.
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late life :
the chien ming wang story
centerpiece presentation Sunday, July 29 | 6:00pm | Village East Cinema Dir. Frank W. Chen | USA | 99 mins | English, Mandarin with English Subtitles | New York Premiere Chien-Ming Wang was a supernova in Taiwan. His success as the ace of the New York Yankees rocketed him to a cult-like status on the island nation. His face was so ubiquitous and his impact so widespread, that he gained the title of “Pride of Taiwan”—a national honor he was never fully comfortable with. Wang, a man of quiet, humble disposition, never sought out the attention. All he wanted to do was play. We find Wang now at age 35, bouncing around the Independent and Minor Leagues, a fallen icon. The film delves into his comeback attempts, his life between endless rehab programs, his lengthy and often lonely stints away from home and family, and the inner struggles and weight he carries on his injured shoulders. We follow him as he works toward a singular goal: to fight his way back into the Major Leagues. How much dedication and persistence does it take to realize a dream? How much courage does it take to make it back to the mound? LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY tracks the extraordinary journey of an ordinary man—of someone who fell from the top and fights his way back up again. Post-Screening Q&A with Frank C. Chen (director), Brian Yang (producer), Chien-Ming Wang (cast) COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Journalists Association, New York City Asian American Student Conference, Taiwanese American Association of New York , Taiwanese American Professionals - NY
FRANK W. CHEN is a Taiwanese-Canadian filmmaker, architectural designer, and musician based in New York City. He is the writer/director of the documentary short TORPID MAY—OWN WAY BACK, a film tracing an Asian American band’s unique route back to Asia. He also served as a production designer on the 2012 major motion picture BAD GIRLS, featuring mega-stars Ella Chen of S.H.E. and Taiwanese actor Mike He. Chen also participated in composing the soundtrack for LATE LIFE: THE CHIENMING WANG STORY and wrote three tracks for the film.
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ulam:
main dish
closing presentation Saturday, August 4 | 7:00pm | Asia Society Dir. Alexandra Cuerdo | USA | 90 mins | English with English Subtitles | New York Premiere “Could it be that Filipino food, the underdog of Asian cuisines, is having its moment at last?”—The New York Times In this delicious new documentary, Filipino-American filmmaker Alexandra Cuerdo answers this question and follows the rise of Filipino food via the award-winning chefs crossing over to the center of the American table. ULAM: MAIN DISH stages this new culinary movement as not only a remarkable achievement for American restaurateurs, but also as a validation of Filipino culture. The film confronts issues inherent in representing both Filipino and American identities, and challenges from both the Filipino community and the world at large. Ultimately, ULAM is a celebration—and confirmation—that Filipino food, and Filipinos, are here to stay. Post-Screening Q&A with Alexandra Cuerdo (director), Rey Cuerdo (producer), John Floresca (cinematographer/producer), Nicole Ponseca (cast), Miguel Trinidad (cast), Alvin Cailan (cast) CO-PRESENTED BY: Asia Society COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Journalists Association, Asian Heritage Month @ NYU, Consulate General of the Philippines, New York City Asian American Student Conference, Kasulugan
ALEXANDRA CUERDO is a Filipino-American director, producer, and editor. Her directorial debut, ULAM: MAIN DISH, has been featured in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed, Vogue, Time Out, Eater, and more. MSN ranked it as one of the “Top 5 Food Documentaries to Watch” now. As a content producer, Cuerdo’s videos for BuzzFeed have achieved over 150 million views and over 1 million shares on Facebook. She has worked on films, television, and digital content for HBO, ABC, NBC, Netflix, Hulu, Sony/Columbia Pictures, Participant Media, Walt Disney Imagineering, and more. Cuerdo is based in Los Angeles and New York.
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art beyond the screen Thursday, August 2 | 8:30pm | Asia Society
Going beyond the cinematic talents of our community, the following shorts showcase and explore other art forms. How do Asian talents from around the world transform and use art to expand what it means to be an artist?
DRAWN TOGETHER: COMICS, DIVERSITY, AND STEREOTYPES Dir. Harleen Singh | USA | 52 mins | English: With a lively backdrop of superheroes, comic books, and animation, DRAWN TOGETHER: COMICS, DIVERSITY AND STEREOTYPES brings together three talented artists—a Sikh, a woman, and an African American—who are challenging the racist stereotyping endemic in America through their work.
THE F LIP SIDE Dir. Val Wang| USA/Canada/China | 25 mins | English: In this coming-of-age story, Daqi is a Chinese circus artist who leaves home at nine-years-old to train at an elite state-run circus academy. Restless from training, he leaves the comforts of his stable position to perform with Cirque du Soleil. When he collides with Montreal circus troupe 7 Fingers, Daqi finds a strength in himself that he never dreamed of. THE FLIP SIDE presents the increasingly globalized circus world, where disparate people and acrobatic cultures come together, clash, and ultimately transform each other.
THE LION Dir. Jon Chiang| Canada | 8 mins | English: After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Vancouver hip-hop artist Francis Arevalo harnessed the healing power of music.
TIGERSTYLE Dir. Rachel Lattin, Riani Singgih, Jordyn Romero, Elliott Powell, & Paloma Young | Scotland | 10 mins | English: Raj and his brother Pops make up the popular Glasgow-based music duo, Tigerstyle. The brothers produce hip-hop infused bhangra music, colorfully spinning a culture of Western party music to promote Sikh values instead. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Arts Alliance, Project by Project
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beat‘em to the punch Saturday, August 4 | 1:30pm | Village East Cinema
From the bizarre to the mundane, these funny films manage to find the levity in life. Take a breather with us as we delve into the humor around us.
ASIAN MAN, WHITE WOMAN
FOLDING STOOL KILLER
Dir. Woody Fu | USA | 2 mins | English: You know representation matters when you’re just a guy trying to find adult content featuring ASIAN MAN, WHITE WOMAN.
Dir. Hay-kin Fu | Hong Kong | 8 mins | Cantonese with English Subtitles: Light works and lives in an old district where he witnesses crime happen every day. He knows he doesn’t have the power to save anyone, so he either looks away or runs from the crime scene, but his heart of justice never stops pumping. One day, after a supernatural event, Light suddenly gains mysterious powers and he becomes the Folding Stool Killer. A new journey for this hero unfolds...
CAKE Dir. Anne Hu | USA | 10 mins | English: Eliza tries to explore her sexuality with her husband Thomas by ordering a female sex robot for them to share. But the sexbot is not the cure-all she had hoped for. Be careful what you wish for.
CHOLLYWOOD Dir. Simon J. Young | China | 28 mins | Mandarin with English Subtitles: CHOLLYWOOD is a behind-the-scenes look at the world of filmmaking in China and how first-time director Dan deals with being thrown headfirst onto his own film set. Dan quickly realizes that making the film itself is not his biggest obstacle; it’s his Golden Fish Award–winning leading man, Huang Zilei, and his internet famous pop star female lead, Ling. Dan pursued film with the purest of intentions—to make art. Little did he know that the world behind the camera has its own special set of rules. Welcome to Chollywood.
COSMIC DENTAL ASSOCIATES OF CLIFTON, NJ Dir. JP Chan | USA | 2 mins | English: Since 1998, Cosmic Dental Associates of Clifton, NJ has been the leading astro-dentistry practice in the New York tri-state region.
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MEA CULPA Dir. Meng Yu | USA | 7 mins | English: Mia plans to rob her sister’s grocery store—but things don’t go as planned.
SOOJUNG DREAMS OF FIJI Dir. Hye Yun Park | USA | 13 mins | English: In this documentary satire, first-generation Korean American Soojung Yoon, a renowned nail salon owner, elevates her craft to an art form—an unexpected profession that puts her in conflict with her immigrant mother. With Soojung’s 30th birthday around the corner, her apprentices invite all of Soojung’s friends to a surprise birthday party, including her estranged mother, Kyoung Jin. PROGRAM CO-PRESENTED BY: Asia Society PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Arts Alliance, Asian American Film Social, Asian Americans in Media
cuny shorts Wednesday, August 1 | 8:15pm | Village East Cinema *This program is pay-as-you-wish* Since 2004, the CUNY Asian American Film Festival (AAFF) has recognized and awarded student filmmakers enrolled at the City University of New York, including City College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Lehman College, College of Staten Island, and Queens College. The CUNY AAFF helps to promote the artistic visual talents and stimulate communication among CUNY students who are separated by the different campuses, and serve as a central location to display their creative works.
A MISSION AT 311
Dir. Nan Li | USA | 30 mins | English: Winner of Best Documentary Hunter College At age 70, Charles Bimbaum, a piano tuner based in Atlantic City, fights to save his family’s home from eminent domain.
DRUM DANCE Dir. Elise Shin| USA | 4 mins | English: Brooklyn College A young girl and her mother have their final dance.
WHERE THE SUN RISES Dir. Takuma Matsuda| USA | 12 mins | English: Winner of Best Fiction College of Staten Island A week in the daily life of an international student from Japan struggling to find where he belongs.
XY Dir. Meesoon Kim | USA | 10 mins | English: Runner-up Fiction Brooklyn College A conflict between a daughter who wants to change her sex and her father who does not allow it. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian Heritage Month @ NYU
SHORT PROGRAMS | 45
evolving immigrants Saturday, July 28 | 4:30pm | Village East Cinema
What does it mean to leave home to build another? These films take us on a journey through time, highlighting the diversity and strength of the immigrant story.
ALL QUIET ON THE HOME FRONT
JUNE
Dir. Harjus Singh | USA | 25 mins | English: Based on the life of Bhagat Singh Thind, ALL QUIET ON THE HOMEFRONT is the story of an Asian American soldier who faces deportation in the wake of a new law passed by Congress after returning home from serving in World War I. In a case that will decide the fate of all Asians in America, he must now battle the courts of the very country he put his life on the line for.
Dir. Huay-Bing Law | USA | 13 mins | English, Mandarin with English Subtitles: A Chinese Immigrant comes across segregated restrooms in 1950s Texas and isn’t sure whether to use the “Whites Only” restroom or “Colored” restroom.
FINDING HOME (BRANDON) Dir. Abraham “AB” Troen | USA | 23 mins | English, Mandarin with English Subtitles: Brandon Hsie gave up a successful career as a lawyer in China to move to Los Angeles. As he struggles with leaving his family behind, Brandon also anticipates a new life where he can live outside the closet as his true self.
GOLD FORTUNE Dir. Rhyme Lu | USA | 26 mins | Mandarin with English Subtitles: Inspired by a true crime story. 25-year-old Chinese undocumented immigrant Yuzhong Chen has been bouncing from state to state, working in Chinese restaurants as a “stir fry.” He willingly bows his head and works as a modern slave in hopes that one day he will have a real and proud life: his own restaurant, a wife, and a family. The key to this life is a legal identity, and he moves to Los Angeles to seek it through asylum fraud. There he meets and falls in love with a waitress, Shawshaw. His dreams are getting closer and closer, but Yuzhong suddenly receives a phone call from his lawyer that he has missed his court hearing. Where will the tide of fortune take him?
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WORTH Dir. Vokee Lee | USA | 15 mins | English, Hmong with English Subtitles: WORTH is based on true events from 1982 after the Vietnam War, a time of heightened racial tensions between whites and Asians. Pao Lor, a teenage Hmong refugee, begins what seems to be a typical day when he suddenly becomes a target at school and is treated with contempt by his classmates. One day after gym class, Pao gets into a brawl with the high school bullies and is suddenly on the verge of being expelled. At the age of 17, unsure of what to do and tired of being worthless, Pao decides to leave school permanently. However, Mrs. Stoick, Pao’s counselor, refuses to give up on him and arrives suddenly on his doorstep one day. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Adhikaar, Asian American Bar Association, NAPAWF
family affairs
Wednesday, August 1 | 6:00pm | Village East Cinema
Family is never just who you’re related to. It’s the drama, the tears, the hugs, and the fights. The following films run the gamut of what it means to deal with family.
DILIMAN
STORIES ABOUT HIM
Dir. TJ Collanto | UK/Philippines | 14 mins | Tagalog, Ilocano, Hiligaynon with English Subtitles: A Filipino family is caught in a convoluted catering delivery for their niece’s wedding in London, which seems to pull them further and further from the reception itself.
Dir. Yung Shiuan Yang | Taiwan | 13 mins | Mandarin, Taiwanese with English Subtitles: In this artfully pieced together short, Yung Shiuan Yang mixes a wide range of techniques from collage, glass painting, and animation to tell the whimsical story of her grandfather. Her relatives say that he was a gold miner, a trainee, a businessman, and a hero. The stories they tell her are almost too difficult to imagine. Are these tales all real? Who on earth is he?
GUO MIE Dir. Joseph Chen-Chieh Hsu | Taiwan | 30 mins | Taiwanese, Mandarin with English Subtitles: In GUO MIE, a karaoke-addicted old woman struggles with her sense of self-worth after her estranged husband’s funeral where she encounters his younger and more sophisticated girlfriend, and finds out that her kids may have secretly been in touch with her late husband all these years. Imbued with elements of Edward Yang and Yasujiro Ozu, GUO MIE is a delicate, emotional ode to family.
RISE & SHINE: A STORY ABOUT BREAKFAST MAKERS Dir. Justine Suh | USA/Korea/Hong Kong | 23 mins | English, Korean with English Subtitles: RISE & SHINE: A STORY ABOUT BREAKFAST MAKERS is a peaceful film that observes four diverse families as they prepare breakfast. Behind this intimate portrait of family life lies a question: why are women expected to do most of the housework, even today? By spending time in the kitchens of these families, we explore what is unique to each family, and what is universal. Family drama often unfolds around the table; in this case, it’s the breakfast table.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD Dir. Albert M. Chan & Anthony Grasso | USA/ Canada | 7 mins | English: A troubled man records a video message for his pregnant sister. Drawing its power and immediacy from its first-person confessional style, WELCOME TO THE WORLD presents in one continuous seven minute shot the journey of one man’s awakening from isolation back to humanity.
WUDU Dir. Ahmed Hasan Ahmed | United Arab Emirates | 22 mins | Arabic with English Subtitles: Two siblings are a study in contrasts—celebrating life and death. Baheet is a cook, celebrating delicious flavours by day, and an oud musician by night. Bahia is a woman undertaker, living between perfumes, scents, and camphor in her daily work. She lives with death every day. Baheet and Bahia reside under one roof, with their intellectual differences, contradictions, and lifestyles coming between them. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Consulate General of the Philippines, Korean American Family Service Center, Taiwanese American Professionals - NY
SHORT PROGRAMS | 47
for youth by youth Saturday, August 4 | 1:00pm | Asia Society
*This program is pay-as-you-wish* The FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH shorts program celebrates works by media makers of Asian descent under the age of 21. Those in this category are in competition for the One to Watch Award.
12.10.2016 Dir. Hagar Abdulbari | Egypt/Jordan/UAE | 10 mins | Arabic with English Subtitles: In 2016, an Egyptian girl named Hagar was forcibly separated from her family. Her only tether of contact is the occasional voice message from her mother. At 23-years-old, Hagar puts together her mother’s voice notes and the videos she recorded during her most trying times to tell a story of love, remembrance, and solicitude for her family.
DISTANT SELF-PORTRAIT Dir. Hana Watanabe | Japan | 4 mins | Japanese: A girl observes herself and her surroundings as if through a microscope. Using just an iPhone to record her perspectives, she finds a way to communicate loneliness in her rapidly changing hometown of Tokyo, Japan. DISTANT SELF-PORTRAIT is inspired by Shintaro Tanigawa’s poem, “Teigi.”
KILL GREEN Dir. Chelsie Pennello | USA | 9 mins | Mandarin: Told from the point of view of a mixed-race, secondgeneration Asian American woman, KILL GREEN examines the contradictory and confusing nature of biracial identity and the influence of tradition, culture, and a strong immigrant mother on a daughter’s experience with love.
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KITE (GABUL) Dir. Imam Syafi’i | Indonesia | 5 mins | Javanese: Roni’s kite gets caught in the middle of a rice field. All of his neighbors try to retrieve Roni’s kite for him, but none of them are successful until a police officer suddenly arrives and destroys the kite. Can there still be a happy ending for Roni?
LILAKNO (SINCERE) Dir. Imam Syafi’i | Indonesia | 10 mins | Javanese: When a wife discovers that her husband is having an affair, she betrays him back— but for the sake of preserving her family. In LILAKNO, we see just how much women are willing to sacrifice their egos for something more important than herself. PROGRAM CO-PRESENTED BY: Asia Society
for youth by youth Saturday, August 4 | 1:00pm | Asia Society
*This program is pay-as-you-wish* The FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH shorts program celebrates works by media makers of Asian descent under the age of 21. Those in this category are in competition for the One to Watch Award.
MIYAKO
RELIGION FOR DUMMIES
Dir. Yua Nakada| Japan | 16 mins | Japanese: Tomohiro is the son of a successful sweet shop owner, but he harbors a forbidden dream: to become a maiko, an apprentice geisha.
Dir. Kabeer Khurana | USA | 13 mins | English: In this tale of power, sex, and money, one beggar suddenly gets it all when he takes on a false religion and suddenly finds himself as the leader and guru of “Spinnism.” As his wealth and his influence multiplies, there is no end to his megalomania… or is there?
PICNIC PERFECT Dir. Cal Thacher | USA | 6 mins | No Dialogue It’s a beautiful day for a picnic, but this is no ordinary picnic. It’s a grand affair, complete with white tablecloths, fresh rose petals, and live entertainment. Everything is exactly how Audrey pictured it— perfect. Or so she thinks until her musician falls asleep on the job, a jogger and his ginormous dog start to help themselves, a strong gust of wind comes out of nowhere, and the guest of honor goes missing! In the end, Audrey learns that life doesn’t always go as planned. But as long as you’re with family and friends, you can still have fun… and your cake too!
STUPIDLY HAPPY Dir. Jonathan Rome | USA | 7 mins | English: After his girlfriend dumps him over voicemail, Johnny yearns for happiness and meaning. He believes he’s found it when he encounters a smiling balloon in a park. With his new definition of happiness in his hands, Johnny takes a journey to the highest point of his life, literally. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Japan Culture NYC
SHORT PROGRAMS | 49
from three feet tall
Thursday, August 2 | 6:00pm | Village East Cinema Do you remember what it was like to be a child? The following films ask us to see through the perspective of children facing very adult situations, but react with a strength and heart that many grown-ups still aspire to have.
ANITO
MEIJING
Dir. Melanie Lim | USA/Philippines | 14 mins | English, Tagalog with English Subtitles: After her parents’ divorce, a young girl believes there is a spirit named Joe living inside her family’s ancestral wooden cabinet whom she befriends. Disturbed, her father decides that his daughter needs to wake up from her delusions and empties the whole cabinet in front of her. Still believing that Joe is there, the girl finds a new home for him with the help of her mother.
Dir. Youjia Qu | China | 34 mins | Chinese with English Subtitles: In this melancholy ditty, a nine-year-old girl named Zhu Meijing spends her alone time wandering empty movie sets, when she is suddenly given a bit role in a children’s movie. When the shooting is delayed due to the bratty lead actress, Meijing is asked to step in to the main role and play a traditional Chinese tune, “Fisherman’s Song at Sunset.”
FLOATING LIGHT
Dir. Dandelion Lin | USA/China | 19 mins | Fukian Chinese with English Subtitles: It’s 1995 in a small town in southern China. 12-yearold Tomboy girl is an embarrassment to her family, who values her younger brother far more than her. Tomboy girl dresses like a boy and counts the days until she can leave her village to find a place where she will be treated as an equal. The boys in her school are threatened by Tomboy girl’s independence and decide to teach her a lesson one day. How will Tomboy girl get her revenge?
Dir. Natalie Murao | Canada | 12 mins | English: After being forced to return home early from summer camp, Dana and Sam find themselves in the midst of their late grandfather’s Buddhist funeral ceremony. Dana struggles to understand the older generation’s traditions as it is one of the only connections to their Japanese heritage. Meanwhile, Sam has a greater sense of the real world than her younger, innocent sister and must answer Dana’s questions about religion and the transition from life to death.
JIEJIE Dir. Feng-I Fiona Roan | USA | 16 mins | English, Mandarin with English Subtitles: Liang Fen, an anxious nine-year-old immigrant girl, is embarrassed by her un-American looks. She navigates her first Sunday at a Chinese American church alongside her worrisome mom Lily and clingy seven-year-old sister Ann. Fen’s hope of making new friends is soon lost upon the humiliating discovery of lice in her sister’s hair. Turning her frustration towards the young Ann, Fen brings the family’s underlying tensions to a boiling point.
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SLINGSHOT PRINCE
YONSEI Dir. J.H. Cabral | USA | 23 mins | English, Japanese with English Subtitles: After the passing of his grandfather, a Japanese American pre-teen named Johnny is relocated to a new school and quickly finds himself alienated because of his appearance. Constantly feeling like a foreigner, Johnny struggles through adversity to discover his own identity and peace of mind. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, Consulate General of the Philippines, Project by Project, Taiwanese American Association of NY
loud and proud Friday, August 3 | 6:00pm | Asia Society
The LGBTQIA+ experience for Asian and Asian Americans often feels hidden and unheard. The following films showcase just a small portion of the many different stories and identities within the Asian community.
AFTEREARTH
RANI
Dir. Jess X. Snow | USA | 13 mins | English, Native Hawaiian with English Subtitles: As rising sea levels threaten the loss of their motherland in Hawai’i , the Philippines, China, and North America, four women fight to preserve the volcanos, oceans, land, and air for future generations. In a deeply immersive artistic experience, they channel their mothers and ancestors in song, dance, and poetry, and take a bold stand against the corruption of the elements and natural resources by humankind.
Dir. Hammad Rizvi | USA/Pakistan | 14 mins | Urdu with English Subtitles: A Pakistani transgender woman sets out to take care of an abandoned child.
DETOUR Dir. Man Dik Sum | Germany/Hong Kong | 10 mins | English, German, Cantonese, Arabic with English Subtitles: As Hong Kong increasingly loses its sovereignty to China, Momo leaves home for Berlin, hoping to finally breathe the air of freedom. But life doesn’t look like what he imagined—instead of advancing his fashion career or finding love, he ends up working and living in a Chinese supermarket. Momo soon finds himself straying even further, going on an uncanny journey with other outcasts in the city of Berlin.
LIONS IN WAITING Dir. Jason Karman | Canada | 17 mins | English: The newest member of a minor league hockey team, Ray, is hazed by his new teammates as he struggles to fit in both on and off the ice. Ray will have to find the courage to accept himself first—and maybe even inspire a fellow teammate.
UNINVITED
Dir. Seung Yeob Lee | South Korea | 20 mins | Korean with English Subtitles: When Jungho’s mom suddenly shows up at the Seoul apartment he shares with his boyfriend, he must hide all evidence of his homosexuality—but she’s far more perceptive than he could have anticipated.
THE WIVES Dir. Runze Yu | China | 31 mins | Chinese with English Subtitles: In China, where the family unit is highly valued, over 80% of the approximately 20 million gay men marry straight women to carry on the family name, and to escape social discrimination and parental pressure. THE WIVES is an intimate portrait of three Chinese women in this situation: Xiaonian is trying to get a divorce, Wang is stuck in her marriage because of her two children, and Delan becomes a gay rights advocate after her husband comes out. Due to the social stigma, divorce is not an easy option for these wives, especially for those who have children. Facing different challenges, the three female protagonists do the best they can for their families, their children, and themselves—but the outcome is not always happy.
PROGRAM CO-PRESENTED BY: Asia Society PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: GAPIMNY—Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders, New York City Asian American Student Conference
SHORT PROGRAMS | 51
on the edge Thursday, July 26 | 8:15pm | Village East Cinema
Gritty, eerie, and ruthless don’t just describe the settings in the following films. Grab your flashlights as we prepare for tales on the darker side of humanity.
A TAXI OF COLDNESS
THE MASSEUSE
Dir. Joonha Kim | South Korea | 19 mins | Korean with English Subtitles: A man rides a taxi late at night. When the taxi driver offers him chewing gum, the man remembers his mother’s “drugged gum” story and hesitates. The taxi driver then says, “Did you hear about those criminal taxi drivers?” The driver offers the gum again and again, until the man finally accepts. The two strangers talk through the cold night in the city—can they trust each other?
Dir. Tan Ce Ding | Malaysia | 20 mins | Cantonese, Mandarin with English Subtitles: In a futuristic Kuala Lumpur, a rookie technician with a disturbing past falls in love with an outof-date humanoid masseuse. Departing from the “triumph of humanity” narrative, this sci-fi short puts humanity itself under interrogation.
IPHIGENIA’S NIGHT Dir. Albert Ventura | Taiwan | 25 mins | Mandarin with English Subtitles: While driving home from the airport at night, Jie is forced onto a smaller local road by a policeman where he accidentally hits a stranger running in the opposite direction. Jie discovers that the victim is blindfolded, dressed in an ancient Greek mask, and has a string protruding from his mouth. Possessed by curiosity, Jie pulls the string and discovers a message: “Open the black box in your suitcase.” A simple choice will turn this routine night into Jie’s worst nightmare.
LUCKY DAY Dir. Hyo Jin An | South Korea | 17 mins | English: Ali, an immigrant and New York City cab driver, is hoping to live the American Dream for his wife and son. But to get there, Ali has to deal with a shady taxi dispatcher, two crooked cops, and a businessman who gets into his cab with a 9mm pistol, a briefcase full of stolen money, and a gunshot wound.
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PERHAPS TODAY... Dir. Nadine Asmar | Lebanon | 9 mins | Arabic with English Subtitles: Once every week, Oum Karim, a 60-year-old Beiruti lady, relives the same day: she goes to a local bakery where she prepares Lahm Bi Ajin (Lebanese ham pie), hoping that her longtime ritual will finally come to an end. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Rebel Motion, Taiwanese American Professionals - NY
women of all ages Friday, July 27 | 5:30pm | Village East Cinema
From all stages of life, the following films remind us that contrary to messages in the mainstream media, women of all ages have compelling stories to root for.
$30 TO ANTARCTICA
FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Dir. Joey Chu | Hong Kong/Antarctica | 18 mins | Cantonese with English Subtitles: $30 TO ANTARCTICA follows the true story of Ka Foon Chau, who grew up an impoverished child, and against all odds, retired a renowned doctor. Raised in 1960s Hong Kong, Chau faced the bias of her elders who attempted to discourage her interest in academics. Through a small gesture of support she received from a teacher, Chau built a life and career that moved beyond the restrictive boundaries set by her parents’ generation. She is now ready to fulfill a childhood dream—to see Antarctica. The director, who is the daughter of Chau, tries to step away from her role as daughter to reach the depths of the story and unveil aspects of her mother she has never encountered before.
Dir. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy | USA/Pakistan | 33 mins | Urdu, Punjabi, Pushto with English Subtitles: Pakistan is routinely ranked as the third most dangerous country in the world for women. Much of the nation is extremely conservative, religiously and culturally, and women are often subject to violence at the hands of men. Repercussions are minimal and more than half of Pakistani women who experience violence say nothing out of shame and fear. With female literacy at a historic low and patriarchy running deep in the justice system, women across Pakistan continue to be treated as second-class citizens. FREEDOM FIGHTERS follows three brave women who are speaking out against inequality and pushing for equal rights. The documentary features verité sequences along with 2D animation to tell the stories of these powerful women and the victims they have helped in their journey to challenge the status quo.
CLIQUE BAIT Dir. Anna Mikami | USA/Hong Kong | 15 mins | English: At an international school in Hong Kong, a high school girl spreads a video sexualizing her childhood friend and classmate. In this neon depiction of Hong Kong youth, CLIQUE BAIT features Asian teens as you’ve never seen them before. Attending a Western international school in a once colonized country, CLIQUE BAIT’s characters are constantly caught between East and West, traditional and liberal, and past and future as they navigate the universal growing pains that come with being a teenage girl.
PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: NYU Asian Pacific Islander Alumni, Rebel Motion, Womankind
SHORT PROGRAMS | 53
women of all ages (cont’d) Friday, July 27 | 5:30pm | Village East Cinema
Spanning a range of life stages, the following films remind us that contrary to mainstream media, women at any age have compelling stories worth rooting for.
KEIKO’S HANDS
MIDNIGHT CARNIVAL
Dir. Yun Liang | USA/Japan | 32 mins | English: Keiko is a peculiar old lady who observes the same mundane routine everyday—chair yoga and Japanese home cooking—until she suddenly finds herself with the ability to heal others with her hands. Not very nurturing by nature, Keiko does not find this a blessing. However, after an unexpected encounter with a little boy, everything changes. KEIKO’S HANDS is an intimate, complex portrait of the many women in Director Yun Liang’s life who are incredibly strong and uncompromising in life.
Dir. Chung-Wei Huang | USA/Taiwan | 19 mins | English, Mandarin with English Subtitles: Andrea Lin is a confused Taiwanese girl struggling to find her place in the world. In search of adventure, she takes a summer job in America working for a traveling carnival, where she confronts the harsh realities of life as a migrant worker. Andrea struggles to connect with her carny co-workers even after starting a romantic relationship with one of them—Julio, a young, free-spirited Mexican man— and must come to terms with her feelings of wanting to belong, yet never feeling at home. This story is dedicated to the people who foolishly yet admirably continue to chase their dreams, against all odds. Just as the carnival will always be rebuilt at the next destination, so too will our dreams. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: NAPAWF, Taiwanese American Professionals - NY
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worth fighting for Saturday, July 28 | 1:00pm | Village East Cinema
The neverending 24-hour news cycle makes it difficult to focus on and understand what we can do to make the world a better place. The following films give us a distinct look at what some people around the globe are fighting for.
A LETTER FOR SANG-AH
THE TERRORIST HUNTER
Dir. Mina Fitzpatrick | South Korea | 27 mins | Korean with English Subtitles: In 1975, Shin Kyounghee was forced to give up her daughter because she was a single mother. Today she fights to find out what happened to her child, Sang Ah. In 2016, Lee Seulbee decides to buck the system and raise her five year-old son, Doyoon, on her own. In a country where nearly 70% of children born to unwed mothers are given up for overseas adoption, A LETTER FOR SANG-AH explores how the stigma around unwed mothers in Korea has led to ongoing emotional suffering, hardship, and a lack of support from the government for those who need it most.
Dir. Ann Shin| USA/Canada | 33 mins | English: THE TERRORIST HUNTER follows controversial spy Rita Katz, who is lauded by some for her work fighting terrorism, and derided by others for fabricating terrorist plots where none exist. The film places Rita’s tale within the context of the multibillion-dollar counter-terrorism industry, exposing how fear and terror play out in our society. PROGRAM COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Bar Association, Incluvie, Korean American Family Service Center
SLOW ANGELS Dir. Ying Lu | China | 34 mins | Chinese with English Subtitles: In China, if you can’t walk on your own, you can’t go to school. It’s not a formal policy, but a fixture of society’s attitudes. SLOW ANGELS profiles three families with children living with cerebral palsy in Shenzhen as they set off on distinct paths to overcome this discrimination.
SHORT PROGRAMS | 55
1-2-3 gasping for air Thursday, July 26| 8:00pm | Asia Society
Dir. Carlo Obispo | Philippines | 104 mins | Tagalog with English Subtitles | New York City Premiere Luis is just an average teenage boy living on the idyllic fishing island of Silag. He is coming of age alongside his younger sister Lulu, who busies herself with amateur singing contests in hopes of becoming a star. One fateful night, a talent manager discovers her singing and offers her an opportunity to undergo vocal coaching in Manila. Lulu eagerly takes the
opportunity and leaves for the city, thinking her dreams are finally coming true. However, after a few months, Lulu’s family suddenly loses contact with her. Luis sets out for Manila to find his sister, but what he finds there changes his life forever.
community partners: Consulate General of the Philippines
8 minutes ahead Wednesday, August 1 | 6:00pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Ben Hoskyn | Canada/Hong Kong | 73 mins | English, Cantonese with English Subtitles | US Premiere Workaholic, success-obsessed Zhou Li spent decades building a shipping company from the ground up— and now, at the end of his life, he wonders whether it all really amounted to anything.
adjustments to the will as a personal affront and refuses to accept any change to his standing, making Danny even more oblivious to the needs and troubles of his own family.
When he makes a sudden change to his will and to the inheritance his children stand to receive, his two sons are faced with an age-old dilemma: how much wealth is enough, and how far are you willing to go to get it? Each must decide between devoting his life to the family business or breaking away from it in order to live a life his father never could.
Nineteen-year-old Cheng is the son Zhou never met. Cheng has been obsessed with getting rich ever since he understood what money was. Now that an opportunity has presented itself, Cheng soon realizes that money comes with strings attached and he’ll be lucky if he can make it out alive.
Eldest son Danny is fully consumed running the business his father started. He takes the recent
8 MINUTES AHEAD is a directorial debut that incorporates the very best of Hong Kong filmmaking: action, romance, and vibrant color.
community partners: Asian American Bar Association, Project by Project
NARRATIVE FEATURES | 57
a touch of spring Sunday, July 29 | 3:30pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Xiaodan He | Canada/China | 99 mins | French, Mandarin with English Subtitles | US Premiere Li Fang is a Chinese immigrant who has found new roots in Quebec with her husband Eric. But after an incident of infertility and a violent encounter with Eric, Li Fang’s life is thrown into tumult. She decides to flee Quebec and return to Dazu, the small Chinese town where she was born. A nostalgic journey through her past unfurls as Li Fang visits her grandfather and encounters the family, friends, and old flame she left behind—all of who ultimately help her overcome her despair and rekindle her sense of self.
A TOUCH OF SPRING is a beautifully composed, dreamy art film with a keen eye for the vistas of China, juxtaposing the mundanity of Montreal with the vibrance of Dazu. The naturalistic performances and raw emotion make this film feel just like coming home.
bitter melon Saturday, August 4 | 3:30pm | Asia Society
Dir. H.P. Mendoza | USA/Philippines | 96 mins | English, Ilocano with English Subtitles | New York Premiere It doesn’t usually get cold in San Francisco, but there’s a chill in the air when members of the Santos clan convene at their old family home for a rare Christmas reunion. Presents are opened, wine is uncorked, mango cake is sliced, and far-flung relatives are Skyped in. But what begins as holiday cheer and a routine family gathering suddenly takes a dark turn towards conspiracy and murder. Veteran director and San Francisco native H.P. Mendoza directs a carefully constructed screenplay which gives equal weight to a brilliant ensemble
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cast of characters, including a sardonic mother, New York-emigree Declan, and monstrous layabout son Troy. As the holidays proceed, Declan and the others slowly realize Troy has been ruling the house with fear—intimidating everyone who lives there. What better way to celebrate the season of giving than to give Troy his just desserts? CO-PRESENTED BY: Asia Society COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Consulate General of the Philippines, Kasulugan
fiction & other realities Sunday, July 29 | 1:30pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Steve Lee & Bobby Choy | USA/South Korea | 84 mins | English, Korean with English Subtitles | East Coast Premiere Living in New York City, Bobby Choy’s daily life consists of working an unfulfilling telemarketing job, practicing music quietly in fear of disturbing his neighbors through his paper-thin walls, and passing through throngs of people who don’t look like or understand him. When Bobby is suddenly given an opportunity to travel with his best friend Billy’s electro-pop band, he takes it. But upon arriving in Seoul, Bobby decides to ditch the band and stay in Korea. Guided by Ina, a singer who helps him navigate the culture shock of being an American in South Korea, Bobby begins to investigate a feeling
that could potentially fill a major void in his life. FICTION & OTHER REALITIES is a movie about a musician, but also about the dreamer in all of us yearning for a world we fit into. With Bobby Choy of Big Phony giving a bright and charming performance, FICTION & OTHER REALITIES celebrates how outsiders can find human connection through the universal language of music. COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Arts Alliance, Incluvie, Korean American Community Foundation, Korean American Story
for izzy
Friday, August 3 | 8:15pm | Asia Society Dir. Alex Chu | USA | 84 mins | English, Cantonese with English Subtitles | East Coast Premiere FOR IZZY tells the story of what happens after a retired divorcee Anna and her lesbian daughter Dede, who is struggling with addiction, move next door to a lonely widower Peter and his autistic adult daughter Laura. Dede, an unemployed photojournalist, is getting over a broken engagement. She wants to prove to her mother Anna and herself that she can be responsible, but struggles with addiction. Laura, who is a highfunctioning autistic, yearns for independence from her well-intentioned, but extremely protective father. The two form an unlikely pair as Laura becomes the key to Dede’s sobriety and Dede becomes Laura’s window to the outside world. Anna, a burnt out investment banker who feels cheated by time and parenthood, finds a companion in
Peter, a lonely accountant whose life revolves around his only daughter Laura. Their unexpected romance brings light and energy back into their lives—a second chance. But as old demons surface, the relationships of all four people are tested. In the end, through an act of blind courage, the four overcome adversity to become a family. FOR IZZY is a narrative feature drama filmed in a documentary format and infused with elements of magical realism. CO-PRESENTED BY: Asia Society COMMUNITY PARTNERS: GAPIMNY—Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders, Rebel Motion
NARRATIVE FEATURES | 59
noblemen
Wednesday, August 1 | 7:45pm | Village East Cinema Dir. Vandana Kataria | India | 100 mins | English, Hindi with English Subtitles At the Noble Valley boarding school in India, the boys are abuzz with excitement over the Founder’s Day production of The Merchant of Venice. The charismatic drama teacher Murali takes a shine to Shay, a sensitive young student who is constantly victimized by the other boys, and decides to cast him in the lead role. Bully Baadal, who covets the lead, laments being relegated to understudy and resolves to secure the role at all costs, turning to his friend Arjun for help. What unfolds is tantamount
to Shakespearean tragedy as battling egos and toxic masculinity lay waste to childhood innocence and lead to humiliation, murder, and revenge. Director Vandana Kataria fearlessly grapples with difficult themes as she explores the monstrous culture of an elite boarding school in her debut feature film.
when we grow up Friday, July 27 | 5:30pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Zorinah Juan | USA | 96 mins | English | New York City Premiere When the death of the family dog sends the matriarch of the Barnes family into a tailspin of grief, she calls on her three adult children for comfort. Elijah, Maris, and Louise arrive home for the funeral weekend and quickly slip back into their childhood roles, as they struggle to keep sight of their present day, very adult circumstances. Louise is a young woman with big dreams, dealing with the return of an old flame. Maris harbors a lifealtering secret. Elijah and his wife are preparing for their first foray into parenthood. As the family mourns the loss of their dog, the children also mourn the loss of their youth as they begin to take steps
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toward adulthood—but not without a detour through childhood nostalgia and sibling quarrels first. WHEN WE GROW UP explores social challenges not often discussed in mainstream media: racial adoption issues, the redefining of the American family unit, and depictions of sexual intimacy between older people. All of these are inherently women’s issues, stories worth exploring, and a triumph of female voices. COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Also-Known-As, Inc., Consulate General of the Philippines, GAPIMNY—Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders, NAPAWF, New York City Asian American Student Conference
white rabbit Saturday, July 28 | 2:45pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Daryl Wein | USA | 71 mins | English | New York Premiere Recently single, Korean-born L.A. artist Sophia Lee devotes herself to her public performance art, whether it’s a provocative Korean perspective on the L.A. riots performed in the park or quirky digital art on social media. To pay the bills, Sophia does odd jobs for TaskRabbit. When a filmmaker reaches out to discuss an acting role in his next project, she’s excited to explore the opportunity—until Sophia realizes he can’t distinguish between her art and her real identity. When a stranger makes Sophia late for a TaskRabbit gig, she loses her temper—only to run into this stranger repeatedly and discover a strong connection
between them. Sophia develops feelings for her, but it’s unclear if her love is reciprocated. Played by performance artist Vivian Bang (who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Daryl Wein), Sophia is a delightfully refreshing character to watch. Emotionally open, curious, and unapologetic, Sophia’s art is fueled by unfettered self-expression. Her insatiable thirst for meaning and experience would make anyone want to follow her down the rabbit hole in this quirky, deeply felt dramedy. COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Arts Alliance, Asian Women Giving Circle, Incluvie
yorozuya detective story Thursday, July 26 | 6:00pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Touji Sawamura | Japan | 91 mins | Japanese with English Subtitles | International Premiere Like a live-action anime, YOROZUYA DETECTIVE STORY is chock-full of action, adventure, and headscratching weirdness. A colorful, off-the-wall cross between a film noir and a David Lynch movie, the film pushes the limits of reality, fantasy, and good taste. Shiro becomes obsessed with detective work after stumbling upon the ghostly abode of his childhood television hero, detective Jubei Yagyu. In flashbacks evoking the campiness of ‘70s Japanese television, Shiro reminisces about the man’s deeds and almost superhuman ability to solve mysteries. However, after Shiro opens his own detective agency, he and his Watson-like partner Mio find themselves bored by the occasional odd jobs they’re hired for. They crave a real mystery worthy of Jubei.
The film’s weirdness suddenly escalates when a mystery begins to take shape at last. The men in the town are acting strangely, and Shiro’s neighbors might not be as innocent as they appear. As the surreal underbelly of Japanese suburbia exposes itself, Shiro and Mio spring into action and embark on a fantastic adventure. With dastardly villains, Elvis Presley impersonators, superpowered infants, and a soundtrack by American indie band Rocketship, YOROZUYA DETECTIVE STORY is a wild ride that oozes cool. COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Japan Culture NYC, NYU Asian Pacific Islander Alumni
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badass beauty queen Saturday, July 28 | 4:45pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Theresea Kowall-Shipp | Canada | 65 mins | English The story of Miss World contestant Anastasia Lin takes a major turn when her father who is living in China is threatened by Chinese security forces because of Anastasia’s public stance on human rights violations in China. Unbeknownst to her, Anastasia has been declared persona non grata by authorities, preventing her from traveling to Sanya, China to represent Canada at the 2015 Miss World Pageant. Her attempt to enter the country plays out on the world stage, landing her on the front page of the New York Times and in segments on CNN, Der Spiegel, Cosmopolitan, and other major media outlets. Despite not being able to compete in the finals that year, Anastasia still captures the world’s attention.
Invited again to represent Canada at the 2016 Miss World Finals, this time held in Washington D.C., Anastasia comes across obstacles that she doesn’t expect—including the power of Chinese corporations working the Miss World organization. Using her beauty and notoriety to spotlight a growing list of China’s atrocities, including the persecution of political prisoners and forced human organ harvesting, Anastasia must balance her beliefs with the heartbreak of constantly endangering her father’s life. Anastasia finds herself in a dilemma—having to choose between speaking out and staying silent. An unlikely human rights crusader, Anastasia puts everything on the line to stay true to her conscience. COMMUNITY PARTNERS: China Institute
preceeded by
i have nothing to say Dir. Ying Liang | Taiwan/Hong Kong | 25 mins | Chinese with English Subtitles | US Premiere A Chinese mother gets a home visit from the police because her daughter, a dissident filmmaker living in Hong Kong, is planning yet another critical film about China. She hasn’t seen her daughter in five years, but sets off on the long trip to Hong Kong—in spite of her failing health—to talk to her. Based on director Ying
Liang’s personal experience of living in exile, I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY is an examination of politics and family tragedy.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES | 63
crime + punishment Thursday, July 26 | 6:00pm | Village East Cinema Dir. Stephen Maing | USA | 111 mins | English Amidst a landmark class action lawsuit over illegal policing quotas, CRIME + PUNISHMENT chronicles the real lives and struggles of the “NYPD 12,” a group of black and Latino whistleblower cops, and the young minorities they are pressured to arrest and summons in New York City. A highly intimate and cinematic experience with unprecedented access, CRIME + PUNISHMENT examines the systemic injustice of the United States’
most powerful police department through the brave efforts of a group of active duty officers, an innocent young man in Rikers, and one unforgettable private investigator. The cops risk their careers and safety to bring light to harmful policing practices which have plagued the precincts and streets of New York City for decades. COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Association, NYU Asian Pacific Islander Alumni
Bar
gay hollywood dad Thursday, August 2 | 6:00pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Quentin Lee | USA/Hong Kong/Canada | 95 mins | English | World Premiere Writer/director Quentin Lee is a GAY HOLLYWOOD DAD in this self-made series about navigating single parenthood and independent filmmaking. Lee documents his son Casper’s growth all while shooting a film, realizing that his biggest production is actually Casper.
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COMMUNITY PARTNERS: GAPIMNY—Empowering Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders
invisible hands Friday, July 27 | 8:00pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Shraysi Tandon | USA/India/China/Indonesia/Hong Kong/ Ghana | 75 mins | English | New York City Premiere In this harrowing account of children as young as six-years-old being trafficked, INVISIBLE HANDS exposes the hidden labor that feeds our world’s appetite for goods. Situating these children at the bottom of the supply chain, INVISIBLE HANDS travels across six countries including the U.S., India, Indonesia, Ghana, Hong Kong, and China to expose how the world’s megacorporations are behind a modern-day slavery system. INVISIBLE HANDS
marks the directorial debut of journalist Shraysi Tandon and is produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Charles Ferguson.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Journalists Association, Bangladesh Circle, Project by Project
letter from masanjia Saturday, July 28 | 3:00pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Leon Lee | China | 76 mins | English, Chinese with English Subtitles When a woman in Oregon opens a box of Halloween decorations and finds a shocking letter written by a political prisoner from inside a Chinese labour camp, her discovery makes waves across major news outlets worldwide. The author of the letter, Sun Yi, breaks through internet firewalls and learns that his letter has received international attention. Capitalizing on this moment, he joins forces with an underground network of journalists and Chinese dissidents to reveal the dark depths of the entire story. From Peabody Award–winning director Leon Lee, LETTER FROM MASANJIA takes us into the horrific
realities of China’s labour camps through the eyes of Sun Yi, who is determined to expose these abominable human rights violations. Despite being relentlessly pursued by local authorities, he stops at nothing to find justice, ultimately catalyzing large-scale reform of China’s labour camp system.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian American Bar Association, Asian American Journalists Association, China Institute, Rebel Motion
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lock and key Sunday, July 29 | 1:30pm | Village East Cinema
Dir. Shilpi Gulati | India | 82 mins | English, Punjabi with English Subtitles | New York City Premiere
Four recovering addicts at a rehabilitation center in Punjab, India are helping families recover from the damage drugs have wrought on their lives. As the patients struggle to establish new relationships with their pasts, their wives strive to redefine the meaning of love. An intimate portrayal of recovery, LOCK & KEY is about relationships and the everyday labor of maintaining them.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Bangladesh Circle
minding the gap Thursday, August 2 | 8:15pm | Village East Cinema Dir. Bing Liu | USA | 93 mins | English
First-time filmmaker Bing Liu’s documentary MINDING THE GAP is a coming-of-age saga about three skateboarding friends whose Rust Belt hometown is hit hard by decades of recession. In his quest to understand why he and his friends all ran away from home when they were younger, Bing follows 23-year-old Zack as he becomes a father and 17-year-old Keire as he gets his first job. As the film unfolds, Bing is thrust into the middle of Zack’s tumultuous relationship with his
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girlfriend and Keire’s inner struggles with racial identity and his deceased father. While navigating a complex relationship between his camera and his friends, Bing explores the gap between fathers and sons, between discipline and domestic abuse, and ultimately that precarious chasm between childhood and becoming an adult.
ritoma
Sunday, July 29 | 3:30pm | Village East Cinema Dir. | China | 76 mins | English, Chinese with English Subtitles
On any given day on the vast Tibetan plateau, you will find nomads herding their yaks and sheep, and monks reciting their mantras. You will also find them playing one of their favorite sports: basketball. Since the first basketball court opened in 2007, men have taken to the courts every day no matter what the weather. Makeshift courts are found in nearly every village, and when a proper coach arrives from the U.S., women start to play as well. With the introduction of
televised NBA games, the nomads of Ritoma have a new strategy for their court game and “slam-dunk” becomes their new mantra. A new tournament has been announced, the first in their region. Can they put together a team that’s good enough to take part? Might they even be able to win? COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Bangladesh Circle, Incluvie
preceeded by
nguyen-ing: the lee nguyen story Dir. Alfonso Bui | USA/Vietnam | 22 mins | English | New York City Premiere
In NGUYENING: THE LEE NGUYEN STORY, director Alfonso Bui tells the story of how a teenage soccer phenomenon from Texas skyrocketed to unprecedented stardom, becoming the first Vietnamese player to represent the United States. The film covers Nguyen’s time with PSV Eindhoven,
his move to Vietnam, and eventual return to the United States. Along the way, viewers hear from Nguyen’s close friends and family, as well as the player himself.
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WOMEN IN FILM: ON THE SCREEN AND BEHIND THE CAMERA Friday, July 27 | 3:00pm | CUNY AAARI *This program is pay-as-you-wish* Women are leading the vanguard in cinema as creative leads and from behind-the-scenes. How are they pushing the creative and gender boundaries of the film industry? Hear from both emerging and seasoned women filmmakers on how they’re navigating a male-dominated industry and bringing their own aspirations to the big screen. Panelists: Alexandra Cuerdo (ULAM: MAIN DISH, Zorinah Juan (WHEN WE GROW UP), SJ Son (SOOJUNG DREAMS OF FIJI), Justine Suh (RISE & SHINE: A STORY ABOUT BREAKFAST MAKERS) COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Asian Women Giving Circle
MOVERS AND SHAKERS: AAPI ACTIVISM IN FILM PANEL Friday, July 27 | 5:30pm | CUNY AAARI *This program is pay-as-you-wish* What makes film a particularly moving medium in spurring political or social action? What is the potential of film in today’s day and age, when basic human rights continue to be challenged or taken away? Join AAIFF in conversation with some of our festival directors as they discuss the role of film and storytelling in championing the issues that matter, from global slavery to Black Lives Matter and police reform. Panelists: Shraysi Tandon (INVISIBLE HANDS), Stephen Maing (CRIME + PUNISHMENT), Leon Lee (LETTER FROM MASANJIA), Jess X. Snow (AFTEREARTH)
THE 2018 72-HOUR SHOOTOUT WORLD PREMIERE Saturday, July 28 | 12:30 PM | Village East Cinema Come out and see the world premiere of the top ten most incredible films of the 2018 72-Hour Shootout! Presented by The Asian American Film Lab, 72 Hour Shootout is an annual, high profile filmmaking competition aiming to ensure that stories and voices that are too often silenced in mainstream media are heard, not just as whispers, but as shouts to the world. The theme of this year’s competition is #NoMore.
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SAG-AFTRA SCREENPLAY READING - “LOVE YOU CHARLIE” Tuesday, July 31 | 6:00pm | CUNY AAARI *This program is pay-as-you-wish* The 41st Asian American International Film Festival, with support from SAG-AFTRA, is pleased to present the annual screenplay reading, which features this year’s Asian American International Screenplay Competition (AAISC) winning script LOVE YOU, CHARLIE by William Yu and directed by Veronica Dang. “LOVE YOU, CHARLIE” When her best friend, Charlie, is coerced into confessing to a murder, high school senior Alice Park maintains that he’s innocent and embarks on a desperate quest to obtain his freedom and find the real killer.
ABOUT THE SCREENWRITER William Yu believes in blurring the line where passion and discomfort meet. He is currently a freelance writer and was a 2018 Middlebury Script Lab Semi-Finalist. Yu was a former advertising brand and digital strategist. At TBWA\Chiat\Day and SapientRazorfish, he worked on projects for brands like BNY Mellon, Accenture, Verizon, and Mastercard. Yu created #StarringJohnCho, a 2016 Short Award-winning social movement that calls for greater Asian American representation in film. The project has garnered over 1 billion impressions worldwide and continues the conversation on how Asian Americans are perceived in our society today. His work has been featured on major media outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, and CNN.
ABOUT LEVIATHAN LAB Founded in 2009, Leviathan Lab is an award winning not-for-profit creative studio whose mission is the advancement of Asian and Asian American (A/AA) performing artists and their work. Through the expression of A/AA artists’ words, and the presentation of A/AA bodies, presence, and gestures on stage and film, Leviathan works to open spaces that promote social justice, bridge communities, and assert the power of art to change the world. We function as a lab where early career and established A/AA artists can courageously experiment and thrive as they create works that captivate the audiences we serve. CO-PRESENTED BY: SAG-AFTRA, Leviathan Lab
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WORK-IN-PROGRESS SCREENING: “BEI BEI” Saturday, August 4 | 3:00 | Asia Society *This program is pay-as-you-wish* This Work-In-Progress screening and workshop for BEI BEI is the first chance to see and offer commentary on an engrossing and thrilling documentary that features two unlikely women: a Chinese immigrant who is charged with first-degree murder after attempting to commit suicide and her American lawyer who finds herself working on a case that belongs in a long history of attacks on women’s rights. With the filmmakers in attendance, AAIFF will be screening the first 38 minutes of BEI BEI and then hosting a question and answer session and conversation with industry professionals about the documentary. This workshop is meant for the filmmakers of BEI BEI, the community, and audience members. It’s a chance for the filmmakers to receive feedback, both from industry professionals and from audience members. For audience members, it’ll be an opportunity to learn about the process of making a documentary and how to get involved in the fight for women’s reproductive rights.
ABOUT BEI BEI About BEI BEI: A legal and political drama about two extraordinary women: one, a Chinese immigrant charged with feticide and first degree murder; and the other, a white collar, successful lawyer, who unwittingly finds herself defending a woman against legally unprecedented charges. BEI BEI represents a story that could potentially be replicated across the United States as women’s rights continue to be attacked.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS Producer/Directors: Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt are partners in Incite Pictures/Cine Qua Non, who produce and direct feature documentaries that entertain, educate and explore critical contemporary issues. BEI BEI is the latest in a series of films focusing on women from marginalized communities whose personal journeys dramatize the fraught terrain of reproductive rights and justice. Prior titles include YOUNG LAKOTA, THE EDUCATION OF SHELBY KNOX, LIVE FREE OR DIE, FATHERHOOD USA, THE ABORTION PILL, and CODE BLUE: NEW ORLEANS. Their work has been called “unique and memorable,” “pure gold,” and “balanced and truthful,” by the Milwaukee Journal, Hollywood Reporter and The New York Times, respectively. The Washington Post wrote, “Their fly-on-the-wall approach fulfills one of the glorious promises of documentary—to put us in the middle of situations we otherwise might never be in.” In addition to national U.S. broadcasts, their work has been broadcast on the CBC’s Passionate Eye in Canada, The BBC in England, NHK, Indian TV (several broadcasters), and many other outlets around the world. Their films have won Best Cinematography at The Sundance Film Festival, The Audience Award at SXSW, The Emerging Picture Award at Full Frame, and The Jury Prize for Best Documentary at The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
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thank you ASIAN CINEVISION AND THE 41ST ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING DONORS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA ARTS.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS JACQUELINE MCCAFFREY JAMES S.J. LIAO JOHN C. WOO, CHAIRMAN JOHN SHIN PHILIP LAM WYNN SALISCH
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS FOR HELPING US MAKE THIS FESTIVAL POSSIBLE. ABRAHAM ADAM MOORE; SAG-AFTRA ALEC WONG ALEXIA GARLAND; SONY PICTURES ALIA JONES-HARVEY; MAYOR’S OFFICE OF MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT ALINA SHEN ALLEN PENG ALLIE CUERDO; ULAM: MAIN DISH ANGELA YIH ANTONY WONG; CUNY ARIEL ESTRADA; LEVIATHAN LAB BILL IMADA; I.W. GROUP BRIAN YANG CAREN WU; TECO-NY CECILIA MEJIA CHEF MIGUEL TRINIDAD; MAHARLIKA, JEEPNEY CHEF CRISELDA; TITA’S BABY CHEF ALVIN CAILAN CHRISTOPHER GULTIANO CHRISTINE CHAN CLIFFORD CHO; FAT BUDDHA DAANA BURNETTE DAVID MAGDAEL; DAVID MAGDAEL & ASSOCIATES DENNIS HU DEREK NGUYEN DINA LIU ; FACEBOOK ELLEN KODADEK; FLUSHING TOWN HALL GIGI DEMENT GIL QUITO GISELLE TONGI; TANDUAY GRACE CHANG H.P. MENDOZA
72 | THANK YOU
HAISONG LI HANNAH HART; PERNOD RICARD HARNEET ISABEL SANDOVAL JACKIE BACANI; IHAWAN JACKIE MCCAFFREY; ACV BOARD OF DIRECTORS JACOB WALSE-DOMINGUEZ; SINING KAPULUAN JACQUELYN WELLS; OOHJACQUELYNA ART & DESIGNS JAMES S.J. LIAO; ACV BOARD OF DIRECTORS JANE CHUN; MUSES 35 JENNIFER CHO JENNIFER FONG JEREMY TSU; PERNOD RICARD JOHN SHIN; ACV BOARD OF DIRECTORS JOHNSON YA JOHN WOO; ACV BOARD OF DIRECTORS JORDAN MCINTYRE; UNION BEER DISTRIBUTOR JUDY LEI JULIE YOUNG; DREAMMAKER DREAMDOER DREAMSUPPORT, INC. - 3D KIA BROOKS; MINY MEDIA CENTER LAURA CHEN-SCHULTZ; A/P/A INSTITUTE AT NYU LESLIE YIPING QIN LINDSEY MILAZZO LISA NG MALLORY MAZER MARGARET KIM MEGAN WILEY; SHELBURNE HOTEL & SUITES MELINDA CHU MIGUEL TRINIDAD; JEEPNEY
MIRANDA CANILANG NICK SEKAI; SAG-AFTRA NICK SIRADAS NICOLE PONSECA; JEEPNEY OLIN K. OTTESON; DENIHAN PALOMA WOO PAWI BITANGA PHILIP LAM; ACV BOARD OF DIRECTORS QUENTIN LEE REY CUERDO RICHARD GANT; RL GANT GROUP INC RICHARD WONG ROLAND LAZARTE SHANA BHATTACHARYA; SAKHI SHAWN GUTHRIE; ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURES ARTS & SCIENCES SHEENA MALCHAND; SIMON & SCHUSTER SHEREEN KONG SHIRLEY ZHANG SONYA CHUNG STEVEN DE CASTRO TANDUAY ASIAN RUM TAYYABA TOSEEF TING WONG TITO BOYET (TITO RAD’S) TZI MA VERONICA DANG VICTOR HUEY WILLIAM LIN; AI FIORI WYLIE CHEUNG WYNN SALISCH; ACV BOARD OF DIRECTORS YUNI REESE; HWAYO SOJU
ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL THE ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AAIFF), PRESENTED BY ASIAN CINEVISION, IS THE FIRST AND LONGEST RUNNING FESTIVAL IN THE COUNTRY DEVOTED TO FILMS BY AND ABOUT ASIANS AND ASIAN AMERICANS. ABOUT ASIAN CINEVISION ASIAN CINEVISION (ACV) IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT MEDIA ARTS ORGANIZATION DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT, EXHIBITION, PROMOTION, AND PRESERVATION OF ASIAN AND ASIAN AMERICAN FILM AND VIDEO.
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