Short Waves: Stories Shaping Our Community
"Unspoken" speaks volumes about the harmful impact of stereotypes on the conversation surrounding Asian-American mental health. Director Amanda Huang uses personal narrative to bring this issue to light and expand this conversation. As the winner of Short Waves, Huang will receive an all access festival pass and showcase her film at the 2016 Boston Asian American Film Festival this fall.
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Asian Pacific Americans have long been making waves in all aspects of American life, but their stories have often been lost in general U.S. discourse. “Short Waves: Stories Shaping Our Community,” hopes to bring light to these stories through locally made, community driven short films about the Asian American experience and community.
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2016 Finalists
What can we do? //
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where are you from? // Tiffany LamThis short film follows a group of friends as they navigate around the question, Where are you from?
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memories // Brian cho
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2016 Short Waves Judges
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Tak Toyoshima is an Asian American art director with the Weekly Dig and the author of the comic strip Secret Asian Man. According to an interview with AArisings, Toyoshima is a second-generation Japanese American born in New York City. He received a degree in advertising from Boston University, and currently resides in Boston.
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Asiroh Cham is a Cham American, born in a refugee camp in Thailand, but has spent the majority of her life in California. In 2010, she traveled to Cambodia to co-direct a documentary on Cham genocide survivors in the midst of the U.N. backed tribunals. Asiroh recently worked on the documentary The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, directed by Oscar nominated director Arthur Dong, which is nominated for the Focus International award for Best Use of Footage in a Factual Production. Asiroh holds a B.A. in Southeast Asian Studies & International Development Studies and an M.A. in Asian American Studies, both from U.C.L.A.
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Featured short: The Genki Spark Documentary
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A film by Misako Ono
This film is a look into the experiences of Asian women in America, exploring issues of race, culture, and identity. It is a story about embracing the uniqueness of every individual with the support of a sisterhood, claiming one's culture, empowering those voices often kept silent, and sharing that strength with the community to advocate respect for all. Misako Ono Born in Japan and raised in New York, Misako is a photographer, graphic designer, and documentarian. In May 2015, she earned her B.A. in Sociology at Tufts University with a minor in Communications and Media Studies. While at Tufts, she participated in the Program for Narrative and Documentary Practices through the Institute for Global Leadership, where she created a multimedia story on homebirth and midwifery in Cambridge, MA. She has traveled to Dhaka, Bangladesh to develop a photo essay on women's education, and to Rio de Janeiro to collaborate on a multimedia project on Hepatitis C and the lack of access to affordable medicines. Her work addresses the issues of health, social inequality, and women's rights. More info at www.thegenkispark.org |
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2015 Short Waves Winner:
"Closeness" Directed by Thuan Hien As the winner of Short Waves, Thuan Hien receives automatic acceptance into the upcoming Boston Asian American Film Festival. His film is a short documentary explores the interconnectedness and complexity of his 'mother and son' relationship. That closeness has nothing to do with distance and the one thing that binds them is a shared refugee experience. As filmmaker Hien quotes, "It is important that these stories of the Vietnamese refugee people do not die and go unheard; their legacy must be heard." 2014 Short Waves Winner: "Who I really am..." Directed by Jose Soto » 2013 Short Waves Winner: "Color Theory" Directed by Minhae Shim » 2012 Short Waves Winner: "My 2009 Experience" Directed by Henry Ho » 2011 Short Waves Winner: "Wear I Fit" Directed by Pratna Kem » |
Short Waves: Stories Shaping Our Community
Asian Pacific Americans have long been making waves in all aspects of American life, but their stories have often been lost in general U.S. discourse. “Short Waves: Stories Shaping Our Community,” hopes to bring light to these stories through locally made, community driven short films about the Asian American experience and community.
Here are some sample topics:
- What Asian American issue are you most passionate about?
- Tell us about someone who has helped shaped your identity as an Asian American. (role model)
- What is a pressing issue that affects your Asian American community and how that affects you?
- How do you personally define your Asian American identity?
- How do you celebrate your Asian American identity? (family gatherings and rituals, etc.)
Submission must be:
Up to 5-minute video to share your story about your Asian American life or community based on a personal experience.
Anyone can participate in this competition. There is no fee to submit.
Deadline: Submission CLOSED
Public online voting begins 1 week prior to event.
Short Waves winner benefits include:
- Sharing your story with the community
- Automatic acceptance into the upcoming BAAFF
- Experience as a filmmaker and participate in Q&As
- 2016 VIP Festival Pass
FREE SCREENING: Wednesday, May 25, 6:30PM
Tufts Medical Center Wolff Auditorium (Lower Level)
800 Washington St. Boston, MA (T: Orange Line)
Winner will be announced during this event. Free food will be provided.
Asian Pacific Americans have long been making waves in all aspects of American life, but their stories have often been lost in general U.S. discourse. “Short Waves: Stories Shaping Our Community,” hopes to bring light to these stories through locally made, community driven short films about the Asian American experience and community.
Here are some sample topics:
- What Asian American issue are you most passionate about?
- Tell us about someone who has helped shaped your identity as an Asian American. (role model)
- What is a pressing issue that affects your Asian American community and how that affects you?
- How do you personally define your Asian American identity?
- How do you celebrate your Asian American identity? (family gatherings and rituals, etc.)
Submission must be:
Up to 5-minute video to share your story about your Asian American life or community based on a personal experience.
Anyone can participate in this competition. There is no fee to submit.
Deadline: Submission CLOSED
Public online voting begins 1 week prior to event.
Short Waves winner benefits include:
- Sharing your story with the community
- Automatic acceptance into the upcoming BAAFF
- Experience as a filmmaker and participate in Q&As
- 2016 VIP Festival Pass
FREE SCREENING: Wednesday, May 25, 6:30PM
Tufts Medical Center Wolff Auditorium (Lower Level)
800 Washington St. Boston, MA (T: Orange Line)
Winner will be announced during this event. Free food will be provided.
Short Waves in the Press:
Sampan Newspaper: http://sampan.org/2015/06/short-waves-screens-asian-american-experience-in-short-films/
