Still Time To Go! 24th New York Asian Film Festival July 11-27, 2025

Still time to get on out and see some great film at NYAFF!

https://www.nyaff.org/nyaff25/films

SUBMIT TO PAAFF 2025

From the PAAF website:

"The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival focuses on film and other media by, for, and/or about the Asian & Pacific Islander* diaspora community.

PAAFF accepts films and other media that have at least one person of Asian & Pacific Islander descent in a key creative role (director, DP, producer, writer, actor, etc…) and/or are about the Asian & Pacific Islander experience both in the United States and internationally. PAAFF has historically featured works with themes involving, but NOT limited to, Asian and Pacific Islander cultures, histories, and experiences.

Asian & Pacific Islander includes, but is not necessarily limited to, people from and descended from areas now known as Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen; and the indigenous peoples of Oceania and the Pacific Islands.

PAAFF requires all films in its program to include closed captions.

PAAFF does not and will not accept films which have received funding from the State of Israel or financial institutions incorporated therein.

PAAFF does not and will not accept films for which human labor has been supplanted with generative AI."

Get it here: https://paaff.org/submit/

Philly Asian American Film Festival 2024 Festival Teaser

 

https://paaff.org/

LAAPFF 2014

Get on down to the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival and see films like "To Be Takei" and "6 Weddings and a Dress" (which follows the story of a dress first worn at the Manzanar concentration camp which I really want to see) as well as go to cool panels like "New Generation Of Documentarians" and "Ready For Lift-Off: Wong Fu Productions".

Mmmmmmm.

See it all down at the LAAPFF site.

KAFFLA 2012

A little late in posting this up - but the festival runs through Saturday, so yes, you still have time.

For the first time ever, KAFFNY is proud to sponsor its first LOS ANGELES film festival (KAFFLA) from August 9-11 at the Korean Cultural Center. Some of the best films screened in NY will be brought to LA. KAFFLA this year is special in that this is the 20th Anniversary of the LA Riots. Our centerpiece films include projects from 5 Korean American directors, each with a unique perspective on the riots. In remembrance of 4.29, we envision this festival articulating the voices of a new generation of Koreans and Korean Americans while recognizing the period that sparked a move to create a strong Korean American awareness. We hope that through this festival, an ethnically diverse audience will participate and create a dialogue within their communities about the dangers of racial tension, the continued existence of cultural divisions, and ways to sponsor understanding.

THURSDAY 8/9 @ KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER

06:30pm Opening Night Reception @ KCC 3rd Fl. Lobby
07:00pm Wedding Palace Behind-The-Scenes - Short
Should’ve Kissed – Feature

FRIDAY 8/10 @ KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER

02:00pm Helena’s FLushing – Short
Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words – Feature

04:30pm KAFFLA Incubator Program
(Q&A w/ filmmakers)

07:30pm Shorts Program - Korean School Rejects, Blue, City, Recorder Exam, Saeng-Il, The Problem of Gravity, Hooked, Dol
(Q&A w/ filmmakers)

SATURDAY 8/11 @ KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER

02:00pm Magic and Loss - Feature

04:00pm LA Riots 2012 Program - LA Riots: Reflections On Our Future, Clash of Colors, Pokdong, LAR20, I Got My Mind Made Up
(Q&A w/ filmmakers)

7:30pm Ultimate Christian Wrestling - Feature

August 11th: Slant Film Festival 2011

I'm wanting to see Asian American Jesus myself.

Aurora Picture Show Announces
11th Annual Slant: Bold Asian American Images Festival

Houston's Asian American film festival, Slant: Bold Asian American Images, returns for the 11th year with an eclectic lineup that represent the best new works by Asian American filmmakers. From a mockumentary that follows a self-important spoken word artist to a sci-fi tale featuring a malfunctioning android, the five short films selected for Slant tell diverse stories. Slant will screen for one night only on Thursday, August 11 at 7:30PM at River Oaks Theatre, 2009 West Gray. Curator Melissa Hung and filmmaker Soham Mehtawill be in attendance.

Works include Fatakra by New York-based, Houston-bred Soham Mehta, winner of a 2011 Student Academy Award. The film, about an immigrant family reuniting after years apart, screened earlier this year at South By Southwest (SXSW). Jaime Lo, small and shy, a charming animation by Toronto-based Lillian Chan, also tells a similar story about a family where one parent works abroad, but from a child's point of view.

J.P. Chan's Digital Antiquities and Tanuj Chopra's PIA are both science fiction films set in the future, but their characters are searching for the past. The program closes with Asian American Jesus, directed by Yasmine Gomez and featuring performer Samantha Chanse as six different characters in a hilarious mockumentary exploring post-racial art and excuses for bad poetry.

Slant was established in 2001 by Melissa Hung, the founding editor of Hyphen, a magazine about Asian American culture. In presenting this festival, Aurora Picture Show participates in exploring the power of moving images in crafting identity and community.

SELECTED FILMS:

Jaime Lo, small and shy by Lillian Chan
Jaime Lo, a shy Chinese Canadian girl, observes the world around her through her drawings. When Jaime's father is sent to Hong Kong for a year-long work assignment, Jaime must use her creativity to cope with his absence.

Fatakra by Soham Mehta
Naveen left India to chase his dreams in America. Three years and a recession later, his wife and son join him. Sparks fly as a family reunites.

PIA by Tanuj Chopra
In San Francisco, in the year 2063, much of human labor has been replaced with service androids called PIAs. One night, a mysterious and malfunctioning PIA appears at Syama Raval's front door.

Digital Antiquities by J.P. Chan
In the year 2036, a woman in an antique electronics shop meets a desperate young man seeking to recover data from an old CD.

Asian American Jesus by Yasmine Gomez
In this mockumentary, performer Samantha Chanse plays six different characters including Truth is Real, a self-professed 'mad scientist of the spoken word,' and the subject of college freshman Suzette Law's final project for her ethnic studies class.

ABOUT THE CURATOR

Melissa Hung is the creator of Slant and the founding editor of Hyphen, a magazine about Asian American culture. She occasionally writes food reviews in haiku at NomNomNomHaiku.com and even more occasionally makes films ¾ her animation Bulldozer has screened nationwide. A native Texan, she now lives in San Francisco, where she directs a creative writing program for youth. Follow her adventures at fluffysharp.com.

WHERE AND WHEN

The 11th Annual Slant: Bold Asian American Images Festival
Thursday, August 11, 7:30 PM
Location: River Oaks Theatre, 2009 West Gray

TICKET INFO

Tickets to the 11th Annual Slant Festival are $10 for non-members and free for Aurora Picture Show members. For tickets and information, visit www.aurorapictureshow.org or call 713-868-2101.

About Aurora Picture Show:

Founded in 1998, Aurora Picture Show is a non-profit micro-cinema that presents artist-made, non-commercial film and video. We are dedicated to expanding the cinematic experience and promoting the understanding and appreciation of moving image art. Aurora's human scale promotes a meaningful and community-oriented exchange between artists and audiences, and strives to not only be a launching pad for emerging artists but to create not-to-be-missed events for Houston.

Aurora Picture Show is funded by its stellar membership, Houston Endowment, Inc, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Brown Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts, The City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, the Alice Kleberg Reynolds, Susan Vaughan Foundation, Kinder Morgan Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts. Aurora Picture Show is a proud member of Fresh Arts Coalition www.fresharts.org.

You Want It: Visual Communications + Armed With A Camera Fellowship

Fellowship Cultivates New Generation of Asian Pacific American Filmmakers Applications Due July 29th

Visual Communications is now accepting applications for its 10th annual Armed With a Camera Fellowship. The fellowship fosters the education, training and professional development of up-and-coming Asian Pacific American filmmakers. In doing so, it seeks to shed light on the experiences of communities traditionally underrepresented by visual media.

The fellowship is open to filmmakers under 30-years-old of Asian Pacific descent. South Asian, Southeast Asian and women filmmakers are strongly encouraged to apply. From November 2011 to March 2012 Visual Communications will provide the support and resources for ten fellows to each to create a five-minute digital video.

These resources will include:

• $500 cash grant
  
• Training, workshops and mentoring from industry professionals
  
• Opportunity for collaborative work with other fellows
  
• Access to equipment and editing facilities
  
• World premiere of completed film in the “VC Digital Posse” showcase of the 2012 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
  
• All-access pass to films, panels and events of the 2012 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
  
• Opportunity to network with professional filmmakers and Visual Communications staff and supporters

In the past decade, Visual Communications has supported 70 filmmakers through the fellowship. Last year’s portfolio represents a characteristic diversity of topics. One documentary traces the disappearance of a Filipino-American R&B star. Another tells the emigration story of a filmmaker’s Vietnamese father. Several narrative works explore family relationships. In one, a South Asian lesbian woman spends the Hindu New Year with her partner. In another, a Japanese woman questions her marriage to an American. Settings range from a World War II battlefield in France to a sci-fi future.

Applications are available at http://www.vconline.org/.

The Armed with a Camera Fellowship is partially funded by the James Irvine Foundation, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and the Morgan Stanley Foundation.

About Visual Communications: Founded in 1970, Visual Communications has a long and prominent history promoting intercultural understanding through the creation, presentation, preservation and support of media works by and about Asian Pacific Americans.

Please contact Daina Solomon (daina@vconline.org or 213 680-4462 ext. 30) for more information.

July 9th, No Look Pass, Outfest 2011 And I Want To Really See This MF (A Lot)

From the site:

NO LOOK PASS is an identity quest film that follows Emily Tay's transition into adulthood between her senior year at Harvard (where she ranks 23rd nationally for assists thanks to her signature move, the no look pass) into her first year playing professionally in Europe. Emily's Buddhist parents risked everything to emigrate from Burma in 1980 to Los Angeles' Chinatown and expect Emily to return home after graduation and comply with an arranged marriage. But Emily must follow her own American Dream, which means moving to Germany and falling in love with a U.S. servicewoman living under Don't Ask Don't Tell. After feeling like an outsider her entire life, Emily struggles to become a leader, not just a star and faces the terror of telling her parents who she really is.

The storyline of Emily's tribulations and history is told in parallel with her pursuit of two consecutive championships. Basketball is a means to an end greater than simply winning games, it is the stage upon which she works through, and ultimately declares, her strength and inherent self-worth.

Emily relies on her best friend and teammate, Katie, who follows her across the Atlantic. A white, 6'3'' diva from Maine, Katie is the yang to Emily's yin and provides considerable comic relief. Emily's two coaches — at Harvard and in Germany — likewise add color, drama and humor to the film.

NO LOOK PASS is a story about opportunity and identity, the loss that accompanies growth, and the courage required to live the life you imagine.

Get your tickets to see the World Premiere down at Outfest 2011.

Cool.

San Francisco Diasporic Vietnamese Film Festival

Because sometimes you want textual stimulation.

Free event!

Come and be a part of the first Vietnamese Film Festival in San Francisco!!

An all-day film festival centering the histories, communities, identities, and imagery of Vietnam and the diaspora - featuring narrative, documentary and experimental films!

SCHEDULE:

10:30-10:55: Fading Light(Theo Huong Den Ma Di) by Thien Do
11:00-12:30: Mother Fish by Khoa Do
12:45-1:15: Unidentified Vietnam No. 18 by Lana Lin & H. Thao Lam
1:20-2:15: Hanoi Eclipse: The Music of Dai Lam Linh by Barley Norton
2:30-3:25: The Blindness Series by Tran T. Kim-Trang
3:30-4:00: Compilation of Nguyen's Shorts by Nguyen Tan Hoang
4:15-6:10: Touch (Sneak Preview Screening) by Minh Duc Nguyen
6:15-6:20: SFSU Student Performance
6:25-7:20: Touch Q&A with Long Nguyen and Bety Le (actors)
7:35-7:55: Sunday Menu by Liesl Nguyen
8:00-9:30: Don't Be Afraid, Bi! by Phan Dang Di

Visit www.dvanonline.org for schedule details.

Launch Party! The San Francisco Asian American Film Festival

Always good to hear from the nice folks down at SFIAAFF.

SFIAAFF Launch Party!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
8PM – 12AM

111 Minna Gallery
111 Minna Street (at 2nd Street), San Francisco CA 94105
$5 Admission 21+

FREE FOR CAAM MEMBERS

The 29th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF) is just around the corner! Join us on Thursday, February 10th at 111 Minna Gallery to celebrate the official launch of the Festival! Once again, we are joining forces with Locus@KSW to kick off the 4th annual Toyota DIY Music Video Contest! Come out and pick up your Festival Mini-Guide, hot off the press, and enjoy live performances by some of the Bay Area’s most exciting independent Asian American musicians and DJs.

Live performances by:

• Golda + The Guns
  
• Dune Tran
  
• Aristyles
  
• Mandeep Sethi
  
• Secret Sidewalk

DJs

• Citizen Ten
  
• DJ Esquire

Get more info @ http://asianamericanmedia.org/blog/caam-presents/2011/01/20/come-to-the-29th-sfiaaff-launch-party/

Random Notes On The MSP Asian Film Festival

If you haven't noticed, this thing I loosely call a blog hasn't gotten a lot of love over the past couple of weeks (and the last month wasn't what I'd call a blog-a-thon either) and while it's chastised me from afar - hey - I was seeing a bunch of film and meeting some great people.

So how did the first MSP Asian Film Festival go?

Here's my breakdown.

• Anurag Kashyap has some intense fans.
• Mark Tang's Open Season was packed and if you haven't gotten to see it - you really should.
• Apparently Portland people really do have some spunk (and yes I have pictures to prove it).
• There's only so many people you can reach in a limited amount of time and in The Cities as great as the communities are, sometimes getting them all together isn't as easy as you might think. But isn't that true anywhere?
• See Enemies Of The People.
• I can watch a long film and I'm not saying I could do any better - but I gotta tell ya - Poetry was a long MF film. Good. But make sure to bring in some popcorn and possibly someone to cuddle with who you can keep on saying things like "I could be watching people getting blown up downstairs at The Legend Of Chao Fa but since you've forced me to watch this, I think I should at least get to cop a feel."
• The Legend Of Chao Fa + Stars from Thailand = Really Good Crowds.
• Does Asian, or Asian American Film bring in more audiences? I can't really tell you, but I think overall you have to have both because that's just the way we roll.
• Panels really can turn in to roundtables.
• I don't know what those special drinks were at the Closing Night - but I did have a few of them - and yes - they were tasty.
• From what I hear - this just might be going down next year...who knows too - maybe with a lot more of a slant too.

And now back to your regular TV schedule.

CAAM + The Sikh Coalition’s 1st Annual Diversity Video Competition

Because you wanted to know - and don't tell me any different because that would be a flat out lie and if there's one thing I won't stand for is people who lie to me in their minds who I will probably never meet - except for a few select people - who I think should happen to be naked btw. Or have a bag of marshmallows.

And cookies. Because cookies trump being naked.

Are you a filmmaker? Do you care about diversity issues? If so, join the Sikh coalition’s Diversity Video Competition, and you could have a chance to win $1,000, a free roundtrip ticket to New York City, and 2 passes to the Sikh Art and Film Festival. Your film will also be premiered at this popular New York film festival in October.

The purpose of the Competition is to provide a space to engage in an artistic dialogue on civil rights issues, stereotypes, and myths surrounding minority groups with a particular anchor in the Sikh experience. It is through this dialogue that we hope to dissolve ignorance and spread awareness of discriminated minorities.

Topic: Today in the United States, especially since the events of 9/11, the turban has been often associated with terrorist groups, including Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and others. However, the vast majority of people who wear turbans in the US are not terrorists, but Sikhs – and their appearance, although similar, often marks them for discrimination. Because of this appearance, Sikhs, as well as many minority groups in America have had to struggle to impart the message: you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Referencing Sikh American and other minority experiences, please create a 5 minute video (or less) that explores the statement, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

All entries must be received by September 15, 2010. No film experience is required to participate, and people of all ages are encouraged to submit.

To Apply: Please visit www.sikhcoalition.org to learn more.

There you will find instructions, an application form, judging criteria, rules, and submission guidelines. You will also be able to read more about the 2 judging phases:

1) All videos will be reviewed by an expert judges’ panel and narrowed down to the top two.

2) Then, the 1st place winner will be determined by a popular vote.

Alyssa Lobit + The Things We Carry

When I was down at AAIFF over last weekend, one of the films I wanted to make sure and catch was The Things We Carry - which ended up being one of the best Asian American films, and just movies in general, that I've seen as of late. On every single level - the story, the characters, the acting, the way it was filmed - I got lost inside it.

It took me to that other place.

Afterwards I got a chance to talk with Alyssa Lobit - who both wrote and stars in the film - and who was nice enough to answer some of my questions (even when I had to resort to capturing the interview on my iPhone - because apparently I'm just not that prepared).

Here's some of our conversation.

Did you consciously think about how you were going to portray Asian Americans in this film, or did you just say “We just want to have a story with Asian Americans?”

The latter, definitely. We just wanted to tell the story - and for me it was important to just tell a story where the people in the movie happened to be Asian because that’s kind of my experience in my life.

I’m a person and I happen to be Asian. My mom’s Korean – but I’m also mixed. So I have White culture - or he’s French Scottish by way of Oklahoma. So I have these two things happening. Neither one alone defines me.

I think that especially in the media and in Hollywood the way that’ll we know that Asian Americans are fully integrated in the mainstream is when people stop talking about them being Asian. So I kinda of wanted to go – yeah – and you know show things like they go to Korean food and have the mom speaking Korean because that’s just who she is, and they eat K-food because that’s what they do. It’s not a big deal. It’s not, well let’s all be real Korean and go eat K-Food – it’s just like no – let’s get something to eat. So hopefully we did that, because I wanted it to be that way.

Can you talk about some of the projects you’re working on?

I’ve written an indie romance called It’s All Love and it’s got a similar thing in the unique offbeat characters ‘cause that’s something that always attracts me - similar to Sonny’s friends - and these people that you look at and are like "They’re kind of interesting, or strange, or just, don’t make sense." I like to go talk to those people.

I’m also writing a sci-fi action, which actually, going to the Asian thing - the Asian actor thing - obviously a lot of Asian actors and actresses do the fighting, do the ninja stuff, whatever - and I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I think the same as with The Things We Carry, I’d like to do [in my sci-fi action] bad ass fight scenes - and they just happen to be Asian, not that it’s because it’s the only thing they can do.

Myself, I just think it’s - I don’t mind the roles, I think it’s the lack of roles we get so…

Right.

You know…

Well, and I think hopefully that’s changing and we’ll continue to just be…it’s all about integration, and just integrating everyone into everything. And it happens through festivals like this. And we have played festivals that were not Asian American - which that right there is us going like no - we’re being integrated and we’re integrating ourselves. And at the end of the day we’re all human beings - so I just want to remind people of that.

You kind of talk about the mixed experience. Did you want to say anything personal through the movie about the mixed experience?

No, in the same way that I didn’t want to address over the head that they’re Korean or Asian - kind of just put it out there. I mean we show the dad - he’s White. We show the mom who’s Korean. We don’t have a scene that explains this is my dad, this is my mom, and we are the offspring, which is how I wanted it to be. It’s just that that’s normal. It’s just a natural thing and it’s not a big deal. And in a weird way it ends up being one - other people do think it’s unique - which is cool. I love being mixed - but again, no one thing defines me. I’m not just mixed. I’m also from Los Angeles. I’ve been to UCLA. I have all these different little pieces that make me up.

Ok. Five best things about NYC?

Five Best Things?

Yeah.

Ok. So, well I’m staying at the Chelsea Hotel and it rocks. There’s so much history there and it’s amazing…I think you guys have LA Beat on the public transit, because there’s none in LA…weather, I don’t know…my hair’s a little frizzy so I think LA has that one, and there’s just a lot of artists everywhere. I mean I’ve met people, and they’re not all actors, and I think in LA, most of the people you meet are actors - even though I’m an actor too - but it’s just cool to have a mix.

A true melting pot mix of all these different flavors of people.

Okay I think that was only four…

33rd Asian American International Film Festival Shorts Lineup

Because you can never have enough film and let's just all hail AAIFF like we know we should.

Asian CineVision (ACV) announced today the short films selected to screen at the 33rd Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF10). The line up consists of a total of 71 short films that have been divided into 10 presentations. The short films admitted to this year's festival showcase the latest works by filmmakers of Asian descent as well as films that explore themes and issues prevalent to the Asian community. The selection includes two International Premieres, one U.S. premiere, four East Coast premieres, and five New York premieres. Tani Ikeda's Turn of Harvest, which will be making its World Premiere at the AAIFF10, is one of the seven short films up for the Excellence in Short Filmmaking Award.

"We have received an especially strong group of submissions this year that explore a range of genres including comedy, science fiction, and documentary," says Martha Tien, the AAIFF10 Program Manager. "This year's festival also consists of three unique short film programs which pay tribute to their respective countries in the manner of New York, I Love You and Paris J'Taime. Two of the programs are composed of films entirely from Taiwan and one is comprised of films from Malaysia." The two short film programs from Taiwan, Eye on Taiwan and Taipei 24 H, are part of a special joint presentation on New Taiwanese Cinema between ACV and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO).

In addition to its international titles, the AAIFF10 short film programs also draws from a very strong pool of local filmmakers, including J.P. Chan's Empire Corner and Greg Pak's Mister Green. A special youth program will also feature the works of filmmakers under the age of 21. The AAIFF10 will run July 15 through July 24 in New York City. Short films will screen at various venues including Chelsea Clearview Cinema, the Quad Cinema, and the Museum of Chinese America. The full short film program line-up is as follows. More details can also be found on the festival website (aaiff.org/2010).


Oh Family, Where Art Thou? (7)
Films that remind us of the complex dynamics that make each family so singularly fascinating and unique.

Mochi directed by Chung Li (Taiwan)
In Space directed by Visra Vichit-Vadanka (Thailand)
Daughters directed by Chloe Zhao (USA)
Hide and Seek directed by Asako Ushio (USA)
Unrest directed by Christina Rubenstein (USA)
Puncture Wounds directed by Jason Ho (USA)
The Hirosaki Players directed by Jeff Sousa (USA)

It's a little bit funny... (5)
Films that offers unexpectedly humorous takes on the lives of its characters.

Kilo directed by Kiel Murray and Phil Lorin (USA)
Father Sister directed by Soyeon Kim (South Korea)
Lychee Thieves directed by Kathleen Man (USA)
Empire Corner directed by JP Chan (USA)
Wu is Dead directed by Rich Wong (USA)

Back to the Future (6)
Films that dabble with the myriad ways time shapes the courses of our lives.

Fish in Barrel directed by Randall Okida (Canada)
Boond directed by Abhishek Pathak (India)
Once More directed by Hiroo Takoaka (USA)
Mr. Green directed by Greg Pak (USA)
Memento Mori directed by Yohko Shiraishi (USA)
Transparent Movement directed by Soyeon Kim (South Korea)

The First Kiss (6)
Films that explore one of the most prevalent themes in storytelling -- one of the certainties in life besides death and taxes, love is never easy!

Lovers directed by Do-yeon Kim (South Korea)
The Queen directed by Christina Choe (USA)
Gareeb Nawaz's Taxi directed by Ritesh Batra (USA)
Tall Enough directed by Berry Jekins (USA)
Works of Art directed by Andrew Pang (USA)
Poi Dogs directed by Joel Moffett (USA)

Eye on Taiwan (4)

Happy Ending directed by Wei Chen Chang (Taiwan)
Sleeping with Her directed by Chih Yi Wen (Taiwan)
Letting Off directed by Hung Ju Chang (Taiwan)
Ketchup directed by Wen Chung Lu (Taiwan)

Untold Stories (5)
Documentary films that cover a range of topics from all corners of the world.

Memory of Forgotten War directed by Deann Borshay Liem and Ramsay Liem (USA)
Born Sweet directed by Cynthia Wade (Cambodia)
Mr. Shanbag's Shop directed by Asha Ghosh (USA/India)
Turn of the Harvest directed by Tani Ikeda (China)
Fine Threads directed by Adele Pham (USA)

CUNY Shorts (7)
AAIFF10 teams up with returning collaborator Asian American / Asian Research Institute of the City University of New York (CUNY) to showcase a range of narrative, documentary and experimental short films from students in CUNY system.

Antithesis directed by Jon-Carlos Evans (USA)
Behold the swelling scene directed by MunJong (Arckii) Kim (USA)
Boundary directed by Pyeunghun Baik (USA)
Ball directed by Jung Eun Kim (USA)
Nurturing the Hybrid Identity directed by Sudip Shakya (USA)
Struggle for Existence directed by Laurie Sumiye (Filiak) (USA)
Undocumented Hope directed by Tanvir Toy (USA)

Youth Shorts (8)
Young filmmakers under the age of 21 experiment with film to sound off on matters important to them

Beauty and the Box directed by Chrystian Rodriguez (USA)
I'm Not Even That directed by Asatha Vohra, Wendy Yuan Zhang, Michelle Kwong, Claudia von Nostitz (USA)
Not That Different directed by Junia Zhang (USA)
Skye directed by Yoomi Park (USA)
Chinese Antique directed by Anthony Ma (USA)
The Prodigy directed by Adam Lee (USA)
White Night directed by Teresa Lee (USA)
My New York directed by Derek Horton (USA)

Taipei 24 H (8)
Taipei 24H invites eight directors to employ their innovative styles and distinct perspectives to create a filmic essay of Taipei City.

Share the Morning directed by Cheng, Feng-feng (Taiwan)
Just A Little Run directed by Niu, Cheng-zer (Taiwan)
Summer Heat directed by Debbie Hsue (Taiwan)
Save the Lover directed by Cheng, Hsian-tse (Taiwan)
Somke directed by Lee, Chi-yuam (Taiwan)
Dream Walker directed by Chen, Ying-jung (Taiwan)
Owl Service directed by An, Je-yi (Taiwan)
Remembrance directed by Lee, Kang-sheng (Taiwan)

15 Malaysia
Uncensored and bold, the fifteen filmmakers featured in this collection speak out on the societal taboos of sex, race, religion and politics in Malaysia.

Potong Saga directed by Yuhang Ho (Malaysia)
Chocolate directed by Yasmin Ahmad (Malaysia)
The Tree directed by Auir Muhammad (Malaysia)
House directed by Linus Chung (Malaysia)
Halal directed by Liew Seng Tat (Malaysia)
The Son directed by Desmond Ng (Malaysia)
Lumpur directed by Kamal Sabran (Malaysia)
One Future directed by Chui Mui Tan (Malaysia)
Slovak Sling directed by Ming Jin Woo (Malaysia)
Gerhana directed by James Lee (Malaysia)
Meter directed by Benji and Bahir (Malaysia)
Duit Kecil directed by Johan John (Malaysia)
Healthy Paranoia directed by Khairil Bahar (Malaysia)
Lollipop directed by Nam Ron (Malaysia)
Rojak! directed by Suleiman Brothers (Malaysia)

About AAIFF

The Asian American International Film Festival is the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to showcasing films created by media artists of Asian descent and about the Asian community. Founded in 1978, AAIFF harbors a unique curatorial vision. More than an expression of collective identity, the festival is anchored by the distinct contributions of its members. It is a platform for filmmakers of all backgrounds to develop the constructs of Asian cinema and cultivate the next generation of talent. 33 years after its inception, AAIFF continues to be a leading showcase for Asian American film and video, placing a substantial focus on local and independent works and working to enrich New York’s Asian cultural community.

About ACV

Asian CineVision, Inc is a not-for-profit national media arts organization dedicated to the development, promotion and preservation of film and video arts by and about people of Asian descent. Founded in 1976 ACV began as a social service media activist organization in New York City’s Chinatown. The organization continues to serve the Asian American community by presenting, promoting and preserving the works of Asian and Asian American mediamakers, and providing a window to the diverse experiences and livelihoods of the Asian diaspora.

Film: La Petite Salon At SF LGBT Film Festival

Sweet sweet Viet Am film. Catch it if you can:

Frameline34: San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival

Shorts Program: One Night - La Petite Salon
Mark your calender on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 9:30pm at the Roxie Theater.
TEXT VOTING CODE: s609

Tickets available for purchase at http://www.frameline.org/events/

AFTERPARTY @ The Lexington Club
3464 19th Street (Between Mission and Valencia)
San Francisco, CA 94110

Details about the screening is available at http://www.frameline.org/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=2146&FID=47.

Thanks Cat

Random Eric Nakamura + Lynn Chen

Random Tamlyn Tomita

SFIAAFF + The People I've Slept With

There's only so much film you can see - at least in a weekend - and you just have to pick and choose (and no film festival goer will ever tell you it's easy) but sometimes you just get a feeling for films you want to see and The People I've Slept With - well - I've been waiting to see this one for a long time.

Not only does it look fun, quirky, and just like something I know I'm going to love (because you just know those things don't you?) but it's also the SFIAAF centerpiece film - and while I've said it before - I think I have to say it again - if you don't get your tickets now don't come crying to me when you're waiting at the Rush line - because I don't care how hot you are, how much you beg me - or even if you have food - I'm still not giving you my tickets.

Check out what the SF Gate has to say

For the second year in a row, the centerpiece Sunday night Castro slot at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival has been the home of the festival's most rockin' film. Last year, it was H.P. Mendoza's musical "Fruit Fly." This time it's an edgy comedy about promiscuity, youth and responsibility, "The People I've Slept With," by writer-director Quentin Lee.

It's about a promiscuous party girl (Karin Anna Cheung, "Better Luck Tomorrow") who becomes pregnant and searches for the father, and her gay best friend (Wilson Cruz), who struggles to remain faithful to his man.

"I definitely identify with Karin, because even as a gay man, I understand what women have to go through," said Lee, a UC Berkeley alum. "I'm not a very promiscuous person (laughs). But I understand being promiscuous as a level of how people frown upon you. Going back to 'Shopping for Fangs,' I've always liked a strong female character."

SFIAAFF: God is D_ad

Definitely one of the films I'm looking forward to seeing down at SFIAAFF is God is D_ad and if you haven't gotten your tickets already I'd pick them up soon because not only did it win Best Picture down at KOFFLA and it just looks like a kick ass flick - but I don't care how much you beg me when you they get sold out...

I'm not giving you mine.

The Quick KAFFNY 2010 Wrap Up

I get a vibe when I meet people and go to certain places - and without a doubt the feel down at KAFFNY was definitely cool, and it was just so great to see the support that they're getting - and not just from the Korean American community - but others outside of it as well.

From incest and making love to blow-up dolls, to singing on the streets of Paris and seeing through the lens of a transracial Korean American perspective - the programming was original and well thought out, and while this was my first time out at KAFFNY - it definitely won't be my last - and I can't wait to see what they come up with next year.

* Special thanks to AK for the passes and for making me feel so welcome while down there. Next year I'll make sure and hit that after party.