Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

Music of Asian America Workshop: Word To Your Motherland

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

A Hip-Hop Exploration of South Asian American Identity with Seti X CHAIR: Annar Desai-Stephens (Eastman School of Music) Join Los Angeles born, South Asian American Sikh Recording Artist SETI X for this workshop exploring Hip-Hop Culture and its relationship with South Asian American youth and their development of self-identity. As a co-founder of India’s First All …

Music of Asian America Workshop: Word To Your Motherland Read More »

Free

In the Life of Music

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

Opening Night Film, Narrative Program OPENING RECEPTION 9-11:00pm | Lightbox Film Center Director: Caylee So and Sok Visal 92 mins | Drama | Cambodia | Khmer, English Get Tickets The Life of Music is a story told in three chapters. It tells the story of how one song, “Champa Battambang,” a song made famous by …

In the Life of Music Read More »

Music of Asian American Conference: Asian Musics, Transplanted

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

In partnership with Music of Asian America Research Center and University of Pennsylvania Asian American Studies Program, we present the third annual PAAFF Conference. This year’s three-day conference explores the Music of Asian America through a series of paper presentations and interactive workshops that will run parallel to festival film programming, punctuated by two live …

Music of Asian American Conference: Asian Musics, Transplanted Read More »

Music of Asian American Conference: Militarism & the music of Asian America

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

In partnership with Music of Asian America Research Center and University of Pennsylvania Asian American Studies Program, we present the third annual PAAFF Conference. This year’s three-day conference explores the Music of Asian America through a series of paper presentations and interactive workshops that will run parallel to festival film programming, punctuated by two live …

Music of Asian American Conference: Militarism & the music of Asian America Read More »

Music of Asian American Conference: Tour of “American Peril”

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

In partnership with Music of Asian America Research Center and University of Pennsylvania Asian American Studies Program, we present the third annual PAAFF Conference. This year’s three-day conference explores the Music of Asian America through a series of paper presentations and interactive workshops that will run parallel to festival film programming, punctuated by two live …

Music of Asian American Conference: Tour of “American Peril” Read More »

Free

Narrative Program: Moving Parts

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

Philadelphia Premiere Director: Emilie Upczak 77 mins | Drama | Trinidad and Tobago | English After the death of her father, Zhenzhen leaves China to be with her brother, who works construction on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Although she gets a job at a restaurant, she is forced into a compromising position when …

Narrative Program: Moving Parts Read More »

Documentary Program: Surviving Bokator

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

US Premiere Director: Mark Bochsler 91 mins | Documentary | Cambodia | Central Khmer, English What started as a genocide survivor’s dream to revive an ancient sport becomes an inspiring mission to heal a nation. Surviving Bokator is a heartfelt story about reclaiming cultural identity and building bridges between generations. Filmed over five years, the …

Documentary Program: Surviving Bokator Read More »

Musical Showcase: Traditional & Hip Hop

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

Live Performance In this showcase we will be exploring the connections between traditional and contemporary, showing how the lineage of musical practice within multiple generations of diasporic communities has helped create innovative approaches to the wholly American genre of hip hop. As we struggle to define what Asian American music is, what better way of …

Musical Showcase: Traditional & Hip Hop Read More »

Music of Asian America:  History, Activism, and Collaborations

University of Pennsylvania, ARCH Arch Building, 3601 Locust Walk, Room 108, Philadelphia, PA, United States

November 10 – 11, 2018 Co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival and the Music of Asian America Research Center What is “Asian American music”?  This is a question that Asian American musicians and others have asked since the 1970s.  Some argue that “Asian American music” is not only a useful political and heuristic device, …

Music of Asian America:  History, Activism, and Collaborations Read More »

Music of Asian America Conference: What is Asian American Music?

University of Pennsylvania, ARCH Arch Building, 3601 Locust Walk, Room 108, Philadelphia, PA, United States

In partnership with Music of Asian America Research Center and University of Pennsylvania Asian American Studies Program, we present the third annual PAAFF Conference. This year’s three-day conference explores the Music of Asian America through a series of paper presentations and interactive workshops that will run parallel to festival film programming, punctuated by two live …

Music of Asian America Conference: What is Asian American Music? Read More »

Documentary Program: Drawn Together

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

Free Screening Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity, and Stereotypes Director: Harleen Singh 40 mins | Documentary | USA | English Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity and Stereotypes follows the journey of three talented artists as they use comics and cartoons to challenge racial, religious, and gender stereotypes and inspire others to breakthrough socially and self-imposed limitations. Keith …

Documentary Program: Drawn Together Read More »

Documentary Program: Futbolistas 4 Life

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

Free Screening Director: Jun Stinson 40 mins | Documentary | USA | English Futbolistas 4 Life is about Oakland teens from Latinx immigrant families and the healing power of soccer. The film takes you into the lives of two high schoolers: one is a college hopeful and DACA applicant navigating the reality of his immigration …

Documentary Program: Futbolistas 4 Life Read More »

Shorts Program: Musical Shorts

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

Free Screening 75 mins What do a street dancer, violin virtuoso, keeper of sacred tradition, and femme-forward hip hop artist-activist all have in common? Their love of music. This mixed block of two narrative and two doc shorts explores a few of the many different relationships that people have with music, and the impact it …

Shorts Program: Musical Shorts Read More »

Music of Asian America Workshop: No-No Boy

University of Pennsylvania, ARCH Arch Building, 3601 Locust Walk, Room 108, Philadelphia, PA, United States

In partnership with Music of Asian America Research Center and University of Pennsylvania Asian American Studies Program, we present the third annual PAAFF Conference. This year’s three-day conference explores the Music of Asian America through a series of paper presentations and interactive workshops that will run parallel to festival film programming, punctuated by two live …

Music of Asian America Workshop: No-No Boy Read More »

Documentary Program: Havana Divas

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

Free Screening Director: S. Louisa Wei 90 mins | Documentary | Hong Kong | Chinese Caridad Amaran and Georgina Wong learned the art of Cantonese opera in 1930s Havana. Caridad’s mentor was her foster father, Julian Fong, who immigrated to Cuba in the 1920s after his family forbade him from performing opera. Georgina’s father was …

Documentary Program: Havana Divas Read More »

Shorts Program: Never Again is Now

University of Pennsylvania, ARCH Arch Building, 3601 Locust Walk, Room 108, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Free Screening This mixed program of doc and narrative shorts explores the similarities and differences between anti-Japanese sentiment that led to the community’s mass incarceration during WWII and Islamophobic bigotry in the post-9/11 and Trump Era. The block of six shorts is evenly split between Japanese American and Muslim/Sikh/South Asian stories for an evocative program …

Shorts Program: Never Again is Now Read More »

Music of Asian America Workshop: Sining Kapuluan

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

In partnership with Music of Asian America Research Center and University of Pennsylvania Asian American Studies Program, we present the third annual PAAFF Conference. This year’s three-day conference explores the Music of Asian America through a series of paper presentations and interactive workshops that will run parallel to festival film programming, punctuated by two live …

Music of Asian America Workshop: Sining Kapuluan Read More »

Centerpiece Narrative: Fiction and Other Realities

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

Philadelphia Premiere Director: Bobby Choy and Steve Lee 85 mins | Drama | South Korea, USA | Korean, English Get Tickets Fiction and Other Realities is the story of Bobby Choy, a 20-something Korean American residing in New York City who feels like a stranger in the country in which he was born. After his …

Centerpiece Narrative: Fiction and Other Realities Read More »

Music of Asian America Conference: Militarism, Masculinity, and the Music of Asian America

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

CHAIR: Mandi Magnuson-Hung (Wells Fargo History Museum) One of the most enduring stereotypes in North America is the emasculated Asian male. Created in the late 19th century, this belief arose partly because early Chinese immigrants often had queues and wore silk gowns, and partly because they were forced to take jobs doing what many White …

Music of Asian America Conference: Militarism, Masculinity, and the Music of Asian America Read More »

Free

Music of Asian America Workshop: Activist Songbook

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

Presented by Byron Au Yong and Aaron Jafferis CHAIR: Lei Ouyang Bryant (Swarthmore College) Join composer Byron Au Yong and writer Aaron Jafferis as they teach material from Activist Songbook, a collection of 53 songs and raps to counteract hate. Material for Activist Songbook is based on interviews of Asian American, immigrant, and refugee organizers.  …

Music of Asian America Workshop: Activist Songbook Read More »

Free