PAAFF 2019
  NOV. 7-NOV. 17

Director’s Statement

Whether you are a first-time attendee or long-time supporter of our festival, let me be the first to welcome you to the 2019 PAAFF. Now in our twelfth year, PAAFF has not only the distinction of being the largest film festival specializing in Asian American & Pacific Islander content in the East Coast,but it is also the third largest in the country.

While there is much for us to celebrate, I would be remiss to not mention the startling parallels we have seen over the past year between the history of our Asian immigrant communities and increasingly hostile immigration legislation that seeks to criminalize asylum seekers. As we marvel at the similarities between family detention centers and the Japanese American incarceration during WWII, it seemed necessary for us to delve into the history of our Asian American movement. Thusly with a hopeful eye towards the future we have largely based the next 11 days of programming around the past, present, and future of Asian America.

As usual there are far too many excellent programs for me to highlight them all in this short letter, but here are a few of my picks.

During Opening Weekend, you can engage in this conversation during the PAAFF Conference at University of Pennsylvania as we discuss the controversial subject of “Has Asian American Studies Failed?” Highlights include a participatory workshop around the Tsuru for Solidarity campaign hosted by the Japanese American Citizens League Youth Council and a preview of Phase II of the American Peril Exhibit of Anti-Asian racial propaganda, which both take place on Saturday 11/9.

For a subtler take on the 2019 festival theme related to the passage of time, check out Centerpiece Documentary Our Time Machine at Lightbox Film Center on Sunday 11/10. Co-directed by veteran documentarian and three-time PAAFF alumni, S. Leo Chiang, the film paints a vivid portrait of a father-son relationship impacted by Alzheimer’s.

Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists returns to the festival with three new original productions by their 2019 mini-residency artists and a special performance showcase featuring acts from the Philly Asian Histories projects that will take place on Monday 11/11 at Asian Arts Initiative. Other collaborations include a South Asian historical walking tour with South Asian American Digital Archive and two Spanish-language films co-presented by the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival.

The following evening on Tuesday 11/12, Twelve Gates Arts will be hosting their third annual Experimental Video Art Fest, which will be included in our festival for the first time. The screening is part of our free community series and will screen again during the closing day of the festival. Our community series continues Wed 11/13 – Thurs 11/14 at Fleisher Art Memorial where we will be doing a deep dive into Southeast Asian visual culture.

Friday 11/15 we begin our Closing Weekend at Asian Arts Initiative with a Hip Hop Showcase that features an impressive lineup of bilingual rap artists who were guest curated by Scott CHOPS Jung of the legendary Mountain Brothers. Join us at the after party that will follow at the newly opened Triple Bottom Brewing company and featuring a pop-up Filipino food cart Tabachoy.

Saturday 11/16 we will be screening for the first time at the Barnes Foundation from 2-8 pm in their auditorium in a three-film mini-showcase that looks at the past, present, and future. Following that is our semi-annual Artist Bash performance showcase from 8-11 pm featuring several talented AAPI musicians, and tickets include access to the collection.

Last, don’t miss our Closing Night presentation of Chinatown Rising, an engrossing documentary that charts the decades-long fight for survival as San Francisco’s Chinatown maintained their claim on a neighborhood often targeted by developers.

Thank you to the volunteer staff, community partners, venues, sponsors, and audience members for being a part of our movement.

Rob Buscher
Festival Director