Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

PAAFF Film Club – Saving Face

Online/Virtual

Spring is in the air! And what better way to celebrate than with a romantic comedy? For the May meeting of PAAFF Film Club, we’ll be talking about writer-director Alice Wu’s 2004 debut Saving Face. Reviewing the film at the Toronto International Film Festival, David Rooney of Variety described the film as a “warmly observed, …

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PAAFF Film Club – The Namesake

Online/Virtual

After moving from Calcutta to New York, members of the Ganguli family maintain a delicate balancing act between honoring the traditions of their native India and blending into American culture. Although parents Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) and Ashima (Tabu) are proud of the sacrifices they make to give their offspring opportunities, their son Gogol (Kal Penn) …

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PAAFF Film Club – Boy

Online/Virtual

Before Jo Jo Rabbit and the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi wrote and directed Boy, the focus of our July PAAFF Film Club meeting. Part The 400 Blows, part Slumdog Millionaire, a pinch of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and all New Zealand, Boy offers a nostalgic coming-of-age narrative that seems made for summer viewing. …

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PAAFF Trivia Night 2021

Queen & Rook Game Cafe 607 S. 2nd Street, Philadphia, PA, United States

Support PAAFF this year by competing in our PAAFF 2021 Trivia Night Fundraiser at Queen & Rook Game Café on Friday, September 24 at 7:30 PM!

$10

PAAFF Preview Party 2021

The Rail Park North & Noble Streets, Philadelphia, PA

Curious to know what's in our festival program this year? Join us at The Rail Park! PAAFF’s Annual Preview Party will be held outdoors at The Rail Park on 10/7 at 7PM. Come catch a glimpse of what we have in store for our 14th Annual Film Festival, connect with the community, enjoy the fresh …

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PAAFF 2021 – Opening Night Film: Americanish

Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

PAAFF 2021 kicks off with a limited-capacity in-person screening of our Opening Night film Americanish ! In Jackson Heights, Queens, sisters Maryam and Sam and their newly-immigrated cousin Ameera navigate the sometimes conflicting demands of romance, culture, work, and family. Serving both as a lighthearted but critical reimagination of the classic romantic comedy, Americanish tackles …

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$10 – $15

PAAFF 2021 – Centerpiece Documentary Q&A: Wuhan Wuhan

Online/Virtual

Centerpiece Documentary: Wuhan Wuhan Unfolding at the height of the pandemic, Wuhan Wuhan offers unprecedented access into the peak of the pandemic lockdown and focuses on the human side of the mysterious virus. Comprising five compelling stories, Wuhan Wuhan follows a soft-hearted ER doctor and an unflappable ICU nurse; a volunteer psychologist at a temporary …

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PAAFF 2021 – Have You Heard the Moves – Live Performance

Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists (PAPA) is putting on dancing shoes for our latest showcase! These past 20 months have been wild and heavy - I mean, how is it already almost 2022?? It's time for a collective breath and a collective stretch with some of our favorite dance and movement artists. Have You Heard the …

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PAAFF 2021 – Half of Half Magic – Live Performance

Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

PAAFF 2021: PAPA Mini-Resident Joseph Ahmed uses physical theater, storytelling, and circus techniques to explore the childhood narratives and social structures that led him to self-identify as white for most of his young life. Animorphs, Ender's Game, and Harry Potter form the cornerstones of his identity until a loss in the family forces him to …

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PAAFF 2021 – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Memories – Live Performance

Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Come join us in-person for an interactive screening of Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. As a part of PAPA’s mini-residency, Chantal Vorobei Thieves’ ongoing project, Memory, Vein: The Collected Tapes—where personal memories are shared in connection to specific scenes from various films—invites members of the audience to narrate their own personal memories over the …

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PAAFF 2021 – Asian American Beats To Jam To – Live Concert

Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

PAAFF’s Asian Music Showcase is back and in-person at Asian American Arts Initiative! This year’s showcase features an entirely local artist lineup and a variety of music genres: Filipino singer-songwriter and producer Joshua Bation; Marina Murayama, blending synthesized electronic textures and lush orchestral soundscapes; Filipino-American artist and producer Lucas Geniza, aka Lukey; and electronic music …

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$20

PAAFF 2021 – Centerpiece Narrative Q&A: Waikiki

Online/Virtual

Center Narrative: Waikiki In this cinematic allegory of love and loss, a hula dancer fights for survival and her sanity in the shadows of Waikiki. This feature-length narrative offers an unflinching glimpse into paradise where there remains hope through human connection and reconnection to ʻaina (nature). Directed by Christopher Kahunahana Produced by Connie M. Florez …

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PAAFF 2021 – Closing Night Film: A Sexplanation

Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

PAAFF 2021 comes to an end with a limited-capacity in-person screening of our Closing Night film A Sexplanation ! Like with many American youth in the 90s, Alex was taught that sex before marriage was wrong. Because he knew he was gay, these tactics worked to suppress his sexuality.Now in his 30s and out of …

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$10 – $15

The Fabulous Filipino Tour: Film Screening with Dante Basco and Family

Asian Arts Initiative 1219 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

PAAFF invites you to a celebration of love, culture, and family with an exclusive community screening of The Fabulous Filipino Brothers! Dante Basco and Darion Basco will be in attendance for a filmmaker Q&A as well as a post-screening meet & greet. The screening will be held in-person at the blackbox theater at Asian Arts …

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$25 – $40

PAAFF Film Club – Shirkers

Online/Virtual

Join us for our first Film Club meeting of 2022! We’ll be starting out with a discussion on Sandi Tan’s 2018 documentary Shirkers. A recent revelation in the genre of movies about movies, Shirkers tells the decades-spanning story of a group of friends attempting to make an independent feature with help from a mysterious stranger. …

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Inventing Ourselves: Women’s Stories of Self-Discovery

Càphê Roasters 3400 J Street, G1, Philadelphia, PA

A film screening presented by Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival and Philly Solidarity in celebration of Women's History Month Due to COVID-19, only water is allowed during the event. Food and drink will not be served. ‼️ COVID-19 Protocols ‼️ 🔖 Proof of COVID-19 vaccination with photo ID is required. 💉 At least 3 doses …

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$25 – $50

PAAFF Film Club – Devdas

Online/Virtual

For April’s Film Club we will be traveling back in time to 1935 and discussing a classic of Indian cinema: Pramathesh Barua’s Devdas. One of several adaptations of Sarat Chatterjee’s novel, originally published in 1917, Devdas tells the story of two lovers kept apart by class. Considered highly influential in its time, it is particularly …

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PAAFF Film Club – Vai

Online/Virtual

A collaboration between directors Becs Aharanga, Amberley Jo Aumua, Matasila Freshwater, Dianna Fuemana, and Miria George, Vai is a portmanteau feature made by women about one woman seen through different but united cultural lenses, and filmed on seven Pacific Islands. Join us for May’s PAAFF Film Club as we talk about it! Our May Film …

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PAAFF Film Club – Spa Night

Online/Virtual

June means Pride! Andrew Ahn’s 2016 feature Spa Night explores the intersection of LA’s Korean-American and LGBTQ communities, through the eyes of one young man who straddles both worlds. Join us as we discuss the film’s place in both Asian American and queer cinema, and much more! Our June PAAFF Film Club meeting is scheduled …

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