2018 BAAFF Program Book

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS | CONNECTING THROUGH FILM

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25TH

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SCREENING

OCT. 18 | OPENING NIGHT

THE JOY LUCK CLUB

2018

BOSTON

OCT. 21 | CENTERPIECE

DEPORTED

ASIAN AMERICAN

FILM FESTIVAL

OCT. 27 | CENTERPIECE

FICTION & OTHER REALITIES

OCTOBER

18

28

OCT. 28 | CLOSING NIGHT

FOR IZZY

OVER 50 FILMS | MEET FILMMAKERS | ENGAGE IN DISCUSSIONS BRATTLE THEATRE | PARAMOUNT CENTER | PAO ARTS CENTER | BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

FOR TICKETS & MORE INFO: BAAFF.ORG BAAFF IS A PRODUCTION OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE WORKSHOP

NARRATIVE FILM

DEAR FRIEND,

DOCUMENTARY FILM

WELCOME TO THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL.

SHORTS PROGRAM

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 Welcome 03 Thanks to our Supporters 06 About BAAFF & Venues 07 Line Up At-A-Glance 13 The Joy Luck Club (OPENING) 15 Ulam: A Main Dish 16 Shorts: Queer and Here 18 Shorts: This is Me 21 Mixed Match 22 Shorts: Facing Challenges 25 Bitter Melon 26 Shorts: Out of Boston 29 Go For Broke 31 Deported (CENTERPIECE) 33 Shorts: Re:home 34 Shorts: Peace of Mind 37 Finding Samuel Lowe 39 Shorts: Bright Lights 41 Nailed It 42 Shorts: Altered Realities 45 An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy 47 Fiction & Other Realities (CENTERPIECE) 48 10th Anniversary Celebration 49 The Ito Sisters

Over a decade ago, AARW's then Executive Director Eun-Joung Lee, board members with Elizabeth Ahn Toupin and the generosity of Fred Wang created a fund to support an Asian American film festival for community empowerment.

In 2008, a commitment was made to establish it as an annual film festival in Boston. While an initial goal sought to bridge audiences in Boston and filmmakers telling Asian American stories, the curation also intentionally reflected many of the values of AARW—pan-Asian inclusion, centering of marginalized issues, and uplifting through education and CONNECTIONS. It is those connections that we celebrate this year.

Looking back, it's clear there are significant results beyond connecting audiences and filmmakers—we honor the connections that have developed throughout a decade of festival activities—amplifying and learning of the daily work of sibling organizations, the relationship of an aspiring artist to a veteran, the welcoming of a transplant by a rooted neighbor, an individual adopted into a family of volunteers, and even a filmmaker to a broadcast series. Much power has been harnessed through CONNECTING THROUGH FILM. The success of #AsianAugust and #GoldOpen shares roots with many Asian American film festivals nationally, and Boston is no different. The journey advocating for Asian American representation and storytelling started long before 2018. In honor of this legacy, we open with a 25th Anniversary screening of The Joy Luck Club, and a conversation with special guest Rosalind Chao who played Rose and is in process of filming the live action Mulan—a career arch to truly celebrate!

Thank you for joining us, and especially if you have stepped up this year to contribute an extended amount of time, talent and treasure. Please join us in growing the film festival fund and BAAFF's capacity, by making an honorary gift to BAAFF's $10k for 10 years campaign at bit.ly/BAAFF10.

May #BAAFF10's 11 days, over 50 films, and more than 40 special guests make your connections through film possible!

51 For Izzy (CLOSING) 52 Acknowledgements

Susan Chinsen Festival Director

Connie Y. Chan Associate Festival Director

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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

October 2018 Dear Friends: On behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and I would like to welcome you to the 2018 Boston Asian American Film Festival.

Lieutenant Governor Polito and I would like to first and foremost extend our warm congratulations to the Boston Asian American Film Festival on its tenth year anniversary! For years the BAAFF has continued to encourage, inspire and cultivate creative thinking both here in the Commonwealth and beyond. The BAAFF is an excellent way to celebrate Asian American culture and history while pushing the creative limits of our most gifted citizens.

Lieutenant Governor Polito and I are proud to support the Boston Asian American Film Festival and would like to extend our most heartfelt appreciation to all those who have made this festival possible. Please accept our very best wishes for another successful and most enjoyable festival.

Sincerely,

CHARLES D. BAKER GOVERNOR

KARYN E. POLITO LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

STEWART

WILSON & ESTHER LEE

BARNS

MEDIA PARTNERS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

BOS

BAAFF IS A PRODUCTION OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE WORKSHOP This program is supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administrated by the Mayor's Office of Arts + Culture.

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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

STEWART

BARNS

WHY I BELIEVE FILM FESTIVALS ARE SO IMPORTANT In the small town in Virginia where I lived as a child in the 1950s most people had little if any direct experience knowing Asians or learning about Asian history and culture. With one glaring exception: the insensitive stereotypes or demeaning depictions prevalent in mass media, especially Hollywood films.

Six decades later, it's obvious that so much more must be done before the dignity of everyone of us in all our many individual and intersecting identities is fully protected and positively celebrated. But in this special tenth anniversary year of the Boston Asian American Film Festival, from Hollywood to hometown festivals, films are definitely moving us in the right direction.

My life was immeasurably enriched by friendships formed with international and Asian American students during my university years in the 1960s and 1970s. That personal experience coupled with participation in the Civil Rights movement and the leadership of Martin Luther King profoundly changed my life. When King linked American racism and economic disparities to the parallel immorality and injustice of waging war in Southeast Asia, I was moved to follow his example of nonviolent civil disobedience. I chose jail over waging war against people of another race living in poverty on the other side of the globe. In retrospect, I now appreciate more fully the role of documentary films in my development.

My life has also been immeasurably enriched by engaging with BAAFF from its beginning ten years ago. There are many ways to advance the values and goals we share. I believe full and honest representation of Asian American experiences in films, historically as well as contemporaneously, is one of the best. And in Boston, thanks to the leadership of Susan Chinsen and the hard work of a great team of volunteers, we have a film festival that inspires the best in all of us.

Congratulations to the Boston Asian American Film Festival in this special tenth anniversary year.

May all of us contribute in whatever way we can and as generously as we can to support BAAFF's mission now and into the future.

-Stewart Barns

DONATE TODAY

$10K FOR 10 W W W. B I T. LY / B A A F F 1 0

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THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

Michelle Wu Boston City Council

October 2018

Dear Friends, Congratulations on the tenth year of the Boston Asian American Film Festival, and I am honored to join you all in celebrating this important milestone. For ten years, this film festival has been a great venue for Asian American filmmakers to showcase their talent and vision, and I’m proud that our city is able to host a film festival with such impact on our community.

As the daughter of immigrants from Taiwan, I know that the rich culture in our community offers powerful stories that can be translated into wonderful films. Films allow us to share and amplify our experiences, and seeing stories that we can relate to on the big screen can be a powerful reminder of shared joys and hopes. The theme of this year’s festival, Connecting Through Film, highlights the connections made in film by amplifying shared experiences and spotlighting compelling storytelling. I applaud the Boston Asian American Film Festival for bringing talented filmmakers to our city, sharing their work with our community, and giving us the opportunity to appreciate and reflect on our identity and community.

I send my warmest regards to the organizers, attendees, and filmmakers in the Boston Asian American Film Festival. I look forward to continued collaborations with the community in my capacity as City Councilor At-Large and a proud member of the AAPI community in Boston.

Thank you for bringing this wonderful film festival to Boston once again.

Sincerely,

Michelle Wu Boston City Councilor At-Large

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ABOUT BAAFF

ABOUT BAAFF (BAAFF.ORG) Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop.

The BAAFF committee plans and supports an annual festival, the spring Short Waves program and other year-round activities related to media. Get involved, join the BAAFF family and have some fun!

OTHER WAYS TO CONTACT US

Email us: baaff@aarw.org

Follow us: bostonaafilm

Like us: facebook.com/baaff

Youtube: BostonAAFF

TAG US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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VENUES

VENUES (Only main venues listed here, check BAAFF.ORG for more information.)

BRATTLE THEATRE 40 Brattle St., Cambridge

PARAMOUNT CENTER 559 Washington St., Boston

Take the MBTA Red Line to Harvard Square.

Use the Brattle Street exit through the bus way. When you reach the top of the stairs, you will see Brattle Street ahead to the right.

Take the MBTA Red Line to Downtown Crossing, Orange Line to Chinatown, Green Line to Boylston, or Silver Line to Boylston.

Paramount Center is near The Opera House.

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY (COPLEY SQ.) 700 Boylston St., Boston

PAO ARTS CENTER 99 Albany St., Boston

Take the MBTA Green Line to Copley Station. Enter from the main entrance right on Boylston Street. Inquire at info desk for further directions.

Take the MBTA Orange Line to Chinatown or Tufts Medical Center or Red Line to South Station. In the One Greenway building at the intersection of Kneeland St. Follow the flow of traffic up Albany street.

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LINE UP AT-A-GLANCE

THURSDAY, OCT. 18

7:30pm The Joy Luck Club | ​ OPENING NIGHT / 25th Anniversary Screening / Actor Rosalind Chao in conversation with The Boston Globe’s Shirley Leung (BRATTLE)

Rosalind Chao

Alexandra Cuerdo

Athena Mari Asklipiadis

Patrick Epino

Alexander Bocchieri

Sahra V. Nguyen

Paula Madison

Adele Pham

Dianne Fukami

Bobby Choy

Antonia Grace Glenn

Alex Chu

FRIDAY, OCT. 19

6:00pm ULAM: Main Dish Q&A with Director Alexandra Cuerdo & Chef Ellie Tiglao (PARAMOUNT) 9:00pm Shorts: Queer and Here Salamagan | Hoài (Ongoing/Memory) | Coming Out Wasn’t Funny | Like Mother, Like Daughter | Tomato and Eggs | KHOL (Open) | Decoding Darkmatter | Q&A with various filmmakers (PARAMOUNT)

SATURDAY, OCT. 20

12:00pm Shorts: This is Me Sunny | Woke | Keepsake | Joseon’s Bride | June | Discomfort Zone | Pagg | Q&A with various filmmakers (PARAMOUNT) 3:00pm Mixed Match Q&A with Athena Mari Asklipiadis (Founder, Mixed Marrow) (PARAMOUNT) 6:00pm Shorts: Facing Challenges Mother Tongue | The Musician Under New York | Phómily Feud | Nothing on US: Pinays Rising | Milk | Dancing Shoes | Come & Take It | Q&A with various filmmakers (PARAMOUNT) 9:00pm Bitter Melon Q&A with Actor Patrick Epino (PARAMOUNT)​

All events and special guest appearances are subject to change without notice.

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LINE UP AT-A-GLANCE

SUNDAY, OCT. 21

12:00pm Shorts: Out of Boston Egg Tart | The Flip Side | The Most Interesting Man in Show Business | The Last Corn Dog Dinner | Christmas Forward | Re(Orient) | MAP for Health: 25 Years of Asian Pride | Q&A with various filmmakers (PARAMOUNT) 3:00pm Go For Broke Q&A with Director Alexander Bocchieri (PARAMOUNT)

THIS YEAR, BAAFF HIGHLIGHTS

50% FEATURE FILMS

BY FEMALE DIRECTORS

THURSDAY, OCT. 25

7:00pm Shorts: Bright Lights Drawn Together | Flip the Record | Wonder Buffalo (PARAMOUNT) FREE

6:00pm Deported | CENTERPIECE Community Panel featuring Director Sahra V. Nguyen (PARAMOUNT)

FRIDAY, OCT. 26

MONDAY, OCT. 22

9:00pm Shorts: Altered Realities Raksha | Strawberries will Save the World | Runner | Whale Fall | Aswang Next Door | The Masseuse | Q&A with various filmmakers (PARAMOUNT)

7:00pm Chinatown Presents: ​Shorts Re:home Side by Side: Out of a South Korean Orphanage | The Beach House | Dear Mother | A Letter for Sang Ah | Q&A with various filmmakers COMMUNITY SCREENING (PAO ARTS CENTER)

6:00pm Nailed It Q&A with Director Adele Pham (PARAMOUNT)

11:00pm Karaoke Afterparty $10 Cover Charge / 21+ Only Event (LIMELIGHT)

TUESDAY, OCT. 23

SATURDAY, OCT. 27

​WEDNESDAY, OCT. 24

6:00pm Fiction & Other Realities | CENTERPIECE | Skype Q&A with Co-Director/Actor Bobby Choy (PARAMOUNT)

7:00pm Chinatown Presents: Shorts Peace of Mind Bloom | GAPS | Share | On My Mind | Looking for Luke Q&A with various filmmakers COMMUNITY SCREENING (PAO ARTS CENTER) 12:30pm Finding Samuel Lowe Author Talk with Paula Madison FREE (BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY CHINATOWN BRANCH) 6:30pm Finding Samuel Lowe FREE Q&A with Paula Madison ​(BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY COPLEY SQUARE)

3:00pm An American Story: Norman Mineta and His Legacy Q&A with Director Dianne Fukami (PARAMOUNT)

8:00pm BAAFF 10th Anniversary Celebration with artists Lenora Lee and LuDow (PAO ARTS CENTER)

SUNDAY, OCT. 28

12:00pm The Ito Sisters Q&A with Director Antonia Grace Glenn (PARAMOUNT) 4:00pm For Izzy | CLOSING NIGHT Q&A with Director Alex Chu (PARAMOUNT)

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Night Market Harvard Square 75 Winthrop St. Cambridge, MA 02138

Proud Sponsor of the Boston Asian American Film Festival

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NARRATIVE FILM

25TH

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SCREENING

OPENING NIGHT FILM NEWLY REFINED DIGITAL VERSION

THE JOY LUCK CLUB

CO-PRESENTED BY:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 7:30PM Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA (Harvard Sq.) DIRECTED BY WAYNE WANG | 1993 | 139 MINS | DRAMA | USA Adapted from Amy Tan's novel of the same name, The Joy Luck Club focuses on four Chinese immigrant women living in San Francisco (played by Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, and Kieu Chinh) and their relationships with their American-born daughters (Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom, and Rosalind Chao). The title refers to the group these women have formed to regularly meet, play mahjong, and tell each other their stories.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Wayne Wang was born in Hong Kong. His feature films include the critically acclaimed indie hit Chan Is Missing (82), Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart (84), Slam Dance (87), Eat a Bowl of Tea (89), Life is Cheap: But Toilet Paper is Expensive (90), Smoke (95), and Maid in Manhattan (02); and the Festival selections The Joy Luck Club (93), Blue in the Face (95), Chinese Box (97), Anywhere but Here (99), and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (07).

SCREENING PRECEDED BY: CONVERSATION WITH ROSALIND CHAO (ACTRESS/ROSE) HOSTED BY SHIRLEY LEUNG (INTERIM EDITOR, THE BOSTON GLOBE) ROSALIND CHAO just returned from London where she starred in the National Theater of Great Britain's production of THE GREAT WAVE, a new play by Francis Turnly. She is best known for her role as Rose in THE JOY LUCK CLUB. Rosalind was recently in STOCKHOLM, PENNSYLVANIA which premiered at Sundance . She'll next be seen in the indie PLUS ONE and is currently filming Disney's live action MULAN for director Nicki Caro.

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PEabody essex museum THROUGH FEBRUARY 10, 2019

EMPRESSES Forbidden City of China’s

This exhibition is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum; the Freer|Sackler, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; and the Palace Museum, Beijing, China.

Drinking Tea, from Yinzhen’s Twelve Ladies (detail), Kangxi period, 1709–23, Court painters, Beijing, possibly including Zhang Zhen (active late 17th–early 18th century) or his son Zhang Weibang (about 1725–about 1775), hanging scroll, ink and color on silk, Palace Museum, Gu6458-7/12.© The Palace Museum.

161 Essex St. | Salem, MA | pem.org

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9/21/18 11:22 AM

DOCUMENTARY FILM

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

ULAM: MAIN DISH

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 6:00PM Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY ALEXANDRA CUERDO | 80 MINS | DOCUMENTARY | USA "Could it be that Filipino food, the underdog of Asian cuisines, is having its moment at last?"

— THE NEW YORK TIMES. 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 identity, 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.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Alexandra Cuerdo is a Filipino-American director, producer and editor. Her directorial debut, ULAM: Main Dish, has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Vogue, TimeOut, and EaterLA, with MSN ranking it as one of the "Top 5 Food Documentaries to Watch" now. As a content producer and editor, her videos for BuzzFeed have achieved over 100 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. A UCLA Film cum laude alum, she is based in Los Angeles and New York.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH ALEXANDRA CUERDO (DIRECTOR) AND CHEF ELLIE TIGLAO, who is is a Filipino American chef and and arts curator. Tanam, Chef Ellie's brand new food and artspace, will open soon in Union Square, Somerville.

CO-PRESENTED BY: Filipino Festival Malden, MA PILIPINO EDUCATION ADVOCACY AND RESOURCES

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

SHORTS: QUEER & HERE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 9:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston Whether it's privately coming out to your family or publically sharing your story on stage, queerness is experienced in a myriad of different ways. Queer and Here celebrates the diversity of the LGBTQ community and provides a snapshot into the intricacies of their varied journeys.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

SALAMAGAN

DIRECTED BY ELISA OH | 12 MINS Ana fears that coming out to her Filipino Catholic mother would break her heart. But when her mother needs help cleaning a hoarder house, Ana enlists her secret girlfriend for the job.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

HOÀI (ONGOING/MEMORY)

DIRECTED BY QUYÊN NGUYEN-LE | 10 MINS This film is a narrative that delves into a conflict between a young Vietnamese-American queer woman and her father, exploring themes of heartbreak from romantic relationships, to families, to nations. Q&A with Quyen NguyenLe (Director)

2018 BAAFF SHORT WAVES WINNER

COMING OUT WASN'T FUNNY

DIRECTED BY CHANNEIT SOM | 6 MIN This film focuses on the relationship with director Channeit Som's dad that she never really spoke in-depth about, only joked around about. She shares the dynamic of being from a bicultural generation and having intergenerational differences. Q&A with Channeit Som (Director)

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

DIRECTED BY KADY LE | 8 MINS On Lunar New Year, a Vietnamese American trans woman goes behind her mother's back to wear her first ao dai in hopes of convincing her immigrant mother that she is capable of being her daughter. Q&A with Kady Le (Director) and Tina Ngo (Actor)

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SHORTS PROGRAM

WORLD PREMIERE

TOMATO AND EGGS

DIRECTED BY NICOLE TAY | 11 MINS Lisa (Celia Au) is a queer Chinese American woman who plans to marry her long-term girlfriend. As Lisa navigates the trans-generational challenges of telling her father Yun (Fenton Li), other secrets will test the bounds of family and culture. Q&A with Nicole Tay (Director)

DOCUMENTARY

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

KHOL (OPEN)

DIRECTED BY FAROUKH VIRANI | 12 MINS When his father passes away, Vijay is forced to return home after a 10 year estrangement and open up to his mother about his sexuality.

DECODING DARKMATTER

DIRECTED BY CRYSTAL WATERTON | 21 MINS This is about two Asian transgender poetry performance artists: Alok Vaid-Menon and Janani Balasubramanian. It documents their journey from Stanford University, where they began performing together as DarkMatter, to their first large theater production, It Gets Bitter, at Joe's Pub in New York City. DarkMatter's performances are a mixture of art, theater, and poetry. Both go by they/them pronouns, and through their spoken word poetry, act as art activists, discussing the obstacles and struggles trans people of color are facing worldwide.

CO-PRESENTED BY:

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

SHORTS: THIS IS ME

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 12:00PM Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston Finding your voice is tough whether you're fighting for a role in a school play or being interrogated by immigration officials about your life. This is Me is a collection of short films that showcase some of the hardships that come with trying to find your place in the world, and the experiences that shape us—for better or for worse.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

SUNNY

DIRECTED BY SAM CHUNG | 12 MINS A Korean-American boy must face his insecurities and others' doubts as he is unexpectedly thrust into a major role in his school's play.

Q&A with Sam Chung (Director)

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

WOKE

DIRECTED BY VENK POTULA | 10 MINS A man and a woman meet by chance on a hot day in a park in the city of Atlanta. Sunny is a Pakistani-American wannabe rapper in search of some inspiration. Rebecca is an AfricanAmerican activist on the run from a rent-acop. He lends her a helping hand, and soon the two are caught in a furious debate about where art and identity intersect.

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

KEEPSAKE

DIRECTED BY MEGAN LAU | 12 MINS A documentary following the racial stereotypes of three Asian-Europeans, and their individual struggles balancing Chinese tradition and European culture. Q&A with Megan Lau (Director)

JOSEON'S BRIDE

DIRECTED BY ELEANOR CHO | 6 MIN A young immigrant in search of a better life must pass the tough immigration station at Angel Island, where one simple mistake can send her back to Korea. Q&A with Jacky Jung (Actor)

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

EAST COAST PREMIERE

JUNE

DIRECTED BY HUAY-BING LAW | 13 MINS In 1955, an immigrant Chinese wife comes across segregated restrooms and isn't sure whether to use the one labeled "Colored" or "White."

DISCOMFORT ZONE

DIRECTED BY PHONG LE | 8 MINS Two friends from different backgrounds watch Olympic basketball while dealing with racial microaggressions—from each other.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

PAGG

DIRECTED BY NARDEEP KHURMI | 17 MINS When a hate crime clouds the 4th of July, Mandeep, a Sikh-American, grapples with his fears and anxieties as he attempts to celebrate the holiday with his wife and infant son. As tensions rise through various microaggressions and racially charged encounters, Mandeep makes a tragic decision that changes his identity forever.

CO-PRESENTED BY:

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Congratulations to the Boston Asian American Film Festival for a decade of Connecting Through Film.

Tufts University and the Johnathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life are proud to support #BAAFF2018!

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DOCUMENTARY FILM

DOCUMENTARY

MIXED MATCH

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 3:00PM Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY JEFF CHIBA STEARNS | 96 MINS | DOCUMENTARY | USA Mixed Match is an important human story told from the perspective of mixed race blood cancer patients who are forced to reflect on their multiracial identities and complex genetics as they struggle with a seemingly impossible search to find bone marrow donors, all while exploring what role race plays in medicine. With the multiracial community becoming one of the fastest growing demographics in North America, being mixed race is no longer just about an identity, it can be a matter of life and death.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Jeff Chiba Stearns is an Emmy® nominated and Webby award winning animation and documentary filmmaker. After graduating from the Emily Carr University with a degree in Film Animation, he founded Vancouver based boutique animation studio Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. in 2001. From animated viral video ads and broadcast commercials for companies like Sharpie, 3M and Post-it Note, to short and feature films like "What Are You Anyways?" (2005), Yellow Sticky Notes (2007), One Big Hapa Family (2010), Ode to a Post-it Note (2010) and Yellow Sticky Notes | Canadian Anijam (2013), Jeff's work has broadcast around the world, screened in hundreds of international film festivals and garnered over 40 awards. Mixed Match is Jeff's second feature length documentary. Jeff attended BAAFF in 2016 to present One Big Happa Family.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH ATHENA MARI ASKLIPIADIS (FOUNDER, MIXED MARROW) CO-PRESENTED BY:

.

MAPA

MIXED ASIAN PACIFIC-ISLANDER ASSOCIATION

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

SHORTS: FACING CHALLENGES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 6:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston It's often the challenges that we face that define who we are and what we stand for, whether those challenges come in the form of language barriers or gender inequality; fighting for better gun control or fighting to live out our dreams. This collection of short films feature stories of individuals as they navigate their own personal struggles.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

MOTHER TONGUE

DIRECTED BY CHRISTINA WONG | 6 MINS A young Asian-American girl seeks to connect with her cultural identity through her mother and grandmother, but must find a way to speak the same language first.

THE MUSICIAN UNDER NEW YORK

DIRECTED BY JOY LE LI | 9 MINS This film gives an intimate view of the story of a Chinese immigrant who came to NYC in his late fifties. Lu had no formal musical training.

To his family's surprise, Lu not only survived on the skills they had deemed useless, but he also rediscovered his love for music.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

PHáťžMILY FEUD

DIRECTED BY MARTIN TRAN | 3 MIN Though well into adulthood, this sister and brother pair can't stop competing at childish games. Big sis is used to winning, but this time little bro is determined to take her throne.

Bringing their ago old grudge into a Pho restaurant, what could go wrong?

NOTHING ON US: PINAYS RISING

DIRECTED BY EVELYN OBAMOS | 25 MIN In this film, Pinay Rapper Ruby Ibarra makes her directorial debut showing how she orchestrated an ambitious vision for her music video of "Us." This documentary showcases the song's global tropes of resistance and solidarity, serving as a Pinay anthem for women to continue rising.

Q&A with Evelyn Obamos (Director)

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

MILK

DIRECTED BY WINNIFRED JONG | 2 MINS Vicki buys milk and finds telling her grandmother is the hardest part.

DANCING SHOES

DIRECTED BY BENEDICT CHIU | 10 MINS When his mom gives him a magical pair of shoes, a young street dancer's life is changed forever. Q&A with Benedict Chiu (Director/Writer/Producer) and Erich Reyes (Actor/Producer)

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

COME AND TAKE IT

DIRECTED BY ELLEN SPIRO | 25 MINS This short documentary film captures the transformation of a young woman to leadership of America's most irreverent anti-gun violence movement called #CocksNotGlocks. After concealed carry of handguns is legalized on the University of Texas campus, Jessica Jin posts clever humor on social media, and with the help of a tight-knit group of young female students, a movement is born: The Great Texas Dildo Revolt. Please note that subject matter is intended for mature audiences.

CO-PRESENTED BY:

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NARRATIVE FILM

DOCUMENTARY

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

BITTER MELON

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 9:00PM Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY H.P. MENDOZA | 97 MINS | DRAMA Bitter Melon is the story of a Filipino-American family who reunites for a Christmas party at the family home in San Francisco only to find out that Troy, the second oldest child, has been ruling the house with fear—intimidating everyone who lives there—including his mother, and even physically abusing his wife. What starts as a fun holiday reunion turns into a darkly humorous crime scene as Declan, the youngest son, leads the family as they conspire on how to best murder the violent and abusive Troy.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | H. P. Mendoza is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and musician. He is best known for his micro-budget work as screenwriter, composer and lyricist on Colma: The Musical (2006), as well as his followup musical and directorial debut, Fruit Fly (2010). Mendoza's musical films have been dubbed "mumblechoral" by Steve Seid of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Mendoza was inducted into Essential SF by San Francisco Film Society alongside Terry Zwigoff and Judy Stone. Mendoza attended BAAFF in 2012 for his feature film 'I AM A GHOST.' SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH PATRICK EPINO (ACTOR) CO-PRESENTED BY: Filipino Festival Malden, MA

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

SHORTS: OUT OF BOSTON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 12:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston From a badass stuntman to a little girl who just loves Christmas, everyone has a story to tell.

This set of short films highlights the broad spectrum of voices and talents that local filmmakers from Boston have to offer.

WORLD PREMIERE

EGG TART

DIRECTED BY KAGE YAMI | 11 MINS It's been one year since his grandmother's passing. But he is still trying to find ways to cope with losing someone he loved. It isn't until one day after visiting his grandmother's grave that he discovers what it means to live life as the passing generation. Q&A with Kage Yami (Director)

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN SHOW BUSINESS DIRECTED BY JAMES H LEE | 6 MINS This film explores the life of a badass motorcycle stuntman known as the Knockabout Artist. He battles knife wielding gangsters, tears up a storm on his bike and dance battles his way into women's hearts. Who exactly is this helmet wearing man of mystery?

Q&A with James Lee (Director)

THE FLIP SIDE

DIRECTED BY VAL WANG | 25 MINS This film presents the increasingly globalized circus world, where disparate people and acrobatic cultures come together, clash, and ultimately transform each other. We meet Daqi, a Chinese circus artist who leaves home at age 9 to train at an elite state-run circus academy.

Q&A with Val Wang (Director)

WORLD PREMIERE

THE LAST CORN DOG DINNER ​

DIRECTED BY JANELLE KUNG | 4 MIN Through stop motion flashbacks, a mother and father recount a near-death experience with their son. Q&A with Janelle Kung (Director/ Cinematographer/Editor/Animator)

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SHORTS PROGRAM

CHRISTMAS FORWARD

DIRECTED BY TEJA ARBOLEDA AND MICHAEL TOW | 7 MINS A selfless act touches many lives. Christmas Forward is a positive, inspirational story about giving - the perfect antidote to these highly tense and critical times. The 2x Telly Award winning short is a humble story about a little girl who finds in herself the true meaning of Christmas. Q&A with Michael Tow and Teja Arboleda (Directors)

DOCUMENTARY

RE(ORIENT)

DIRECTED BY KATYTARIKA BARTEL | 34 MINS RE(ORIENT) is an ANGRY ASIAN GIRLS original documentary series highlighting Asian Pacific Islander-American (APIA) artists and activists in Boston. The series aims to challenge singular-narrative representation of Asian Americans in art and media through its three subjects: poet and designer Ricky Orng, activist and artist Dahn Bi Lee-Hong, and singer-songwriter Haezy.

Q&A with Katytarika Bartel (Director)

WORLD PREMIERE

MAP FOR HEALTH: 25 YEARS OF ASIAN PRIDE

DIRECTED BY ALBERT CHAN | 17 MINS At the height of the AIDS epidemic, the rate of HIV infection among Asian-Pacific Islanders was the fastest growing among all ethnic groups, and yet there were no prevention and education programs targeting them in Massachusetts. This film tells the story of a group of young Asian-Pacific Islanders who banded together in a grassroots effort to address a critical, unaddressed need in the Massachusetts Asian-Pacific Islander community during the AIDS crisis, and how the organization has evolved over the years, at one point with a full-time staff of ten, expanding and shifting its focus along the way. Q&A with Albert Chan (Director) CO-PRESENTED BY:

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Dearest Janelle, Congratulations on making it onto the big screen with your stop motion film,

The Last Corn Dog Dinner!

You worked so hard this past summer, despite the challenges you faced, and for that, I am so incredibly proud of you. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there in person to celebrate this momentous day with you, but I’m with you in spirit!

Love you to the moon and back!

—YOUR BIGGEST FAN

Congrats to the first place winners

Thank you BAAFF Golf Getwaway supporters for the Liberty Mutual Invitational at Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club. Stay tuned for more information on the 2019 Golf Getaway Tournament!

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NARRATIVE FILM

DOCUMENTARY

EAST COAST PREMIERE

GO FOR BROKE: A 442 ORIGINS STORY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 3:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY ALEXANDER BOCCHIERI | 104 MINS | DRAMA Set in the tumultuous year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, this true story follows a group of University of Hawaii ROTC students as they fight discrimination by forming the Varsity Victory Volunteers (VVV).

The brave actions of these young Japanese Americans, along with the perseverance of the original 100th Infantry Battalion draftees from Hawaii, led to the formation of the all-Japanese fighting unit the 442nd - the most decorated combat unit in American military history.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Alexander Bocchieri graduated from the University of Hawaii Academy for Creative Media in 2012, and has worked in all facets of the film industry in Hawaii for the last 6 years. In 2014 he joined Lumos Media as cocreative director, a production company that produces documentaries and short films about our most compelling social issues. In 2017, he made his feature film directorial debut with Go For Broke, which premiered to critical acclaim at the Hawaii International Film Festival. He lives and works in Honolulu.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH ALEXANDER BOCCHIERI (DIRECTOR)

CO-PRESENTED BY:

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Don’t miss the world premiere of Celine Song’s play, Endlings.

Don’t miss A.R.T.’s 2018/19 Season.

INCLUDING

Celine Song’s

Endlings

February 26 - March 17, 2019

Diana Oh’s

Clairvoyance April 24 - 28, 2019

Sara Porkalob’s

Dragon Cycle March 20 - April 6, 2019

Expanding the boundaries of theater.

AmericanRepertoryTheater.org

Proud supporter of BAAFF • • •

Buyer Representation Seller Representation Closing Attorneys

• • •

Refinancing Commercial Real Estate Business Formation

Attorneys:

Nancy A. Lee, Esq. nlee@leeassociatespc.com Sarah Chung, Esq. schung@leeassociatespc.com June Oh, Esq. joh@leeassociatespc.com Languages Available: Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Toisanese), Korean, Vietnamese

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DOCUMENTARY FILM

CENTERPIECE FILM

DEPORTED

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 6:00PM Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY SAHRA V. NGUYEN | 2017 | 42 MINS | DOCUMENTARY "Deported" follows Philadelphia-based advocacy group 1Love Movement and its sister organization, 1Love Cambodia, over the course of five months as they head to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to meet with a task force made up of representatives of the Cambodian government. The goal: halt deportations and renegotiate the 2002 repatriation agreement that opened the pathway for the U.S. to deport Cambodian refugees back to Cambodia.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Sahra Vang Nguyen is on a mission to explore stories at the intersection of diversity, culture, and human potential. Her recent documentary, "Deported," which she sold to NBC News, explores the global fight to end deportation. Whether it's behind the camera producing, directing, and filming, or in front of audiences speaking on topics including race and uplifting underrepresented voices in media, Sahra proves to be a Renaissance woman of the Millennial generation whose talents can't be boxed in.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY:

RECEPTION COURTESEY OF:

Q&A TO COMMUNITY PANEL FEATURING SAHRA V. NGUYEN (DIRECTOR) CO-PRESENTED BY:

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Open 7 Days a Week Mon.-Thurs. 11:30am-1am Fri.- Sat. 12pm - 2am Sun. 9am-1am

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SHORTS PROGRAM

SHORTS: RE:HOME

DOCUMENTARY

CO-PRESENTED BY:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 7:00PM Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St, Boston, Chinatown How do you internalize race when your adoptive family is a different race than you? How do you find a sense of community when you straddle different worlds? Centered around Korean Adoption, this series of shorts examines the complexities that come with being adopted away from your birth country.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

SIDE BY SIDE: OUT OF A

SOUTH KOREAN ORPHANAGE

DIRECTED BY GLENN AND JULIE MOREY | 38 MINS This film is composed entirely of intensely intimate, first-person narratives, the stories of a baby being violently thrown from a car at the orphanage front door, relinquishment to a total stranger in a train station, life as "a Martian" and the complexities of being gay and a Korean-American adoptee, reuniting with birth parents and trying to make sense of relationships with mothers and fathers they've never known.

Q&A with Glenn and Julie Morey (Directors)

DEAR MOTHER

DIRECTED BY MATTHEW KAUNDART | 5 MINS Like thousands of Korean orphans since the 1950s, Kayla Tange was adopted by an American family and brought to the U.S. as an infant in 1983. In 2011, Kayla made arrangements through a social worker to meet her birthmother.

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

THE BEACH HOUSE

DIRECTED BY ERIC ELIZAGA | 12 MINS Max brings his new girlfriend to his beach house for a fun weekend together along with his closest friends. Both Korean adoptees with white parents, Max and Jamie discover they have much more in common while bonding over similar experiences as Asian American kids who grew up white. Q&A with Eric Elizaga (Director)

A LETTER FOR SANG AH

DIRECTED BY MINA FITZPATRICK | 27 MIN A LETTER FOR SANG-AH is a story about two single mothers in Korea who took vastly different paths, and their fight for justice and acceptance within Korean society.

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

SHORTS: PEACE OF MIND TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 7:00PM Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St, Boston, Chinatown Sometimes the most hard fought battles we face are the ones that can feel invisible to everyone else. Whether it's battling against mental illness, the stigmas around mental health, or feelings like overwhelming heartbreak, this series of shorts focuses on the battles we fight to try to find some Peace of Mind.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

BLOOM

DIRECTED BY LAUREN CHEUNG | 10 MINS Bloom captures a young woman's attempt to contend with loss through her art. Facing a blank canvas, a grief-stricken painter named Mae flits through memories—both remembered and conjured—of her lost friend, until she finally confronts the most painful of them all: her friend's belongings scattered among a crime scene. Q&A with Lauren Cheung (Director) Faiyad Ahmad (Asst. Director)

EAST COAST PREMIERE

SHARE

DIRECTED BY BARNA SZASZ & ELLIE WEN | 12 MINS An 18-year-old Instagram influencer attempts to reconcile his identity online with his identity in real life.

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

GAPS

DIRECTED BY PETER TRINH | 12 MINS Although mental diseases are a global health issue, the cultural stigmas and traditions of being Asian play a major factor in how they are dealt with in the community. This is particularly true of Alzheimer's, a disease which affects millions of Asians, yet in most Asian countries and cultures, a word does not exist to describe the disease.

WORLD PREMIERE

ON MY MIND

DIRECTED BY SHIRLEY ZHOU | 6 MIN A loser-in-love's struggle to move on is personified by a pesky crow.

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

CO-PRESENTED BY:

LOOKING FOR LUKE

DIRECTED BY ERIC LU | 26 MINS Luke Tang was a well-liked, passionate and brilliant Harvard sophomore who took his family and friends by surprise when he decided to take his own life. This film is a short documentary following Luke's parents, Wendell and Christina, as they attempt to understand why he did this by reading through his journals and talking to his closest friends. As they piece together what happened, they begin to uncover the truth about their son's death. Please note that subject matter is intended for mature audiences.Q&A with Mental Health Professional, Cindy Liu and Pata Suyemoto (TEAM)

Cindy H. Liu, Ph.D. is the Director of the Developmental Risk and Cultural Resilience Program, and an Assistant Professor at the Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School. As a clinical and developmental psychologist, her research focuses on the conceptualization of psychosocial stress, with the goal to reduce mental health disparities among Asian Americans. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Oregon and completed her internship at McLean Hospital and postdoctoral fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

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AUTHOR TALK WITH

PAULA MADISON

FREE EVENT

FINDING SAMUEL LOWE

OCTOBER 24, 12:30PM Boston Public Library Chinatown Branch

2 Boylston St., Boston, MA Books and dvds will be available.

(Right across from Chinatown Station)

Spanning four generations and moving between New York, Jamaica, and China, a powerful memoir that is a universal story of retired NBC Universal executive, Paula Williams Madison's search for her maternal grandfather and the key to her self-identity. Finding Samuel Lowe is a remarkable journey about one woman's path to self-discovery. It is a story about love and devotion that transcends time and race, and a beautiful reflection of the power of family and the interconnectedness of our world.

BIG

conversations happen

HERE. wgbhnews.org

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DOCUMENTARY FILM

DOCUMENTARY

FREE EVENT

FINDING SAMUEL LOWE

PRESENTED BY:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 6:30PM Boston Public Library - Copley Square, 700 Boylston St.

DIRECTED BY JEANETTE KONG | 88 MINS | DOCUMENTARY | USA At its heart, Finding Samuel Lowe is a story about familial love and devotion that transcends race, space and time. Three successful black siblings from Harlem discover their heritage by searching for clues about their long-lost Chinese grandfather, Samuel Lowe. Retired NBC Universal executive, Paula Williams Madison and her brothers, Elrick and Howard Williams, were raised in the U.S. by their Chinese Jamaican mother, Nell Vera Lowe who encouraged them to realize their rags-to-riches American dream. In order to fulfill a promise to their mother to connect with her estranged Chinese father's people, they embark on a journey to uncover their ancestral roots. ​ DIRECTOR'S BIO | Jeanette Kong is a documentary filmmaker from Jamaica based in Toronto, Canada. Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China (2014) was shortlisted for Best Diaspora Documentary at this year's Africa Movie Academy Awards. She has more than 17 years of media experience in Canadian television formerly at TVO and as an independent producer and director. In 2011, Kong taught Journalism in the Media Foundation Program at Humber College.

She has a Master of Arts in Media Production from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University. Born in Jamaica to Hakka Chinese parents, her areas of research interest are the Caribbean Chinese diaspora and genealogy, Hakka history and culture in southern China, and Chinese migration to the Caribbean and North America.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH PAULA MADISON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

CO-PRESENTED BY:

MAPA

MIXED ASIAN PACIFIC-ISLANDER ASSOCIATION

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SHORTS PROGRAM

SHORTS: BRIGHT LIGHTS

DOCUMENTARY CO-PRESENTED BY:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 7:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston This series of shorts are directed by women who depict the struggles and journey of women as they find their inner superhero.

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

DRAWN TOGETHER: COMICS, DIVERSITY AND STEREOTYPES DIRECTED BY HARLEEN SINGH | 52 MINS

Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity and Stereotypes looks at the pervasive culture of racist stereotyping in U.S. society through the lens of comics and their dynamic creators.

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

FLIP THE RECORD

DIRECTED BY MARIE JAMORA | 15 MINS A little-known but lasting explosion of hip-hop culture grew out of the Filipino-American community of 1980s San Francisco. This film takes us into the beat of an aspiring mobile DJ crew in '84. Vanessa, sick of the constraints and boring piano lessons in her conservative Filipino-American household, starts teaching herself on the sly how to scratch on her older brother's turntables.

We follow Ness as she discovers her talents and place in the local music scene of the era.

WONDER BUFFALO

DIRECTED BY CHRISTINE T. BERG | 19 MIN Wonder Buffalo is a live action coming of age story following Ann, an overweight first generation Thai American teen, dreading her impending arranged engagement. Ann runs away from home to attend the local cosplay con at her favorite comic book store. There she finds a community that allows her to accept her body and her choices for leading her own life. Along the way she slips into her imagination to battle monsters, superheroes, and annoying school bullies all preparing her for her impending final battle against her most powerful nemesis—her mother.

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A QUINCY WE ALL CAN CALL HOME Serving the Community Since 2001

QARI congratulates the Boston Asian American Film Festival on its 10th Anniversary and its celebration of connecting our community through film.

QUINCY ASIAN RESOURCES, INC. • 1509 HANCOCK STREET QUINCY MA 02169 • (617) 472-2200 WWW.QUINCYASIANRESOURCES.ORG

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DOCUMENTARY FILM

BOSTON PREMIERE

DOCUMENTARY

PRESENTED BY:

NAILED IT

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 6:00PM Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY ADELE PHAM | 60 MINS | DOCUMENTARY | USA "Nailed It" chronicles the genesis and legacy of the 40 year Vietnamese nail salon and its influence on an $8 billion-dollar American industry. For mixed-race Vietnamese filmmaker Adele Pham it's personal, as she confronts her cultural conflicts and discovers her place within the community, by peeling back the layers of this niche trade seen by everyone but known to few.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Adele Free Pham is a mixed race Vietnamese American documentary filmmaker with experience in all aspects of production, including producing, cinematography, editing, and direction. Her first documentary "Parallel Adele" about mixed Asian identity premiered at CAAMFest way back in 2009 and went on to screen at The Smithsonian and broadcast on PBS. While producing "Nailed It" Adele has been working as a freelance filmmaker and developing new projects. Her short film "State of Oregon" was released by Field of Vision and is currently being developed into her next feature documentary.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH ADELE PHAM (DIRECTOR) CO-PRESENTED BY:

.

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

SHORTS: ALTERED REALITIES FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 9:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston Robots and zombies and Filipino shape shifting spirits, Oh My! These short films provide a brief escape from the more mundane aspects of our day to day realities by exploring how new worlds, new perspectives, and limitless possibilities.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

RAKSHA

DIRECTED BY MEREDITH KOCH | 20 MINS At a young age, Archana, is told that she is cursed. After an astrologer says that she is Manglik (cursed due to the positioning of Mars in her horoscope), her family tries to counteract the curse in various ways. At 25, Archana is about to perform a ritual to remove the curse, but finds herself in a position that might prove her horoscope true.

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

STRAWBERRIES WILL SAVE THE WORLD

DIRECTED BY YOKO OKUMURA | 6 MINS Yuko's love for strawberries knows no bounds and she believes that they will save the world.

This short doc film is about my mother who lives in Bloomington, Indiana and how her obsession with all things strawberries has given her purpose and an international community.

RUNNER

DIRECTED BY YUNG-JAE CHEN | 25 MINS As a woman waits for her signal to begin the most important run of her life, she must overcome what her training cannot—her past.

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SHORTS PROGRAM

DOCUMENTARY

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

WHALE FALL

DIRECTED BY YIYUAN YUAN | 3 MIN After the death of a whale, its corpse will become oasis for hundreds even thousands to live.

Same as the death of a man - his words and love will continuously affect the next generation that follows. As a great writer, that is how my grandfather affected Chinese literature and me after his death. Q&A with director Yiyuan Yuan.

ASWANG NEXT DOOR

DIRECTED BY BERNARD BADION | 6 MINS A man is worried he may be a Filipino monster that eats fetuses, so he warns his pregnant neighbor, but he just sounds insane.

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

THE MASSEUSE

DIRECTED BY CE DING TAN | 20 MINS In a world where cutting edge robots are coveted, a fledgling human technician is torn between pursuing his feelings towards an outdated android and placating his abusive, android-aversive father.

CO-PRESENTED BY:

AFTER-PARTY | 11PM

+ ONLY $10 COVER CHARGE 21 EVENT

204 TREMONT ST, BOSTON, MA 02116

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DOCUMENTARY FILM

DOCUMENTARY

NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

AN AMERICAN STORY:

NORMAN MINETA AND HIS LEGACY

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 3:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY DIANNE FUKAMI | 60 MINS | DOCUMENTARY | USA A son of immigrants and forced into a U.S. World War II concentration camp as a child, Norman Mineta became the first Asian American mayor of a major city (San Jose, California); leading to a distinguished 20year career in Congress; the first Asian American Cabinet member, serving two U.S. Presidents, a Democrat and Republican. He never forgot his roots or the shame and humiliation he and his family felt during WWII, and led the way for an apology from the U.S. government and redress for Japanese Americans. On September 11, 2001, his leadership as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, would ensure that what happened to Japanese Americans during WWII did not happen to any other group based on ethnicity or religion. ​ DIRECTOR'S BIO | Dianne Fukami has produced, directed, and written more than a half-dozen documentaries on the Asian-American experience (mostly on JapaneseAmerican history) which were broadcast on PBS stations throughout the U.S. Separate Lives, Broken Dreams, about the Chinese Exclusion Act, was nominated for a national Emmy Award; Starting Over: Japanese Americans After the War has received scholarly citations for its first-person anecdotes. Her most recent documentary, Stories From Tohoku, was showcased at CAAMFest in 2014 (formerly the San Francisco Asian International Film Festival) and screened at film festivals in New York and Los Angeles. Her areas of research interest are the Caribbean Chinese diaspora and genealogy, Hakka history and culture in southern China, and Chinese migration to the Caribbean and North America.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH DIANNE FUKAMI (DIRECTOR)

CO-PRESENTED BY:

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BAAFF 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 8:00PM Pao Arts Center, 99 Albany St, Boston, Chinatown

MIX AND MINGLE WITH FILMMAKERS AND ARTISTS AT THE BEAUTIFUL PAO ARTS CENTER! Celebrate BAAFF’s 10th anniversary of ‘Connecting through Film,’ featuring performances from artists including Lenora Lee, LuDow, Shaw Pong Liu’s “Sing Home” project and great food from Chicken & Rice Guys! Don’t miss out!

BUY TICKETS NOW:

BAAFF.ORG

CNRGUYS.COM

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NARRATIVE FILM

DOCUMENTARY

CENTERPIECE FILM NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

FICTION AND OTHER REALITIES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 6:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY BOBBY CHOY AND STEVE LEE | 85 MINS | DRAMA While on world tour, Bobby, an insecure NYC singer-songwriter ditches his roadie duties to explore a land where everyone looks like him, Korea. He befriends Ina, a Korean busker who is facing her own set of personal struggles. They seem to find success as they lean on each other.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Steve Lee is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. He studied Asian American studies at San Francisco State University. He is the Director/Executive Producer/Owner at Luminous Productions in Seoul, Korea where he currently resides.

CO-DIRECTOR'S BIO | Bobby Choy (Big Phony) is a singer/songwriter from New York City and currently lives in Seoul. Fiction & Other Realities is his first feature film.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: SKYPE Q&A WITH BOBBY CHOY (DIRECTOR)

CO-PRESENTED BY:

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“A WINNING, INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF A MAN WHO FOUND HIS FREEDOM IN SONG.” – wbur, the artery

NOV 30 – DEC 23

A MUSICAL BY

DANIEL BEATY DIRECTED BY

MAURICE EMMANUEL PARENT A CO-PRODUCTION WITH

THE FRONT PORCH ARTS COLLECTIVE

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL BY

“SONDHEIM’S SONGS ARE COMPLETE MINIATURE DRAMAS...

PROFOUND INTENSITY.”

HUGH WHEELER ORCHESTRATIONS BY

JONATHAN TUNICK

DIRECTED BY

– ny times

SPIRO VELOUDOS MUSIC DIRECTOR,

JONATHAN GOLDBERG

MUSIC MUSIC&&LYRICS LYRICSBY BY

BOOK BOOKBY BY

STEPHEN STEPHENSONDHEIM SONDHEIM JOHN JOHNWEIDMAN WEIDMAN May 10 - Jun 16 LYRICSTAGE.COM n 617.585.5678 n SAVE $20 WITH CODE BAAFF 140 CLARENDON STREET, COPLEY SQUARE, BOSTON

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DOCUMENTARY FILM

DOCUMENTARY

EAST COAST PREMIERE

THE ITO SISTERS: AN AMERICAN STORY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 12:00PM

Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY ANTONIA GRACE GLENN​| 82 MINS | DOCUMENTARY | USA The Ito Sisters is a documentary film capturing the rarely told stories of the earliest Japanese immigrants to the United States and their American-born children. In particular, the film focuses on the experiences of Issei (or immigrant) and Nisei (or first generation born in the US) women, whose voices have largely been excluded from American history.​ ​ DIRECTOR'S BIO | ANTONIA GRACE GLENN (Director, Writer and Producer) is an actor, writer, producer, filmmaker and scholar. Her first documentary film, The Ito Sisters, explores her family's history as Japanese American farm laborers struggling to eke out a living in the midst of a powerful anti-Japanese movement in the early 20th century. The director/producer's family was active in the New England Japanese American Citizens League, including during the redress movement in the 1980s, which is featured in the film.Fun fact: The director/producer was born in Boston, grew up in Cambridge and attended Wellesley College.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH ANTONIA GRACE GLENN (DIRECTOR) CO-PRESENTED BY:

MAPA

MIXED ASIAN PACIFIC-ISLANDER ASSOCIATION

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Social Justice with A Pan-Asian Lens

• Dorchester Organizing & Training Initiative • Sticky Rice Project • Activist Training Institute • AARW Writers’ Group • AARW Caring for Our Parents & Grandparents Series • Boston Asian American Film Festival Mailing Address: 42 Seaverns Ave., Boston, MA 02130-2884 Programming Site: 42 Charles St., Suite D, Dorchester, MA 02122-1441 (617) 942-8178 || info@aarw.org || www.aarw.org 5 0 | B o s t o n A s i a n A m e r i c a n F i l m F e s t i v a l 2 0 1 8 | B A A F F. O R G

NARRATIVE FILM

DOCUMENTARY

CLOSING NIGHT FILM NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE

FOR IZZY

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 4:00PM Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Downtown Boston DIRECTED BY ALEX CHU | 2017 | 82 MINS | DRAMA Dede, a photojournalist and recovering addict, moves in next door to Laura, a young woman with autism. As the pair form an unlikely friendship, Dede assembles a documentary, using animation and found footage to tell a story of getting sober, of family and friendship, and of love and forgiveness.

DIRECTOR'S BIO | Alex's prior film projects have screened at more than 30 festivals worldwide. FOR IZZY is his second feature film as writer-director. Having grown up in Libya and Canada, worked in Asia, he is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. His short film FORTUNE COOKIE MAGIC TRICKS screened at BAAFF in 2011.

Fun fact: Jennifer Soo (producer, actor as Laura) is a Harvard alum.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY: Q&A WITH ALEX CHU (DIRECTOR)

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CO-PRESENTED BY:

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BAAFF STAFF

AARW STAFF

Festival Director - Susan Chinsen Associate Festival Director - Connie Chan Festival Manager - Ellen Kaye

Executive Director - Carolyn Chou Administrative Manager - Janet Gee Organizing Director - Kevin Lam Education & Outreach Coordinator - Janhavi Madabushi

Director of Production - Alan Kwan Programming Manager - Tiffany Lam Programming Manager - Ally Yee Programming Manager - Anna Zeng Social Media Manager - Eugenia Beh Website Manager - Sarah O'Neill Government & Community Outreach - Jeff Lee Student Outreach Coordinator - Melody Takeuchi Sponsorship Coordinator - Polly Yang Volunteer & Media Coordinator - Minh Nguyen Volunteer Coordinator - Karen Yu Production Assistant - Kenny Leibe Abe Holland Adam Wong Adrienne Shih Alan Wong Alina Ishizaki Amy Tung Angela Han Antonia Yang Benny Kim Christine Nguyen Clara Yoon Daniel Guan Denise Khor Felix Poon Irene Kanthan Jess Camhi Jonathan Ly Jong Wai Tommee Justina Tran

Kage Yami Kelly Sou Lanca Li Leona Merk Lindsey Lo Maya Holden Michelle Zeng Nancy Wong Nikita Sampath Noreen Plabutong Peggy Wang Rika Saito Samantha Wong Sarah O'Neill Sophia Mei Ting Lik To William Hui Yvonne Ng

BIG THANKS TO ALL OF OUR

VOLUNTEERS

& SUPPORTERS

AARW BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Nam Le Treasurer - Aaron Tanaka Secretary - Wayne Yeh Theo de Castro Amy Jiravisitcul Somy Kim Laura Knuttunen Binh Le

Brandon Lee Celina Lee Ngoc-Tran Vu Shiliu Wang

ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE WORKSHOP The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society.

AARW is a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resources and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity.

BAAFF is a production of AARW. FOR MORE INFO: AARW.ORG

DONATE TODAY

$10K FOR 10 W W W. B I T. LY / B A A F F 1 0

HELP BAAFF IMPROVE BY FILLING OUT A SURVEY:

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Tufts Medical Center is proud to support the Boston Asian American Film Festival.

Congratulations on 10 years of showcasing the Asian American experience through film.

Located in the heart of Chinatown, we are dedicated to meeting the needs of our neighbors and beyond. 我們地處唐人街中心﹐竭誠服務於社區。 Primary Care 成人科: 617-636-5400 General Pediatrics 小兒內科: 617-636-5255

www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org | www.floatinghospital.org Learn more at: 請前往: www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/asiancommunity.

CONNECTING FILMS & FILMMAKERS WITH THE COMMUNITY

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JOIN US AND CELEBRATE #BAAFF10 The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is celebrating 10 years of ‘Connecting Through Film’—a decade of bringing community members together, interested in uplifting diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences through film and video.

The festival is here for YOU—to see and been seen, to hear and be heard— as individuals exploring the joys and challenges of a collective community.

DONATE TODAY $10K FOR 10 W W W. B I T. LY / B A A F F 1 0

CELEBRATE WITH US | #BAAFF10 Special guest appearances and more info will be announced on the website. All events are subject to change without notice.