The Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI), of the City University of New York (CUNY), is teaming up once again with Asian CineVision (ACV), for the CUNY Shorts Program, part of the 33rd Asian American International Film Festival, on Sunday, July 18, 2010, beginning 1PM, at Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street, Manhattan.

AAIFF (CUNY Shorts Program)

The CUNY Shorts Program features winner and runner-up films by students from AAARI’s recent 7th Annual CUNY Asian American Film Festival. The Asian American International Film Festival is the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to showcasing films created by media artists of Asian descent and about the Asian community.

CUNY Shorts Program

Antithesis, dir. Jon-Carlos Evans (City College)
In a restless city, a grieving widower and a disturbed young girl arrange to meet via online chat room. The two strangers find comfort in each other and make the pact of a lifetime.

Antithesis

Behold the Swelling Scene, dir. April Baskin | prod. Munjong Kim (Brooklyn College)
Brice is a young struggling actor trying to find work in an industry that has stereotyped and typecast light-skinned Black males as players. Not only has that image limited his success in finding work, but it affects his personal life too. Brice finds that in order to find true love and a successful career, he must break the stereotypes that hold him back.

Behold the Swelling Scene

Boundary, dir. Pyeunghun Baik (Brooklyn College)
A dancer and an actress share the screen and their craft as they struggle to explore boundaries of love, anger and pain to reach a deeper understanding of themselves. BOUNDARY is told through a surreal style of sound and visuals.

Boundary

Nurturing the Hybrid Identity, dir. Sudip Shakya (Brooklyn College)
Filmmaker Sudip Shakya was born in Nepal and raised in US. In this short, he returns to his native country where, reunited with his brother, he revisits memories of his past. At once familiar and strange, Shakya observes Nepal’s ancient culture as it stands on the brink of transformation. Confronted with modernization and westernization, the young generation of Nepalis find their own way of adapting to change.

Nurturing the Hybrid Identity

Struggle for Existence, dir. Laurie Sumiye-Filiak (Hunter College)
An animated, live-action documentary about the Palila, a critically endangered Hawaiian forest bird. The filmmaker journeys from New York City to Hawaii to see the bird before it goes extinct. The film explore the questions of whether and how life is valued and preserved by man. This informative documentary explores the past and present conservation efforts of Hawaiian birds.

Undocumented Hope, dir. Tanvir Toy (Brooklyn College)
This documentary investigates immigration policies from the perspective of immigrant youth who came to the United States with their parents. The filmmaker follows four undocumented students as they share their experiences, fears, and hopes for a better future.

Ticket Prices

General: $12
Students/Seniors/Disabled: $10
ACV Members: $9

To purchase tickets for this or other screenings at the 33rd Asian American International Film Festival, please visit www.aaiff.org/2010. Enjoy your Wednesday, and see you at the Festival!