Asian Arts Initiative | 81 mins This program of six narrative shorts explores a variety of perspectives on queer-ness, coming out, and embracing one’s identity both overseas and amongst the Asian immigrant generation in the US. Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. Hoà i (Ongoing/Memory) Director: Quyen Nguyen Le | 11 mins | USA A young Vietnamese American queer woman and her father cohabitate after her recent breakup, exploring themes of heartbreak from romantic relationships, to families, to nations. Salamagan Director: Elisa Oh | 12 mins | USA Ana fears that coming out to her Filipino Catholic mother would break her heart. But when her mother needs help cleaning a hoarder house, Ana enlists her secret girlfriend for the job. Straighten Out Director: Yung-Chieh Chang | 14 mins | Taiwan Sheng wakes up in a clinic with no memory of how he got there. When he discovers the truth, he faces a difficult choice: following his family’s religious beliefs or embrace his true identity. Rani Director: Hammad Rizvi | 14 mins | Pakistan A Pakistani transgender woman sets out to take care of an abandoned child. Hudson Director: Shae Xu | 10 mins | USA A young divorcee mother tries to find the right moment to tell her teenage son that the woman she lives with is actually her girlfriend. Uninvited Director: Seung Yeob Lee | 20 mins | South Korea When a closeted gay man’s mother comes for a sudden visit, he quickly hides evidence of his live-in boyfriend.
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.
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.
