Asian American International Film Festival '13 Festival Lineup

presented by asian cinevision

115 West 30th Street Suite 708 New York, NY 10001

The 36th Asian American International Film Festival is made possible with support, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on The Arts, with support of Governor Andrew and the New York State Legislature; and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Additional support is provided by Woo Creative, Wells Fargo, Asian Film and Media Initiative, Department of Cinema Studies, NYU, and the many friends of ACV.

NON-PROFIT ORG.

US POSTAGE PAID

NEW YORK, NY

PERMIT NO. 2377

WED 7.24

SUN 7.28

THURS 8.1

FORGETTING TO KNOW YOU 1:00PM | AFA CH

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER 6:30PM | AFA CH

THURS 7.25

INNOCENTS 3:00PM | AFA CH

INTO THE PENUMBRA SHORTS PROGRAM 6:30PM | AFA CH

MUMBAI’S KING 5:00PM | AFA CH

ENDURING ENCOUNTERS SHORTS PROGRAM 7:00PM | AFA MD

CHINK 9:00PM | AFA CH

HAFU: THE MIXED-RACE EXPERIENCE IN JAPAN 5:30PM | AFA MD

FRI 7.26

PECULIAR VACATION AND OTHER ILLNESSES 7:00PM | AFA CH

LINSANITY 7:30 PM | AS

WHEN I WALK 6:30PM | AFA CH MARILOU DIAZ ABAYA: FILMMAKER ON A VOYAGE 7:00PM | PCG AN UNBOUND ROMANCE SHORTS PROGRAM 7:30PM | AFA MD REQUIEME! 9:00PM | AFA CH TAIWAN CINEMA DAYS SHORTS PROGRAM 10:00PM | AFA MD

INNOCENT BLOOD 3:30PM | AFA CH

FOR YOUTH BY YOUTH SHORTS PROGRAM 5:00PM | MOCA

WED 7.31

SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW 6:00PM | AFA CH

OLD WAVE NEW EDGE 9:00PM | AFA MD

FRI 8.2 NOOR 6:30PM | AFA CH STEVE CHONG FINDS OUT THAT SUICIDE IS A BAD IDEA 7:00PM | AFA MD ANIMAL STYLE RESTYLED: SKATE SHORTS PROGRAM 8:30PM | AFA CH HIM, HERE, AFTER 9:30PM | AFA MD

HARANA 6:30PM | AFA CH

Please visit AAIFF.org for more information regarding this year’s program schedule and events

TOGETHER 5:30PM | NYIT

AFA CH AFA MD AS MOCA

TUES 7.30

GO GRANDRIDERS 9:00PM | AFA CH

SAT 7.27

SOONGAVA - DANCE OF THE ORCHIDS 8:00PM | NYIT

KARNAL 8:00PM | AFA MD

BEYOND THE MAT 8:30PM | AFA CH

THURS 8.15 SHOLAY - 3D MMI

SAT 8.3 KOREAN WAR REMEMBERED SPECIAL PROGRAM 1:30PM | AFA MD IN TIMES OF INNOCENCE SHORTS PROGRAM 3:30PM | AFA MD TOUCH OF THE LIGHT 4:30PM | AS OUR HOMELAND 7:00PM | AS

Anthology Film Archives Courthouse Theater - 32 Second Avenue Anthology Film Archives Maya Deren Theater - 32 Second Avenue Asia Society - 725 Park Avenue Museum of Chinese in America - 215 Centre Street

FESTIVAL CALENDAR & EVENTS SAT 7.27

72 HOUR SHOOTOUT 1:00 PM | AFA CH | $12 AAIFF is proud to co-present with the Asian American Film Lab the 72 Hour Shootout screening and awards ceremony. Contestants are given 72 hours to write, shoot, and edit a 5-minute short film on a surprise theme. The top ten films of this year’s competition will be revealed.

WED 7.31

WORK-IN-PROGRESS WORKSHOP 5:00 PM | MOCA | FREE, RSVP ONLINE Each year, AAIFF selects one work-in-progress from the submissions for a dynamic workshop. This year we’ve chosen June INUZUKA’s Dharma Road: A Personal Journey, a documentary short about the filmmaker’s journey to Wyoming where her great uncle, a former mine worker, was buried and where she discovers the buried history of what were once Wyoming’s “Jap Towns.”

THURS 8.1

SCREENPLAY READING 5:00 PM | NYU A/P/A INSTITUTE (8 WASHINGTON MEWS, NEW YORK, NY 10003) | $10 AAIFF’13 embraces the return of Asian American International Screenplay Competition to discover the next classic. The winner of AAISC’13 gets a reading by local NYC actors on Aug 1st. The event is co-presented by the Asian American Film Lab. Go to AAIFF.org for location and updates.

FRI 8.2

MUSIC NIGHT OUT 10:00 PM | FAT BUDDHA (212 AVENUE A, NEW YORK, NY 10009) | FREE Featuring the best music videos from independent Asian and Asian American artists. Come drink and dance the night away with AAIFF’13!

21+ only event

MMI NYIT PCG

Museum of the Moving Image - 36-01 35th Avenue New York Institute of Technology - 1871 Broadway Philippine Consulate General - 556 Fifth Avenue

BOX OFFICE HOW TO BUY TICKETS

PRICES

ADVANCE: JUNE 21-JULY 21

REGULAR PRESENTATIONS General $12 Members/Students/Seniors/Disabled $10 *Must show valid ID if member, student, or senior

ONLINE AAIFF.org Tickets are available until 9:00PM the day before a film screening Minimal processing fees will apply Save on processing fees by sharing event via Facebook and Twitter

BY PHONE 212-989-0017 Monday-Friday, 12pm-5pm EST only Processing fee of $1.50 per ticket will apply Please have credit card ready IN PERSON Available at respective theaters July 24 August 3 Venue box office opens one hour prior to first program of day and closes half hour after start of last program of day at each venue Cash or credit card only

OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION & GALA Screening, Q&A with filmmaker and producers, Gala reception with chef’s tasting tables, Open bar, and Gala gift bag VIP All Stars - VIP reception before the screening & priority seating $250 General $75 Members/Students/Seniors/Disabled $65 CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION & RECEPTION General $20 Members/Students/Seniors/Disabled $15 CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION & AAIFF AWARDS CEREMONY & GALA General $40 Members/Students/Seniors/Disabled $35

For more info: www.aaiff.org For inquiries: boxoffice@asiancinevision.org

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $2 off per ticket using online code: earlybird2off For $60 for 6-pack | $90 for 10-pack discount, email boxoffice@asiancinevision.org All specials exclude Opening, Centerpiece, and Closing Night Presentations and expire July 21

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

VENUES

All ticket sales are final. There are no refunds and no exchanges. All tickets are general admission. Ticketholders must arrive 15 minutes prior to show time. Late ticketholders will be seated at the discretion of management. All programs may be subject to change, please check AAIFF.org

ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES (AFA) 32 Second Avenue New York, NY 10003

TICKET PICK-UP

NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AUDITORIUM ON BROADWAY (NYIT) 1871 Broadway New York, NY 10023

Tickets purchased in advance online or by phone are available as print-at-home or pick-up at will call. Will call tickets will be available one hour before show time at the Will Call Desk. Please present ticket order confirmation to claim tickets.

Students, seniors, and members must present a valid ID to claim tickets

ASIA SOCIETY (AS) 725 Park Avenue New York, NY 10021

MUSEUM OF CHINESE IN AMERICA (MOCA) 215 Centre Street New York, NY 10013

SOLD-OUT PROGRAMS & RUSH TICKETS

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (MMI) 36-01 35th Avenue Astoria, NY 11106

In the event of a sold-out program, a rush line will form one hour prior to screening outside the venue box office. Rush tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis depending on availability. No discounts apply, cash only

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL (PCG) 556 Fifth Aveunue New York, NY 10036

OPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION

WED 7.24 | 7:30PM | AS

DIR. EVAN JACKSON LEONG | USA | 2013 | 88 MIN In 2012, Jeremy Lin, the first Chinese American to play in the NBA, swept the NBA and basketball fans by storm and created the Linsanity movement. Linsanity brings back the unforgettable frenzy around the meteoric rise of Jeremy LIN with galvanizing game footage, juxtaposed with intimate interviews and home videos that showcase his faith, passion, and perseverance. As the Opening Night Presentation for AAIFF’13, Linsanity marks the homecoming of the magical moment when a determined young man did what seemed impossible, and took everyone to the heights with him. #linspiration

SPECIAL CELEBRATION

FRI 7.26 | 6:30PM | AFA CH

DIR. JASON DASILVA | USA, CANADA | 2013 | 85 MIN When Jason DASILVA was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease which leads to vision and muscle loss as well as a myriad of other problems, Jason picked up the camera, turned it on himself, and began filming the slow, difficult decline of his body and the miracles he encountered along the way. A Sundance 2013 selection, the documentary chronicles how a brave young man’s strong will to live and deep love for life have led to the most poignant, yet creative work of his life. Come say hi and happy birthday to Jason!

CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION

SAT 7.27 | 8:00PM | NYIT

DIR. SUBARNA THAPA | NEPAL, FRANCE | 2012 | 85 MIN Featuring two luminous performers, Deeya MASKEY and Nisha ADHIKARI, Soongava - Dance of the Orchids is a tender and heartbreaking tale about two young women: Diya, who dreams of becoming a dancer, and her best girlfriend Kiran. When her feelings for Kiran deepen and develop into a love affair, she has to stand up against her family, and the traditions and morality of Nepali society. In a country where the “third gender” is legally recognized, same-sex relationships continue to be stigmatized. This debut feature by Subarna THAPA is the first Nepali film to spotlight LGBTQ issues.

TAIWAN CINEMA DAYS

SAT 8.3 | 4:30PM | AS

DIR. CHANG JUNG-CHI | TAIWAN, HONG KONG | 2012 | 110 MIN Based on the life story of HUANG Yu-Siang, who stars as himself, Touch of the Light tells HUANG’s story as a blind piano prodigy from rural Taiwan and his relationship with Xiao Jie (Sandrine PINNA), a young woman who dreams of becoming a dancer despite enormous challenges. Critically acclaimed and warmly received worldwide, Touch of the Light is blessed with the most striking performance by HUANG Yu-Siang as it celebrates the triumphs of those who dare to dream.

CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION

SAT 8.3 | 7:00PM | AS

DIR. YANG YONGHI | JAPAN | 2012 | 100 MIN Sent decades ago as a child to North Korea under a repatriation program, Sungho returns to Japan for a temporary medical visit. A wrenching human drama unfolds as his family grapples with why he was ever let go.

Under the constant surveillance by an accompanying North Korean official, Sungho and his family reunite again in this sensitive tale inspired by Korean-Japanese director YANG Yonghi’s true family story. Capturing the tender feelings of separation, memory, and belonging, the film also provides a rare glimpse into the life of ethnic Koreans in Japan.

3D PRESENTATION

THURS 8.15 | MMI

DIR. RAMESH SIPPY | INDIA | 1975, 2013 | 188 MIN If there was ever a Bollywood film deserving of 3D treatment, it is Sholay. The celebrated ‘curry-western’ takes on a Sergio Leone film that itself plays off Hollywood’s Westerns and Kurosawa’s samurai dramas.

Considered one of the greatest Hindi films of all time, Sholay is a vastly entertaining Indian action-musical-adventure melodrama about two small-time thieves on a reward hunt to capture the ruthless dacoit Gabbar. The 3D version of the 1975 landmark film will have its world premiere at the Museum of the Moving Image on Aug 15, 2013, to celebrate 100 Years of Indian Cinema on the country’s Independence Day. Check asiancinevision.org for updates.

FEATURE

FEATURE

DIR. BREA GRANT | USA | 2012 | 82 MIN THURS 8.1 | 6:30PM | AFA CH

DIR. VAN M. PHAM | USA | 2013 | 106 MIN THURS 8.1 | 8:30PM | AFA CH

A droll mix of BFF bickering and road movie with an unusual nuclear apocalyptic setting, Best Friends Forever follows two gals, the unsuccessful optimist Harriet (Brea GRANT) and her devil-may-care best friend Reba (Vera MIAO), as they hit the road for Austin, TX for Harriet’s start-over. Along the way, strangers begin to act very strangely indeed. A Slamdance 2013 spotlight, GRANT’s assured directorial debut film will charm and entertain with its fluid commentary on friendship and its darker shadings of panic and vigilantism.

Aaron MILLER, a high school wrestling star who is well loved but sticks out as a Vietnamese adoptee in his white Middle America town, is facing a disintegrating friendship with his best friend Bo. They draw apart when a new Vietnamese American student Linh TRAN arrives and causes Aaron to question what he truly knows about himself. Van M. PHAM’s debut feature is a solidly told and well-paced classic sports movie synthesizing athletic excitement and a personal journey, set in the visually fresh field of high-school wrestling.

FEATURE DIR. MARILOU DIAZ-ABAYA | PHILIPPINES | 1983 | 123 MIN SUN 7.28 | 8:00PM | AFA MD With the solemnity of a Greek tragedy yet with an intimacy in storytelling, Karnal follows a prodigal son Narcing’s return to his family’s isolated hacienda with his urban wife Puring. Shocked at her resemblance to his late wife, Narcing’s father lusts after his daughter-in-law. Passionate encounters - from parricide to infanticide and suicide - flare up against the continuing feudal repression. Set in the 30s, the grisly story simultaneously alludes to the oppressive Marcos era and stands out as unique in DIAZ-ABAYA’s early collaborations with writer Ricky LEE.

FEATURE DIR. MONA LISA YUCHENGCO | USA | 2012 | 87 MIN FRI 7.26 | 7:00PM | PCG In this endearing documentary tribute to her friend, Mona Lisa YUCHENGCO recounts the achievements of Marilou DIAZ-ABAYA (1955-2012), the “first lady” of Philippine cinema. Marilou made unflinching efforts to make films for the underclass, who struggled to survive harsh societal and political conditions. They resulted in some of the most daring films that first brought Philippine cinema to world attention such as Brutal (1980), Karnal (1983), Baby Tsina (1984), and later Jose Rizal (1998), and Reef Hunters (1999).

FEATURE

FEATURE

DIR. STANLEY YUNG | USA | 2013 | 85 MIN THURS 7.25 | 9:00PM | AFA CH

DIR. QUAN LING | CHINA | 2013 | 87 MIN SUN 7.28 | 1:00PM | AFA CH

Incendiary from its very title, Chink is a macabre portrait of the self-loathing Eddy TSAI (Jason TOBIN), a Ted BUNDY-admiring serial killer with a hatred of all Asians, that will disturb and divide - even as it holds you in its grip. But is it too late when a new woman comes into his office and into his life? The first Asian American serial killer movie, Chink adds an ethnic twist to the slasher genre and will make you question stereotypical notions of the model minority.

Life goes on for Xuesong at her corner store and her carpenter husband Weihang in a small town on the Yangzte River. Mundane chores, financial burden and distrust gradually escalate the dormant tension underlying the marriage when Weihang’s feelings of inadequacy and simmering paranoia about his wife’s admirers erupt. Produced by acclaimed director JIA Zhangke, this debut feature of QUAN Ling depicts the seventh-year marital crisis and the woes of materialism. The film, acclaimed at Berlinale 2013, casts a subtle and unsentimental look at alienation in an otherwise intimate relationship.

FEATURE DIR. MANJEET SINGH | INDIA | 2012 | 78 MIN SUN 7.28 | 5:00PM | AFA CH As if Slumdog Millionaire meets Mean Streets (Hollywood Reporter), Mumbai’s King gives an inside look at the authentic festivity and cruelty in the streets of Mumbai. The neo-realistic feature debut of Manjeet SINGH captures the happiness and sorrow of the mischievous adolescent Rahul and his balloon-seller pal Arbaaz, following them as they roam the city, steal potatoes, stalk girls, and plot revenge on Rahul’s abusive father.

FEATURE DIR. ÇAGLA ZENCIRCI & GUILLAUME GIOVANETTI | FRANCE, TURKEY, PAKISTAN | 2012 | 78 MIN FRI 8.2 | 6:30PM | AFA CH Noor plays himself in this stunning and poetic film inspired by his life. Once a member of the Khusras (Pakistan’s transgender community), Noor wants to be a real man. He now works at a truck depot and has a girlfriend. But his girlfriend’s brother objects to their relationship. An unexpected incident places him behind the wheel of a stolen truck. The disillusioned Noor embarks on a spiritual journey to alter this fate.

This Cannes 2012 selection surveys a breathtaking Northern Pakistan landscape along a transformative road trip.

FEATURE

FEATURE

DIR. HUA TIEN-HAU | TAIWAN | 2012 | 75 MIN WED 7.31 | 9:00PM | AFA CH Well, why not a motorcycle club for senior citizens?

With an average age of 81, a group of 17 Taiwanese retirees leave behind their grandchildren and take along their aches and pains to embark on an unbelievable adventure: a thirteen-day motorcycle tour around the island of Taiwan. These Grandriders defied everyone’s expectations with their epic motorcycle trip of 2007. A joyous mélange of personal, uplifting and awe-inspiring stories, the film makes us reconsider what it means to be old and very much alive.

DIR. LARA PEREZ TAKAGI & MEGUMI NISHIKURA | JAPAN | 2012 | 87 MIN SUN 7.28 | 5:30PM | AFA MD With its plethora of cultural meanings, both positive and negative, Hafu is a term used to describe a Japanese of mixed heritage. Detailing the nuances of this hybridity, directors Megumi NISHIKURA and Lara Perez TAKAGI, both Hafu themselves, tell a compelling story of the voices and visibility of the Hafu identity with five stories of Hafu Japanese as they connect to their other roots in Australia, Korea, Venezuela, Mexico and Ghana to give us an absorbing look at ways of being Japanese.

PRECEDED BY HONORABLE JOURNEY DIR. STEPHEN MENICK | 16 MIN

TAIWAN CINEMA DAYS SPECIAL SCREENING

FEATURE

FEATURE

TAIWAN CINEMA DAYS SPECIAL SCREENING THURS 8.1 | 9:00PM | AFA MD

DIR. YOSEP ANGGI NOEN | INDONESIA | 2012 | 90 MIN SUN 7.28 | 7:00PM | AFA CH

The different waves of Taiwanese cinema are often gauged either in terms of arthouse recognition or commercial success. But the decades of Taiwanese film history is also very much about evolution, apprenticeship and inheritance. AAIFF’13 will present an old Taiwanese film as part of the Taiwan Cinema Days program - one of a genre and style that appears different from today’s Taiwanese cinema, but with elements that make up what we celebrate now as one of the most dynamic and entertaining national cinemas. The title will be announced before the Festival. Check back at AAIFF.org

Ning, a young Catholic woman, takes up a better job with a furniture company, while her hapless husband - occasionally hawking gasoline - spends most of his time doing pretty much nothing. It is when Ning is required by her new job to go on a road trip with Mur, a male Muslim colleague, that the suffocation of her marriage gives way to an awakening of repressed desires. Set in Yogyakarta, this delicately observed mood piece and debut feature touches on unspoken issues of sexual repression and adultery in contemporary Indonesia.

PRECEDED BY AS HE SLEEPS DIR. SHERON DAYOC | 15 MIN

FEATURE

FEATURE

DIR. BENITO BAUTISTA | PHILIPPINES, USA | 2012 | 103 MIN WED 7.31 | 6:30PM | AFA CH

DIR. ASOKA HANDAGAMA | SRI LANKA | 2012 | 104 MIN FRI 8.2 | 9:30PM | AFA MD

Harana is a long-abandoned Filipino courtship serenade, which originated in the Spanish colonial period. In this award-winning documentary, guitarist Florante AGUILAR returns to the Philippines from the US for the first time in twelve years to discover three of the last remaining harana masters: a farmer, a fisherman, and a tricycle driver. Harana emotively weaves their performances to exemplify the past and present, the here and there, and the rural and urban.

A nameless former Tamil Tiger fighter returns to his small town to begin a new life. He is confronted by his neighbors’ resentment and his own haunting past. He becomes a security guard for a smuggler, while forming a strange bond with the wife of the previous holder of the job. Sinhalese director Asoka HANDAGAMA’s film is one of the rare Tamil-language films, and certainly the first of its kind, to compassionately depict a slowly healing country torn apart by a 26-year long civil war.

FEATURE

FEATURE

DIR. LOY ARCENAS | PHILIPPINES | 2012 | 97 MIN FRI 7.26 | 9:00PM | AFA CH

DIR. NADINE TRUONG | USA | 2013 | 79 MIN SAT 7.27 | 6:00PM | AFA CH

Loy ARCENAS’ adroitly layered REquieme! riffs off the Gianni VERSACE-Andrew CUNANAN case from, literally, the Other side. Ambitious local politician Swanie holds a wake for a distant relative who has become an instant celebrity after killing a famous American designer; all while her dressmaker transgender son sacrifices her breast transplant money to help bury a neighbor. With its absurd veneer and colorful characters, ARCENAS paints a picaresque yet emotionally complex tale of a small Philippine town as it reacts to a faraway incident through its own haze of desire, ambition, and estrangement.

After almost losing his girlfriend, his job and his life, suicidal Charlie heads to L.A. to reconnect with his best friends from high school: Luke, a now-famous actor, and Danny, a rich boy. They are joined by some others in the Hollywood Hills. The glittering city below reverberates with the thirty-somethings feeling around their past friendships as their lives have grown apart. Nuanced and incisive, this bitter-sweet feature debut of German-born Vietnamese filmmaker Nadine TRUONG plays out a series of revelations as the night wears on.

FEATURE

FEATURE

DIR. WONG CHEN-HSI | SINGAPORE | 2012 | 88 MIN SUN 7.28 | 3:00PM | AFA CH A delicate story of friendship between two tweens, each estranged at home. Transfer student Syafiqah, a Malay girl, befriends Ah Huat, a Chinese boy and half-wild prankster in their teachers’ eyes. The two little souls resort to the lush mountain, away from a dysfunctional adult world - of divorce and drunkenness. But cruelties ensue, and the monsoon rains arrive. An exquisite feature debut by WONG Chen Hsi, Innocents is marked with masterful atmospheric depiction of the worlds that children share that makes it a “tone-poem” film.

steve chong finds out that suicide is a bad idea

FEATURE

DIR. DJ HOLLOWAY & SUN W. KIM | USA | 2013 | 101 MIN SAT 7.27 | 3:30PM | AFA CH In this tautly crisp indie suspense thriller, James PARK (Jun-seong KIM, West 32nd Street, Man-Choo), is a retired undercover detective, facing his worst nightmare when his young son Cody is kidnapped by a mysterious criminal (C.S. LEE, Dexter) in retribution for past transgressions. With a handful of past enemies, simultaneous murders, a wife who’s losing faith in him, and two detectives in hot pursuit, James must move fast to bring his son home safely.

FEATURE

DIR. CHARLIE LAVOY | USA | 2013 | 81 MIN FRI 8.2 | 7:00PM | AFA MD

DIR. ROX CHAO-JEN HSU | TAIWAN | 2012 | 114 MIN SAT 7.27 | 5:30PM | NYIT

Every time Steve CHONG screws up, he writes it down and pins up the note card on his wall. As the wall’s last bare patch is covered, he decides that it is time to die. But before he kills himself, Steve invites three friends to his family’s lake house for one final round of intoxication. A surprising passion project by a group of New Orleans cinephiles, Steve Chong Finds Out That Suicide is a Bad Idea proudly shows the real boom of Louisiana underground film scene through this intriguing story.

Xiao Yang patiently observes and quietly serves as a messenger for the love affairs in her neighborhood (the title references a play on words: to-get-her).

Reminiscent of urban tales with an ensemble cast like A One and a Two, this film patiently unfolds romantic stories on a street in contemporary Taipei, with a refreshingly original voice. Together presents brilliant performances from the great actors of different generations, such as LEE Lieh, Kenny BEE, Sonia SUI, HUANG Shao-yang, and MA Chih-hsiang, to weave together this romantic film.

PRECEDED BY FAUX DEPART DIR. SHEKHAR BASSI | 6 MIN

SHORTS PROGRAM

SHORTS PROGRAM

FRI 8.2 | 8:30PM | 74 MIN | AFA CH

FRI 7.26 | 7:30PM | 79 MIN | AFA MD

Curated by Martin Wong of Asian American pop culture icon Giant Robot, the program combines skateboarding and cinema, two dynamic sources that inform his lifestyle and navigating the unknown. Surprisingly fresh and engaging, the program conveys “not only the rush of rolling on four wheels but also how the energy and creativity spill over into so many other facets of life.”

What is the incomprehensibility of love that seduces us to unravel it? Perhaps it is the pointed question that deters us from loving, as well as compels us to love.

These five quirky shorts explore this idea as couples in the form of puppets, travelers, and couch-bound potatoes as they come together and fall apart along their unexpected journeys.

Films include THE WORKING MAN, PERFECT TIME, THE BROTHERHOOD CHICAGO, TRAVELING SOUNDS, WIDE ANGLE SOUNDS, WILLY VERSUS JO KOY, NY REVISITED 3 REMIX

Films include SWEETLY BROKEN, CROSSINGS, COUCH & POTATOES, NO LONGER THERE, JULY 1ST, AN UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY

SHORTS PROGRAM

SHORTS PROGRAM

SAT 8.3 | 3:30PM | 80 MIN | AFA MD

THURS 7.25 | 6:30PM | 85 MIN | AFA CH

With a power and imagination uninhibited by their length, these five beautiful shorts capture the strength and pitfalls of familial bonds. The program explores the comedic, dysfunctional and inexplicable tensions that characterize those bonds, and illumines our weaknesses under unknown forces – whether it is power, economic uncertainty, loss of innocence, grief, or simply the unknown.

Asian American representation in mainstream media has always been a struggle. Only those who envisage a possible shattering of the status quo could pioneer change. Through persevering artistic expression, life-risking investigative journalism, or satirical potential of Youtube, these five stories exemplify the various ways by which Asian Americans have made inroads in our history and present.

Films include LITTLE MAO, ADVANTAGEOUS, RAINY DAY FOR EARTH WORMS, THREE LIGHT BULBS, HOWARD

Films include ONLY CHILD, KEYE LUKE, OR DIE..., MORE THAN A FACE IN THE CROWD, LIL TOKYO REPORTER

SHORTS PROGRAM

SHORTS PROGRAM

THURS 8.1 | 7:00PM | 75 MIN | AFA MD

TUES 7.30 | 5:00PM | 51 MIN | MOCA

From racial tension in NYC, disillusioned Pakistani refugees in LA to Uyghur pickpockets roaming in the streets of Central China, these heart-wrenching stories provide insights on how the disfranchised are sent on a downward spiral to a limbo where everything could possibly go awry.

Encompassing animation, narrative, and documentary shorts, For Youth by Youth program celebrates works by media makers of Asian descent under the age of 21, articulating their perceptions of life and the world in the most original voice. Preceded by The Well Wishing Tree from CUNY AAFF 2013, a brief glimpse into the daily life and philosophy of Vruksha Montessori School in Chennai, India.

Films include HU’S GAME, DAWN, OLIVE, SHAYA, A TRAIL FROM XINJIANG

Films include SKIN, IN HER SHOES, MALAYSIA A COLORFUL COUNTRY, BEGINNINGS, TRAB LAUS, LEMON DROPS

SPECIAL PROGRAM

SHORTS PROGRAM

SAT 8.3 | 1:30PM | 90 MIN | AFA MD

FRI 7.26 | 10:00PM | 84 MIN | AFA MD

Special program Korean War Remembered examines the history and human effects of the Korean War, a war that most Americans now remember little about. From the imprint warfare’s brutality etched upon the psyches of individual soldiers and civils (A Day in 1951) to the continuing pain of separation and destruction of families torn apart by their country’s division (Memory of Forgotten War) — the two films are able to invoke the emotionally vivid memories of the war that broke out 50 years ago, but is still resounding today. Followed by a special performance

by Nodutol for Korean Community Development.

The modern Taipei witnesses the reluctant parting of a Singaporean soldier; a boy framed for theft squats in a pineapple patch in the South; an aboriginal man ruminates on the tribe’s present severed from their tradition. The three cherry picked short films, interspersed with two refreshing animations, comprehensively present the various city- and landscapes of Taiwan, and briskly depart from the rich legacies of the Taiwanese masters like HOU and YANG.

Films include A DAY IN 1951, MEMORY OF FORGOTTEN WAR

Films include WHEN THE COLD WIND BLOWS, THE BOX, HOW I LEARNED TO TELL A LIE, SEED, RAIN

GENRES/THEMES/SUBJECTS FEATURES

A

AA

COA

CR

DA

DOC

FE

FR

HIS

ID LGBTQ PE

RF

SI

SP

TCD

W

A

AA

COA

CR

DA

DOC

FE

FR

HIS

ID LGBTQ PE

RF

SI

SP

TCD

W

best friends forever beyond the mat chink forgetting to know you go grandriders hafu: the mixed-race experience in japan harana him, here, after innocents innocent blood karnal linsanity marilou-diaz abaya: filmmaker on a voyage mumbai’s king noor our homeland peculiar vacation and other illnesses requieme! sholay - 3D someone I used to know soongava - dance of the orchids steve chong finds out that suicide is a bad idea together touch of the light when I walk SHORTS PROGRAMS animal style revisited an unbounded romance enduring encounters for youth by youth in times of innocence into the penumbra korean war remembered taiwan cinema days

A AA COA CR DA DOC

Asian Asian American Coming of Age Crime Differently Abled Documentary

FE FR HIS ID LGBTQ PE

Female Experiences/Filmmakers Family/Relationships Historical Identity Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Personal

RF SI SP TCD W

Road Film Social Issues Sports Taiwan Cinema Days War