Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

Latest Past Events

Tested

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia

Synopsis: The gap in opportunities for different races in America remains extreme. Nowhere is this more evident than our nation"s top public schools. In New York City, where blacks and Hispanics make up 70% of the city"s school-aged population, they represent less than 5% at the city"s most elite public high schools. Meanwhile Asian Americans make up as much as 73%. This documentary follows a dozen racially and socio-economically diverse 8th graders as they fight for a seat at one of these schools. Their only way in: to ace a single standardized test. Tested includes the voices of such education experts as Pedro Noguera and Diane Ravitch as it explores such issues as access to a high-quality public education, affirmative action, and the model-minority myth. Directed by Curtis Chin, who is best known for his seminal film Vincent Who? about the killing of Vincent Chin, this feature doc offers an extensive look at the systemic inequalities facing students of color in NYC public schools. Facebook Event Page

$5 – $8

It Runs in the Family + LGBT Shorts

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia

This FREE program includes feature film It Runs in the Family along with a showcase of three short films examining the intersectionality between AAPI and LGBTQ identity. It Runs in the Family A young gay Filipino Canadian artist, Jay Cabalu and his sister Joella travel from Vancouver to Manila to meet their other queer relatives. Reconciling issues of faith, sexuality, and family relationships; viewers are invited to accompany Jay on this personal journey as he reflects on his struggle with being gay and Roman Catholic. It Runs in the Family is an intimate exploration on acceptance and what the modern queer family can aspire to in the Filipino diaspora. Screened with program of LGBTQ themed short films. Gaysians Five queer and trans Asian-Americans from New York City explore their relationships with their family and culture in this patchwork documentary. The subjects share stories about their families, and in doing so, shed light on the com- plicated histories that have shaped these intimate and personal relationships. Arranged Two 20 something Indian Americans meet under family pressures to get an arranged marriage they don’t want but realize that actually going through it might be their best option. One is gay and the other wishes to pursue her own restaurant business. Nuoc An experimental narrative short film about a queer Vietnamese American teen who attempts to piece together and understand her mom’s experience as a Vietnam War refugee. Facebook Event Page 

Free

Dear Thalia East Coast Premiere

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia

Synopsis: Less than a mile from the tourist beaches of Waikiki is one of Hawaii"s largest homeless populations. This compelling documentary offers a firsthand look into the lives of Tracy Martin, his wife Tabatha, and four year-old daughter Thalia living on the streets of Kakaako, Oahu as a homeless family. Mixing archival footage, interviews, and footage shot by the Martin family themselves using GoPro cameras provided by the filmmaker. Part of the Pacific Showcase presented by Pacific Islanders in Communications, this film is an important reminder of the human cost of ongoing gentrification in the Hawaiian islands caused in part by tourism. Facebook Event Page

$5 – $8