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 ...
Exploring a Punk Rock Oasis
How Memories Serve in the Creation of a Visual Album Based on the memories of Bryan Cho (AKA The Black Skirts), Waley Wang’s “Teen Troubles in Dirty Jersey” works as both a narrative short film and a visual album for the artist as it chronicles his summer ...
‘This Time’: Nostalgia’s Memorable Gaze and Dubitable Haze
“If you had a time portal that could take you to your favorite memory … would you do it?” Would you jump right through without hesitation – or are some things best left untouched and reminisced? The film “This Time” opens on this question. It explo ...
Music Night Out!
AAPI filmmakers blend music and visuals to narrate stories of love and family In a film, there is always an invisible main lead: The music. It tells us how to feel and steers us through the story. Now, it’s taking center stage in this series of music vide ...
Remembering how a Life is Made – and Forgotten
Memorable Shorts Make a Lasting Impression at AAIFF Like an open journal with the hearts of the filmmakers on display, these animated shorts often explore the creator’s history and their ongoing creation of an identity. At times moving, transformative, an ...
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 ...
Familiar Stories Told Differently
This year’s showcase gives 21-and-under filmmakers of Asian descent a chance to reach a wider audience. In the midst of exams and extracurriculars, it is a feat for any student to crank out a short film, let alone ones with high production value. The seve ...
‘Better Luck Tomorrow’: 20 Years Later
Tackling the legacy of the greatest Asian American filmThis article contains spoilers.On October 4, 2019, the LA Times’ released an article titled “The 20 best Asian American films of the last 20 years.” And number one on their list was the 2002 crime dra ...