Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

Latest Past Events

Traitor

InterAct Theater 302 S Hicks Street, Philadelphia

Live Performance AAFF is excited to present for the first time a staged reading of a new original play by Steven de Castro (Fred Ho’s Last Year). The play is based on the true story of Corporal David Fagen, an African American soldier serving in the 24th regiment of the US Army in the Philippines-American War. While serving, Fagen defected to the Filipino army and joined in their rebellion against US colonial rule. Earning the rank of Captain in the Filipino Army, Fagen became the FBI’s most-wanted criminal. Ultimately his fate is shrouded in mystery, some claiming to have found his partially decomposed remains, while others believe he married a Filipina woman and lived out the rest of his life peacefully in the Philippine mountains. Bringing together two underrepresented communities in the retelling of a little known story of mutual resistance, this groundbreaking piece will feature local African American and Asian American theater artists sharing the stage for the first time. Tickets

$10

Fermented

Reading Terminal Market 12th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia

Directed by Jonathan Cianfrani Fermentation is an ancient and mysterious food preservation technique whose story can be traced back to the origins of our species. How did this practice give rise to what the culinary world calls “the hottest food trend across the globe?” Join chef/author Ed Lee on a journey to understand how the process of fermentation is used in modern cuisine throughout the US and abroad—exploring the shared techniques used to produce cheese, bread, beer, charcuterie, kimchi, kombucha, and more. Providing a glimpse into how tradition can give rise to a contemporary trend, this film offers point of entry into the deep dark world of fermentation … and what it means to human. Co-presented by Reading Terminal Market, this special after-hours market event will highlight the many market vendors whose products involve or employ fermentation. Tickets Festival Pass

Free

Phantom of Chinatown

Fleisher Art Memorial 719 Catharine St, Philadelphia

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 the police department have. Win Lee (Lotus Long), Benton’s secretary, reveals the doctor’s dying words refer to a scroll that divulges the location of rich oil deposits. Wong and Street must search for the killer among Benton’s associates before someone else dies. Known for his role as “Number One Son” in the Charlie Chan Detective series, this role was Keye Luke’s only chance to play leading man in a Chinese detective film, something usually reserved for white actors in yellowface makeup. An actress of mixed Japanese and Native Hawaiian descent, co-star Lotus Long (Tokyo Rose, Mysterious Mr. Moto) enjoyed a brief but popular career in Hollywood during the 1930s-40s. Remarkably, on account of her ethnic ambiguity and Chinese-sounding surname, Long avoided incarceration as a Japanese American in WWII. Tickets Festival Pass

Free