Directed by Phil Rosen Keye Luke (Charlie Chan, Kung Fu, Gremlins) stars as Detective James Lee Wong in this noir-esque murder mystery. While lecturing about his recent expedition to the Mongolian Desert, explorer Dr. John Benton suddenly collapses and dies. His last words “Eternal Fire” are the only clue Detective Wong and Captain Street of …
Directed by Robert Florey Anna May Wong stars as the daughter of a wealthy Chinese American merchant whose father is found dead after refusing to do business with a human trafficking operation. To uncover the truth about her father’s death, Wong goes undercover in a Central American nightclub where she begins to unravel a much …
Directed by Ewald André Dupont Actress Anna May Wong stars as a young Chinese woman working in the kitchen at a London dance club. Given the chance to become the club’s main act, she finds herself embroiled in a plot of betrayal, forbidden love, and murder. Born in Los Angeles, Wong had only acted in …
Directed by Shinpei Takeda Veteran filmmaker and visual artist Shinpei Takeda (Hiroshima Nagasaki Download) returns with this punk musical documentary. Follow two American musicians, two Mexican artists, and one Japanese filmmaker from experimental Punkformance unit Ghost Magnet Roach Motel as they struggle with addiction and an existential crisis on the US-Mexico border. With a soundtrack …
Directed by Te Arepa Kahi Poi E is titled after Patea Maori Club’s iconic 1984 song, which gave hope and a renewed spirit to a suffering community during New Zealand’s economic recession. This film recounts the unexpected roller coaster ride on which bandleader Dalvanius Prime and the group found themselves as their song climbed the …
Directed by James Payne Far Western is a music-fueled, character-driven documentary film about Japan’s history and obsession with American country music. Seventy years after the US occupation of Japan, a devoted group of Japanese musicians pursues their passion for American country and bluegrass music in honky-tonks from Tokyo to Nashville. The film screening will be …
Each of the shorts in this FREE program were either shot locally or produced by local Asian American filmmakers. Subjects include teaching children with severe disabilities, missed love connections, and a hair-brained scheme to clear a gambling debt. Filmmakers expected in attendance. The Seagull Director: Justin Lee | 10 mins | USA A stuffed dog …
Directed by Michael Faulkner Shodekeh, a beatboxer and vocal percussionist from Baltimore, has spent his life mastering new sounds and fostering unlikely musical collaborations. After a chance meeting with traditional Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble, Shodekeh embarks on a journey to the Republic of Tuva as a guest musician chosen to participate in the International …
This shorts program explores the Four Pillars of Hip Hop and the various Asian American communities that have immersed themselves in them. Short film subjects include the Filipino turntablist scene in 1980s San Francisco, the integration of traditional Chinese theater technique into breakdance routines by Mark Wong of Hip Hop Fundamentals, and a graffiti artist …
A documentary about a free-spirited chef born of a strict culture. “Kakehashi” is the vision that Chef Nobuo Fukuda’s father had for him, to bridge the gap between Japan and the rest of the world. Facing the challenges of a strict environment and emigrating to a new one, Chef Nobuo unexpectedly bridged the gap through …
Directed by Saila Kariat Neal Kumar, an immigrant entrepreneur working in the high-octane technologically driven culture of Silicon Valley, seeks answers to lingering questions about his daughter’s suicide. As he journeys deeper into his daughter’s mental-health odyssey, the fractured nature of his interior life becomes apparent to himself and those around him. The Valley explores …
Directed by Sahra V. Nguyen 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 to meet with representatives of the Cambodian government. The goal: to halt deportations and renegotiate the 2002 repatriation agreement that allows the US to deport …
Directed by Konrad Aderer The dominant narrative of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans has been that they behaved like a “model minority,” cooperated without protest, and proved their patriotism by enlisting in the Army. Resistance at Tule Lake, a new feature-length documentary from Third World Newsreel (Camera News Inc.) and directed by …
Directed by Ciara Lacy Exiled to a private prison deep in the Arizona desert, native Hawaiian inmates discover culture and community behind bars. In 2007, the state of Hawaii outsourced the care of roughly two thousand of its male prisoners to a private, for-profit prison on the continental US. Now deep in the desert of …
Live Performance Blasian Narratives is a multi-media “Docu-Theatre” project that explores the intersectional identities of mixed-race Black & Asian individuals through an integrated live performance and film screening. The project began as a collaboration between Morehouse and Spelman College students documenting peoples of mixed Afro-Asian heritage, colloquially known as “Blasians.” Illustrating the complex relationships between …
Directed by Angie Wang Based on the life of filmmaker Angie Wang, this film dramatizes the true story of a Chinese American chemistry student who became the largest supplier of ecstasy on the West Coast in the early 1980s. After losing her scholarship to a prestigious college in San Francisco, Angie continues manufacturing and selling …
This FREE shorts program explores the concept of sexual commerce and body commodification. Subjects include prostitution and emotional transactions related to sex. Filmmakers expected in attendance. MATURE CONTENT, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED. Cake Director: Anne Hu | 9 mins | USA A bisexual woman tries to explore her sexuality with her husband Thomas by surprise ordering …
Directed by Megumi Sasaki After a documentary film denouncing Japan’s longstanding whale and dolphin hunting practices called The Cove wins an Academy Award in 2010, the sleepy fishing town of Taiji suddenly awakens to find itself in the global spotlight. Almost overnight, Taiji transforms into the go-to battleground for international anti-whaling activists. The camera delves …
Directed by Zixuan Deng Immigrants in France. Through their specific experiences, the film gives an intimate look at the rise of a new generation of French Chinese who identify with two cultures, speak two languages, and demand acceptance within contemporary French society. Filmed in French and Chinese with English subtitles, this film reveals the resilience …
Directed by Francois Yang After his brother suddenly dies, dies, Alex, a thirty-something man of French Chinese descent, returns to Paris in search of an explanation. Torn between two cultures and caught in a love triangle with women who represent both sides of his heritage, Alex must come to terms with his family’s past as …
