My Bev’s Girl Films partner Garth Kravits and I are delighted to have our short film, Hide and Seek as an official selection of the 11th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival in Eugene, OR., which screens in the Sunday Shorts Program: Conflict, on May 1, 2016 at Bijou Art Cinemas, 492 E 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401.
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Click To Get Your FREE Pass
Hide and Seek is a short film that speaks to the societal challenge that women, and especially women of color, endure every day. To look in the mirror and to hope to see a face other than your own. One that is closer to what magazines, television and movies define as beautiful or even normal. What face do you see when you look in the mirror?
In addition to Hide and Seek, the Sunday Shorts Program: Conflict Lineup includes Distance Between, Christmas in America, Fishbone, Frank and Kass, I Hate the Color Red, Too Fast, Carnal Orient, Spaceship and The Waltz.
DisOrient, a social justice film festival committed to the honest portrayals of the diversity of Asian and Pacific Islander American experiences, will screen a curated collection of 14 feature films, 17 short films, and 2 music videos at Bijou Art Cinemas and Bijou Metro, Eugene, OR, from April 29-May 1, 2016. Over 25 filmmakers and actors will be in attendance for post-screening Q&A’s.
Check out the complete schedule below.
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016
BIJOU ART CINEMAS
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Bijou Art Cinemas
6:00 – 6:15 PM
Closing Night Reception – FREE
10:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Check www.disorientfilm.org for updates and schedule TBA. Purchase All Access VIP Passes for $75 in advance on www.brownpapertickets.com, or $80 at the door. The Opening Night Reception is at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art with a live musical performance by Portland band- The Slants, that is included with tickets to “TYRUS” or VIP Passes. Front man Simon Tam will also speak on “How Being Asian Got Me Into Trouble.” General tickets ($15) to the Opening Night show will be sold at the door at 8:45 pm. Admission to the Sunday Night Awards Gala at LZ Chinese Dish will be included with VIP Passes or ticket stub for “Comfort. Individual film tickets will be sold on-line starting in April or at the door until sold out. There is a Free Sunday Shorts program.
My Bev’s Girl Films partner Garth Kravits and I are delighted to have our short film, Hide and Seek as an official selection of the 11th Annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival in Eugene, OR.
DisOrient, a social justice film festival committed to the honest portrayals of the diversity of Asian and Pacific Islander American experiences, will screen a curated collection of 14 feature films, 17 short films, and 2 music videos at Bijou Art Cinemas and Bijou Metro, Eugene, OR, from April 29-May 1, 2016. Over 25 filmmakers and actors will be in attendance for post-screening Q&A’s.
Tyrus Wong
The festival starts on Friday, April 29th at 6:00 pm with the Opening Night Film, Pamela Tom’s TYRUS, which presents the life and career of 105+ year old Chinese American artist, Tyrus Wong, from his immigration to the U.S. as a child to his artistic contributions to animation and classic American cinema, preceded by Ed Moy’s award-winning animated short, Up in the Clouds.
DisOrient’s Centerpiece Film, the epic and spectacular feature narrative Persona Non Grata – The Chiune Sugihara Story, produced by Cine Bazar will screen on Saturday, April 30th. Director Cellin Gluck is planning to attend for a highly anticipated Q&A after the film, which is based on the true historical accounts about a Japanese diplomat who, during World War II, faced a moral dilemma that affected the lives of thousands of European Jews in Lithuania.
Harvey leads his team in the haka, a traditional warrior dance.
A must see is the documentary In Football We Trust, which made its world premiere at Sundance and permits a rare and intimate access to the families of 4 Pacific Islander football players who have hopes of making it into the NFL.
DisOrient closes with Comfort, accompanied by Director William Lu and lead actor, Julie Zahn. Lu’s feature film debut brings Cameron (Chris Dinh) and Jasmine (Julie Zahn) together as they explore the after-hours food scene in LA while Cameron hides his dreams away in the darkness of the night.
Below is the complete lineup of films:
Up In The Clouds
TYRUS
Sakura Sakura
An American Hero:Shiro Kashino
Drone
Resilient
Moment
Meet Me At A Funeral
Goodbye
Right Footed
Someone Else
In Football We Trust
Persona Non Grata –The Chiune Sugihara Story
Cantonese Rice
To Climb A Gold Mountain
Painted Nails
Pali Road
Live From UB
Distance Between
Christmas In America
Frank and Kass
Too Fast
Fishbone
The Waltz
I Hate the Color Red
Carnal Orient
Hide and Seek
Spaceship
It Runs In the Family
Pamanhikan
9-Man
Breathin’: The Eddy Zheng Story
Comfort
Check www.disorientfilm.org for updates and schedule TBA. Purchase All Access VIP Passes for $75 in advance on www.brownpapertickets.com, or $80 at the door. The Opening Night Reception is at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art with a live musical performance by Portland band- The Slants, that is included with tickets to “TYRUS” or VIP Passes. Front man Simon Tam will also speak on “How Being Asian Got Me Into Trouble.” General tickets ($15) to the Opening Night show will be sold at the door at 8:45 pm. Admission to the Sunday Night Awards Gala at LZ Chinese Dish will be included with VIP Passes or ticket stub for “Comfort. Individual film tickets will be sold on-line starting in April or at the door until sold out. There is a Free Sunday Shorts program.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – The 2015 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival presented by Comcast NBC10 Telemundo62 Comcast Spectator today announced their full slate of films for the 2015 edition of this Philadelphia cultural treasure. For the 8th edition, the festival will open with the Philadelphia premiere of Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching, starring Justin Chon, Jessika Van, In-Pyo Cha, Teo Yoo, and Esteban Ahn, screening at the International House’s Ibrahim Theater. Director Lee will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. The screening will be followed by the PAAFF’15 Opening Night Reception featuring a 1980s dance music and costume contest (free to all ticket and badge holders).
This year’s festival is comprised of 23 features and over 30 shorts from 17 countries spread over 4 continents and of these, 5 are East Coast premieres and 14 Philadelphia premieres, with a special presentation of Center for Asian American Media’s Muslim Youth Voices project featuring world premieres of short films produced by local Muslim youth.
Lia Chang in Hide and Seek
Bev’s Girl Films’ Hide and Seek starring Lia Chang and Garth Kravits, will have its Philadelphia premiere as an Official Selection at The 2015 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF15) on Saturday, November 21, 2015 in the Women’s Shorts Program at Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107 at 2:15pm. Two of six PAAFF’15 shorts in the Women’s Shorts program are produced by local filmmakers; Romaine by Eiko Fan and How is How by Pheng Tang. Romaine (12 mins.) is a short doc about Romaine Samworth who, despite being blind for over 85 years, uses vibrant colors to tell personal stories through sculpture. How is How (7 mins.) examines the life of a single Chinese immigrant mother, who becomes out of sorts with her life while going through a career transition.
Each of the films in this FREE program of shorts was either produced by women, star women in central roles, or deal with women’s issues. Garth and I will be in attendance for the Q & A. Click here to RSVP.
“The 2015 festival is our biggest festival yet and promises to be one of the most dynamic,” says Festival Director Rob Buscher. “With our new programs and expanded community engagement, we are looking forward to enjoying a richer experience for audiences and filmmakers alike.”
Special events include: community screening series with free films in neighborhood-based cultural centers; panel discussions “Asian Americans in Television” on November 13 and “Girls Make Better Ninjas (Or I Can’t Be Angry, I’m Asian): An Exploratory Workshop on AAPI Feminism” on November 21; centerpiece event “Strength in Numbers,” featuring music videos, live performances and a panel discussion guest curated by Scott CHOPS Jung on November 14; and the Closing Reception on November 22.
The main PAAFF’15 venues are International House in University City (3701 Chestnut Street) and Asian Arts Initiative in Chinatown North/Callowhill (1219 Vine Street). The complete feature lineup (in alphabetical order) is as follows.
Aroma From Heaven (dir. Budi Kurniawan, Indonesia) – Featuring interviews with farmers, scientists, philosophers, academics, anthropologists, and business owners – this film explores 300 years of coffee production in Indonesia.
Changing Season (dir. Jim Choi, USA) – Famed farmer, slow food advocate, and sansei David “Mas” Masumoto faces health challenges as his queer progressive daughter Nikiko, returns to the family farm with the intention of stepping into her father’s work boots. EAST COAST PREMIERE.
Crush the Skull (dir. Viet Nguyen, USA) – A pair of professional burglars find themselves having to pull one last job and find themselves in a sadistic torture den where they now have to fight for their lives. Adapted from Nguyen’s YouTube short of the same title. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Dukhtar (dir. Afia Nathaniel, Pakistan) – A mother kidnaps her ten-year-old daughter to save her from the fate of a child bride. Their daring escape triggers a relentless hunt and a cynical truck driver proves to be an unlikely ally. The trio embarks on an epic journey, where the quest for love and freedom comes with a price.
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten (dir. John Pirozzi, Cambodia) – This compelling documentary uncovers the forgotten history of the Cambodian music scene during the Vietnam War era, which blended Western rock and roll with local traditions, and was suppressed by the Khmer Rouge.
For Here or to Go? (dir. Rucha Humnabadkar, USA) – Set against the backdrop of the 2008 recession, this dramatic comedy examines the many personal battles faced by immigrants living in America. Set in Silicon Valley, a software professional loses a plum position with a startup due to visa issues. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
In Football We Trust (dirs. Tony Vainku & Erika Cohn, USA) – This film is an insightful documentary exploring the so-called ‘Polynesian Pipeline’ to the NFL in the tightly-knit Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, through four young men striving to overcome gang violence and near poverty through the promise of American football. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Jalal’s Story (dir. Abu Shahed Emon, Bangladesh) – This film follows an infant, rescued from a river and adopted, later abandoned, who becomes a gangster in adolescence. Recently chosen as the Official Selection to represent Bangladesh in the Foreign-Language Category of the 88th Academy Awards. EAST COAST PREMIERE.
Jasmine (dir. Dax Phelan, Hong Kong) – A gripping and chilling psychological thriller about a man struggling to come to terms with his wife’s unsolved murder, who eventually decides to take justice into his own hands and things take a startling turn toward the unexpected. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Journey from the Fall (dir. Ham Tran, Vietnam) – Inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon, and those who were forced to stay behind, this film follows one family’s escape by boat as its patriarch is imprisoned in a Communist re-education camp.
Live From UB (dir. Lauren Knapp, Mongolia) – This film follows the story of one of Mongolia’s most promising independent bands, Mohanik, as they create a new sound for their country, combining traditional instrumentation with Western rock, and discover what it means to be Mongolian today. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Love Arcadia (dir. Lawrence Gan, USA) – This contemporary romance is set in a small town where a charming goofball becomes emotionally entangled with an ambitious executive and as tensions escalate between their families’ businesses, their relationship is threatened. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Miss India America (dir. Ravi Kapoor, USA) – When an overachieving Orange County high school senior discovers her boyfriend has fallen in love with the reigning Miss India National, she decides she must pursue the crown in order to win him and the life she planned for herself back. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
My Voice, My Life (dir. Ruby Yang, Hong Kong) – This film follows an unlikely group of misfit students from four of Hong Kong’s underprivileged middle and high schools who are cast in an after-school musical theater program and where each of them confronts unique personal challenges in the process of developing character. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Off the Menu (dir. Grace Lee, USA) – Grappling with how family, tradition, faith, and geography shape our relationships to food, this film uses our obsession with food as a launching point to delve into a wealth of stories, traditions, and unexpected characters that help nourish this nation of immigrants. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Oh, Saigon (dir. Doan Hoàng, Vietnam) – Hoàng’s family was on the last civilian helicopter out of Vietnam at the end of the war. Twenty-five years later, her family returns and reunites with the family they left behind, confronting their political differences and attempting to reconnect.
Right Footed (dir. Nick Spark, USA) – This film follows Jessica Cox, a Filipina American born without arms, who became the first person licensed to pilot an airplane with her feet, as she transforms from a motivational speaker to a mentor, and eventually into a leading advocate for people with disabilities. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
The Roots Remain (dirs. Jean-Sebastien Francoeur & Andrew Marchand-Boddy, Cambodia/Canada) – This film follows the story of Canadian-raised Cambodian French graffiti artist FONKi, as he reunites with his family, explores Cambodia’s Hip Hop community, and dedicates a mural to his relatives in Phnom Penh who disappeared during the war. EAST COAST PREMIERE.
Seoul Searching (dir. Benson Lee, South Korea) – Set against the backdrop of 1980s Seoul and inspired by a summer exchange program that Lee attended in the summer of 1986, this John Hughes-esque teen comedy tells a universal coming-of-age story chock full of pop culture tropes, teen hijinks, and first love. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Someone Else (dir. Nelson Kim, USA) – A surreal drama about the clash of wills between two Korean-American cousins in New York City. A shy young law student hungry for a more vivid, risk-taking existence, visits his wealthy playboy cousin and attempts to sheds his old identity, but spirals out of control. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
The Vancouver Asahi (dir. Yuya Ishii, Canada/Japan) – This tale of sports miracles and glory is based on the true story of a legendary baseball team in 1930s Vancouver examining the harsh realities of poverty and discrimination among 2nd generation Japanese Canadians. PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE.
Waiting for John (dir. Jessica Sherry, Vanuatu) – This film explores the John Frum Movement, now considered the last surviving Cargo Cult, from the perspective of the last village of believers, as they struggle to preserve their culture in the modern world. EAST COAST PREMIERE.
Winning Girl (dir. Kimberlee Bassford, USA) – follows the four-year journey of a part-Polynesian female teenage judo and wrestling phenomenon from Hawai‘i, and in doing so tells the dynamic story of an elite athlete on her ascent, a girl facing the challenges of growing up and an entire family dedicated to a single dream. EAST COAST PREMIERE.
The 2015 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival is presented by Comcast NBC10 Telemundo62 Comcast Spectator; and made possible through the generosity of Premier Sponsor Aetna; Founding Sponsor HBO; Partner Sponsors Wells Fargo, PHLDiversity, Pennsylvania Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs, and Samuel S. Fels Fund; and Prime Sponsors PECO, Jefferson Health, Pacific Islanders in Communications, Greater Philadelphia Asian Studies Consortium, and Hepatitis B Foundation.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
PAAFF is the first and only event of its kind in Philadelphia, bringing in audience members from all over the region and Asian American filmmakers, actors, and leaders, from around the world. The festival also hosts numerous screenings year-round independently and in partnership with regional arts and community organizations. PAAFF’s parent organization, Philadelphia Asian American Film & Filmmakers, is a nonprofit organization founded in 2008 to showcase films by and about Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans for the city of Philadelphia and Greater Philadelphia region. They aim to present captivating programs that engage, inspire, and connect our community both to one another and the non-Asian mainstream.
For more information about PAAFF’15 visit phillyasianfilmfest.org and follow on social media @paaff or #PAAFF15.
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016
TYRUS and Up in the Clouds
Bev's Girl Films 