Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

Latest Past Events

Between Borders Shorts

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia

This FREE program of five shorts involve various marginalized identities both in the US and abroad. A mixed program of Narrative and Documentary shorts, subjects include mixed ethnic identity, refugees, and racial profiling. Filmmakers expected in attendance. Chanthadeth Chanthadeth grew up with his Cambodian mother and no connection to his Lao father or relatives. This short doc explores his bicultural identity and the meaning of his name, ultimately learning the importance of acknowledging both sides of his cultural heritage. The Three Tales of a Coin A coin recounts its life story, changing hands between a diverse group of Singaporeans in three pivotal transactions. The Lookout This short documentary examines the treacherous boat ride across the Aegean Sea, just one of many hardships endured by Syrian refugees, through the eyes of an altruistic Israeli volunteer hoping to do what he can to ease their suffering. The FBI Blew Up My Ice Skates This animated short recounts the titular incident that happened to the director in the wake of the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis. Red, White, and Beard Cartoonist Vishavjit Singh has a unique way of fighting intolerance in the post-9/11 US - walking the streets of New York City dressed as Captain Sikh America. This short doc poses a simple question - why can’t Captain America wear a turban? Facebook Event Page

Free

Sci-Fi Horror Genre Shorts

Lightbox Film Center 3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia

Back by popular demand, this year’s FREE program of Sci-Fi, Horror, and Action Genre shorts are sure to keep your spine tingling long after you leave the theater! Subjects include time travel, revenge beyond the grave, and demons of ancient folklore. Black Thread Yuji Okumoto (Karate Kid II) stars as a supernatural hitman caught between his desire for revenge and damning himself to a hell of eternal suffering. Time Capsule As an astronaut barrels towards Earth on a crash landing she’s certain not to survive, she makes a final call to her mother and finds herself in a most unexpected conversation. The Sweetening A lonely woman takes part in the beta testing of an augmented reality program and falls for a man she meets in a florist shop. Desperate to find out if he’s a real person or just an avatar, her obsession with the program leads to the destruction of her life as she knows it. Wan Mei (Perfect) When a man realizes his girlfriend has been unfaithful to him, he resorts to revenge... and the love of a mannequin. Kumiho A young man on a light jog through the woods is disrupted when an alluring woman runs past and coaxes him to a cabin. By the time he realizes that the woman is more than what she appears - it’s too late! Facebook Event Page

Free

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