Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

shorts program

Shorts Program: Musical Shorts

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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 has on our lives. Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. Dancing Shoes Director: Benedict Chiu | 10 mins | USA A young street dancer’s life is changed forever when his mom gives him a magical pair of shoes. Besieged Director: Mengchen Niu | 28 mins | USA Two Chinese immigrant half-brothers audition for the same prestigious film role. In a vicious effort to win the role, the elder brother stealthily sabotages the younger throughout their audition process. Besieged vividly depicts the darkness of jealousy threaded within sibling rivalry. Dancing the Divine Director: Madhusmita Bora | 12 mins | India This short documentary captures the essence and spirit of Sattriya – a five-hundred-year-old living dance tradition from the Vaishnav monasteries and the story of Assamese monks that live on the river island of Majuli. Nothing on US: Pinays Rising Director: Evelyn Obamos  | 25 mins | USA This behind-the-scenes documentary records Pinay Rapper Ruby Ibarra as she makes her directorial debut for the music video of “US”. Working through logistical nightmares and corralling a crowdsourced all-Pinay cast of 200, the film shows how she executed an ambitious vision to create a compelling multi-dimensional narrative about resistance, solidarity, and female empowerment.  

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Shorts Program—Iran Hyphenated: Short Films of the Iranian Diaspora

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Curators: Sara Zia Ebrahimi & Lila Yomtoob Asian Arts Initiative | 64 mins Having a hyphenated identity is more than just being between worlds and fixed identities. It includes the active process of forging a new cultural space—a cultural remix. It is often the work of the first generation after a significant migration to begin establishing the cultural products and institutions to capture that remix. This program of short films is part of that work; an attempt to amplify the voices of diasporic Iranian filmmakers. Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. A Reluctant Bride Director: Shideh Faramand | 6 mins | Australia A single Persian woman, still unmarried at 28, must endure disapproval and meddling from married friends and relatives at her younger sister’s engagement party. America 1979 Director: Lila Yomtoob | 14 mins | USA It’s 1979, and the Iran Hostage Crisis is in full force. When an Iranian American girl is teased at school for her ethnicity, her family must come to terms with how world politics is affecting their lives. Eddeaa Director: Abjeez | 2 mins | Sweden Music video from Swedish Iranian female pop duo Abjeez about the downside of some traditional Iranian values, juxtaposing traditional imagery with modern sounds and words. Ice Skates Director: Sara Zia Ebrahimi and Lindsey Martin | 6 mins | USA Based on a true story, the film tells a story from the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1980 from the perspective of Haleh, an eight year old who just wants to enjoy her ice skates. Magic Shoes Director: Sahand Nikoukar |10 minutes | USA Nine-year-old Iranian immigrant Kamron can’t seem to fit into the culture of early 90s Los Angeles, forcing him to wonder, is it the shoes?

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Shorts Program: Experimental Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander

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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.

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Shorts Program: Sci-Fi Genre

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This block of four Sci-Fi genre narrative shorts explores a variety of not-so-distant futures dictated by technology and varying degrees of dystopia. Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A Frenchies Director: Kuan-Fu Lin | 13 mins | USA After strange new neighbors move into his building, fear of the unknown makes a man start to suspect the worst of them. The Lie Game Director: Jyothi Kalyan Sura | 14 mins | USA After losing her boyfriend to depression, a computer scientist creates and anti-depression AI application and looks for funding to complete it. Following a string of failed interviews, she enters her final interview which turns into a bizarre challenge of lie detection. andLIFE Director: Jean Goto | 11 mins | USA Set in the near future when climate change has taken its irreversible toll on Earth, a dying man and his partner contemplate their past. Shabu Director: Kiersten Villanueva | 10 mins | USA Several years after America has placed a “kill-all” order on anyone suspected of dealing in the drug trade, a photojournalist discovers the corrupt nature of the world she lives in.

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Shorts Program: Metamorphosis

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This program of seven shorts each deal with a major transition, literal or figurative, and each challenge conventional storytelling in their execution. Fleisher Art Memorial | 61 mins Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. Monster Me Director: Yeon Jin Lee | 13 mins | USA An ancient monster emerges from the “Old Faithful” geyser at Yellowstone, attacking an artist in residency there, and wreaking havoc in Jackson Hole. Metamorphosis Director: Sophia You | 3 mins | USA Strangers pass each other every day on the ferries leaving and entering San Francisco – some find romance, others remain unseen. Sea of Fog explores the distance between the dreams we’re sold about love and its daily reality. Naan & Balsamic Vinaigrette Director: Urvashi Pathania | 6 mins | USA A story about love, loss, and those ephemeral salad days. Unfair & Lovely Director: Anita Kalathara | 4 mins | USA Influenced by years of color shaming, a dark-skinned Indian American woman uses lightening creams and other methods to whiten her skin. #justB Kenson’s Story Director: Kenson Alik | 3 mins | USA A Marshall Islander named Kenson is diagnosed with Hepatitis B and moves to Hawaii in search of treatment. Now, Kenson and his wife educate the Pacific Islander community in Hawaii about the disease, challenging myths about it and doing all they can to promote testing and care. Water in the Cup Director: Ikuo Kato | 6 mins | Japan A human being is like water in a bottle. But if the bottle breaks, where does the water go? Heaven is My Country Director: Tristan Hsu | 27 mins | Japan A high school freshman named Jin moves into a new town, where gets reacquainted with his older cousins. They help him adjust, but as the year progresses, Jin encounters voices, specters, and other happenings. As he tries to find a sense of self amidst the unsettling histories of this Asian American community, something from his past is haunting him as well.

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Shorts Program: Augmented Adolescence

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Asian Arts Initiative | 62 mins In today’s society, technology increasingly impacts how we live our lives from simple things like ordering food and taxis to finding our dating partners. Perhaps those most impacted by the omnipresence of digital technology are the post-millennial youth. This block of four narrative and one doc short explore a variety of coming-of-age situations impacted by technology. Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. Share Director: Barna Szász, Ellie Wen | 13 mins | USA An 18-year-old Instagram influencer attempts to reconcile his identity online with his identity in real life. Soap & Shadows Director: Donna Mae Foronda | 8 mins | USA It’s early in San Francisco when Bethany and Craig wake up from a strange sound, but instead of getting annoyed, they imagine playful scenes using the sound. Bethany is enamored by the moment, thinking Craig may be “the one.” Clique Bait Director: Anna Mikami | 15 mins | Home Kong Set in the international school community of Hong Kong, a high school girl spreads a video sexualizing her childhood friend and classmate. Halo-Halo Director: Bernard Badion | 9 mins | Hong Kong A food video blogger has trouble meeting his deadline, pining for the person he saw on the subway that morning. Can a missed connection post solve his problem? Lions in Waiting Director: Jason Karman | 17 mins | Canada The newest member of a minor league hockey team experiences hazing by his new teammates as he struggles to fit in both on and off the ice.

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Shorts Program: Horror Genre

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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.

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Shorts Program: Intergenerational & Overseas Perspectives on Queer Idenitity

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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. Hoài (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.

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Shorts Program: Never Again is Now

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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 meant to provoke conversation about these startling parallels Filmmakers expected in attendance for post-film Q&A. Moving Walls Director: Sharon Yamato | 25 mins | USA What happened to the scores of barracks used to house 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII? At one camp built on government land in a remote area in Wyoming, they were sold for a dollar apiece to GI homesteaders settling the West after the war. This short doc delves into the intersection of mass incarceration and homesteading farmers as one group’s American nightmare became part of the American dream for another. The Crystal City Director: Kenya Gillespie | 13 mins | USA Combining present-day and archival footage, this short doc explores the physical remains of the Crystal City Incarceration Camp and the memories of its Japanese American survivors. Five O’Clock Shadow Director: Sangeeta Agrawal | 7 mins | USA An Indian American mother experiences racial abuse, causing her worst fears to rise to the surface. For the first time ever, she asks the question – do we really belong here? Pagg Director: Nardeep Khurmi | 17 mins | USA In the aftermath of a hate crime, a Sikh American man grapples with his fears and anxieties as he attempts to celebrate the 4th of July with his wife and infant son. As tensions rise through various microaggressions and racially charged encounters, he makes a tragic decision that changes his identity forever. Three Boys in Manzanar Director: Preeti Deb | 7 mins | USA This short doc tells the story of three Japanese American men from an iconic photo taken at Manzanar Incarceration Camp in their boyhood, reuniting 70-years later. Surviving Surveillance Director: Sarah Khan | 9 mins | USA Since 9/11 Muslim Americans have been mapped, surveilled, and entrapped by the NYPD. This short doc provides insight into the struggles of one family impacted by these questionable policing practices.

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