Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

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Documentary Program: Forbidden City, USA

Institute of Contemporary Art 118 S 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Arthur Dong’s documentary Forbidden City, USA takes you inside the glamorous world of Chinatown nightclubs in World War II San Francisco. You will meet the “Chinese Fred Astaire,” the “Chinese Sophie Tucker,” and the “Chinese Sally Rand.” Eighty years before the all-Asian cast of Crazy Rich Asians made box office headlines, the world famous Forbidden City nightclub was shocking America with its “all-Chinese” American floorshows. Digitally re-mastered by UCLA Film & TV Archive from original film negatives, Forbidden City, USA unearths the stories of ground-breaking Asian American entertainers from a bygone era, telling the true-life stories that inspired both the musical Flower Drum Song and Lisa See’s novel China Dolls. Film will be introduced by Music of Asian America Research Center Eric Hung.

Free

Documentary Program: Anote’s Ark

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

The  low-lying  Pacific  nation  of  Kiribati  faces  a  daunting  challenge:  imminent  annihilation  from  sea-level  rise.  As  Anote  Tong,  Kiribati’s  President,  races  to  find  a  way  to  protect  his  nation’s  people  and  maintain  their  dignity,  many  iKiribati  are   seeking  safe  harbor  overseas.  Set  against  the  backdrop  of  international  climate  negotiations  and  the  fight  to  recognize climate  displacement  as  an  urgent  human  rights  issue, Anote’s  personal  struggle  to  save  his  nation  is  intertwined with  the  extraordinary  fate  of  Sermary,  a  young  mother  of  six,  who  decides  to  migrate  her  family  to  New  Zealand.  At  stake  are  the  survival  of  Sermary’s  family,  the  iKiribati  people,  and  4,000  years  of  iKiribati  culture—yet  the  story  also  serves  as  a  cautionary  tale  for  low-lying  populations  everywhere. Get Tickets

Centerpiece Documentary—Ulam: Main Dish

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Philadelphia Premiere Director: Alexandra Cuerdo 79 mins | Documentary | USA | English Get Tickets In this delicious new documentary, Filipino-American filmmaker Alexandra Cuerdo follows the rise of Filipino food via the award-winning chefs who are crossing over to the center of the American table. Watch Trailer Ulam: Main Dish stages this new culinary movement as not only a remarkable achievement for American restaurateurs but also as a validation of Filipino culture. The film confronts issues inherent in representing both Filipino and American identity as well as challenges from both the Filipino community and the world at large. Ultimately, Ulam is a celebration—and confirmation—that Filipino food and Filipinos are here to stay. Director Alexandra Cuerdo expected in attendance for a post film Q&A followed by a catered reception featuring Filipino food. Centerpiece RECEPTION 8-9:00pm | Lightbox Film Center

Keep Me Posted

InterAct Theater 302 S Hicks Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Live Performance Writer & Director: Stephanie Kyung-Sun Walters 90 mins | Live Performance Celeste Moon is new to internet fame. Followed on social media and IRL, this hyper-trendy insta-poet is no stranger to looking over her shoulder. But after a series of mysteriously specific packages falls into her hands, she is forced to face her stalker. Will he ghost her or haunt her? Keep Me Posted by Stephanie Kyung-Sun Walters examines the presence of technology in our society and the struggles of online dating. Bio: Stephanie Kyung-Sun Walters is an emerging playwright in Philadelphia and founding member of the Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists. She’s a second-year member of The Foundry and studies with PlayPenn. Stephanie’s work gives new life to Korean mothers, evil dictators, lost lovers, bright children, dying Chinatowns, dating apps, and punk rock goddesses. Her most recent play, Are You My Father or the dream ballet of north korea, received a workshop and reading with PlayPenn and HBMG Foundation’s National Writers Retreat as well as a residency with Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists/Asian Arts Initiative. Additional plays have been produced and developed with Dragon’s Eye Theatre, Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival, Asian Arts Initiative, Revamp Collective, and Philadelphia’s Future is Female Festival. Stephanie is also a proud member of Actor’s Equity Associate, a Barrymore Nominated actress, and a teaching artist. She is graduate of Bucknell University, the London Dramatic Academy, and CAP21. Stephanie’s whimsical, comedic, curious, and AZN plays can be found on NPX.

Documentary Program—Getting Lao’d: The Rise of Modern Lao Music & Films

Fleisher Art Memorial 719 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

East Coast Premiere Director: Steve Arounsack 40 mins | Documentary | Lao People’s Democratic Republic | English, Lao After 25 years of silence, the private Lao music and film industries are reawakening. Filmed over 10 years, Getting Lao’d follows a new generation of young pioneers as they reimagine Lao media in a communist country. The film features many of the country’s most prominent musicians and filmmakers, and is perhaps the most comprehensive examination of the media landscape in Laos. Many neighboring countries in Southeast Asia have seen their music and film industries remain vibrant. Media in Laos, however, remains shrouded in mystery due to its landlocked geography and restrictive political environment. This documentary provides an extremely rare look at a new generation that tipped the cultural fulcrum. It is a story about a small country with a big heart. Screens with Phetmixay Means Fighter 12 mins | USA Director: Rita Phetmixay Lao American refugee Phoutone Phetmixay shares his experiences as an anti-communist rebel in Laos in this short documentary. Through trials and tribulations, Phoutone is able to survive a series of challenging encounters before escaping to the United States to start a new life. Director Rita Phetmixay expected in attendance.

Free

Documentary Program: JIZOLIBIDO

US Premiere Director: Yoshiaki Kasatani 61 mins | Documentary | Japan | Japanese Atelier Yamanami is a care facility for the disabled located in Koka, Shiga Prefecture in Japan. Currently, 88 users are registered as artists, all of whom possess a unique way of expressing themselves through various media and whose works are highly valued abroad. This documentary explores these artists’ “relationship between their mental states and their art.” Screens with Morgan 6 mins | USA Director: Eiko Fan, Aidan Un Morgan has very limited mobility. He can swing his feet a little, and he moves his middle finger to paint large paintings. He cannot speak but his eyes can direct the computer to tell what he wants to say a little. His paintings speak of his unique ability and intention to express himself. Director Eiko Fan expected in attendance with film subject Morgan.

Free

Live Performance: Voided

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Writer, Director & Performer: Pratima Agrawal 80 mins | Live Performance What is it like to be an unconventional Indian woman trying to exist in a marginalizing world? Voided is a solo performance inspired by Pratima’s own experiences and the true story of Kalpana Chawla (the first Indian female astronaut in space and one of the crew members who died in the 2003 Columbia accident). It iss the exploration of culture, status quo, and representation that dares to color outside the lines. BIO: Pratima is a local performing artist, teaching artist, and administrator. While she considers herself to be from Austin, TX, she moved to Philadelphia four years ago by way of Bethlehem, PA for the city’s vibrant theatre and arts scene and is inspired by the progressive community voices within and outside of the arts. She finds purpose in working on projects that challenge her as an artist and push the boundaries of art and humanity. She also volunteers for the Philadelphia Ready for 100 clean energy campaign and is a Sixers fan. She would like to thank all her collaborators for their artistry and continued support.

Free

Worcester Footage & US Imperialism in the Philippines

12 Gates Art Gallery 106 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Kate Pourshariati (Penn Museum Archive) Kate is the film archivist, media cataloger, and cultural film series programmer for the Penn Museum. This program will consist of a brief introduction to US Imperialism in the Philippines, followed by a guided viewing of an independently made 1913 propaganda film that argued Filipinos were not fit for self governance. The film was produced at a time when the debate within the US Congress surrounding the Philippines status as a US Territory began to favor granting their independence. Native Life in the Philippines (1913) was a collaboration between Dean Conant Worcester, Interior Minister of the Philippines who served as director/producer and camera operator Charles Martin. Worcester is highly controversial for his views of native peoples and for the racial agenda that he promoted in support of his own personal gain as a land-owner in the Philippines under colonial rule. The film was made near the end of Worcester’s career and was produced as a work of propaganda in support of keeping the Philippines under US territorial administration. Shortly after the film’s completion, Worcester left office and embarked on a lucrative lecture tour in the US. The following year Martin became the first director of the photography lab for National Geographic magazine.

Special Presentation: Propaganda Film Night

12 Gates Art Gallery 106 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Wednesday, Nov. 14 | 6:30–8:30pm | 12G As one of the special events during the American Peril exhibit, PAAFF returns to Twelve Gates Arts for an evening of American propaganda. Our definition of Propaganda is content that: 1) promotes one-sided or biased information, 2) reinforces ideology central to systems of control (political, religious, class/race hierarchy), and 3) reduces complex concepts into simple dichotomies. Highly problematic by today’s standards, both Hollywood and independent filmmakers have utilized their craft to shape the opinions of the American public during times of war and during the occupation of conquered territories. Films will be introduced by and contextualized for their historical signficance. The content is offensive in its portrayal of Asian subjects, but important for understanding the causes of anti-Asian sentiment in previous generations.

WWII Anti-Japanese Propaganda & Hollywood

12 Gates Art Gallery 106 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Rob Buscher (University of Pennsylvania) Beginning with Thomas Edison’s 1898 documentary news reel footage of the Wreck of the Battleship Maine and subsequent coverage of the Spanish-American War, film has played an important role in the way that Americans understand and consume conflict. As the technology used to produce motion pictures improved and Hollywood became increasingly intertwined with the military industrial complex, economic and cultural conditions of wartime America both necessitated and encouraged through capital gain the integration of anti-Japanese propaganda in major studio films spanning the war years 1942-1945. This program will provide a brief history of the Hollywood Studio system’s emergence as the hegemonic gatekeeper of American popular media, followed by a guided viewing of anti-Japanese WWII propaganda films. Content is derived from a variety of sources, but this lecture focuses primarily on entertainment based Hollywood films (fictional narratives), documentary news reels and soldier training films produced by the US Military sponsored War Pictures, and cartoons. Selected clips include: News Reels and US War Pictures: The News Parade: Bombing of Pearl Harbor (1941) Why We Fight: Prelude to War (1942) Know Your Enemy: Japan (1945) Popular Films: Little Tokyo, USA (1942) Across the Pacific (1942) Victory Through Air Power (1943) Air Force (1943) Thirty Seconds over Tokyo (1944) Purple Heart (1944) Cartoons: Ducktators (1942) Tokio Jokio (1943) You’re a Sap, Mr. Jap (1943)

Free

Shorts Program: Metamorphosis

Fleisher Art Memorial 719 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

This program of seven shorts each deal with a major transition, literal or figurative, and each challenge conventional storytelling in their execution. Fleisher Art Memorial | 61 mins Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. Monster Me Director: Yeon Jin Lee | 13 mins | USA An ancient monster emerges from the “Old Faithful” geyser at Yellowstone, attacking an artist in residency there, and wreaking havoc in Jackson Hole. Metamorphosis Director: Sophia You | 3 mins | USA Strangers pass each other every day on the ferries leaving and entering San Francisco - some find romance, others remain unseen. Sea of Fog explores the distance between the dreams we’re sold about love and its daily reality. Naan & Balsamic Vinaigrette Director: Urvashi Pathania | 6 mins | USA A story about love, loss, and those ephemeral salad days. Unfair & Lovely Director: Anita Kalathara | 4 mins | USA Influenced by years of color shaming, a dark-skinned Indian American woman uses lightening creams and other methods to whiten her skin. #justB Kenson’s Story Director: Kenson Alik | 3 mins | USA A Marshall Islander named Kenson is diagnosed with Hepatitis B and moves to Hawaii in search of treatment. Now, Kenson and his wife educate the Pacific Islander community in Hawaii about the disease, challenging myths about it and doing all they can to promote testing and care. Water in the Cup Director: Ikuo Kato | 6 mins | Japan A human being is like water in a bottle. But if the bottle breaks, where does the water go? Heaven is My Country Director: Tristan Hsu | 27 mins | Japan A high school freshman named Jin moves into a new town, where gets reacquainted with his older cousins. They help him adjust, but as the year progresses, Jin encounters voices, specters, and other happenings. As he tries to find a sense of self amidst the unsettling histories of this Asian American community, something from his past is haunting him as well.

Free

Documentary Program: Living in the Story

Fleisher Art Memorial 719 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Director: Lynn Estomin 52 mins | Documentary | USA | English Living in the Story documents thirty-five years of art making by the distinguished photographic artist Patrick Ryoichi Nagatani, one of the most brilliant photographic artists of our era. In the late 1970s, he pioneered the Contemporary Constructed Photographic Movement in Los Angeles, developing a new visual vocabulary by constructing tableau photographs from sets, sculptures, models, and paintings. The film portrays an artist deeply concerned and well informed about world events who uses imagery, storytelling, and narrative fiction to raise awareness about modern anxieties with an emphasis on the threat of nuclear weapons technology. Nagatani has also explored healing techniques and states of consciousness in which the material world is transcended. Despite the serious content of his subject matter, his innovative images are compelling and entertaining. An engaging raconteur and teacher, Nagatani talks in the film about his projects, his unorthodox photographic techniques, and his subtle weaving together of fiction and fact. Scott Nagatani’s hauntingly beautiful music score provides the film’s soundtrack. Director Lynn Estomin expected in attendance.

Free

Narrative Program: August at Akiko’s

Fleisher Art Memorial 719 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA, United States

East Coast Premiere Director: Christopher Makoto Yogi 75 mins | Drama | Hawaii | English August at Akiko’s is a mystical film that lives in the seams between dream, reality, and memory with a time-signature all its own. Armed with just his suitcase and a sax, cosmopolitan musician Alex Zhang Hungtai (Dirty Beaches, Last Lizard) returns home to the Big Island of Hawai‘i after being away for nearly a decade. Amidst possessed sax solos and brooding strolls, Alex stumbles upon a Buddhist bed & breakfast run by a woman named Akiko (Akiko Masuda). Hungtai’s wild sax and Akiko’s Buddhist bells form the base for a rich soundtrack surrounding the unexpected new friendship and wrapping around the audience like a sonic web.

Free

Shorts Program: Augmented Adolescence

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

Asian Arts Initiative | 62 mins In today’s society, technology increasingly impacts how we live our lives from simple things like ordering food and taxis to finding our dating partners. Perhaps those most impacted by the omnipresence of digital technology are the post-millennial youth. This block of four narrative and one doc short explore a variety of coming-of-age situations impacted by technology. Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. Share Director: Barna Szász, Ellie Wen | 13 mins | USA An 18-year-old Instagram influencer attempts to reconcile his identity online with his identity in real life. Soap & Shadows Director: Donna Mae Foronda | 8 mins | USA It’s early in San Francisco when Bethany and Craig wake up from a strange sound, but instead of getting annoyed, they imagine playful scenes using the sound. Bethany is enamored by the moment, thinking Craig may be “the one.” Clique Bait Director: Anna Mikami | 15 mins | Home Kong Set in the international school community of Hong Kong, a high school girl spreads a video sexualizing her childhood friend and classmate. Halo-Halo Director: Bernard Badion | 9 mins | Hong Kong A food video blogger has trouble meeting his deadline, pining for the person he saw on the subway that morning. Can a missed connection post solve his problem? Lions in Waiting Director: Jason Karman | 17 mins | Canada The newest member of a minor league hockey team experiences hazing by his new teammates as he struggles to fit in both on and off the ice.

Documentary Program: Being Bruno Banani

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

East Coast Premiere Director: Susann Wentzlaff & Jörg Junge 90 mins | Documentary | Tonga | German & English Being Bruno Banani tells the unique story of the first and only Tongan luger who managed to qualify in an amazingly short amount of time for the Sochi 2014: XXII Olympic Winter Games. Through his name, he also acted as the first “living brand,” using a completely new and disputed way to get around the strict IOC’s advertising regulations.

Narrative Program: Original Sin

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

East Coast Premiere Director: Jean Lee 75 mins | Drama, Comedy, Romance | USA | Spanish Pecado Original is an absurdist Spanish language rom com about Eva, a sexually frustrated housewife, her uptight husband, and a freewheeling artist who form an unlikely love triangle with unpredictable results. From “accidentally” purchasing an erotic painting, to fellating her uptight husband for the very first time, the story is largely told through Eva’s perspective as she confronts society’s rules on female propriety with the greatest irreverence. Writer/Director Jean Lee expected in attendance.

Narrative Program: Lost in Apocalypse

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

East Coast Premiere Director: Sky Wang 90 mins | Drama, Horror, Action, Thriller | China | Chinese Mystery unfolds as a group of individuals are confronted by undead forces outside of an abandoned factory but then go about their business as usual the next day. An unexplained virus suddenly breaks out and turns people into blood-lusting beings, leaving the characters stranded in the penthouse suite of a hotel. As time passes, the group decides to make a run for survival. Through struggle, betrayal, and loss, the remaining individuals desperately make it out of the hotel alive and arrive at the factory where we first met them. But this is only a temporary haven, as they are tested once again by new circumstances. Who amongst them will survive?

Shorts Program: Horror Genre

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

Asian Arts Initiative | 46 mins A serial dater-turned-killer, ghost children, and spiritually possessed painting are just a few of the topics in this year’s five-film Horror Genre Shorts program. Not for the faint of heart. Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. What’s That in the Ground? Director: Wally Chung | 2 mins | USA When you want one thing, sometimes you get the complete opposite or something worse. Heartseeker Director: Brett Kodama | 20 mins | USA After making a connection on a popular dating app, a single woman with a passion for cooking brings her date home for dinner. Chances are he won’t like what’s on the menu. Sanzu no Kawa: The River of Three Crossings Director: Cyrus Yoshi Tabar | 7 mins | USA After a shooting at school takes his sister’s life, a young Japanese American boy is trapped between his memories, grief, and the new reality he faces at home. Painted Skin Director: Hanrui Wang | 4 mins | China A young artist huddles down in an old, abandoned temple for the night. To pass the time he paints a beautiful woman, which is surprisingly lifelike. Hana Director: Mai Nakanishi | 13 mins | Japan, South Korea A college student named Sujin starts her job as a part-time babysitter for a single working mother who needs someone to look after her 4-year-old daughter Hana. Sujin is hired on the spot, but soon after she is left alone with Hana, strange things start to happen.

Shorts Program: Experimental Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander

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

Asian Arts Initiative | 72 mins Told through visual poetry and narrative, and infused with stunning color and sound, these shorts recognize the trials and triumphs of family, explore the environmental traumas inflicted upon Oceania, and share the pride and resilience of these communities throughout history to the present. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following organizations for their assistance with curating this program: the ‘Ohina Short Film Showcase, Pacific Islanders in Communications, and the Wairoa Mãori Film Festival. Director/Cinematographer/Editor Jes X. Snow will be in attendance with  Co-Producer Adriel Luis and other  members of the crew. PRAISE SONG FOR OCEANIA Director: Justyn Ah Chong | 5 mins | Hawai’i Praise Song for Oceania is a short film-poem about the ecology, history, politics, and cultures of the Ocean. The poem was written by award-winning Chamorro author Craig Santos Perez, and the video was created by Hawaiian filmmaker Justyn Ah Chong. LET THE MOUNTAIN SPEAK (Hawai’ian) Director: Vilsoni Hereniko | 5 mins | Hawai’i A visual poem that pays tribute to Maunakea, a mountain on the island of Hawai’i, and makes an artistic intervention in the controversy surrounding Maunakea. TAMA Director: Jared Flitcroft and Jack O’Donnell | 9 mins | New Zealand Ever seen the haka in silence? Tama is about a young indigenous Deaf boy who tries to perform the traditional Mãori war dance, the Haka, silently, and is the result of a unique collaboration between Deaf and hearing filmmakers. KALEWA Director: Mitchel Viernes | 17 mins | Hawai’i In the future, a Hawaiian astronaut makes the next great leap for his planet, his family, and himself. Tonight is his last chance. I MATAI Director: Kyle Perron and Nico Serneo | 10 mins | Guam A fallen warrior is honored by his family in an experimental take of the Ancient Chamoru Death Ceremony  told through the prayers of a man grieving over the death of his brother. ANOINTED Director: Dan Lin | 6 mins | Marshall Islands A poet from the Marshall Islands explores the legacy of U.S. nuclear bomb testing in her country through the stories of people who are still living with the effects of radioactive fallout and displacement. RISE: FROM ONE ISLAND TO ANOTHER Director: Dan Lin | 6 mins | Marshall Islands and Greenland Two indigenous poets—one from the Marshall Islands and another from Greenland—meet at the source of our rising seas to share a moment of solidarity.

Free

Live Performance The DJZ

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

12-5pm | Asian Arts Initiative Lead Artists: Aizhanneya Carter and Claris Park Welcome to the Department of Judgement Zoning. We invite you to navigate the bizarrely familiar world of The Department of Judgement Zoning where identity rules and bureaucracy is not as mundane as it seems… Efficiency is valued at the DJZ, so please make sure to have your documents ready before you meet a member of our highly trained team of Judges. We are happy to serve you! The DJZ is an interactive theatre piece exploring identity, solidarity, and collective liberation. The DJZ was developed through the Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists/Asian Arts Initiative 2018 Mini Residency Project and the Naked Angels/The New School Issue’s Project Lab 2017. Claris Park is a Philadelphia based actor and theater maker and is thrilled to be remounting the DJZ along with her co-creator, Aizhaneya Carter, director Cat Ramirez, and numerous other wonderful collaborators! Recent credits include Monster in the Hall (Inis Nua), Close Your Legs, Honey (Philadelphia Fringe, 2018), A New Kind of Whole (Director, Philadelphia Fringe, 2018), and Much Ado About Nothing (Delaware Shakespeare). Upcoming credits include Bob, A Life In Five Acts (Azuka Theatre) and Among the Dead (Theatre Exile). They are a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.