BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
2017 AUDIENCE AWARD
2017 AUDIENCE AWARD
|
Audience Award - Feature Narrative
Gook Directed by Justin Chon 2017 | 93 mins | USA | Narrative Eli and Daniel are two Korean American brothers who own a struggling shoe store and have an unique and unlikely friendship with a young 11-year-old African American girl, Kamilla. The film is set during the first day of the LA riots forcing them to defend their store while contemplating the future of their own personal dreams and the meaning of family. MORE INFO: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER |
|
Audience Award - Feature Documentary
Blasian Narratives Directed by Jivan Atman 2017 | 51 mins | Documentary/Live Performance Blasian Narratives is a multi-media "docu-theatre" project that intimately explores the intersection and identities of mixed race Black & Asian individuals through live performances and film. MORE INFO: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER |
|
Audience Award - Short Narrative
The Orange Story Directed by Erika Street 2017 | 18 mins | Narrative Koji Oshima is the proud owner of a small corner grocery store, but he must now abandon everything and report to an assembly center. His belongings, his business – everything must be sold or left behind, except what he can carry in one large duffel bag. MORE INFO: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK |
|
Audience Award - Short Documentary
Dancing Through Life: The Dorothy Toy Story Directed by Rick Quan 2017 | 26 mins | Documentary 99 year old Dorothy Toy Fong is a living dance legend. She began as a child after a vaudeville theater manager noticed her dancing in front of her parent's restaurant. During the 1930's, 40's and 50's, she teamed up with Paul Wing and would eventually become the most famous Asian American dance duo in this country's history. Known for dancing on her toes, she developed a unique, athletic style of performing. Toy and Wing were pioneers, performing on Broadway and in Hollywood films. They were also the first Asian Americans to dance at the London Palladium. |
HONORABLE MENTIONAudience Award - Feature Documentary
Finding Kukan Directed by Robin Lung 2017 | 76 mins | Documentary Filmaker Robin Lung investigates the case of Li Ling-Ai, the un-credited female producer of KUKAN, a landmark color film that revealed the atrocities of World War II China to audiences around the world. KUKAN has the rare honor of being the first ever American feature documentary to receive an Academy Award® in 1942. MORE INFO: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK |
HONORABLE MENTIONAudience Award - Feature Narrative
I Can I Will I Did Directed by Nadine Truong 2017 | 114 mins | Documentary Depressed foster youth Ben is bullied and as a result gets into a car accident. His recovery process is slow, until he meets Adrienne, a wheelchair bound fellow patient at the hospital who breathes hope into his life and introduces to him her grandfather, Taekwondo Grand Master Kang. Kang not only teaches him how to walk and get back up on his feet, but also how to take charge of his own life and ultimately to face his inner demons. MORE INFO: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK |
NEWS & Press
| 09-28-17_baaff_press_release.pdf |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2017
Contacts:
Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org, (617) 545-4694
Boston Asian American Film Festival (October 19th – 22rd, 2017) Announces
2017 Opening, Closing, and Centerpiece Films with Full Lineup
Featuring The Jade Pendant, Resistance at Tule Lake,
Gook and a panel “Beyond Orientalism”
BOSTON, MA [September 28, 2017] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian and the Asian diaspora. The festival theme this year is Liberty & Justice, a showcase of inspiring stories about the challenges and victories of self-empowerment and civic responsibility as individuals and community leaders. .
The theme of Liberty & Justice is especially relevant in our changing world--locally, nationally, and globally. The anchor films for the festival commemorates the 135th anniversary of the passing of The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066--led to the mass incarceration of Americans of Japanese descent in 1942, and the 25th anniversary of the LA Uprising following the Rodney King verdict in 1992.
BAAFF’s hope is to reflect, learn from, and move towards a more free and just society for all Americans, regardless of race, background, citizenship status, gender, class, and/or other intersecting identities. Together, as friends, citizens, and neighbors, we are calling to protect and preserve liberty and justice for all.
BAAFF 2017 features over 30 films
This year, the festival takes place October 19-22, 2017 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is pleased to announce the 2017 festival will open with a New England Premiere – a special presentation of The Jade Pendant. Filmed in Utah, “The Jade Pendant” is directed by Hong Kong veteran Leong Po-Chih (“The Detonator,” “Out of Reach”) and follows the journey of a young girl who, fleeing an arranged marriage in China, finds herself on American shores. Her tragic love story is set against the 1871 burning of Chinatown in Los Angeles and the largest mass lynching in American history. The film is targeted to release theatrically October 24, on the anniversary of the Chinese Massacre of 1871. The opening film will screen at 7:30PM on Thursday, October 19th at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA.
The festival’s centerpiece film will feature Resistance at Tule Lake, directed by filmmaker Konrad Aderer. Resistance at Tule Lake tells the long-suppressed story of 12,000 Japanese Americans who dared to resist the U.S. government's program of mass incarceration during World War II. Branded as 'disloyals' and re-imprisoned at Tule Lake Segregation Center, they continued to protest in the face of militarized violence, and thousands renounced their U.S. citizenship. Giving voice to experiences that have been marginalized for over 70 years, this documentary challenges the nationalist, one-sided ideal of wartime 'loyalty.' Director Konrad Aderer will be present for this screening on Saturday, October 21 at 6:30pm at the Paramount Center, 559 Washington St, Boston, MA.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival will close with the film Gook, a narrative film by independent filmmaker and actor, Justin Chon. Gook follows two Korean American brothers, Eli and Daniel, who own a struggling shoe store. Set during the first day of the LA Riots, the film follows their unique and unlikely friendship with a young 11-year-old African American girl, Kamila and the reality of defending their store while contemplating the future of their own personal dreams and the meaning of family. Gook has won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and premiered in Boston at the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Producer James Yi will attend the screening and participate in a Q&A, Sunday, October 22nd at 5:30pm, Paramount Center.
Also, on Saturday October 21st, there will be a free panel discussion and featured performance by Flying Orb (Lowell, MA), Beyond Orientalism: The Boston Forum. Presented by New England Foundation for the Arts, Saturday, October 21, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m, Paramount Center. Beyond Orientalism is a national initiative to explore the topics of misrepresentation onstage and in the media, diversity and inclusivity in the performing arts as it relates specifically to API (Asian Pacific Islander) issues, and practical action steps to advance racial equity. This event will be a launch for the first network of API artists and arts organizations in the Greater Boston area. The event will be livestreamed on the HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv.
Photography opportunities will take place prior to each screening, and following most screening there will be a conversation/Q&A with film talent in attendance.
For more information, a full festival lineup, and tickets, please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff.
Festival Schedule
THURSDAY
10/19 7:30pm Jade Pendant | OPENING NIGHT
FRIDAY
10/20 7pm Family Matters | SHORTS
10/20 9:30pm AKA Seoul
SATURDAY
10/21 10am Beyond Orientalism | FREE PANEL
10/21 1pm Finding Kukan
10/21 3:15pm Life & Liberty | SHORTS
10/21 6:30pm Resistance at Tule Lake | CENTERPIECE
10/21 9pm Blasian Narratives
SUNDAY
10/22 12:30pm Chinatown Speaks | SHORTS
10/22 2:30pm I Can I Will I Did
10/22 5:30pm Gook | CLOSING & RECEPTION
The Boston Asian American Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors and partners: ArtsEmerson, Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Tufts Medical Center, South Cove Community Health Center, PAO Arts Center, Sampan, Boston Cultural Council. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts + Culture.
---------
For screeners, interviews and tickets contact: Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com or Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity.
###
September 28, 2017
Contacts:
Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org, (617) 545-4694
Boston Asian American Film Festival (October 19th – 22rd, 2017) Announces
2017 Opening, Closing, and Centerpiece Films with Full Lineup
Featuring The Jade Pendant, Resistance at Tule Lake,
Gook and a panel “Beyond Orientalism”
BOSTON, MA [September 28, 2017] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian and the Asian diaspora. The festival theme this year is Liberty & Justice, a showcase of inspiring stories about the challenges and victories of self-empowerment and civic responsibility as individuals and community leaders. .
The theme of Liberty & Justice is especially relevant in our changing world--locally, nationally, and globally. The anchor films for the festival commemorates the 135th anniversary of the passing of The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066--led to the mass incarceration of Americans of Japanese descent in 1942, and the 25th anniversary of the LA Uprising following the Rodney King verdict in 1992.
BAAFF’s hope is to reflect, learn from, and move towards a more free and just society for all Americans, regardless of race, background, citizenship status, gender, class, and/or other intersecting identities. Together, as friends, citizens, and neighbors, we are calling to protect and preserve liberty and justice for all.
BAAFF 2017 features over 30 films
This year, the festival takes place October 19-22, 2017 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is pleased to announce the 2017 festival will open with a New England Premiere – a special presentation of The Jade Pendant. Filmed in Utah, “The Jade Pendant” is directed by Hong Kong veteran Leong Po-Chih (“The Detonator,” “Out of Reach”) and follows the journey of a young girl who, fleeing an arranged marriage in China, finds herself on American shores. Her tragic love story is set against the 1871 burning of Chinatown in Los Angeles and the largest mass lynching in American history. The film is targeted to release theatrically October 24, on the anniversary of the Chinese Massacre of 1871. The opening film will screen at 7:30PM on Thursday, October 19th at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA.
The festival’s centerpiece film will feature Resistance at Tule Lake, directed by filmmaker Konrad Aderer. Resistance at Tule Lake tells the long-suppressed story of 12,000 Japanese Americans who dared to resist the U.S. government's program of mass incarceration during World War II. Branded as 'disloyals' and re-imprisoned at Tule Lake Segregation Center, they continued to protest in the face of militarized violence, and thousands renounced their U.S. citizenship. Giving voice to experiences that have been marginalized for over 70 years, this documentary challenges the nationalist, one-sided ideal of wartime 'loyalty.' Director Konrad Aderer will be present for this screening on Saturday, October 21 at 6:30pm at the Paramount Center, 559 Washington St, Boston, MA.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival will close with the film Gook, a narrative film by independent filmmaker and actor, Justin Chon. Gook follows two Korean American brothers, Eli and Daniel, who own a struggling shoe store. Set during the first day of the LA Riots, the film follows their unique and unlikely friendship with a young 11-year-old African American girl, Kamila and the reality of defending their store while contemplating the future of their own personal dreams and the meaning of family. Gook has won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and premiered in Boston at the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Producer James Yi will attend the screening and participate in a Q&A, Sunday, October 22nd at 5:30pm, Paramount Center.
Also, on Saturday October 21st, there will be a free panel discussion and featured performance by Flying Orb (Lowell, MA), Beyond Orientalism: The Boston Forum. Presented by New England Foundation for the Arts, Saturday, October 21, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m, Paramount Center. Beyond Orientalism is a national initiative to explore the topics of misrepresentation onstage and in the media, diversity and inclusivity in the performing arts as it relates specifically to API (Asian Pacific Islander) issues, and practical action steps to advance racial equity. This event will be a launch for the first network of API artists and arts organizations in the Greater Boston area. The event will be livestreamed on the HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv.
Photography opportunities will take place prior to each screening, and following most screening there will be a conversation/Q&A with film talent in attendance.
For more information, a full festival lineup, and tickets, please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff.
Festival Schedule
THURSDAY
10/19 7:30pm Jade Pendant | OPENING NIGHT
FRIDAY
10/20 7pm Family Matters | SHORTS
10/20 9:30pm AKA Seoul
SATURDAY
10/21 10am Beyond Orientalism | FREE PANEL
10/21 1pm Finding Kukan
10/21 3:15pm Life & Liberty | SHORTS
10/21 6:30pm Resistance at Tule Lake | CENTERPIECE
10/21 9pm Blasian Narratives
SUNDAY
10/22 12:30pm Chinatown Speaks | SHORTS
10/22 2:30pm I Can I Will I Did
10/22 5:30pm Gook | CLOSING & RECEPTION
The Boston Asian American Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors and partners: ArtsEmerson, Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Tufts Medical Center, South Cove Community Health Center, PAO Arts Center, Sampan, Boston Cultural Council. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts + Culture.
---------
For screeners, interviews and tickets contact: Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com or Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity.
###
BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
2016 AUDIENCE AWARD
2016 AUDIENCE AWARD
|
Audience Award - Feature Narrative
Front Cover Directed by Ray Yeung 2015 | 87 mins | USA | Narrative Set in Manhattan, Front Cover tells the story of Ryan Fu, a gay American who rejects his Chinese heritage that he sees as a hindrance on his climb up the social ladder. Through talent and hard work he has attained his dream job as an assistant to a celebrity fashion stylist. MORE INFO: Website | Facebook | Twitter: @FrontCoverMovie |
|
Audience Award - Feature Documentary
Tyrus Directed by Pamela Tom 2015 | 77 mins | USA | Documentary TYRUS is a feature-length documentary film about the inspiring life, art, and enduring impact of 105-year-old pioneering Chinese American painter and Disney legend, Tyrus Wong. MORE INFO: Website | Facebook | Twitter: @TyrusTheMovie |
|
Audience Award - Short Narrative
Fanny Pack Directed by Uttera Singh 2016 | USA | 11 mins | Comedy Fanny Pack is a comedy about a young Indian-American woman who wants to follow her dreams, and a fanny pack clad Indian father who chases his daughter through an airport hoping that she will follow his. MORE INFO: Facebook |
|
Audience Award - Short Documentary
Forever, Chinatown Directed by James Q. Chan 2016 | USA | 32 mins | Documentary Forever, Chinatown is a story of unknown, self-taught 81-year-old artist Frank Wong who has spent the past four decades recreating his fading memories by building romantic, extraordinarily detailed miniature models of the San Francisco Chinatown rooms of his youth. MORE INFO: Website | Facebook | Twitter: @4everChinatown |
| 10-18-16 Press Release |
Download press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2016
Contacts: Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org, 617-548-0623 and
Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
Boston Asian American Film Festival’s “Call to Action” this Election Year
Eighth annual Asian American Film Festival in Boston October 20th – 23rd, 2016
BOSTON, MA [October 18, 2016] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) presents an entertaining and engaging program of independent cinema by and/or about Asians and Asian Americans. This year, the festival takes place October 20th to 23rd, 2016 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
In a historic election year, Asian American voters can make a big difference in the outcome of national and local elections, yet Asian American communities historically do not “get out the vote” due to language barriers, unfamiliarity with the election procedures, and potentially being discriminated against at voting centers. All too often, Asian American communities and needs are overlooked during campaigns, thus discouraging Asian Americans to participate in the political process.
To address these shortcomings, this year’s festival theme is Call to Action, and highlights inspiring films about Asian American contributions to creating change within their communities. Through visual and emotional films, Asian American filmmakers create new forms of civic participation, dialogues about identity, and stories that enhance the general American experience. Opening Night (Tyrus, 7:30 PM, Thursday, October 20th at the Brattle Theatre), is the latest work from filmmaker Pamela Tom. It was in Boston while she was working her first job in Boston’s Chinatown and volunteering with AARW (BAAFF’s parent organization) that she made her first film and answered the call to become a storyteller.
The festival features further stories about Asian Americans who: live authentic lives as gay Asian Americans in New York (Front Cover, 9:30 PM, Friday, October 21st, Paramount Center), create space for Asian American rappers in American music (Bad Rap, 9:15 PM, Saturday, October 22nd, Paramount Center), create dialogue and action around mental health awareness and undocumented immigration status (Shorts Program: “It’s Complicated”, 1:00 PM, Sunday, October 23rd, Paramount Center), and organize others to advocate for prison reform and youth violence prevention (Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story, 3:00 PM, Sunday, October 23rd, Paramount Center).
The BAAFF 2016 features over 25 films and also features filmmaker Q&A’s after film screenings, free community screenings before and after the official festival lineup, spaces for guests to create their own media and share their own Call to Action, and voter registration at both film venues.
For more information, a full festival lineup, and tickets, please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff.
Festival Schedule
TUESDAY
10/18 7pm Good Luck Soup | COMMUNITY SCREENING
THURSDAY
10/20 7:30pm Tyrus | OPENING NIGHT
FRIDAY
10/21 7pm Roots & Reflections | SHORTS
10/21 9:30pm Front Cover
SATURDAY
10/22 11:30am Asian Americans On Screen & Stage | FREE PANEL
10/22 1:30pm Be True | SHORTS
10/22 4:15pm Right Footed
10/22 6:30pm Comfort | CENTERPIECE
10/22 9pm Bap Rap
SUNDAY
10/23 1pm It's Complicated | SHORTS
10/23 3pm Breathin': The Eddy Zheng Story
10/23 5pm Tiger Hunter | CLOSING & RECEPTION
THURSDAY 11/2
6pm 14: Dred Scott, Wong Kim Ark and Vanessa Lopez | COMMUNITY SCREENING
---------
For screeners and interviews contact:
Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org and/or Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
###
October 18, 2016
Contacts: Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org, 617-548-0623 and
Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
Boston Asian American Film Festival’s “Call to Action” this Election Year
Eighth annual Asian American Film Festival in Boston October 20th – 23rd, 2016
BOSTON, MA [October 18, 2016] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) presents an entertaining and engaging program of independent cinema by and/or about Asians and Asian Americans. This year, the festival takes place October 20th to 23rd, 2016 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
In a historic election year, Asian American voters can make a big difference in the outcome of national and local elections, yet Asian American communities historically do not “get out the vote” due to language barriers, unfamiliarity with the election procedures, and potentially being discriminated against at voting centers. All too often, Asian American communities and needs are overlooked during campaigns, thus discouraging Asian Americans to participate in the political process.
To address these shortcomings, this year’s festival theme is Call to Action, and highlights inspiring films about Asian American contributions to creating change within their communities. Through visual and emotional films, Asian American filmmakers create new forms of civic participation, dialogues about identity, and stories that enhance the general American experience. Opening Night (Tyrus, 7:30 PM, Thursday, October 20th at the Brattle Theatre), is the latest work from filmmaker Pamela Tom. It was in Boston while she was working her first job in Boston’s Chinatown and volunteering with AARW (BAAFF’s parent organization) that she made her first film and answered the call to become a storyteller.
The festival features further stories about Asian Americans who: live authentic lives as gay Asian Americans in New York (Front Cover, 9:30 PM, Friday, October 21st, Paramount Center), create space for Asian American rappers in American music (Bad Rap, 9:15 PM, Saturday, October 22nd, Paramount Center), create dialogue and action around mental health awareness and undocumented immigration status (Shorts Program: “It’s Complicated”, 1:00 PM, Sunday, October 23rd, Paramount Center), and organize others to advocate for prison reform and youth violence prevention (Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story, 3:00 PM, Sunday, October 23rd, Paramount Center).
The BAAFF 2016 features over 25 films and also features filmmaker Q&A’s after film screenings, free community screenings before and after the official festival lineup, spaces for guests to create their own media and share their own Call to Action, and voter registration at both film venues.
For more information, a full festival lineup, and tickets, please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff.
Festival Schedule
TUESDAY
10/18 7pm Good Luck Soup | COMMUNITY SCREENING
THURSDAY
10/20 7:30pm Tyrus | OPENING NIGHT
FRIDAY
10/21 7pm Roots & Reflections | SHORTS
10/21 9:30pm Front Cover
SATURDAY
10/22 11:30am Asian Americans On Screen & Stage | FREE PANEL
10/22 1:30pm Be True | SHORTS
10/22 4:15pm Right Footed
10/22 6:30pm Comfort | CENTERPIECE
10/22 9pm Bap Rap
SUNDAY
10/23 1pm It's Complicated | SHORTS
10/23 3pm Breathin': The Eddy Zheng Story
10/23 5pm Tiger Hunter | CLOSING & RECEPTION
THURSDAY 11/2
6pm 14: Dred Scott, Wong Kim Ark and Vanessa Lopez | COMMUNITY SCREENING
---------
For screeners and interviews contact:
Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org and/or Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
###
Download press release
| baaff_2016_press_release.pdf |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2016
Contacts: Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org and
Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
Boston Asian American Film Festival Announces 2016 Lineup
New Independent Films Debut in Boston October 20th – 23rd, 2016
East Coast Premieres of Pamela Tom’s Tyrus,
William Lu’s Comfort and Lena Khan’s The Tiger Hunter
BOSTON, MA [September 26, 2016] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora. The festival theme is Call to Action, which showcases inspiring films about Asian American contributions to creating change within their communities – compelling stories about Asian-American self-empowerment, change-makers, civic responsibility, activists and advocates.
This year, the festival takes place October 20 to 23, 2016 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is pleased to announce the 2016 festival will open with a special presentation of a documentary feature Tyrus from filmmaker Pamela Tom (Two Lies, Behind Closed Doors, Mandela and DeKlerk). Tyrus has won Audience Awards at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, the Hawaii International Film Festival, the Newport Beach Film Festival; Best Feature Documentary at the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon; and the Jury Prize at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific International Film Festival.
Following the true story of a 105-year-old pioneering Chinese American painter, Tyrus is a feature-length documentary film about the life, art, and enduring impact of Disney Legend, Tyrus Wong. Seventeen years in the making, Tyrus combines the decades of artwork from his enormous collection of art throughout his career combined with filmmaker Pamela Tom’s intricate research of his life and work, including historic phots, artwork, and interviews and commentary from Wong himself. Tyrus Wong’s impact on American art and animation is truly documented through this moving and influential film.
The opening film will screen at 7:30PM on Thursday, October 20th at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA. Writer and Director Pamela Tom will be in attendance.
The festival’s centerpiece film will feature Comfort, directed by first-time filmmaker William Lu, recipient of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Armed with a Camera Fellowship. Comfort is a romantic drama that unfolds as a late night courier agrees to pick up the feisty daughter of an important client. The two form a close connection after spend two nights exploring Los Angeles’ local food scene while their romance blossoms. YouTube Star Christopher Dinh and Director William Lu will be present for this screening. (Saturday, October 22 at 6:30PM, Paramount Center)
The Boston Asian American Film Festival will close with the film The Tiger Hunter, a comedy by independent filmmaker Lena Khan. The Tiger Hunter is a coming of age story of Sami Malik, a young South Asian who travels to 1970s America to become an engineer in order to impress his childhood crush and live up to the legacy of his father – a legendary tiger hunter back home. When Sami’s job falls through, he takes a low-end job and joins with a gang of oddball friends in hopes of convincing his childhood sweetheart that he’s far more successful than he truly is, or could ever be. The Tiger Hunter is director and writer Lena Khan’s first feature film. Lena Khan, will be in attendance at this screening. (Sunday, October 23 at 5pm, Paramount Center).
The BAAFF 2016 features over 25 films. The full lineup is: Tuesday, October 18, at 6:30 PM, Paramount Center (free screening as part of Bright Lights): Good Luck Soup, Thursday, October 20, at 7:30 PM Brattle Theater: Tyrus (opening), Friday, October 21 at 7:00 PM, Paramount Center: Shorts Program: Roots and Reflections (Life of Zili, A Children’s Song, The Last Tip, Up in the Clouds Angels and Demons, Forever, Chinatown), Front Cover, Saturday, October 22 at 9:30 PM, Paramount Center: Shorts Program: Be True at 1:30 PM (Got it Maid, Encore, The Monkey King is in Town, Fanny Pack, Ba, Gaysians, Pamanhikan), Right-Footed at 4:15 PM, Comfort (Centerpiece) at 6:30 PM, Kite Fight, Bad Rap at 9:15 PM. On Sunday, October 23, BAAFF continues with the Shorts Program: “It’s Complicated” at 1:00 PM: (Empty Spaces, Boxer, Song on Canvas, Unspoken, Pata, Harry on the Clouds, The Waltz, Halmoni), Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story at 3:00 PM, and concludes with The Tiger Hunter (Closing) at 5:00 PM. Q&A will follow most screenings with film talent(s) in attendance.
PREVIEW PARTY
The community is invited to attend a free preview party at Crave, on Oct. 5. (6:30 – 8::00 PM at 75 Kneeland Street in Chinatown) for a sneak peak at the screenings and a chance to win tickets. Visit http://www.baaff.org/preview-party for more information and to RSVP by Oct. 4.
FREE COMMUNITY PANEL
On October 22nd at the Paramount Center, there will be a free panel discussion with filmmakers and other special guests in the arts arena entitled:
Asian Americans On Screen & On Stage: Answering the Call to Action
This past year with #OscarsSoWhite, #EmmaStoned and greater attention to Whitewashing in Hollywood and on Broadway, we have also seen an increase in theatrical productions in Boston. BAAFF is recognizing career paths that have a positive influence on what we see on stage and on screen. Join us on Oct. 22 and be inspired by our panelists that have answered the "call to action," and find out what motivates them to be change-makers.
Michael Tow, Actor — Warrior Class, Chinglish (Lyric Stage), Producer/Actor — East of Hollywood
Salima Koroma, Director — Bad Rap
Elisa Choi, Chair — MA State Asian American Commission, Vice President — Company One
Chris Hastings, Executive Producer — The WORLD Channel, WGBH
For more information and tickets, please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff
The Boston Asian American Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors and Festival partners: ArtsEmerson, Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Tufts Medical Center, South Cove Community Health Center, TEAM (Together Empowering Asian Minds), Asian American Commission, Eastern Bank, Spotlight Cinema Networks, JetBlue, LobsBoston, SAMPAN, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Lyric Stage Company of Boston. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administrated by the Mayor’s Office of Arts + Culture.
---------
For screeners and interviews contact: Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org and/or Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity. Funded in part by Community Works and MA Humanities Council.
September 26, 2016
Contacts: Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org and
Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
Boston Asian American Film Festival Announces 2016 Lineup
New Independent Films Debut in Boston October 20th – 23rd, 2016
East Coast Premieres of Pamela Tom’s Tyrus,
William Lu’s Comfort and Lena Khan’s The Tiger Hunter
BOSTON, MA [September 26, 2016] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora. The festival theme is Call to Action, which showcases inspiring films about Asian American contributions to creating change within their communities – compelling stories about Asian-American self-empowerment, change-makers, civic responsibility, activists and advocates.
This year, the festival takes place October 20 to 23, 2016 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is pleased to announce the 2016 festival will open with a special presentation of a documentary feature Tyrus from filmmaker Pamela Tom (Two Lies, Behind Closed Doors, Mandela and DeKlerk). Tyrus has won Audience Awards at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, the Hawaii International Film Festival, the Newport Beach Film Festival; Best Feature Documentary at the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon; and the Jury Prize at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific International Film Festival.
Following the true story of a 105-year-old pioneering Chinese American painter, Tyrus is a feature-length documentary film about the life, art, and enduring impact of Disney Legend, Tyrus Wong. Seventeen years in the making, Tyrus combines the decades of artwork from his enormous collection of art throughout his career combined with filmmaker Pamela Tom’s intricate research of his life and work, including historic phots, artwork, and interviews and commentary from Wong himself. Tyrus Wong’s impact on American art and animation is truly documented through this moving and influential film.
The opening film will screen at 7:30PM on Thursday, October 20th at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA. Writer and Director Pamela Tom will be in attendance.
The festival’s centerpiece film will feature Comfort, directed by first-time filmmaker William Lu, recipient of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Armed with a Camera Fellowship. Comfort is a romantic drama that unfolds as a late night courier agrees to pick up the feisty daughter of an important client. The two form a close connection after spend two nights exploring Los Angeles’ local food scene while their romance blossoms. YouTube Star Christopher Dinh and Director William Lu will be present for this screening. (Saturday, October 22 at 6:30PM, Paramount Center)
The Boston Asian American Film Festival will close with the film The Tiger Hunter, a comedy by independent filmmaker Lena Khan. The Tiger Hunter is a coming of age story of Sami Malik, a young South Asian who travels to 1970s America to become an engineer in order to impress his childhood crush and live up to the legacy of his father – a legendary tiger hunter back home. When Sami’s job falls through, he takes a low-end job and joins with a gang of oddball friends in hopes of convincing his childhood sweetheart that he’s far more successful than he truly is, or could ever be. The Tiger Hunter is director and writer Lena Khan’s first feature film. Lena Khan, will be in attendance at this screening. (Sunday, October 23 at 5pm, Paramount Center).
The BAAFF 2016 features over 25 films. The full lineup is: Tuesday, October 18, at 6:30 PM, Paramount Center (free screening as part of Bright Lights): Good Luck Soup, Thursday, October 20, at 7:30 PM Brattle Theater: Tyrus (opening), Friday, October 21 at 7:00 PM, Paramount Center: Shorts Program: Roots and Reflections (Life of Zili, A Children’s Song, The Last Tip, Up in the Clouds Angels and Demons, Forever, Chinatown), Front Cover, Saturday, October 22 at 9:30 PM, Paramount Center: Shorts Program: Be True at 1:30 PM (Got it Maid, Encore, The Monkey King is in Town, Fanny Pack, Ba, Gaysians, Pamanhikan), Right-Footed at 4:15 PM, Comfort (Centerpiece) at 6:30 PM, Kite Fight, Bad Rap at 9:15 PM. On Sunday, October 23, BAAFF continues with the Shorts Program: “It’s Complicated” at 1:00 PM: (Empty Spaces, Boxer, Song on Canvas, Unspoken, Pata, Harry on the Clouds, The Waltz, Halmoni), Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story at 3:00 PM, and concludes with The Tiger Hunter (Closing) at 5:00 PM. Q&A will follow most screenings with film talent(s) in attendance.
PREVIEW PARTY
The community is invited to attend a free preview party at Crave, on Oct. 5. (6:30 – 8::00 PM at 75 Kneeland Street in Chinatown) for a sneak peak at the screenings and a chance to win tickets. Visit http://www.baaff.org/preview-party for more information and to RSVP by Oct. 4.
FREE COMMUNITY PANEL
On October 22nd at the Paramount Center, there will be a free panel discussion with filmmakers and other special guests in the arts arena entitled:
Asian Americans On Screen & On Stage: Answering the Call to Action
This past year with #OscarsSoWhite, #EmmaStoned and greater attention to Whitewashing in Hollywood and on Broadway, we have also seen an increase in theatrical productions in Boston. BAAFF is recognizing career paths that have a positive influence on what we see on stage and on screen. Join us on Oct. 22 and be inspired by our panelists that have answered the "call to action," and find out what motivates them to be change-makers.
Michael Tow, Actor — Warrior Class, Chinglish (Lyric Stage), Producer/Actor — East of Hollywood
Salima Koroma, Director — Bad Rap
Elisa Choi, Chair — MA State Asian American Commission, Vice President — Company One
Chris Hastings, Executive Producer — The WORLD Channel, WGBH
For more information and tickets, please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff
The Boston Asian American Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors and Festival partners: ArtsEmerson, Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Tufts Medical Center, South Cove Community Health Center, TEAM (Together Empowering Asian Minds), Asian American Commission, Eastern Bank, Spotlight Cinema Networks, JetBlue, LobsBoston, SAMPAN, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Lyric Stage Company of Boston. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Boston Cultural Council, a local agency which is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, administrated by the Mayor’s Office of Arts + Culture.
---------
For screeners and interviews contact: Susan Chinsen, baaff@aarw.org and/or Minh Nguyen, minguyen5@gmail.com
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity. Funded in part by Community Works and MA Humanities Council.
|
|
PAST BAAFF NEWS
2015 News
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2015
Contacts: Tina Weber, baaff.media@gmail.com and
Alberto Bianco, alberto.baaff@aarw.org, (617) 620-2356
Boston Asian American Film Festival (10/22-10/25) 2015
Announces Opening, Closing and Centerpiece Films
New England Premieres of Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching, Ravi Kapoor’s Miss India America and Arthur Dong’s The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor
BOSTON, MA [September 15, 2015] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora. The festival theme is Home in America, celebrating the diverse stories about how and why America is home.
This year, the festival takes place October 22 to 25, 2015 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is pleased to announce the 2015 festival will open with a special presentation of the ‘80s teen comedy from filmmaker Benson Lee (Planet B-Boy, Battle of the Year): Seoul Searching, an official Sundance Selection, LA Film Festival Gala Presenation and winner of the CAAMFest Audience Award.
The coming-of-age film stars Justin Chon (Twilight Saga series, 21 and Over), Esteban Ahn, a.k.a Hispanic Korean musical artist Sanchobeatz from the popular YouTube channel CoreanoLoco, and features actors Uatchet Jin Juch & Nekhebet Kum Juch of Beverly, MA. Seoul Searching is a 1980s John Hughes inspired romantic teen comedy about a group of Korean misfits from around the world forced by their parents to attend a cultural propaganda camp in Seoul resulting in the best summer of their lives.
The opening film will screen at 7:30PM on Thursday, October 22nd at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA. Writer and Director Benson Lee, will be in attendance.
The festival’s centerpiece film will feature The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, produced, directed, written, and edited by Oscar®-nominated and triple-Sundance award-winning filmmaker Arthur Dong (Hollywood Chinese, Forbidden City USA), The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor is a singular documentary on one of the most well-known survivors of the Cambodian genocide. Arthur Dong will be present for this screening (Saturday, October 24 at 6:15pm, Paramount Center)
The Boston Asian American Film Festival will close with the film Miss India America, a comedy by Ravi Kapoor, where Election and Legally Blonde meets the world of Indian-American beauty pageants. An ambitious teenager whose lifelong plans are ruined when her boyfriend falls for the reigning Miss India National beauty queen, leaving her no choice but to try to become Miss India National herself. The film is both a South Asian story, and an American story about the way we define success. Miss India America won the CAAMFest Comcast Narrative Jury Award, and LA Asian Pacific Film Festival Best Screenplay Award. Meera Simhan, writer, creative producer, and actress; whose one-woman stage show, Miss India America, provided the basis for the film, will also be in attendance (Sunday, October 25 at 5pm, Paramount Center).
Photography opportunities will take place prior to each screening, and following the screening there will be a conversation/Q&A with film talent in attendance.
The full festival line up will be released in late September, and tickets will be on sale by October 5th. For more information please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff
---------
For screeners and interviews contact: Tina Weber, baaff.media@gmail.com and/or Alberto Biannco, alberto.baaff@aarw.org, (617)620-2356
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity. Funded in part by Community Works and MA Humanities Council.
###
September 15, 2015
Contacts: Tina Weber, baaff.media@gmail.com and
Alberto Bianco, alberto.baaff@aarw.org, (617) 620-2356
Boston Asian American Film Festival (10/22-10/25) 2015
Announces Opening, Closing and Centerpiece Films
New England Premieres of Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching, Ravi Kapoor’s Miss India America and Arthur Dong’s The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor
BOSTON, MA [September 15, 2015] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora. The festival theme is Home in America, celebrating the diverse stories about how and why America is home.
This year, the festival takes place October 22 to 25, 2015 in Boston at ArtsEmerson’s Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) is pleased to announce the 2015 festival will open with a special presentation of the ‘80s teen comedy from filmmaker Benson Lee (Planet B-Boy, Battle of the Year): Seoul Searching, an official Sundance Selection, LA Film Festival Gala Presenation and winner of the CAAMFest Audience Award.
The coming-of-age film stars Justin Chon (Twilight Saga series, 21 and Over), Esteban Ahn, a.k.a Hispanic Korean musical artist Sanchobeatz from the popular YouTube channel CoreanoLoco, and features actors Uatchet Jin Juch & Nekhebet Kum Juch of Beverly, MA. Seoul Searching is a 1980s John Hughes inspired romantic teen comedy about a group of Korean misfits from around the world forced by their parents to attend a cultural propaganda camp in Seoul resulting in the best summer of their lives.
The opening film will screen at 7:30PM on Thursday, October 22nd at the Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street Cambridge, MA. Writer and Director Benson Lee, will be in attendance.
The festival’s centerpiece film will feature The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, produced, directed, written, and edited by Oscar®-nominated and triple-Sundance award-winning filmmaker Arthur Dong (Hollywood Chinese, Forbidden City USA), The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor is a singular documentary on one of the most well-known survivors of the Cambodian genocide. Arthur Dong will be present for this screening (Saturday, October 24 at 6:15pm, Paramount Center)
The Boston Asian American Film Festival will close with the film Miss India America, a comedy by Ravi Kapoor, where Election and Legally Blonde meets the world of Indian-American beauty pageants. An ambitious teenager whose lifelong plans are ruined when her boyfriend falls for the reigning Miss India National beauty queen, leaving her no choice but to try to become Miss India National herself. The film is both a South Asian story, and an American story about the way we define success. Miss India America won the CAAMFest Comcast Narrative Jury Award, and LA Asian Pacific Film Festival Best Screenplay Award. Meera Simhan, writer, creative producer, and actress; whose one-woman stage show, Miss India America, provided the basis for the film, will also be in attendance (Sunday, October 25 at 5pm, Paramount Center).
Photography opportunities will take place prior to each screening, and following the screening there will be a conversation/Q&A with film talent in attendance.
The full festival line up will be released in late September, and tickets will be on sale by October 5th. For more information please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff
---------
For screeners and interviews contact: Tina Weber, baaff.media@gmail.com and/or Alberto Biannco, alberto.baaff@aarw.org, (617)620-2356
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW).
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories, experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity. Funded in part by Community Works and MA Humanities Council.
###
2014 News
| baaff_media_kit_2014.pdf |
| takei_pressrelease.docx |
| takei_pressops_1.pdf |
BAAFF 2014 - In the News
Boston Magazine - George Takei Is Coming to Somerville
By Yiqing Shao | OCTOBER 28, 2014
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2014/10/28/george-takei-somerville/#.VFFb5yGpaS8.twitter
Next Monday, you can meet Mr. Sulu himself when Takei visits Somerville for a special screening of his documentary, To Be Takei, hosted by the Boston Asian American Film Festival. Takei will take part in a Q&A after the screening at Somerville Theatre. The documentary is an all-inclusive look at Takei’s life, both personal and professional. If the phrase “only gets better with age” applies to anyone, George Takei is a prime example.
By Yiqing Shao | OCTOBER 28, 2014
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/arts-entertainment/blog/2014/10/28/george-takei-somerville/#.VFFb5yGpaS8.twitter
Next Monday, you can meet Mr. Sulu himself when Takei visits Somerville for a special screening of his documentary, To Be Takei, hosted by the Boston Asian American Film Festival. Takei will take part in a Q&A after the screening at Somerville Theatre. The documentary is an all-inclusive look at Takei’s life, both personal and professional. If the phrase “only gets better with age” applies to anyone, George Takei is a prime example.
Boston Globe - Boston Asian American film fest screens ‘Dragons’
By Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein | OCTOBER 26, 2014 http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2014/10/25/boston-asian-american-film-fest-screens-dragons/rYsF5Xrd95fg6rMzsHzQNP/story.html?event=event25
World Journal
By Liuchen Yi | OCTOBER 25, 2014
http://worldjournal.com
Kollaboration Boston
BY LILY RUGO | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://kollaboration.org/3485/behind-the-scenes-at-the-2014-boston-asian-american-film-festival
Bostonese.com - 2014 Boston Asian American Film Festival Opens at Brattle Theatre
By Changhong Zhang, bostonese.com | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://bostonese.com/2014/10/2014-boston-asian-american-film-festival-opens-at-brattle-theatre/
Sinovision - 波士顿亚裔电影节开幕 名导演新生代同秀佳作
OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://video.sinovision.net/?id=25234
Jay's Movie Review - Revenge of the Green Dragons
by Jay Seaver | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://www.jaysmovieblog.com/2014/10/revenge-of-green-dragons.html?m=1
Kollaboration - Behind the Scenes with BAAFF
By Lily Rugo | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://blog.kollaboration.org/3485/behind-the-scenes-at-the-2014-boston-asian-american-film-festival/
Harvard Crimson - The 'Last Year' of Fred Ho '79
By Sonya A. Karabel | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/10/24/fred-ho-last-year-de-castro/
By Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein | OCTOBER 26, 2014 http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2014/10/25/boston-asian-american-film-fest-screens-dragons/rYsF5Xrd95fg6rMzsHzQNP/story.html?event=event25
World Journal
By Liuchen Yi | OCTOBER 25, 2014
http://worldjournal.com
Kollaboration Boston
BY LILY RUGO | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://kollaboration.org/3485/behind-the-scenes-at-the-2014-boston-asian-american-film-festival
Bostonese.com - 2014 Boston Asian American Film Festival Opens at Brattle Theatre
By Changhong Zhang, bostonese.com | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://bostonese.com/2014/10/2014-boston-asian-american-film-festival-opens-at-brattle-theatre/
Sinovision - 波士顿亚裔电影节开幕 名导演新生代同秀佳作
OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://video.sinovision.net/?id=25234
Jay's Movie Review - Revenge of the Green Dragons
by Jay Seaver | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://www.jaysmovieblog.com/2014/10/revenge-of-green-dragons.html?m=1
Kollaboration - Behind the Scenes with BAAFF
By Lily Rugo | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://blog.kollaboration.org/3485/behind-the-scenes-at-the-2014-boston-asian-american-film-festival/
Harvard Crimson - The 'Last Year' of Fred Ho '79
By Sonya A. Karabel | OCTOBER 24, 2014
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/10/24/fred-ho-last-year-de-castro/
PRESS RELEASE - October 8, 2014
Boston Asian American Film Festival Announces 2014 Lineup
New Independent Films Debut in Boston October 23rd-26th with Special
Presentations, October 13th and November 3rd.
BOSTON, MA [October 8, 2014] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) officially
unveiled the film lineup and special guest appearances for this year’s festival. The BAAFF
empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serves
as a resource for filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of the
Asian American Resource Workshop. The screenings run from October 23rd to 26th with special
presentations on October 13th and November 3rd. Films will be presented at The Brattle Theatre
in Harvard Square, Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre, and the Somerville Theatre in Davis
Square, however most screenings will take place at Emerson College’s Paramount Center.
The much-anticipated opening film, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, The Revenge of the
Green Dragons, makes its Boston debut on October 23rd and comes out in theatres the following
day. It is co-directed by Andrew Lau, whose Internal Affairs was remade into the Oscar-winning
movie The Departed, and Andrew Loo. It explores the dark world of Asian American gang life in
1980s and ‘90s New York City. A few of the cast members of “Dragons” will be present at its
screening at the Brattle Theatre, including Shuya Chang (Casse-tête Chinois, Karma: A Very
Twisted Love Story), Shing Ka (The Manchurian Candidate, God's Land, Grand Gesture), Celia Au
(Detachment, The Unity of All Things, Sonic), Carl Li (Math Warriors, Loveless, Pistol Whipped), and
Richard Lam.
George Takei, of Star Trek fame, and his partner Brad Takei will be present at the To be Takei
special presentation at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square on November 3rd. The film follows
Takei’s journey over seven decades, from a WWII internment camp to the helm of the starship
Enterprise to the helm of daily newsfeeds of five milling Facebook fans.
The BAAFF features 26 films. The full lineup is: Fred Ho’s Last Year, Revenge of the Green
Dragons, Shorts Program I (Mandevilla, Why We Rise, Breaking the Rules, Left on Shin Wong,
H7N3, Hypebeast), Chu & Blossom, Pretty Rosebud, Can, Shorts Program II (The Corner Table,
Cleaner, A Stitch in Time, Samnang, Sukiyaki with Love), 9-Man, 100 Days, Kumu Hina, Shorts
Program III (My Name is Asiroh, More than a Face in the Crowd, Descendants of the Past,
Ancestors of the Future, M A R K E D), A Leading Man, and To be Takei.
Also, on October 25th, there will be a free panel discussion with special guests, entitled Asian
Americans in Media, at the Tufts Medical Center Wolff Auditorium in Chinatown.
This year’s selections aren’t short on young and local talent, including Ursula Liang, a Newton, MA
native who directed 9-Man, this year’s centerpiece film, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
musician Royal Hartigan, MIT graduate and director Albert Chan, Steven J. Kung (who worked of 2
as the assistant to Matthew Weiner on Mad Men) with his directorial debut of A Leading Man,
winner of two best feature awards, and the 2014 Short Waves Winner, Jose Soto whose short film
Who I Really Am… will be screened on opening night.
The BAAFF opens with a preview party on Thursday, October 9th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at
Crave: Mad for Chicken (75 Kneeland Street, Boston).
Festival Sponsors include: Tufts, Lev Kia, Wellesley Toyota, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare,
South Cove Community Health Center, Asian American Commission, LobsBoston, JetBlue,
and Kollaboration Boston.
For more information please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff
For media inquiries: David Wedemeyer at Wedemeyer.david@gmail.com or 857.492.2961
New Independent Films Debut in Boston October 23rd-26th with Special
Presentations, October 13th and November 3rd.
BOSTON, MA [October 8, 2014] – The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) officially
unveiled the film lineup and special guest appearances for this year’s festival. The BAAFF
empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serves
as a resource for filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of the
Asian American Resource Workshop. The screenings run from October 23rd to 26th with special
presentations on October 13th and November 3rd. Films will be presented at The Brattle Theatre
in Harvard Square, Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre, and the Somerville Theatre in Davis
Square, however most screenings will take place at Emerson College’s Paramount Center.
The much-anticipated opening film, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, The Revenge of the
Green Dragons, makes its Boston debut on October 23rd and comes out in theatres the following
day. It is co-directed by Andrew Lau, whose Internal Affairs was remade into the Oscar-winning
movie The Departed, and Andrew Loo. It explores the dark world of Asian American gang life in
1980s and ‘90s New York City. A few of the cast members of “Dragons” will be present at its
screening at the Brattle Theatre, including Shuya Chang (Casse-tête Chinois, Karma: A Very
Twisted Love Story), Shing Ka (The Manchurian Candidate, God's Land, Grand Gesture), Celia Au
(Detachment, The Unity of All Things, Sonic), Carl Li (Math Warriors, Loveless, Pistol Whipped), and
Richard Lam.
George Takei, of Star Trek fame, and his partner Brad Takei will be present at the To be Takei
special presentation at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square on November 3rd. The film follows
Takei’s journey over seven decades, from a WWII internment camp to the helm of the starship
Enterprise to the helm of daily newsfeeds of five milling Facebook fans.
The BAAFF features 26 films. The full lineup is: Fred Ho’s Last Year, Revenge of the Green
Dragons, Shorts Program I (Mandevilla, Why We Rise, Breaking the Rules, Left on Shin Wong,
H7N3, Hypebeast), Chu & Blossom, Pretty Rosebud, Can, Shorts Program II (The Corner Table,
Cleaner, A Stitch in Time, Samnang, Sukiyaki with Love), 9-Man, 100 Days, Kumu Hina, Shorts
Program III (My Name is Asiroh, More than a Face in the Crowd, Descendants of the Past,
Ancestors of the Future, M A R K E D), A Leading Man, and To be Takei.
Also, on October 25th, there will be a free panel discussion with special guests, entitled Asian
Americans in Media, at the Tufts Medical Center Wolff Auditorium in Chinatown.
This year’s selections aren’t short on young and local talent, including Ursula Liang, a Newton, MA
native who directed 9-Man, this year’s centerpiece film, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
musician Royal Hartigan, MIT graduate and director Albert Chan, Steven J. Kung (who worked of 2
as the assistant to Matthew Weiner on Mad Men) with his directorial debut of A Leading Man,
winner of two best feature awards, and the 2014 Short Waves Winner, Jose Soto whose short film
Who I Really Am… will be screened on opening night.
The BAAFF opens with a preview party on Thursday, October 9th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at
Crave: Mad for Chicken (75 Kneeland Street, Boston).
Festival Sponsors include: Tufts, Lev Kia, Wellesley Toyota, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare,
South Cove Community Health Center, Asian American Commission, LobsBoston, JetBlue,
and Kollaboration Boston.
For more information please visit: www.baaff.org or www.facebook.com/baaff
For media inquiries: David Wedemeyer at Wedemeyer.david@gmail.com or 857.492.2961
BAAFF IN THE NEWS (2014)
Photo: Kelvin Ma
SUSAN CHINSEN, J98
BIRTHPLACE: Harare, Zimbabwe
CURRENT HOME: Quincy, Massachusetts
PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS: Founding director of the Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), managing director of the Chinese Historical Society of New England
LABOR OF LOVE: Researching her family’s journey from China to Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and then on to the United States. “I’ve already produced a family album, and now I’m pulling together a video on my family’s experience in colonial Zimbabwe, with a hope of producing a larger documentary.”
EARLY EYE-OPENER: Wayne Wang’s 1989 film Eat a Bowl of Tea, a romantic dramedy about Chinese immigrants. “It gave me a thirst for more films that reflect my experience.”
CALL TO ACTION: “I started noticing that when Asian-American films came to town, I often didn’t find out until they were gone. I decided to make sure we had an annual festival that would show them.”
INTRIGUED BY: The way a film can quickly give audiences a new perspective. “People really enjoy BAAFF’s shorts, which each evoke a different feeling, or make a point that might never be made in mainstream media—for example, they might challenge conventional notions of beauty or examine little-known history. They’re great for sparking conversation.”
THRILLED ABOUT: The Oscar-winning Taiwanese American director Ang Lee’s visit to BAAFF in October. “We hosted a twentieth-anniversary screening of his breakthrough comedy The Wedding Banquet, about a gay Taiwanese man in New York City and how he manages his parents’ traditional expectations. So many people reached out with stories about how that film changed their lives.”
LOOKING FORWARD TO: Weather warm enough for hanging out at Castle Island in South Boston. “I love being close to the water. And sometimes I’ll find my dad fishing there.”
DEFINING TRAITS: Enthusiasm, curiosity, creativity, a sense of fun, and a passion for building community
HER EDUCATION: B.A. (American studies), Tufts
- See more at: http://www.tufts.edu/alumni/magazine/winter2014/departments/doers.html#sthash.BILFIxBg.dpuf
BIRTHPLACE: Harare, Zimbabwe
CURRENT HOME: Quincy, Massachusetts
PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS: Founding director of the Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), managing director of the Chinese Historical Society of New England
LABOR OF LOVE: Researching her family’s journey from China to Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and then on to the United States. “I’ve already produced a family album, and now I’m pulling together a video on my family’s experience in colonial Zimbabwe, with a hope of producing a larger documentary.”
EARLY EYE-OPENER: Wayne Wang’s 1989 film Eat a Bowl of Tea, a romantic dramedy about Chinese immigrants. “It gave me a thirst for more films that reflect my experience.”
CALL TO ACTION: “I started noticing that when Asian-American films came to town, I often didn’t find out until they were gone. I decided to make sure we had an annual festival that would show them.”
INTRIGUED BY: The way a film can quickly give audiences a new perspective. “People really enjoy BAAFF’s shorts, which each evoke a different feeling, or make a point that might never be made in mainstream media—for example, they might challenge conventional notions of beauty or examine little-known history. They’re great for sparking conversation.”
THRILLED ABOUT: The Oscar-winning Taiwanese American director Ang Lee’s visit to BAAFF in October. “We hosted a twentieth-anniversary screening of his breakthrough comedy The Wedding Banquet, about a gay Taiwanese man in New York City and how he manages his parents’ traditional expectations. So many people reached out with stories about how that film changed their lives.”
LOOKING FORWARD TO: Weather warm enough for hanging out at Castle Island in South Boston. “I love being close to the water. And sometimes I’ll find my dad fishing there.”
DEFINING TRAITS: Enthusiasm, curiosity, creativity, a sense of fun, and a passion for building community
HER EDUCATION: B.A. (American studies), Tufts
- See more at: http://www.tufts.edu/alumni/magazine/winter2014/departments/doers.html#sthash.BILFIxBg.dpuf
2013 news
BAAFF IN THE NEWS (2013)
TheJustice.com
"Film challenges racial stereotypes in Indie genre"
by Rachel Hughes | Justice Editor
OCTOBER 29, 2013
"The Asian community is largely underrepresented in the independent film genre, which, although its generic classification makes the implicit claim of abstaining from mainstream or normative film conventions, exhibits an embarrassingly low profile of racial and ethnic diversity."
BostonOrange.com
波士頓亞美電影節增添香港味 ”狂舞族“閉幕
OCTOBER 29, 2013
"第五屆波士頓亞美電影節（BAAFF)27日晚落幕。欣賞完閉幕片“狂舞派”，走出派拉蒙劇院的觀眾，幾乎人人讚好。"
Bostinno.com
"Boston's 5th Asian-American Film Festival: Ang Lee, Linsanity & Others Headline"
by Seline Jung
OCTOBER 25, 2013
"I spoke with the director of the festival, Susan Chinsen, about the significance of the event to the Asian-American community in Boston. "Firstly, the festival will showcase the complexity and variety of stories in the community. We also thought it'd be a formal vehicle for the Asian community to showcase its work," Chinsen said."
Sinovision.net
李安携《喜宴》出席波士顿亚裔电影节
美国中文网 严涵
OCTOBER 25, 2013
"今年也正逢《喜宴》上映20年，选在麻州这个美国第一个承认同性婚姻平等权益的州，让该部电影作为开幕有了特殊的意义。麻州亚美局副主席李超荣也出席开幕式代表麻州州长帕特里克向电影节和李安致辞。波士顿亚裔电影节负责人甄翠嬿说，李安一直都非常支持同性婚姻，而他对于独立电影和制片人也一直非常支持。"
DigBoston.com
"2013 Boston Asian American Film Festival"
by Monica Castillo
OCTOBER 23, 2013
"In a world where non-white faces are still pushed off-screen or relegated to the role of Bad Guy #4 in the background, this festival (along with others that seek to offset mainstream underrepresentation) is a platform for young filmmakers to get their work seen and their voices heard."
BostonGlobe.com
"5 things to do in and around Boston"
OCTOBER 20, 2013
"More than 30 films, from the documentary “Linsanity” about Chinese-American basketball sensation Jeremy Lin, to a comedic road movie called “Sake-Bomb,” are on the schedule for the fifth annual Boston Asian American Film Festival, playing at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square and Boston’s Paramount Center."
BostonGlobe.com
"Film Series and Fests Signify Autumn"
by Loren King | GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
SEPTEMBER 7, 2013
"New film festivals that are steadily growing and making a mark on the local cultural scene include The Boston Asian American Festival, which runs Oct. 24-27 at the Brattle Theatre and the Bright Family Screening Room. Now in its fifth year, BAAFF is a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop. It showcases recent, independent films by and/or about Asian-Americans and the Asian diaspora."
Yahoo!
"Fall Film Festival Guide"
by Pam Gaulin
SEPTEMBER 13, 2013
"There's no denying the cinematic impact of Jackie Chan, John Woo, and Bruce Lee. Enjoy New England premieres and other films that you won't see anywhere else."
Sampan.org
"'Short Waves' showcases Asian-American short films"
by Ling-Mei Wong
JUNE 7, 2013
“I can relate to every film shown tonight,” Huang said. “I’m from Taiwan and was an international student. I experienced racial discrimination, which was a shock coming from a homogenous country. I was diagnosed with breast cancer, which turned my life upside down. Every film here has to do with trauma and mental illness. … I’m proud to be among these young people.”
2012 News
| BAAFF 2012 Press Release - Oct 5, Festival Lineup Announced |
‘Twilight’ werewolf in town for film festival OCTOBER 23, 2012
By Mark Shanahan and Meredith Goldstein | GLOBE STAFF
Attention “Twilight” fans: Actor Booboo Stewart, who plays Seth, the youngest werewolf in the vampire franchise, will be in town on Thursday for the Boston Asian American Film Festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday at the Paramount Center, the Brattle Theatre, and Somerville Theatre. The Asian American Resource Workshop, which produces the festival, sent out the list of visiting talent on Tuesday, and it includes Stewart and Ellie Wen, who produced Stewart’s film “White Frog,” which also stars Tyler Posey of MTV’s “Teen Wolf” and Kelly Hu, of “The Vampire Diaries.” (Worth noting is that none of the actors play supernatural creatures in “White Frog,” a drama about a boy who deals with a family tragedy.) Also in town for the festival will be legendary martial artist Pui Chan. He’ll be there for Saturday’s screening of “Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer.”
Attention “Twilight” fans: Actor Booboo Stewart, who plays Seth, the youngest werewolf in the vampire franchise, will be in town on Thursday for the Boston Asian American Film Festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday at the Paramount Center, the Brattle Theatre, and Somerville Theatre. The Asian American Resource Workshop, which produces the festival, sent out the list of visiting talent on Tuesday, and it includes Stewart and Ellie Wen, who produced Stewart’s film “White Frog,” which also stars Tyler Posey of MTV’s “Teen Wolf” and Kelly Hu, of “The Vampire Diaries.” (Worth noting is that none of the actors play supernatural creatures in “White Frog,” a drama about a boy who deals with a family tragedy.) Also in town for the festival will be legendary martial artist Pui Chan. He’ll be there for Saturday’s screening of “Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer.”
DigBoston
"BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL @ VARIOUS LOCATIONS"
by SEAN CLANCY
October 25, 2012
http://digboston.com/boston-movies-film/2012/10/boston-asian-american-film-festival-various-locations/
Courtesy of the Asian American Resource Workshop is the 2012 Boston Asian American Film Festival, a four-day event coming to the Brattle, Somerville Theatre, and Bright Family Screening Room, which “empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences.” Those experiences? How about family strife by way of a bone marrow transplant (Sunset Stories), marrying to end an ancient curse (Wedding Palace), #ghostproblemz (I Am A Ghost), drugs, politics, polyamory and-you know what?
"BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL @ VARIOUS LOCATIONS"
by SEAN CLANCY
October 25, 2012
http://digboston.com/boston-movies-film/2012/10/boston-asian-american-film-festival-various-locations/
Courtesy of the Asian American Resource Workshop is the 2012 Boston Asian American Film Festival, a four-day event coming to the Brattle, Somerville Theatre, and Bright Family Screening Room, which “empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences.” Those experiences? How about family strife by way of a bone marrow transplant (Sunset Stories), marrying to end an ancient curse (Wedding Palace), #ghostproblemz (I Am A Ghost), drugs, politics, polyamory and-you know what?
Boston.com
Boston Asian American Film Festival brings immigrant experiences to theatersBy Jeremy C. Fox | Town Correspondent
October 24, 2012
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/10/boston_asian_american_film_fes.html
For the next few days, movie-goers will have a chance to see sides of life in this country that are rarely shown onscreen, as the fourth Boston Asian American Film Festival comes to theaters in downtown Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville.
The festival includes several New England premieres, and many stars and filmmakers will be on hand, including actor Booboo Stewart from the “Twilight” films, martial arts master Pui Chan, and director H.P. Mendoza. The festival is a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop, a Chinatown-based nonprofit group that works to empower Asian- and Pacific-Americans.
Boston Asian American Film Festival brings immigrant experiences to theatersBy Jeremy C. Fox | Town Correspondent
October 24, 2012
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/downtown/2012/10/boston_asian_american_film_fes.html
For the next few days, movie-goers will have a chance to see sides of life in this country that are rarely shown onscreen, as the fourth Boston Asian American Film Festival comes to theaters in downtown Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville.
The festival includes several New England premieres, and many stars and filmmakers will be on hand, including actor Booboo Stewart from the “Twilight” films, martial arts master Pui Chan, and director H.P. Mendoza. The festival is a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop, a Chinatown-based nonprofit group that works to empower Asian- and Pacific-Americans.
"Enemy Alien" Free Screening Tuesday 10/9
Tuesday, 10/9 at 8pm | Director Konrad Aderer will be present for Q&A
http://www.bostonpalestinefilmfest.org/bpff-event/enemy-alien/
Enemy Alien follows the fight to free Farouk Abdel-Muhti, a Palestinian-born human rights activist detained in a post-9/11 sweep of Muslim immigrants. Through the eyes of the young filmmaker, whose Japanese-American grandparents were interned, Enemy Alien fuels the ongoing public conversation about the human rights of immigrants and refugees in the US. Boston Premiere
BAAFF co-presents Enemy Alien at the Boston Palestine Film Festival
Tuesday, 10/9 at 8pm | Director Konrad Aderer will be present for Q&A
http://www.bostonpalestinefilmfest.org/bpff-event/enemy-alien/
Enemy Alien follows the fight to free Farouk Abdel-Muhti, a Palestinian-born human rights activist detained in a post-9/11 sweep of Muslim immigrants. Through the eyes of the young filmmaker, whose Japanese-American grandparents were interned, Enemy Alien fuels the ongoing public conversation about the human rights of immigrants and refugees in the US. Boston Premiere
BAAFF co-presents Enemy Alien at the Boston Palestine Film Festival
THE 2012 BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINE UP,
OCTOBER 25-28 AT THE BRATTLE THEATRE AND ARTSEMERSON: THE WORLD ON STAGE
Fourth Edition Celebrates the Best in Asian American Cinema With
Nine Features, Two Short Film Programs and Filmmaker Guests
Boston, MA —The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian
American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of
independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian
diaspora. The festival takes place October 25th to 28th in Boston at Emerson College’s Bright Family
Screening Room in the Paramount Center; in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre; and in Somerville at
the Somerville Theatre.
This fourth edition of the festival features more than five Boston/New England premieres, exclusive Q&As with filmmakers and various co-sponsored events around Boston.
“This year’s selection includes an energetic, thought-provoking range of contemporary films which speak to the breadth and depth of Asian American cinema as it stands today, and we are proud to continue to present these works to the Boston area,” say Festival Director Susan Chinsen. “From romantic comedies
to thoughtful documentaries, to serious dramas and innovative short films, the festival celebrates the
power of cinema to inspire, provoke and educate our diverse audiences.”
The festival opens on October 25th, 7:30pm at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge with Quentin Lee’s
WHITE FROG, a twist on the coming-of-age genre film. Starring some of film and television’s most
acclaimed and recognizable actors – including Booboo Stewart, Joan Chen, B.D. Wong, and Harry
Shum, Jr. – WHITE FROG is an incisive look at the modern American family centered on a young autistic boy coping with the death of his older brother, and ultimately a universal story of the power of family and friendship in the face of difference and tragedy.
The film festival weekend continues with gems from the festival circuit, including Ernesto Foronda
(producer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW) and Sila Howard’s SUNSET STORIES, a quirky tribute to Los
Angeles; WEDDING PALACE, a comedy and debut feature by Christine Yoo; Lily Mariye’s devastating
teen drama MODEL MINORITY; YES, WE’RE OPEN, a flirtatious take on love and relationships by
Richard Wong and H.P. Mendoza (COLMA: THE MUSICAL, FRUIT FLY); and SHANGHAI CALLING,
Daniel Hsia’s expat romantic comedy.
This year, the festival will present two powerful documentaries which each have a unique relevance to
the Boston community. BAAFF’s timely Centerpiece Presentation during this primary election season
is MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON, a film by acclaimed documentary filmmaker S. Leo Chiang (A
VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES). The film is a compelling portrait of rookie congressman Joseph Cao
who traverses party lines in the pursuit of his ideals and beliefs, and is a refreshing and thoughtful look
at how personal choices can affect the community at large. PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER, the debut
documentary film by actress and martial arts master Mimi Chan (best known as the model for Disney’s
MULAN), is the ultimate tribute to one of the men who brought Chinese martial arts to the United States.
Grandmaster Pui Chan’s Wah Lum Kung Fu Academy and Athletic Association has since become the
most important and well-established martial arts system in the United States, and this film hopes to draw
in enthusiasts, students and filmgoers alike to a celebration of shared cultural heritage.
The 2012 BAAFF will feature two specially curated short film programs. FEAR BUFFET is a set of six
short films that offer different takes on all things frightful, and REEL FOOD offers eight family-friendly
shorts about the lighter sides of life.
On Friday October 26, 7pm at the Somerville Theatre, BAAFF will be co-sponsoring a special screening
of I AM A GHOST with Boston’s Shudder Fest Horror Film Festival. H.P. Mendoza’s piercing thriller deftly demonstrates the versatility of the Asian-American horror feature film and is the winner of Best New Horror Director by SF Weekly.
Tickets to the 2012 BAAFF can be purchased at the door or online by visiting baaff.org. Individual tickets for each film (excluding the Opening Night film) are $10 for General Admission, and additional member and student rates may be available and vary depending on venue. Tickets to the Opening Night film at the Brattle Theatre are $25 for General Admission or $20 for Early-Birds purchased by October 18.
For more information and updates on the 2012 Boston Asian American Film Festival, visit http://
www.baaff.org/ or contact us at baaff@aarw.org.
THE 2012 BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM LINE-UP
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012
7:30pm, Brattle Theatre, Cambridge -- OPENING FILM
Boston Exclusive! Guest Appearance and Q&A with Producer and Writer Ellie Wen
With Special Lion Dance Performance by Wah Lum Martial Arts Academy
WHITE FROG
USA | 2012 | 93 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Quentin Lee
After the death of his popular brother Chaz (Harry Shum Jr.), Nick (BooBoo Stewart), who suffers from
Asperger’s syndrome, struggles to carry on. Nick’s parents have their own problems coping with the
loss, but Chaz’s best friend Randy (Gregg Sulkin) takes Nick under his wing. As Chaz’s family comes to
understand his secret life, they will be forced to reconcile the boy they thought they knew with the man
he really was. WHITE FROG is a universal story of the power of family, friendship and love positioned to appeal to a broad audience in the same way as ORDINARY PEOPLE and STAND BY ME.
Please note: David Henry Hwang is the Executive Producer of WHITE FROG, and his play “Chinglish”
will be opening at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston in November.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2012
5:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
SUNSET STORIES
USA | 2012 | 87 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Ernesto Foronda, Silas Howard
May (Monique Gabriela Curnen, THE DARK KNIGHT) is a high-strung nurse based in Boston. She
reluctantly returns to Los Angeles, her former home, to retrieve bone marrow for a transplant. Soon
after her trip begins, her world turns upside down when past and present collide and she runs smack
into rocker JP (Sung Kang from the FAST & FURIOUS series), her former fiancé who she left five years
earlier. Flustered, May loses the cooler containing the marrow. With only 24 hours remaining, the two
embark on an AFTER HOURS-style journey up and down Sunset Boulevard, meeting a cast of eccentrics
ranging from a transgender chanteuse at the Silverlake Lounge, a self-conscious young Mexican graphic
artist, a struggling actor who takes any gig seriously (even if it’s dressed as a tube of toothpaste on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame), and a bag lady who may just be Kevin Bacon's biggest fan. -- Anderson Le,
LAAPFF
7:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
Q&A with director Christine Yoo
WEDDING PALACE
USA & Korea | 2011 | 98 min | Color | Comedy
Directed by Christine Yoo
Jason Kim, a 29-year old advertising executive (Brian Tee from THE FAST AND FURIOUS: TOKYO
DRIFT), feels the pressure from his parents and other relatives to wed before his 30th birthday in order
to avoid an ancient curse placed on his family. A visit from a Shaman, played by Margaret Cho, reminds
Jason and his family that if he is not married before his 30th birthday, he will certainly die a horrible death.
On a business trip in Seoul, Jason falls for businesswoman Na-Young, played by popular Korean star
Hye-jung Kang (OLDBOY, WELCOME TO DONGMAKGOL). News of their budding online relationship
gives Jason’s family hope, until the young bride to be touches down at LAX and she is not what Jason’s
family, or for that matter, Jason himself, expected… In this day of virtual dating, are webcam sessions
and phone calls enough to really know someone? Are Na Young and Jason the perfect match? Sit back
and enjoy the ride in this rollicking family comedy where finding true love could be a once-in-a-lifetime
chance of happiness, or a sure path to regret. - Vera Devera, LAAPFF
7:00pm, Somerville Theatre, Somerville
SPECIAL CO-PRESENTATION with Shudder Fest Horror Film Festival – BOSTON PREMIERE!
Q&A with director H.P. Mendoza
I AM A GHOST
USA | 2012 | 74 min | Color | Horror
Directed by H.P Mendoza
I AM A GHOST focuses on a woman named Emily (Anna Ishida), a ghost who is unaware of her present
and past due to her current physical and mental state. Soon enough, another individual is introduced into
the empty house she inhabits, a medium named Sylvia (Jeannie Barragoa). Sylvia makes an effort to
communicate a few important points to Emily, as Emily searches for the answers of her own confusing
state of existence. As Emily tries to find out about her own past, present and future, right when you think
the story is about to end, something very strange happens. – Rochelle Lazada, LAAPFF
9:30pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
Special Appearance by filmmakers Wesley Du (dir. DUMPLING) and Scott Eriksson (dir. HOW
WAR ENDS, NAKAMURA’S ADDICTION)
FEAR BUFFET: A Shorts Program
Featuring DUMPLING (dir. Wesley Du), HOW WAR ENDS (dir. Scott Eriksson), FORTUNE COOKIE
MAGIC TRICK (dir. Alex Chu), MR. NAKAMURA’S ADDICTION (dir. Scott Eriksson), BLOOKTRAFFICK
(dir. Jennifer Thym) and DOWN UNDER (dir. Ray Arthur Wang)
Join us for some scary fun and sample tastes of horror, fear and other flavors of frightful situations in this
interesting short film program.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
2:00pm, Brattle Theatre, Cambridge
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE – Special performance by Wah Lum Kung Fu!
Special Guest Appearance by Mimi Chan and Grandmaster Pui Chan
PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER
USA | 2012 | 92 min | Color | Documentary
Directed by Mimi Chan
Step into the extraordinary life of a Chinese immigrant who achieved the American dream. This biography
follows a boy who learns the value of hard work and perseverance through kung fu training. He escapes
the harshness of political oppression, bravely ventures out, and embraces opportunity in a new land. The
highly recognized Grandmaster Pui Chan is one of the pioneers responsible for bringing traditional kung
fu to America. He built the first kung fu temple here, and leads an international martial arts system. Pui’s
daughter Mimi Chan confronts the challenges of trying to keep tradition alive in a modernized era.
4:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
MODEL MINORITY
USA | 2012 | 94 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Lily Mariye
L.A. teenagers survive the treacherous world of peer pressure, drug dealers, juvenile hall and
dysfunctional families. Kayla, an underprivileged Japanese American 16 year old, endangers her
promising future as an aspiring artist when she becomes involved with a drug dealer. Director Lily Mariye
describes MODEL MINORITY as “a film about redemption, the struggles of the 21st century family and
hope for the future.”
7:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION – BOSTON PREMIERE!
Q&A with director S. Leo Chiang
MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON
USA | 2012 | 72 min | Color | Documentary
Directed by S. Leo Chiang
Rookie congressman Joseph Cao of Louisiana angers fellow Republicans by befriending President
Obama, then he alienates the President by voting with the Republicans against Health Care Reform. Will
bipartisanship reward or ruin his chances for re-election?
Please note: Screening preceded by REAL TALK (directed by Patrick Ng), a short film about a
friendship in a New York neighborhood.
9:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
BOSTON PREMIERE
YES, WE’RE OPEN
USA | 2012 | 80 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Richard Wong
Luke and Sylvia think of themselves as a modern couple – always in the know and open to new
experiences. Enter Elena and Ronald – a provocative polyamorous couple that challenge Luke and
Sylvia’s status in their circle of friends and with each other. With temptation right around the corner,
Luke and Sylvia must figure out where they really stand on love, sex, and honesty. YES, WE'RE OPEN
takes an intimate look at the unconventional world of San Francisco relationships, where promiscuity and
fidelity aren’t always mutually exclusive.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2012
12:30pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
ENCORE PRESENTATION
Special Guest Appearance by Mimi Chan and Grandmaster Pui Chan!
PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER
USA | 2012 | 92 min | Color | Documentary
Directed by Mimi Chan
Step into the extraordinary life of a Chinese immigrant who achieved the American dream. This biography
follows a boy who learns the value of hard work and perseverance through kung fu training. He escapes
the harshness of political oppression, bravely ventures out, and embraces opportunity in a new land. The
highly recognized Grandmaster Pui Chan is one of the pioneers responsible for bringing traditional kung
fu to America. He built the first kung fu temple here, and leads an international martial arts system. Pui’s
daughter Mimi Chan confronts the challenges of trying to keep tradition alive in a modernized era.
3:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
REEL FOOD: A Shorts Program
Featuring WONDER BOY (dir. Corrie Chen), PEOPLE AREN’T ALL BAD (dir. Matthew Hashiguchi), THE
COMMITMENT (dir. Albert M. Chan), BLEACHED (dir. Jessica Dela Merced), CAFÉ ELEVE (dir. Kelly
Li), MY 2009 EXPERIENCE (dir. Henry Ho), THE COMMITMENT (dir. Raahul Singh) and NANI (dir.
Justin Tipping)
A showcase of some of the finest short films by up-and-coming filmmakers who make cinematic forays
into personal identity, family crises and everything else in life.
5:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
CLOSING FILM - BOSTON PREMIERE!
SHANGHAI CALLING
USA/China | 2012 | 100 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Daniel Hsia
SHANGHAI CALLING is a romantic comedy about modern-day American immigrants in an unfamiliar
land. When an ambitious New York attorney is sent to Shanghai on assignment, he immediately
stumbles into a legal mess that could spell the end of his career. But with help from a beautiful relocation
specialist, a well-connected foreign businessman, a clever but unassuming journalist, and a street-smart
assistant, Sam might just save his job, discover romance, and learn to appreciate the many wonders
Shanghai has to offer.
---------
For screeners and interviews contact chanel.kong@gmail.com.
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by
showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater
Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW); funded in
part by Tufts Medical Center, Wellesley Toyota, The Lyric Stage Company of Boston and MA Cultural
Council; supported by ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage, Comcast and Rule Boston Camera;
in partnership with Boston Asian American Student Intercollegiate Council, Boston Chinatown
Neighborhood Center, Kollaboration Boston and National Association of Asian American Professionals-
Boston.
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of
the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is
a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories,
experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian
Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity. Additional funding is provided by
Community Works.
About ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage
ArtsEmerson was established by Emerson College to program the beautifully restored 590-
seat Paramount Mainstage; the versatile, intimate Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre
(“The Jackie”), which can seat up to 150 people; the state-of-the-art 170-seat Bright Family
Screening Room (all located within the new Paramount Center, a cornerstone in the
revitalization of downtown Boston); and the beloved, historic 1,186-seat Cutler Majestic
Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District, fully restored by Emerson in 2003. Under the
leadership of Rob Orchard, ArtsEmerson gives Boston audiences a new level of cultural
choice, bringing professional American and international work to its four distinct venues. In
addition to its acclaimed theatre works, ArtsEmerson presents adventurous, independent
and repertory films on weekends, and offers a diverse music program including cutting edge
indie rock and world music. For more information, visit artsemerson.org.
About Emerson College
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart
of the city’s Theatre District, Emerson College educates individuals who will solve problems
and change the world through engaged leadership in communication and the arts, a mission
informed by liberal learning. The College has 3,453 undergraduates and 837 graduate
students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art
facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 80 student organizations
and performance groups. Emerson is known for its study and internship programs in Los
Angeles, Washington, D.C., the Netherlands, London, China, and the Czech Republic.
The College has an active network of 32,000 alumni who hold leadership positions in
communication and the arts. For more information, visit www.emerson.edu.
###
OCTOBER 25-28 AT THE BRATTLE THEATRE AND ARTSEMERSON: THE WORLD ON STAGE
Fourth Edition Celebrates the Best in Asian American Cinema With
Nine Features, Two Short Film Programs and Filmmaker Guests
Boston, MA —The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), a production of the Asian
American Resource Workshop (AARW), announces a provocative and entertaining program of
independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian
diaspora. The festival takes place October 25th to 28th in Boston at Emerson College’s Bright Family
Screening Room in the Paramount Center; in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre; and in Somerville at
the Somerville Theatre.
This fourth edition of the festival features more than five Boston/New England premieres, exclusive Q&As with filmmakers and various co-sponsored events around Boston.
“This year’s selection includes an energetic, thought-provoking range of contemporary films which speak to the breadth and depth of Asian American cinema as it stands today, and we are proud to continue to present these works to the Boston area,” say Festival Director Susan Chinsen. “From romantic comedies
to thoughtful documentaries, to serious dramas and innovative short films, the festival celebrates the
power of cinema to inspire, provoke and educate our diverse audiences.”
The festival opens on October 25th, 7:30pm at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge with Quentin Lee’s
WHITE FROG, a twist on the coming-of-age genre film. Starring some of film and television’s most
acclaimed and recognizable actors – including Booboo Stewart, Joan Chen, B.D. Wong, and Harry
Shum, Jr. – WHITE FROG is an incisive look at the modern American family centered on a young autistic boy coping with the death of his older brother, and ultimately a universal story of the power of family and friendship in the face of difference and tragedy.
The film festival weekend continues with gems from the festival circuit, including Ernesto Foronda
(producer, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW) and Sila Howard’s SUNSET STORIES, a quirky tribute to Los
Angeles; WEDDING PALACE, a comedy and debut feature by Christine Yoo; Lily Mariye’s devastating
teen drama MODEL MINORITY; YES, WE’RE OPEN, a flirtatious take on love and relationships by
Richard Wong and H.P. Mendoza (COLMA: THE MUSICAL, FRUIT FLY); and SHANGHAI CALLING,
Daniel Hsia’s expat romantic comedy.
This year, the festival will present two powerful documentaries which each have a unique relevance to
the Boston community. BAAFF’s timely Centerpiece Presentation during this primary election season
is MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON, a film by acclaimed documentary filmmaker S. Leo Chiang (A
VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES). The film is a compelling portrait of rookie congressman Joseph Cao
who traverses party lines in the pursuit of his ideals and beliefs, and is a refreshing and thoughtful look
at how personal choices can affect the community at large. PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER, the debut
documentary film by actress and martial arts master Mimi Chan (best known as the model for Disney’s
MULAN), is the ultimate tribute to one of the men who brought Chinese martial arts to the United States.
Grandmaster Pui Chan’s Wah Lum Kung Fu Academy and Athletic Association has since become the
most important and well-established martial arts system in the United States, and this film hopes to draw
in enthusiasts, students and filmgoers alike to a celebration of shared cultural heritage.
The 2012 BAAFF will feature two specially curated short film programs. FEAR BUFFET is a set of six
short films that offer different takes on all things frightful, and REEL FOOD offers eight family-friendly
shorts about the lighter sides of life.
On Friday October 26, 7pm at the Somerville Theatre, BAAFF will be co-sponsoring a special screening
of I AM A GHOST with Boston’s Shudder Fest Horror Film Festival. H.P. Mendoza’s piercing thriller deftly demonstrates the versatility of the Asian-American horror feature film and is the winner of Best New Horror Director by SF Weekly.
Tickets to the 2012 BAAFF can be purchased at the door or online by visiting baaff.org. Individual tickets for each film (excluding the Opening Night film) are $10 for General Admission, and additional member and student rates may be available and vary depending on venue. Tickets to the Opening Night film at the Brattle Theatre are $25 for General Admission or $20 for Early-Birds purchased by October 18.
For more information and updates on the 2012 Boston Asian American Film Festival, visit http://
www.baaff.org/ or contact us at baaff@aarw.org.
THE 2012 BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM LINE-UP
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012
7:30pm, Brattle Theatre, Cambridge -- OPENING FILM
Boston Exclusive! Guest Appearance and Q&A with Producer and Writer Ellie Wen
With Special Lion Dance Performance by Wah Lum Martial Arts Academy
WHITE FROG
USA | 2012 | 93 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Quentin Lee
After the death of his popular brother Chaz (Harry Shum Jr.), Nick (BooBoo Stewart), who suffers from
Asperger’s syndrome, struggles to carry on. Nick’s parents have their own problems coping with the
loss, but Chaz’s best friend Randy (Gregg Sulkin) takes Nick under his wing. As Chaz’s family comes to
understand his secret life, they will be forced to reconcile the boy they thought they knew with the man
he really was. WHITE FROG is a universal story of the power of family, friendship and love positioned to appeal to a broad audience in the same way as ORDINARY PEOPLE and STAND BY ME.
Please note: David Henry Hwang is the Executive Producer of WHITE FROG, and his play “Chinglish”
will be opening at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston in November.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2012
5:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
SUNSET STORIES
USA | 2012 | 87 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Ernesto Foronda, Silas Howard
May (Monique Gabriela Curnen, THE DARK KNIGHT) is a high-strung nurse based in Boston. She
reluctantly returns to Los Angeles, her former home, to retrieve bone marrow for a transplant. Soon
after her trip begins, her world turns upside down when past and present collide and she runs smack
into rocker JP (Sung Kang from the FAST & FURIOUS series), her former fiancé who she left five years
earlier. Flustered, May loses the cooler containing the marrow. With only 24 hours remaining, the two
embark on an AFTER HOURS-style journey up and down Sunset Boulevard, meeting a cast of eccentrics
ranging from a transgender chanteuse at the Silverlake Lounge, a self-conscious young Mexican graphic
artist, a struggling actor who takes any gig seriously (even if it’s dressed as a tube of toothpaste on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame), and a bag lady who may just be Kevin Bacon's biggest fan. -- Anderson Le,
LAAPFF
7:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
Q&A with director Christine Yoo
WEDDING PALACE
USA & Korea | 2011 | 98 min | Color | Comedy
Directed by Christine Yoo
Jason Kim, a 29-year old advertising executive (Brian Tee from THE FAST AND FURIOUS: TOKYO
DRIFT), feels the pressure from his parents and other relatives to wed before his 30th birthday in order
to avoid an ancient curse placed on his family. A visit from a Shaman, played by Margaret Cho, reminds
Jason and his family that if he is not married before his 30th birthday, he will certainly die a horrible death.
On a business trip in Seoul, Jason falls for businesswoman Na-Young, played by popular Korean star
Hye-jung Kang (OLDBOY, WELCOME TO DONGMAKGOL). News of their budding online relationship
gives Jason’s family hope, until the young bride to be touches down at LAX and she is not what Jason’s
family, or for that matter, Jason himself, expected… In this day of virtual dating, are webcam sessions
and phone calls enough to really know someone? Are Na Young and Jason the perfect match? Sit back
and enjoy the ride in this rollicking family comedy where finding true love could be a once-in-a-lifetime
chance of happiness, or a sure path to regret. - Vera Devera, LAAPFF
7:00pm, Somerville Theatre, Somerville
SPECIAL CO-PRESENTATION with Shudder Fest Horror Film Festival – BOSTON PREMIERE!
Q&A with director H.P. Mendoza
I AM A GHOST
USA | 2012 | 74 min | Color | Horror
Directed by H.P Mendoza
I AM A GHOST focuses on a woman named Emily (Anna Ishida), a ghost who is unaware of her present
and past due to her current physical and mental state. Soon enough, another individual is introduced into
the empty house she inhabits, a medium named Sylvia (Jeannie Barragoa). Sylvia makes an effort to
communicate a few important points to Emily, as Emily searches for the answers of her own confusing
state of existence. As Emily tries to find out about her own past, present and future, right when you think
the story is about to end, something very strange happens. – Rochelle Lazada, LAAPFF
9:30pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
Special Appearance by filmmakers Wesley Du (dir. DUMPLING) and Scott Eriksson (dir. HOW
WAR ENDS, NAKAMURA’S ADDICTION)
FEAR BUFFET: A Shorts Program
Featuring DUMPLING (dir. Wesley Du), HOW WAR ENDS (dir. Scott Eriksson), FORTUNE COOKIE
MAGIC TRICK (dir. Alex Chu), MR. NAKAMURA’S ADDICTION (dir. Scott Eriksson), BLOOKTRAFFICK
(dir. Jennifer Thym) and DOWN UNDER (dir. Ray Arthur Wang)
Join us for some scary fun and sample tastes of horror, fear and other flavors of frightful situations in this
interesting short film program.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012
2:00pm, Brattle Theatre, Cambridge
NEW ENGLAND PREMIERE – Special performance by Wah Lum Kung Fu!
Special Guest Appearance by Mimi Chan and Grandmaster Pui Chan
PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER
USA | 2012 | 92 min | Color | Documentary
Directed by Mimi Chan
Step into the extraordinary life of a Chinese immigrant who achieved the American dream. This biography
follows a boy who learns the value of hard work and perseverance through kung fu training. He escapes
the harshness of political oppression, bravely ventures out, and embraces opportunity in a new land. The
highly recognized Grandmaster Pui Chan is one of the pioneers responsible for bringing traditional kung
fu to America. He built the first kung fu temple here, and leads an international martial arts system. Pui’s
daughter Mimi Chan confronts the challenges of trying to keep tradition alive in a modernized era.
4:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
MODEL MINORITY
USA | 2012 | 94 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Lily Mariye
L.A. teenagers survive the treacherous world of peer pressure, drug dealers, juvenile hall and
dysfunctional families. Kayla, an underprivileged Japanese American 16 year old, endangers her
promising future as an aspiring artist when she becomes involved with a drug dealer. Director Lily Mariye
describes MODEL MINORITY as “a film about redemption, the struggles of the 21st century family and
hope for the future.”
7:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION – BOSTON PREMIERE!
Q&A with director S. Leo Chiang
MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON
USA | 2012 | 72 min | Color | Documentary
Directed by S. Leo Chiang
Rookie congressman Joseph Cao of Louisiana angers fellow Republicans by befriending President
Obama, then he alienates the President by voting with the Republicans against Health Care Reform. Will
bipartisanship reward or ruin his chances for re-election?
Please note: Screening preceded by REAL TALK (directed by Patrick Ng), a short film about a
friendship in a New York neighborhood.
9:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
BOSTON PREMIERE
YES, WE’RE OPEN
USA | 2012 | 80 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Richard Wong
Luke and Sylvia think of themselves as a modern couple – always in the know and open to new
experiences. Enter Elena and Ronald – a provocative polyamorous couple that challenge Luke and
Sylvia’s status in their circle of friends and with each other. With temptation right around the corner,
Luke and Sylvia must figure out where they really stand on love, sex, and honesty. YES, WE'RE OPEN
takes an intimate look at the unconventional world of San Francisco relationships, where promiscuity and
fidelity aren’t always mutually exclusive.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2012
12:30pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
ENCORE PRESENTATION
Special Guest Appearance by Mimi Chan and Grandmaster Pui Chan!
PUI CHAN: KUNG FU PIONEER
USA | 2012 | 92 min | Color | Documentary
Directed by Mimi Chan
Step into the extraordinary life of a Chinese immigrant who achieved the American dream. This biography
follows a boy who learns the value of hard work and perseverance through kung fu training. He escapes
the harshness of political oppression, bravely ventures out, and embraces opportunity in a new land. The
highly recognized Grandmaster Pui Chan is one of the pioneers responsible for bringing traditional kung
fu to America. He built the first kung fu temple here, and leads an international martial arts system. Pui’s
daughter Mimi Chan confronts the challenges of trying to keep tradition alive in a modernized era.
3:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
REEL FOOD: A Shorts Program
Featuring WONDER BOY (dir. Corrie Chen), PEOPLE AREN’T ALL BAD (dir. Matthew Hashiguchi), THE
COMMITMENT (dir. Albert M. Chan), BLEACHED (dir. Jessica Dela Merced), CAFÉ ELEVE (dir. Kelly
Li), MY 2009 EXPERIENCE (dir. Henry Ho), THE COMMITMENT (dir. Raahul Singh) and NANI (dir.
Justin Tipping)
A showcase of some of the finest short films by up-and-coming filmmakers who make cinematic forays
into personal identity, family crises and everything else in life.
5:00pm, Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center, Boston
CLOSING FILM - BOSTON PREMIERE!
SHANGHAI CALLING
USA/China | 2012 | 100 min | Color | Drama
Directed by Daniel Hsia
SHANGHAI CALLING is a romantic comedy about modern-day American immigrants in an unfamiliar
land. When an ambitious New York attorney is sent to Shanghai on assignment, he immediately
stumbles into a legal mess that could spell the end of his career. But with help from a beautiful relocation
specialist, a well-connected foreign businessman, a clever but unassuming journalist, and a street-smart
assistant, Sam might just save his job, discover romance, and learn to appreciate the many wonders
Shanghai has to offer.
---------
For screeners and interviews contact chanel.kong@gmail.com.
About Boston Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by
showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater
Boston Community. BAAFF is a production of Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW); funded in
part by Tufts Medical Center, Wellesley Toyota, The Lyric Stage Company of Boston and MA Cultural
Council; supported by ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage, Comcast and Rule Boston Camera;
in partnership with Boston Asian American Student Intercollegiate Council, Boston Chinatown
Neighborhood Center, Kollaboration Boston and National Association of Asian American Professionals-
Boston.
About Asian American Resource Workshop
The mission of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW) is to work for the empowerment of
the Asian Pacific American community to achieve its full participation in the U.S. society. AARW is
a member-based organization that seeks to document the diverse Asian Pacific American histories,
experiences, and social conditions. Our resource and activities are used to respond to current Asian
Pacific American issues and to promote Asian Pacific American identity. Additional funding is provided by
Community Works.
About ArtsEmerson: The World On Stage
ArtsEmerson was established by Emerson College to program the beautifully restored 590-
seat Paramount Mainstage; the versatile, intimate Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre
(“The Jackie”), which can seat up to 150 people; the state-of-the-art 170-seat Bright Family
Screening Room (all located within the new Paramount Center, a cornerstone in the
revitalization of downtown Boston); and the beloved, historic 1,186-seat Cutler Majestic
Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District, fully restored by Emerson in 2003. Under the
leadership of Rob Orchard, ArtsEmerson gives Boston audiences a new level of cultural
choice, bringing professional American and international work to its four distinct venues. In
addition to its acclaimed theatre works, ArtsEmerson presents adventurous, independent
and repertory films on weekends, and offers a diverse music program including cutting edge
indie rock and world music. For more information, visit artsemerson.org.
About Emerson College
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart
of the city’s Theatre District, Emerson College educates individuals who will solve problems
and change the world through engaged leadership in communication and the arts, a mission
informed by liberal learning. The College has 3,453 undergraduates and 837 graduate
students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art
facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 80 student organizations
and performance groups. Emerson is known for its study and internship programs in Los
Angeles, Washington, D.C., the Netherlands, London, China, and the Czech Republic.
The College has an active network of 32,000 alumni who hold leadership positions in
communication and the arts. For more information, visit www.emerson.edu.
###
2011/2010 News
