Revisiting Early AAIFF Films and Their Modern Counterparts In curating this year's archival program, programmer Hai-Li Kong sought to explore the limitless possibilities of film as a medium, selecting works that push the boundaries of how film can be ...
‘Past Lives and Present Screens’
A conversation between Celine Song and Jeff Yang On January 23rd, the Lila Acheson Wallace Auditorium at the Asia Society was packed with people who had come to hear a conversation between author Jeff Yang and director Celine Song. Just that morning, Song ...
‘Asians Were Killed. Nobody Cared. We’re Fighting Back.’
A film by the community, for the community “I’m Not An Activist” takes an inside look at the Dragon Combat Club (DCC), “an NYC-based volunteer initiative for community self-defense.” The club was formed in 2020. They offer free, self-defense classes in N ...
Creating an Elite Match
A Personal Look Into Finding a Character’s Desires In many ways, filmmaking is a personal outlet for filmmakers. Since graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Kathy Meng has aimed to tell stories through the medium that are personal and familiar. He ...
The Fight For Our Communities: Save Chinatown
Decolonization, and the Power of Intercultural Alliances in Philadelphia The creative discussion at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, ‘The Fight For Our Communities: Save Chinatown,’ unveils a conversation that revolves around the ongoing gen ...
Punk Rock, Activism, and Self-Determination Explored Above and Below the Ground
Discovering Myanmar’s struggle against the Myitsone Dam through grassroots activists and the lens of director Emily Hong Nestled between the Mali Hka and N’Mai Hka rivers lies a village once home to Hkawn Mai, Lu Ra, and Ja Hkawn. Emily Hong’s “Above an ...
Raising the Banner in ‘Hito Hata’
When Asian Cinevision announced their program for the 46th Asian American International Film Festival, I gravitated immediately to the screening of a 4K restoration of “HITO HATA: Raise the Banner,” touted in the program as the “first full-length feature ...
The Familiar Rhapsodies of New York
The rumbling of a passing F train. The chatter and footsteps along Canal Street. The sizzle when oil hits the wok. This is the everyday music of New York City, and these filmmakers have a song to sing about each borough. (Image Credit: Cindy Chu) BAYAR ...
Mama Knows Best
Think! Chinatown Shorts Showing at DCTV theater Listen to mama. Why? Because. No ifs, ands, or buts. A grassroots non-profit organization by the name of Think! Chinatown (T!C) produced a set of films for the purpose of passing down oral histories from Ne ...