AAIFF’13 will be taking place July 24 through August 03, 2013 in New York City. This year we will be hosted at the Asia Society and Museum, Anthology Film Archives, and the theater at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT).

Film Descriptions:

SHORTS
Program 1: In Times of Innocence 87 mins
(Little Mao, Advantageous, Rainy Day for Earth Worms, Three Light Bulbs, and Howard)
With a power and imagination uninhibited by their length, these five beautiful shorts capture the strength of familial bonds as are tested and explored either in a 2041 dystopia or the mundane life in Boston Chinatown, as children trade innocence for knowledge, and as grown-ups try to reconcile the past and the present.
Presented on August 3rd 3:30pm at Anthropology Film Archives

Program 2: An Unbounded Romance 79 mins
(Sweetly Broken, Crossings, Couch & Potatoes, No Longer There, and July 1st, An Unhappy Birthday)
If to find love is to take a journey, to know love is to understand loneliness. The lesson is offered by these five quirky stories, featuring parted puppets, randomly met travelers, couch bound potatoes, virtual intimates and rad lovers, asking pointed questions about the beauty and power that deter us from committing, as well as compel us to love.
Presented on July 26th 7:30pm at Anthropology Film Archives

Program 3: Enduring Encounters 75 mins
(Hu’s Game, Dawn, Olive, Shaya, and A Trail from Xinjiang)
From racial tension in NYC, to the disillusionment of Pakistani refugee in LA, to Uyghur pickpockets roaming in the streets of Central China, these heart-wrenching stories provide insights on how the disfranchised are sent on a downward spiral to a limbo where everything could possibly go awry.
Presented on August 1st 7:00pm at Anthropology Film Archives

Program 4: Into the Penumbra 85 mins
(Only Child, Keye Luke, Or Die…, More Than a Face in the Crowd, and Lil Tokyo Reporter)
Asian American representation has always been a struggle in mainstream media. Yet only those who go against the imposed limitations could pioneer change. Experimental, funky, historical or uplifting, these five stories exemplify the various platforms Asian Americans are using to share their stories–through artistic self-expression, perseverance, life-risking investigative journalism, or creating viral Youtube videos.
Presented on July 25th 6:30pm at Anthropology Film Archives

Son of Animal Style: Skate
Curated by Martin Wong of Asian American pop culture icon Giant Robot, the program combines skateboarding and cinema, two dynamic sources that inform his choosing a life style and navigating the unknown. Surprisingly fresh and engaging, the program conveys “not only the rush of rolling on four wheels but also how the energy and creativity spill over into so many other facets of life.”
Presented on August 2nd 8:30pm at Anthropology Film Archives

FEATURES
LINSANITY (opening)
Dir. Evan Jackson Leong. 2013. USA. 88 mins
On February 4th 2012, Jeremy Lin, the first Chinese-American to play in the NBA, came out of complete obscurity to turn around the injury-plagued Knicks’ losing season. The rest is history. LINSANITY brings back the unforgettable frenzy around the meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin with galvanizing game footage, juxtaposed with intimate interviews and home videos that showcase his faith, passion, and perseverance. As the Opening Night Presentation for AAIFF’13, LINSANITY marks the homecoming of the magical moment when a determined young man did what seemed the unbelievable, and took everyone to the heights with him.
As a feature that plays on July 24th 7:30pm at Asia Society

CHINK
Dir. Stanley Yung. 2013. USA. 85 mins
The first Asian American serial killer story. A slasher movie with a message. Eddy Tsai (Jason Tobin) has internalized the racism felt in childhood and turned it into a hatred of all Asians – including himself – on his way to becoming a Ted Bundy-like serial killer. Like the notorious ethnic slur in its title, CHINK uses blood, guts, and sex to bluntly challenge audiences to rethink the identity politics of the model minority.
As a feature that plays on July 25th 9:00pm at Anthropology Film Archives

REQUIEME!
Dir. Loy Arcenas. 2012. Philippines. 97 mins
Local politician Swanie holds a wake for a distant relative who became an instant celebrity after killing a famous designer in the U.S., while her runaway transgender son, Joanna, sacrifices her savings for a breast transplant to give a neighbor a proper burial. Riffing off the Gianni Versace-Andrew Cunanan case, Loy Arcena’s REQUIEME!, uses an absurd veneer and memorable caricatures to maneuver through a complex narrative about the public and private lives of individuals in the Philippines, showcasing the prevalence of bureaucracy, homophobia, and international emigration.
As a feature that plays on July 26th 9:00pm at Anthopology Film Archives

INNOCENT BLOOD
Dir. DJ Holloway and Dir. Sun W. Kim. 2013. USA. 101 mins.
James Park (Jun-seong Kim, WEST 32ND STREET, MAN-CHOO), a retired undercover detective, suddenly has to face his worst nightmare when his young son Cody is kidnapped by a mysterious criminal (C.S. Lee, DEXTER) in retribution for past transgressions. As James cannot make a single move without dire consequences, INNOCENT BLOOD is a hard-hitting suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
As a feature that plays on July 27th 3:30pm at Anthropology Film Archives

SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW
Dir. Nadine Truong. 2013. USA. 79 mins.
After almost losing his girlfriend, his job and his life, suicidal Charlie heads to L.A. to reconnect with his best friends from high school, Luke, a now-famous actor, and Danny, a rich boy. Nuanced and incisive, this bitter-sweet feature debut of German-born Vietnamese filmmaker Nadine Truong captures the meaning of growing older—but not necessarily wiser—as the path to acceptance of the person you’ve become.
As a feature that plays on July 27th 6:00pm at Anthropology Film Archives

FORGETTING TO KNOW YOU
Dir. Quan Ling. 2013. China. 87 mins.
Produced by Jia Zhangke, this debut feature of writer-director Quan Ling depicts the seventh-year marital crisis in a provincial area, as quotidian chores and financial burden gradually exacerbate the dormant tension underlying the family. FORGETTING TO KNOW YOU,favorably reviewed at Berlinale 2013, casts a subtle and unsentimental look at alienation in an otherwise intimate relationship.
As a feature that plays on July 28th 1:00pm at Anthropology Film Archives

PECULIAR VACATIONS AND OTHER ILLNESSES
Dir. Yosep Anggi Noen. 2012. Indonesia. 90 mins
Ning, a young Catholic woman, is caught in a suffocating marriage. When she sets off on a long road-trip with Mur, a male Muslim colleague, the enclosed space awakens their repressed feelings. A film set in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, PECULIAR VACATION AND OTHER ILLNESSES calls forth sensitive issues, including sexual repression and adultery.
As a feature that plays on July 28th 7:00pm at Anthropology Film Archives

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER
Dir. Brea Grant. 2012. USA. 82 mins.
A mix of best friends, nuclear apocalypes, and road trips, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER follows two gals, the unsuccessful optimist Harriet and her devil-may-care best friend Reba, as they hit the road for Austin, TX for Harriet’s start-over. A Slamdance 2013 spotlight, the gorgeous film captured on 16mm shows the challenges that endanger even the greatest friendships and the best-laid plans.
As a feature that plays on August 1st 6:30pm at Anthropology Film Archives

BEYOND THE MAT
Dir. Van M. Pham. 2013. USA. 106 mins
Aaron Miller, a Vietnamese adoptee and high school wrestling star in Middle America, is facing a disintegrating friendship, the crosstown rival, and a blossoming new love. Edited by Scott Conrad, the Oscar-winning editor for ROCKEY, Van M. Pham’s BEYOND THE MAT keeps abreast of the classic sports film tradition by synthesizing athletic excitement and a personal journey, with a modern twist.
As a feature that plays on August 1st 8:30pm at Anthropology Film Archives

STEVEN CHONG FINDS OUT THAT SUICIDE IS A BAD IDEA
Dir. Charlie Lavoy. 2013. USA. 81 mins
Every time Steve Chong screws up, he writes it down and pins up the note card on his wall. As the wall’s last bare patch is covered, he decides that it is time to die. But before he kills himself, Steve invites three friends to his lake house for one final round of intoxication. A surprising passion project by a group of New Orleans cinephiles, STEVE CHONG FINDS OUT THAT SUICIDE IS A BAD IDEA proudly shows the real boom of Louisiana underground film scene through this intriguing story.
As a feature that plays on August 2nd 7:00pm at Anthropology Film Archives

WORK IN PROGRESS (free event)
July 31st 5:00pm AAIFF’13 Work-in-progress Workshop
Museum of Chinese in America
Each year, AAIFF selects from the work-in-progress submissions as the subject of a dynamic workshop, where the film meets its first round of audience who give constructive feedback. This year we’ve chosen June Inuzuka’s DHARMA ROAD: A PERSONAL JOURNEY, a documentary short about the filmmaker’s personal journey to Wyoming where her great uncle, a former mine worker, was buried and where she discovers the buried history of what were once Wyoming’s “Jap Towns,” the Japanese role in Wyoming becoming the first state to allow Asians into the United Mine Workers, and their participation in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

For more information please visit www.asiancinevision.org/aaiff13