24th San Diego Asian Film Festival Mini-Guide

Welcome

Pop quiz: At what other festival in the world will you find the breadth of Asian and Asian American cinema – over 160 narratives, documentaries, shorts, and experimental films – across 10 glorious days?

What other festival will be headlined by contemporary icons Song Kang-ho and Awkwafina and all-time legends James Hong and Dustin Nguyen? Where else in San Diego will you find the motherlode of award winners from this year’s Sundance, Cannes, and Venice film festivals? And where else can you experience the entire history of a movement, from the just-discovered, first-ever Asian American film (a silent cinema treasure!) to 16mm activist documentarians, to filmmakers that make miracles out of new media?

The San Diego Asian Film Festival is where starwatchers and cinephiles, studio hits and proud indies, international sensations and homegrown innovators intersect. It’s where, for 24 years, audiences have found an alternative to the megaplexes and streamers, where they can hear languages of their ancestors and luxuriate in the bewitchery of Asian movie love. Join us at North America’s home for Asian and Asian American cinema.

Ticket Information

All tickets are on sale now at sdaff.org. Tickets for the Regal Edwards Mira Mesa Cinemas are available at the theater box office beginning Friday, October 27. Ticket sales are final.

Ticket Pricing

NON-MEMBER

General Admission:

$15

Opening/Closing Films: $35

PAC ARTS MEMBER

General Admission: $12

Opening/Closing Films: $32

VIP: $140

Includes 4 cocktails + beer/wine

General Admission: $120

Includes 1 cocktail+ beer/wine

Centerpiece Film:

$19 Centerpiece Film: $16

THE OATH OF THE SWORD Film: $19

Festival 6-Pack*: $75

THE OATH OF THE SWORD Film: $16

Pac Arts Members & All-Fest Pass Holders: $100 Receive a special discount on VIP Admission! Check your member newsletter or contact staff.

All-Fest Pass**

All-Fest Pass** $325 $215

DISCOUNTS

Student / Military / Seniors*: $13

Discounted tickets* can be purchased at the box office only with a valid ID.

Group Tickets*: $12 per ticket

Minimum of 10 tickets per screening. Email zia@sdaff.org for more information.

Free Screenings

SHORTS FOR SHORTIES!

Sat, Nov 4 » 11:00am

(PAGE 37)

It's back! A collection of international short films for kids, FREE for kids ages 12 and under.

REEL VOICES

Sun, Nov 5 » 12:00pm

(PAGE 36)

World premiere of our high school documentary program, FREE to the public.

TAIWAN SHOWCASE

Sat, Nov 11

(PAGE 33)

All films at the UCSD Price Center Theater are FREE for UCSD students, faculty, and staff with a valid ID.

*

The Festival 6-Pack and discounted tickets are NOT valid for Opening, Centerpiece, Closing films, or the Chew the Scene Gala.

FREE FILMS AT 4

All films at 4:00PM on festival weekdays are FREE.

PAC ARTS MEMBER SCREENING AND RECEPTION

Tues, Nov 7 » 6:25pm

(PAGE 27)

The screening of the movie THE TASTE OF MANGO is FREE for members of Pac Arts. Members can redeem their free ticket(s) online by using the code provided in the general membership e-newsletter. For any assistance, please email membership@pacarts.org.

The All-Fest Pass does NOT include admission to the Chew the Scene Gala.

Venues

SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

1788 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

Opening Night » Nov 2

Closing Night » Nov 11

REGAL EDWARDS MIRA MESA

10733 Westview Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92126

Main Venue » Nov 3–9, and 11

UCSD PRICE CENTER THEATER

9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093

Taiwan Showcase » Nov 11

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SAN DIEGO (MCASD) LA JOLLA

700 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037

Chew the Scene Gala » Nov 10

MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS (MOPA)

1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101

MOPA Day Film Screenings » Nov 10

COVID PROTOCOLS

• We strongly encourage all attendees to be current on all COVID-19 vaccinations.

• Testing before and during the festival is suggested.

• Free masks are available at every venue.

• Please practice social distancing when possible.

Thu, Nov 2

7:00pm »

Fri, Nov 3

4:00pm »

OPENING NIGHT

QUIZ LADY

99 min | (PAGE 10)

Sat, Nov 4 (cont'd.)

12:55pm » SHORTS: EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING

97 min | (PAGE 32)

2:45pm » ELEGIES

101 min | (PAGE 22)

2:55pm »

SHORTS: CLOSE CONTACT

FREE FILMS AT 4

SHORTS: KINTEREST

102 min | (PAGE 34)

COBWEB 5:10pm »

135 min | (PAGE 18)

5:30pm »

RED, WHITE & BRASS

85 min | (PAGE 20)

MONSTER 6:10pm »

126 min | (PAGE 24)

6:40pm »

7:35pm »

MA, I LOVE YOU

100 min | (PAGE 19)

HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY

117 min | (PAGE 15)

SLEEP 7:55pm »

95 min | (PAGE 21)

8:40pm »

AS IF IT'S TRUE

115 min | (PAGE 18)

MAD FATE 9:00pm »

108 min | (PAGE 24)

Sat, Nov 4

ONLOOKERS 10:20am »

72 min | (PAGE 26)

11:00am »

FREE FOR 12 AND UNDER!

SHORTS FOR SHORTIES!

38 min | (PAGE 37)

12:10pm » THE SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT

120 min | (PAGE 17)

12:20pm » YOU & ME & ME

122 min | (PAGE 21)

12:30pm »

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST

105 min | (PAGE 23)

3:05pm »

69 min | (PAGE 32)

ONE SECOND AHEAD, ONE SECOND BEHIND

119 min | (PAGE 20)

3:30pm »

GROUNDED

83 min | (PAGE 15)

NEW STRAINS 5:20pm »

85 min | (PAGE 16)

SHORTS: QUEER MATTERS 5:30pm » 98 min | (PAGE 35)

COBWEB 5:40pm » 135 min | (PAGE 18)

MONSTER 5:50pm »

126 min | (PAGE 24)

7:45pm » THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER

116 min | (PAGE 14)

MA, I LOVE YOU

8:10pm » 100 min | (PAGE 19)

RED CARD 8:20pm »

75 min | (PAGE 17)

RAGING GRACE 8:30pm » 106 min | (PAGE 20)

Sun, Nov 5

12:00pm » REEL VOICES

FREE SCREENING!

120 min | (PAGE 36)

12:30pm » ONE SECOND AHEAD, ONE SECOND BEHIND

119 min | (PAGE 20)

12:40pm » SHORTS: ASTRAL PROJECTIONS

102 min | (PAGE 31)

Schedule

Sun, Nov 5 (cont'd.)

2:35pm »

ALL EARS

119 min | (PAGE 22)

3:00pm » WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE 89 min | (PAGE 17)

3:10pm »

KILLING ROMANCE

107 min | (PAGE 19)

3:20pm »

100 YARDS

108 min | (PAGE 22)

5:30pm »

CENTERPIECE FILM

EAST WEST PLAYERS: A HOME ON STAGE

57 min | (PAGE 11)

RIVER 5:40pm » 86 min | (PAGE 21)

ABANG ADIK 7:00pm »

115 min | (PAGE 18)

CONCRETE UTOPIA 7:35pm » 130 min | (PAGE 19)

RAGING GRACE 7:50pm » 106 min | (PAGE 20)

MAD FATE 8:00pm » 108 min | (PAGE 24)

MYSTERY KUNG FU THEATER 9:20pm » 90 min

Mon, Nov 6 4:00pm »

FREE FILMS AT 4

SHORTS: KID OUTSIDER 97 min | (PAGE 34)

Mon, Nov 6 (cont'd.)

7:50pm »

8:05pm »

8:15pm »

8:55pm »

Tue, Nov 7

4:00pm »

CONCRETE UTOPIA

130 min | (PAGE 19)

NOWHERE NEAR

95 min | (PAGE 16)

KILLING ROMANCE

107 min | (PAGE 19)

TIGER STRIPES

95 min | (PAGE 27)

FREE FILMS AT 4

SHORTS: TAKE ME NOW FISH GOD

71 min | (PAGE 38)

SMALL FRY 5:45pm »

min | (PAGE 26)

THE FALL OF THE I-HOTEL 6:00pm »

min | (PAGE 28)

DIVINE FACTORY 6:15pm »

min | (PAGE 25)

6:25pm »

MEMBER SCREENING

THE TASTE OF MANGO

86 min | (PAGE 27)

7:30pm » YOU & ME & ME

122 min | (PAGE 21)

8:10pm » 105 min | (PAGE 23)

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST

TIGER STRIPES 8:45pm » 95 min | (PAGE 27) IN WATER

» 61 min | (PAGE 23)

»

RIVER

min | (PAGE 21)

» HITO HATA: RAISE THE BANNER 94 min | (PAGE 29)

»

»

min | (PAGE 23) SAND

min | (PAGE 26)

Wed, Nov 8 4:00pm » SHORTS: ANIMORPHS

FREE FILMS AT 4

min | (PAGE 30)

IS A HOTEL

Wed, Nov 8 (cont'd.)

TYPHOON CLUB 6:15pm »

115 min | (PAGE 29)

Fri, Nov 10

6:00pm to 9:00pm »

178 min | (PAGE 25)

WONDERLAND 7:45pm »

125 min | (PAGE 21)

SHORTS: ARCHITEXXXUAL 8:30pm »

85 min | (PAGE 30)

»

Thu, Nov 9

4:00pm »

SLEEP

21)

FREE FILMS AT 4

SHORTS: SOFT LANDINGS

89 min | (PAGE 37)

5:45pm »

6:00pm »

6:20pm »

6:30pm »

8:25pm »

8:35pm »

8:45pm »

Fri, Nov 10

AGRA

132 min | (PAGE 25)

RALLY

100 min | (PAGE 16)

SHORTS: LANDSCAPE MODE

84 min | (PAGE 35)

YOUTH (SPRING)

215 min | (PAGE 24)

100 YARDS

108 min | (PAGE 22)

SHORTS: ULTRA BAD OBJECTS

105 min | (PAGE 38)

TERRESTRIAL VERSES

77 min | (PAGE 27)

FAREWELL

SEE PAGE 9 FOR DETAILS!

4:50pm

» 91 min | (PAGE 14)

EGGHEAD AND TWINKIE

» 170 min | (PAGE 28) 12:30pm » THE OATH OF THE SWORD 31 min | (PAGE 13) SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Thu, Nov 2

Opening Night Reception

QUIZ LADY

FREE receptions for All-Fest Pass and Opening Night ticket holders at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

6:00 – 7:00pm » Pre-Screening Reception

9:00 – 11:00pm » Post-Screening Reception

Tue, Nov 7

Member Screening Reception

THE TASTE OF MANGO

FREE reception for Pac Arts members, All-Fest Pass, and THE TASTE OF MANGO ticket holders at Regal Edwards Mira Mesa.

5:00 – 6:25pm » Pre-Screening Reception

Sat, Nov 11

Closing Night Reception

MUSTACHE

FREE receptions for All-Fest Pass and Closing Night ticket holders at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

6:00 – 7:00pm » Pre-Screening Reception 9:00 – 11:00pm » Post-Screening Reception

PLUS:

Filmmaker Q&As, Reel Voices student films, happy hours, Mystery Kung Fu Theater, and more!

Sun, Nov 5

Centerpiece Reception

EAST WEST PLAYERS: A HOME ON STAGE

FREE pre-screening reception for All-Fest Pass and Centerpiece ticket holders at Regal Edwards Mira Mesa.

4:30 – 5:30pm » Pre-Screening Reception

Fri, Nov 10

Chew the Scene Gala

SEE NEXT PAGE!

Sat, Nov 11

Special Presentation

THE OATH OF THE SWORD

Screening will feature live musical accompaniment, followed by a discussion with film historian Denise Khor, who rediscovered the film.

Check sdaff.org for the latest event info!

Friday, Nov 10, 2023

6:00pm – 9:00pm

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

SAN DIEGO (MCASD) LA JOLLA

700 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037

San Diego's biggest

Asian American food event is back!

Join us on November 10 at the newly renovated Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla for culinary tastings from over a dozen of San Diego’s top AAPI chefs, restaurants, and vendors, showcasing their takes on Asian American cuisine. The event immediately follows the San Diego Asian Film Festival’s awards presentation, where we will be honoring the festival’s top films.

Pricing

VIP Admission: $140

Admission includes exclusive off-menu tastings from more than a dozen participating partners, one hosted cocktail, unlimited beer & wine, & entry to MCASD's latest exhibition Kelly Akashi: Formations.

General Admission: $120

Admission includes exclusive off-menu tastings from more than a dozen participating partners, one hosted cocktail, unlimited beer & wine.

Pac Arts Member & All-Fest Pass Holders: $100

Receive a special discount on VIP Admission! Check your member newsletter or contact zia@sdaff.org.

Special Presentations

QUIZ LADY

Thursday, Nov 2 »

7:00pm

Nat

OPENING NIGHT

JESSICA YU | USA | 2023 | 99 MIN

In QUIZ LADY, a brilliant but tightly wound, gameshowobsessed young woman, Anne (Awkwafina), and her estranged, trainwreck of a sister Jenny (Sandra Oh), must work together to help cover their mother’s gambling debts.

When Anne’s beloved dog is kidnapped, they set out on a wild, cross-country trek to get the cash the only way they know how: by turning Anne into a bona-fide game show champion.

Directed by the Oscar-winning Jessica Yu (Ping Pong Playa, SDAFF '08), and co-starring Will Ferrell and Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park.

Admission includes pre- and post-screening receptions at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

EAST WEST PLAYERS: A HOME ON STAGE

Sunday, Nov 5 » 5:30pm Edwards

CENTERPIECE

YU GU | USA | 2023 | 57 MIN

Pat Morita, BD Wong, Nancy Kwan. The list goes on of luminary Asian American actors who have passed through East West Players, the first professional Asian American theater organization, established in 1965 by Mako, Beulah Quo, James Hong, and others who played bit roles in Hollywood but wanted a home where they could be the leads and write their own plays.

EAST WEST PLAYERS: A HOME ON STAGE is a tribute to this institution, offering a behind-the-scenes look into its resilience and groundbreaking achievements and the transformative power of visibility in the arts. Featuring compelling conversations with East West Players veterans like George Takei, James Hong, Tamlyn Tomita, and John Cho, the documentary explores not just the roles they played on stage, but the vital civic space the theater created, the pivotal roles the theater played in their careers, the unique challenges faced by Asian American actors, and the ongoing fight against racial stereotypes like 'yellowface.'

In Hollywood's own backyard, East West Players has for decades shown what has always been possible: how to support Asian American performers and storytellers while nurturing an arts landscape that is unmistakably Asian American.

Admission includes pre- and post-screening receptions.

Introducing our Big Night films and a very special unearthed silent treasure.

Special Presentations

MUSTACHE

Saturday, Nov 11 »

7:00pm

CLOSING NIGHT

IMRAN J. KHAN | USA, CANADA | 2023 | 83 MIN

Ilyas is 13 years old and has an unfortunate prepubescent mustache. He’s a good Muslim so he knows why he can’t shave it off. Though he goes to an Islamic school, his teenage peers don’t hesitate about jeering his fuzz. When his parents become unable to pay for religious school, they transfer Ilyas to a public high school, where his mustache – and hence his social life – is on even shakier ground. And so Ilyas hatches a fail-safe plan: convince his dad that public school is corrupting him. His method: get caught swapping letters with a fake girlfriend. His conspirator: Yasmeen, an old Islamic school friend, who has a secret crush on Ilyas.

Inspired by his own upbringing as an immigrant kid in the 90s, Imran J. Khan spins a classic genre (the coming-of-age film) into a stylish comedy of Bay Area South Asian families, co-starring no less than 90s icon Alicia Silverstone. But if the 90s weren’t the best times for Muslim representation onscreen, MUSTACHE is a refreshing inversion, depicting devout families with a peppy normalcy, no more an obstacle of adolescence than cute girls and parties with alcohol. With a winning deadpan performance by Atharva Verma in the lead, and appearances by Hasan Minhaj and Rizwan Manji, MUSTACHE is a sweetly comic tribute to young love, playacting, and facial hair.

Admission includes pre- and post-screening receptions at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

THE OATH OF THE SWORD

Saturday, Nov 11 » 12:30pm

Edwards

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

FRANK

SHAW | USA | 1914 | 31 MIN

Recently rediscovered, the 1914 silent film THE OATH OF THE SWORD is the oldest-known film by an Asian American production company. And what a production it is. Beginning in Japan, it follows Masao, who leaves behind his lover to study at Berkeley, where he becomes a star athlete and man about campus. However, trouble starts to follow, culminating in a bicoastal melodramatic climax as shattering as it is timeless.

With THE OATH OF THE SWORD, we can reimagine the beginnings of Asian American cinema, not as Charlie Chan and Fu Manchu, or dragon ladies and The Good Earth. Blazing the way for Sessue Hayakawa and Marion Wong to come is a film that asserted that Asians in America can be dashing, flawed, insecure, angry, and romantic, and that proved that independent studios like the Japanese American Film Company were producing dramas as sweeping as any other.

SDAFF’s screening of THE OATH OFTHE SWORD will feature live musical accompaniment, and will be followed by a discussion with film historian Denise Khor, who rediscovered the film.

Asian American Panorama

THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER

Sing J. Lee | USA | 2023 | 116 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 7:45pm Edwards

Elderly Long just wants to grab some midnight snacks when a late night taxi request turns into a never-ending nightmare with three escaped convicts. An Orange County immigrant noir inspired by a true story and a delicious, leathery performance by 90s heartthrob Dustin Nguyen, whose growing affection for Long puts him at odds with his increasingly desperate partners.

COME HOME, MY CHILD | 愛子歸來

Jasmine Ching-Hui Lee | Taiwan | 2023 | 91 min

Sat, Nov 11 » 2:35pm

After a full life in Taiwan, Mama Yang moves to New York City, where she discovers a new calling writing letters to Chinese American inmates. At the same time, she lives with a granddaughter who sometimes feels more distant than the men locked up miles away. A touching documentary about empathy, second chances, and family by blood and by compassion.

EGGHEAD & TWINKIE

Sarah Kambe Holland | USA | 2023 | 87 min

Sat, Nov 11 » 2:20pm Edwards

After coming out to her conservative parents, Twinkie steals her dad’s car and goes on the lam with her best friend Egghead who also happens to have a mad crush on her. She hasn’t told him they’re going to meet her longdistance, kinda girlfriend. Make-ups, breakups, lies, and boba ensue on this BFF road trip filled with animation, love, and friendship put to the test.

Preceded by: THE BODY OF MY NAME 名自字体

Rosie Choo Pidcock | Canada | 2022 | 4 min

UCSD

The heart of our festival - and the best of Asian American cinema in all of its colors - from stories of matriarchal power brokers and suburban birthing hideouts, to immigrant noirs and queer YA road trips.

GROUNDED

Sat, Nov 4 » 3:30pm

William and McKenzie get engaged – but with a condition. William has to finally introduce his longtime girlfriend to his Chinese-Filipino parents who are sure to raise questions about having a white daughter-in-law. Their initial meeting is a disaster, but fates allow second (and third, and fourth) chances in this charming time-loop comedy of families-to-be.

HOME IS A HOTEL

Wed, Nov 8 » 6:00pm

A glimpse into the lives of six tenants in SRO (single-room occupancy) hotels in San Francisco, the most expensive city in the country. Five years in the making, this award-winning film follows a diverse group of residents’ daily routines, often riddled by bureaucratic nightmares and their fight to stay housed, while offering insights into a housing crisis emerging in US cities today.

HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY

Fri, Nov 3 » 7:35pm

Award-winning documentarian Leslie Tai shines a light on the business of Chinese women having babies in the U.S. From the entrepreneurs who set up the maternity “hotels,” to the hospital workers bound by duty to provide care, to the women who share a residence in these awkward months away from home and husbands, Tai finds in Southern California suburbs the intersection of the American and Chinese dreams.

Justin Chan | USA | 2023 | 83 min

Kevin Duncan Wong, Todd Sills, Kar Yin Tham | USA | 2023 | 95 min

Leslie Tai | USA | 2023 | 117 min

Edwards

Edwards

Edwards

Asian American Panorama

NEW STRAINS

Prashanth Kamalakanthan, Artemis Shaw | USA | 2023 | 77 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 5:20pm

Filmmakers Artemis Shaw and Prashanth Kamalakanthan play a screwball couple stranded in a luxe apartment while a disease spreads that makes everybody stupid. This gleefully low-fi comedy is at once a sci-fi movie and a time-capsule of the manic, boring, scary, and truly ridiculous days of the early pandemic.

Preceded by: NOISE

Julian Castronovo | USA | 2023 | 8 min

NOWHERE NEAR

Miko Revereza | USA, Philippines, Mexico | 2023 | 95 min

Mon, Nov 6 » 8:05pm

2017 Los Angeles, 1940s Philippines, and 9/11 New York puzzle-piece together in Miko Revereza’s newest experimental documentary. With its surprising juxtapositions of insightful commentary, gorgeous surreal reveries, and self-deprecating jokes, NOWHERE NEAR feels exactly like a dive into the diaries of a struggling and brilliant young artist.

RALLY

Rooth Tang | USA | 2023 | 100 min

Thu, Nov 9 » 6:00pm

For decades, Rose Pak was the kingmaker of San Francisco politics. Hailing from Chinatown, she ensured that no aspiring mayor or supervisor could ignore the needs of the Chinese American community. In this revealing documentary, former and current political figures share their admiration, fear, and awe of one of San Francisco’s most powerful – and controversial – activists.

Edwards

Edwards

Edwards

Sat, Nov 4 » 8:20pm Edwards

RED CARD

Ougie Pak | USA | 2023 | 50 min

Kevin is a waiter in a hostess bar that serves rich Chinese men passing through LA. One night, he breaks the job’s number one rule: never fall in love with the women who flatter and cozy up to the clients who pay everyone’s bills. SDAFF-alum Ougie Pak presents a sexy drama of immigrant work and jealous eyes.

Preceded by: PIPA AND LIZARD | 裂帛

Zhang Hanyu | China | 2023 | 25 min

THE SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT

H.P. Mendoza | USA | 2023 | 107 min

After his wife suddenly dies, Ben copes with his debilitating grief by reaching out to an eccentric guru (or con artist?) who will teach Ben how to fly.

Preceded by: THE FANATICS

Sat, Nov 4 » 12:10pm

Laura Skokan | USA | 2023 | 13 min

WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE

Linh Tran | USA | 2022 | 89 min

Five people unite for a week-long vacation at a lake house in hopes of maintaining their friendship. Desires and jealousies swirl in, and this picturesque reunion becomes a test of fragile bonds.

Sun, Nov 5 » 3:00pm

Edwards

Edwards

Asia Pop!

Sun, Nov 5 » 7:00pm Edwards

ABANG ADIK | 富都青年

Jin Ong | Malaysa, Taiwan | 2023 | 115 min

Undocumented brothers, Abang and Adi, can only rely on each other. But can their brotherhood outlast the cruel, unforgiving shadows of Malaysia’s undocumented crisis?

AS IF IT'S TRUE

John Rogers | Philippines | 2023 | 100 min

Fri, Nov 3 » 8:40pm Edwards

Gemma is an influencer whose stardom has flatlined. James is a singer-songwriter who could use some followers. When their one-night stand turns into audience gold, the two have a chance at true love - except feeding their followers with celebrity romance takes them to some very dark places. Starring Khalil Ramos.

Preceded by: PRIMETIME MOTHER

Sonny Calvento | Philippines, Singapore | 2023 | 15 min

COBWEB | 거미집

Kim Jee-woon | South Korea | 2023 | 135 min

Fri, Nov 3 » 5:10pm Edwards

Sat, Nov 4 » 5:40pm Edwards

At once joyously mocking and earnestly reverent, Song Kang-ho (Parasite) stars as a tortured director who is confident he’ll have a masterpiece if he can just reshoot the last two pages of his script. Censorship, bureaucracy, kidnapping, pyrotechnics, dramatic actors, and actor drama: it’s a typical day on set.

Films from Asia that are perfect for popcorn and buddies: laugh-out-loud capers, teardrenched goodbyes, adrenaline-filled thrillers, and swoony love conundrums.

CONCRETE UTOPIA | 콘크리트 유토피아

Sun, Nov 5 » 7:35pm Edwards

Mon, Nov 6 » 7:50pm Edwards

A massive earthquake rolls through Seoul, upending every apartment complex – except one. With refugees at their doorsteps, the residents of the remaining apartment decide to wall out the rest of society, creating a commune where they will feed and protect each other. But while the building is intact, cracks in humanity start to show and a postapocalyptic showdown becomes inevitable.

DAY OFF | 本日公休

Sat, Nov 11 » 12:20pm UCSD

After 40 years on the job, a tireless hairdresser takes a day off to visit an old client miles away. Her self-absorbed children are against the road trip, but nothing will stand in the way of a determined pro, a headstrong mother, and the simple obligations of kindness that never go out of date.

KILLING ROMANCE | 킬링 로맨스

Lee Won-suk | South Korea | 2023 | 107 min

Intent on escaping her loveless marriage with a narcissistic businessman, fading celebrity Hwang Yeo-Rae (Lee Ha-Nee) embarks on a surreal journey of self-discovery armed with nothing but a song in her heart, the love of her fanboy, and the help of an errant ostrich.

Sun, Nov 5 » 3:10pm Edwards

Mon, Nov 6 » 8:15pm Edwards

MA, I LOVE YOU | 真爱好妈

Chiu Keng Guan | Malaysia | 2023 | 100 min

Fri, Nov 3 » 6:40pm Edwards

Sat, Nov 4 » 8:10pm Edwards

For years, it's always been Qi Qi and her mom, tied at the hip. So when Qi Qi turns 18 and secretly applies for a French university, mom plots to follow her around the world. A heart-tugging comedy of unshakeable family threads and the unquenchable desire to chart one's own path.

Um Tae-hwa | South Korea | 2023 | 130 min

Fu Tien-yu | Taiwan | 2023 | 106 min

Asia Pop!

Sat, Nov 4 » 3:05pm Edwards

Sun, Nov 5 » 12:30pm Edwards

ONE SECOND AHEAD, ONE SECOND BEHIND | 1秒先の彼

Nobuhiro Yamashita | Japan | 2023 | 119 min

In this quirky rom-com, post office worker Hajime wakes up with an unexplainable suntan and no recollection of the day before. All he knows is that he was supposed to meet up with his crush Sakurako, who also seems to have vanished. A mysterious photo and an odd post office encounter lead him on a journey to crack this riddle and discover what turns out to be the love story of a lifetime.

RAGING GRACE

Paris Zarcilla | UK | 2023 | 106 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 8:30pm Edwards

Sun, Nov 5 » 7:50pm Edwards

Undocumented Filipino caregiver Joy finds the perfect job taking care of a bedridden old man in a luxurious London house. [Joy: get out.] The work is straightforward and the quiet allows Joy to hide her mischievous daughter Grace. [Joy: get out.] But behind perfection lurks vengeance, rage, and a sinister grotesquerie of unburied imperialism. [Joy: get out!]

Preceded by: NIAN

Michelle Krusiec | USA | 2022 | 6 min

RED, WHITE & BRASS

Damon Fepulea'i | New Zealand | 2023 | 85 min

Fri, Nov 3 » 5:30pm Edwards

Fri, Nov 10 » 12:30pm MOPA

The Tongan rugby team is in the World Cup, but tickets are sold out. So a superfan hatches an impossible plan: form a marching band with his mates to play at the big game. The catch: none of them play any instruments. Hilarious, heartwarming, and based on a true story.

Sun, Nov 5 » 5:40pm Edwards

Mon, Nov 6 » 5:50pm Edwards

RIVER | リバー流れないでよ

Junta Yamaguchi | Japan | 2023 | 86 min

In a remote Fujiya Inn, staff and guests find themselves mysteriously rewinding back to where they were two minutes prior. With outrageous fun, they find creative ways to connect and solve the riddle of their time loop.

SLEEP | 잠

Jason Yu | South Korea | 2023 | 95 min

Fri, Nov 3 » 7:55pm Edwards

Wed, Nov 8 » 8:40pm Edwards

Hyunsoo and Soojin are the perfect team on the brink of a new baby and career success until Hyunsoo’s sleepwalking violently escalates. Soojin suspects supernatural origins; Hyunsoo’s doctor says it’s curable. As anxiety-filled, sleepless nights feed full-on panic, both desperately pursue answers as time runs out in this thrilling mystery by fresh new talent Jason Yu.

WONDERLAND

Chai Yee Wei | Singapore | 2023 | 125 min

Wed, Nov 8 » 7:45pm

After his daughter moves to the United States for school, Loke befriends his new neighbor Tan, who also helps him translate letters to and from his daughter, who can’t write Chinese as well as she can speak it. But when bad news comes from overseas, Tan is left with the dilemma of how and what to tell his new friend. A touching drama of friendship between older men and the devotion of those left behind by migration.

YOU & ME & ME |

Wanweaw Hongvivatana, Weawwan

Hongvivatana | Thailand | 2023 | 122 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 12:20pm

Tue, Nov 7 » 7:30pm

Yu and Mi are identical twins up to identical twin hijinks. Swapping school exams. 2-for-1 movies. Flirting with boys, as the other sister. Things go awry when they meet handsome Mark, both want him for themselves, and Mark can’t figure out which girl is making his heart explode. With the Y2K apocalypse looming, Yu and Mi must figure out if they can share love in this charming Thai rom-com, directed by identical twins!

เธอกับฉันกับฉัน

Edwards

Edwards

Edwards

Sun, Nov 5 » 3:20pm Edwards

Thu, Nov 9 » 8:25pm Edwards

100 YARDS | 门前宝地

Xu Haofeng, Xu Junfeng | China | 2023 | 108 min

It’s non-stop showdowns when a kungfu master’s son battles his father’s #1 apprentice for the throne to the oldest martial arts academy in 1920s Tianjin. In their obsession to win, they disturb a delicate balance with the village outside, inviting new threats to the school’s future. Furiously kinetic fight scenes mix with slingshot hoodlums, a mythical technique, and quirky melodrama, as filmmaker Xu Haofeng brings his signature odd gravity, historical provocations, and philosophical wit.

ALL EARS | 不虚此行

Liu Jiayin | China | 2023 | 119 min

Sun, Nov 5 » 2:35pm Edwards

Once an up-and-coming screenwriter, Wen Shan is now a eulogy writer, meeting with strangers to tell stories of their loved ones. While encountering mourners in their most vulnerable moments, he starts to confront his own unfinished stories. Directed by Liu Jiayin, herself once hailed as China’s most important new director, and now a screenwriting teacher at the Beijing Film Academy.

ELEGIES | 詩

Ann Hui | Hong Kong | 2023 | 101 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 2:45pm Edwards

Ann Hui, celebrated icon of the Hong Kong New Wave, returns with musings about the past, present, and future with a who’s who of contemporary poetry in Hong Kong and beyond. Conversations with Huang Canran and Liu Wai Tong, in particular, examine writings about a place that no longer exists.

Fresh from Cannes, Venice, and other prestigious international film festivals, these are premiere works by the world’s best directors.

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST | 悪は存在しない

Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan | 2023 | 105 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 12:30pm Edwards

Tue, Nov 7 » 8:10pm Edwards

Villagers of a small, modest forest town live off the land and water. When a Tokyo talent agency decides to build a glamping site upstream, residents stand up in dissent. The latest exploration of human mysteries from the director of the Oscar-winning Drive My Car

IN OUR DAY | 우리의 하루

Hong Sang-soo | South Korea | 2023 | 84 min

Mon, Nov 6 » 6:20pm Edwards

Fri, Nov 10 » 2:25pm MOPA

Ramyun, cigarettes, and soju. Fluffy cats and the light banter of artists. In parallel conversations, a poet and an actress are visited upon by a younger generation of aspiring creators. Director Hong Sang-soo returns with another feather-like jaunt that instills in a drinking game or modest shrug the gentle wisdom of an afternoon with friends.

IN WATER | 물안에서

Hong Sang-soo | South Korea | 2023 | 61 min

A young actor brings two friends to the beach to make his first film, which he has no plan for.

Tue, Nov 7 » 8:55pm Edwards

IN WATER is Hong Sangsoo's latest love letter to naive filmmaking, and in a gesture that couldn’t be more brash, brilliant, and bratty, he shoots the whole movie out-of-focus, lending it the feel of a beach watercolor.

Fri, Nov 3 » 9:00pm Edwards

Sun, Nov 5 » 8:00pm Edwards

MAD FATE | 命案

Soi Cheang | Hong Kong | 2023 | 108 min

A cat-killing, murder-craving delivery boy becomes the next project of The Master, a jittery fortune teller trying to save the world, one karma-cleaning at a time. When their paths intersect with a grisly serial killer terrorizing prostitutes and a hard-boiled cop in hot pursuit, it’s anybody’s guess which fate will win. Swim in Soi Cheang’s cheeky cocktail of chaotic action, the darkly perverse, and absurdly spiritual hope.

Hirokazu Kore-eda | Japan | 2023 | 126 min

Fri, Nov 3 » 6:10pm Edwards

Sat, Nov 4 » 5:50pm Edwards

From the world’s greatest director of children comes a Rashomon-like story of a mother who alleges that her son’s teacher has verbally and physically abused him. The scenario is approached from three perspectives, each one complicating the point-of-view of the previous, while also unfolding deeper layers of feeling, humanity, and even hope.

YOUTH (SPRING) | 青春

Wang Bing | France, Luxembourg, Netherlands | 2023 | 215 min

Thu, Nov 9 » 6:30pm Edwards

The great documentarian of 21st century China, Wang Bing returns to Huzhou garment factories in the first of a planned trilogy following workers across the years. In part one, we meet them in their springtime. They are a young, lively bunch, flirting from across the factory, listening to pop music, and clashing with the owners. Shot over six years with Wang’s signature commitment to the everyday people who sustain the Chinese and global economies.

MONSTER | 怪物

Unknown Pleasures

Discover Asia’s latest innovative filmmakers, with an alchemy of new stories and new ways of telling them.

AGRA

Kanu Behl | India, France | 2023 | 132 min

Thu, Nov 9 » 5:45pm

Call center worker Guru still lives with his parents. Pent up in his own frustrations, he finds solace in sex chat groups. A fantasy of romantic bliss appears in hallucinations, as does the equally-illusory prospect of finding a house of his own. Hailed from Cannes as one of India’s most shocking films ever.

DIVINE FACTORY

Joseph Mangat | Philippines, USA, Taiwan | 2022 | 120 min

Tue, Nov 7 » 6:15pm

There are only saints in this film… a whole factory of them. In a country steeped in Catholicism, San Diego native Joseph Mangat’s debut swims in the craft, commerce, and surprising community of holy relics and their social outcast creators at one Manila warehouse. As Duterte’s regime leaks through the margins, a fascinating portrait of one lively and complicated ecosystem of labor, queer life, and reverence.

INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL | BÊN TRONG VỎ KÉN VÀNG

Thien An Pham | Vietnam, Singapore, France, Spain | 2023 | 178 min

Wed, Nov 8 » 6:40pm

After the death of his sister-in-law, Thiện vows to reunite her son with a long-absent father, whom neither of them have seen in years. It is no straightforward trek though, as Thiện journeys through the Vietnamese countryside, conversing with strangers along the way. Winner of the Best First Feature Award at Cannes, a fitting honor for a striking and burning new voice.

Regal Edwards

Regal Edwards

Regal Edwards

Unknown Pleasures

ONLOOKERS

Kimi Takesue | USA | 2023 | 72 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 10:20am

Western tourists crowd Laotian landmarks, cameras in hand. The locals notice, sometimes looking back, sometimes looking away, all while director Kimi Takesue’s cool, wide-angle lens soaks them in, one impeccably composed shot at a time. A critical and sometimes humorous look at globalization in motion, whether in street encounters or footsteps in the natural landscape.

SAND | மணல்

Visakesa Chandrasekaram | Sri Lanka | 2023 | 102 min

Mon, Nov 6 » 6:35pm

A former Tamil Tiger is released on bail. With his mother, he returns home in search of his longlost love. In the process, he finds a silenced community, having borne witness to a scarring civil war and the paralysis caused by past and ever-present violence. A still, spiritual journey of war’s aftermath and the land on which a town endures.

Preceded by: LOTUS-EYED GIRL

Rajee Samarasinghe | Sri Lanka, USA, China | 2023 | 6 min

SMALL FRY | 잔챙이

Park Joongha | South Korea | 2023 | 95 min

Tue, Nov 7 » 5:45pm

A YouTube celebrity famous for fishing videos, Ho-jun has rod, bait, and camera ready for a morning shoot. But when he arrives at his secret fishing spot, he finds another fisherman claiming his seat. The interloper turns out to be an aspiring film director, who has no patience for ceding his place to an internet star. The award-winning SMALL FRY is a light comedy of professional jealousy, fated encounters, and strangers who aren’t who they appear to be.

Edwards

Edwards

Edwards

Tue, Nov 7 » 6:25pm Edwards

Unknown Pleasures

THE TASTE OF MANGO

Chloe Abrahams | UK, USA | 2023 | 75 min

Artist-filmmaker Chloe Abrahams’ debut explores the entwined legacies of her Sri Lankan mother living in the UK, her grandmother, and herself. Wielding a Handycam as paintbrush, Abrahams shifts between diasporic domestic scenes and abstract elsewheres, 1970s country songs and generational echoes, constructing a textured, glittering family portrait of onceunspeakable inheritances.

Preceded by: WHAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT

Melanie Dang Ho | USA | 2023 | 11 min

TERRESTRIAL VERSES |

Thu, Nov 9 » 8:45pm Edwards

A new father’s name for his baby is rejected as impermissible. A man is accosted by unusual inquiries when renewing his drivers’ license. A woman just wants to get her dog back. In front of the unwavering gaze of the camera, these and other ordinary Iranians are accosted by bureaucracy, and in intricate, intimate, colorful, absurd, and exasperating conversations, they confront it back.

TIGER STRIPES

Amanda Nell Eu | Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Qatar | 2023 | 95 min

Mon, Nov 6 » 8:55pm Edwards

Tue, Nov 7 » 8:45pm Edwards

At 12 years old, Zaffan is the first in her class to undergo physical changes. She’s singled-out, she’s taunted, and she’s stigmatized. But as her transformations start to correlate with rumors of a campus demon, Zaffan starts to embrace her monstrosity. She shall be feared.

Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami | Iran | 2023 | 77 min

Classics Restored

Dazzling restorations of canonical docs, big screen gems, and little-known masterworks that rewrite the lineage of Asian and Asian American cinema with punch and poignancy.

Sat, Nov 11 » 6:55pm

One of the Taiwan New Cinema’s greatest films, AH FEI follows a family across the decades, as a mother hardened by her husband’s infidelity grapples with the fear that her intelligent, highachieving daughter may fall into the same trap. Adapted by Liao Hui-ying from her own novel, in collaboration with co-writer Hou Hsiao-hsien.

Tue, Nov 7 » 6:00pm

In this classic of Asian American documentary, the eviction order of San Francisco's International Hotel – long-time home for Filipino and Chinese elders – galvanized a decade-long resistance movement that ended in the violent removal of its residents. This timely restoration captures the joys and struggles of manongs - not as laborers but as human beings and their fight to live.

min

Fri, Nov 10 » 4:20pm

Sat, Nov 11 » 4:50pm

Starring the legendary Leslie Cheung and Gong Li, this epoch-defining saga of two boys who become Peking opera singers is a sizzling melodrama of backstage life, a button-pushing depiction of gender on- and off-stage, and the film that thrust Chinese cinema to the international stage. Shown uncut in American theaters for the first time in 30 years.

Wan Jen | Taiwan | 1984 | 112 min

AH FEI | 油麻菜籽

UCSD

Chen Kaige | China, Hong Kong | 1993 | 170

FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE | 霸王別姬

MOPA

Edwards

Curtis Choy | USA | 1983 | 59 min

THE FALL OF THE I-HOTEL

Edwards

Mon, Nov 6 » 6:00pm Edwards

HITO HATA: RAISE THE BANNER

Robert A. Nakamura, Duane Kubo | USA | 1980 | 94 min

Mako and Pat Morita headline what was the most ambitious Asian American film of its time: a feature film about an issei man’s experiences across the 20th century, from working on the transcontinental railroad, to WWII incarceration, to life in LA’s Little Tokyo as it faces gentrification. A proud history of Japanese American roots and the newfound banner of Asian America.

TYPHOON CLUB | 台風クラブ

Shinji Somai | Japan | 1985 | 115 min

Wed, Nov 8 » 6:15pm Edwards

From one of Japanese cinema’s most influential filmmakers of the 1980s comes a junior high romp of meteorological proportions. Behavior is bad, hormones are at a boiling point, and big questions about life and the human species are spit around as only teenagers can. All while clouds gather overhead. A typhoon is coming.

Short Films

ANIMORPHS (101 min)

Shorts that explore the mystery of shifting physical forms whether human to animal, home to dust, or a corpse to a million tiny lives.

I HAVE NO LEGS, AND I MUST RUN | 跑！跑！跑！

Yue Li | China | 2022 | 15 min

WHITE ANT

Shalini Adnani | UK, India | 2023 | 15 min

AIKĀNE

Daniel Sousa, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson | USA | 2023 | 14 min

CARRION

Wed, Nov 8 » 4:00pm Edwards

Yvonne Zhang | USA | 2022 | 21 min

THE LIGHT | 그 불빛을 보기 위해서

Hanyoung Chae | South Korea | 2023 | 15 min

SAWO MATANG

Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto | Indonesia, Canada, USA | 2023 | 21 min

ARCHITEXXXUAL (85 min)

Anus serenades and Sims experiments await in these explicit, graphic, and daring shorts that explore the deep entanglement of sexuality and space.

RED THREADS

Yuchi Ma | USA | 2022 | 12 min

THIRSTYGIRL

Alexandra Qin | USA | 2023 | 10 min

TONGUE | 舌

Kaho Yoshida | Canada, Japan | 2022 | 2 min

BOLD EAGLE

Wed, Nov 8 » 8:30pm Edwards

Whammy Alcazaren | Philippines, Singapore | 2022 | 16 min

AFTER BED

TT Takemoto | USA | 2023 | 3 min

WHERE IS THE FRIEND'S HOME?

Amina Maher | Germany | 2023 | 12 min

PARADISE | 낙원

Minki Hong | South Korea | 2023 | 30 min

A smorgasbord of cinematic surprises from across the spectrum of Asian and Asian American experience - from raucous good times to experimental play, feisty histories, and surreal reptile worship.

ASTRAL PROJECTIONS

(102 min)

Experimental films that hover between hauntings and the impalpable, transporting viewers to a realm of portals, avatars, collapsed time, and shifting borders.

MA'AT

Anthony Thambynayagam & Audrey Weber | USA | 2023 | 6 min

AZHEH

Hadi Rezayati Charan | Iran | 2022 | 15 min

I WAS BORN IN 1988

Yasaman Baghban | USA, Iran | 2023 | 9 min

KĀUA - WE (YOU & I)

Rachel Makana'aloha O Kauikeolani Nakawatase | USA | 2023 | 2 min

ALL TRACE IS GONE, NO CLAMOUR FOR A KISS

Chris Zhongtian Yuan | UK | 2023 | 22 min

TIME_TRAVELER

Isaac Kau | USA | 2023 | 3 min

AWAKEN

Alijah Jacob Castillo Buada | USA | 2023 | 9 min

MANY MOONS

Chisato Hughes | USA | 2023 | 21 min

THE 25TH FILIAL EXEMPLAR |

Leon Cheo | USA | 2022 | 15 min

Sun, Nov 5 » 12:40pm Edwards

Short Films

CLOSE CONTACT (69 min)

A phone message, a medical translator, a vocal archive - these shorts explore uncanny communicative touchpoints during quarantine’s many dislocations.

BRIGHTER DAYS

Puck Lo | USA | 2023 | 16 min

ANU

Pulkit Arora | New Zealand, India | 2023 | 13 min

TO WRITE FROM MEMORY | 默 (TO WRITE FROM MEMORY)

Emory Chao Johnson | USA | 2023 | 18 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 2:55pm

PANDEMIC BREAD

Zeinabu irene Davis | USA | 2023 | 22 min

EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING (97

min)

Stories that play in the zone between vocation and vacation, a sense of purpose and the siren song of perhaps

PRIMITIVE TIMES | UHRMENSCHEN

Hao Yu | Germany | 2023 | 6 min

BENKYODO: THE LAST MANJU SHOP IN J-TOWN

Akira Boch, Tadashi Nakamura | USA | 2023 | 16 min

FIRST CHAIR

Ethan Montgomery, Luke Montgomery | USA | 2023 | 13 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 12:55pm

SHE SINGS FOR THE WORLD |

Beau Han Bridge | Canada | 2023 | 19 min

HERE, HOPEFULLY

Hao Zhou | USA | 2023 | 11 min

FACING THE SEA IN SPRING BLOSSOM | 面朝大海，春暖花开

Mel Sangyi Zhao | China | 2023 | 15 min

RETURN TO YOUTH | 回春

Mel Sangyi Zhao | China | 2023 | 17 min

Edwards

Edwards

FAMILIES-TO-BE: SHORT FILMS FROM TAIWAN

(85 min)

From birth to death to memories that transcend generations, these award-winning short films reflect on the moments when families change forever.

IT FOLLOWS IT PASSES ON | 撿起放下墜落提起

Erica Sheu | USA, Taiwan | 2023 | 5 min

ON ANOTHER'S SORROW | 送行

Yen Hao Hsuan | Taiwan | 2022 | 32 min

BIG DAY | 大日子

Chiang Chung-chieh | Taiwan | 2022 | 23 min

DADDY-TO-BE | 有了？！

Pan Ke-yin | Taiwan | 2022 | 25 min

UCSD

Sat, Nov 11 » 5:00pm UCSD

Short Films

KID OUTSIDER (97 min)

Young souls teeter on the edge of the unruly worlds around them - from shifting kinship to gender custodies, shuttered doors and fantastical encounters.

HAFEKASI

Annelise Hickey | Australia | 2023 | 16 min

CLOSING DYNASTY

Lloyd Lee Choi | USA | 2023 | 17 min

ABAN

Abbas Taheri, Mahdieh Toosi | Iran, France | 2022 | 16 min

THE OLD YOUNG CROW | 今昔カラス

Liam LoPinto | Japan, USA | 2023 | 12 min

A ROADSIDE BANQUET | 鸡毛掸子

Peiqi Peng | USA | 2023 | 16 min

YOUNG PEOPLE, OLD PEOPLE & NOTHING IN BETWEEN | วายป็อบ

Parida Tantiwasadakran | Thailand | 2022 | 20 min

KINTEREST (102 min)

The many moodboards of kin, whether chosen or biological, imagined or all-too-real.

MORE BOUNCE

Alexis Si'i | USA | 2023 | 6 min

FIND WHERE I BELONG

Kahu Kaiha | New Zealand | 2023 | 14 min

ADAM'S SONG

Nathan Xia | USA | 2023 | 17 min

GOLDEN VOICE

Mars Verrone | Cambodia, USA | 2023 | 18 min

WHAT THEY LEFT BEHIND | 他們所留下的記憶

Xingyu Gu | USA | 2022 | 7 min

THE VOYAGER'S LEGACY

Bailey Poching | New Zealand | 2022 | 10 min

SUPERMARKET AFFAIRS

Hang Luong Nguyen | USA, Vietnam | 2023 | 16 min

100% USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC HOMEMADE TOFU

Gbenga Komolafe | USA | 2022 | 14 min

Mon, Nov 6 » 4:00pm Edwards

Fri, Nov 3 » 4:00pm Edwards

LANDSCAPE MODE (84 min)

The natural world as provider and witness - where sunlight is a luxury good, insect sounds infect art utopias, humans adopt bird language, an unusual fish pond tells a painful history, and squirrels conspire to help war victims.

INVASIVE SPECIES

Annie Ning | USA | 2023 | 13 min

TRACING HISTORY

Jalena Keane-Lee | USA | 2023 | 13 min

CARPENTER | شاتراد - DARTAŞ

Xelîl Sehragerd | Kurdistan | 2023 | 14 min

REALITY

Xixi Xie | China | 2023 | 2 min

BIRDSONG

Omi Zola Gupta, Sparsh Ahuja | UK, Laos | 2022 | 18 min

THROUGH SUNLESS WAYS

Kira Dane, Katelyn Rebelo | USA | 2023 | 24 min

QUEER MATTERS (98 min)

From a drag performer with a secret to a writer stuck at a crossroads, these films chronicle the wideranging queer experience.

BISTRO #1

Kiana Thienkim Nguyen | USA | 2023 | 10 min

MIA'S MISSION

Jireh Dang | USA | 2023 | 11 min

NEXT OF KIN

Timothy Guion Smith | USA | 2023 | 15 min

QUEERFULLY DEPARTED

Trent Nakamura | USA | 2023 | 9 min

ZENAIDA

San-San Onglatco | USA | 2023 | 23 min

HYPHEN

May-Lynn Le | USA | 2023 | 19 min

A GUIDE TO NOT DYING COMPLETELY ALONE

Yen Tan | USA | 2023 | 12 min

Thu, Nov 9 » 6:20pm Edwards

Sat, Nov 4 » 5:30pm Edwards

Short Films

REEL VOICES (120 min)

Audacious. Expressive. Illimitable. This year’s twelve filmmakers from our Reel Voices documentary filmmaking program explore their sense of self through cultural, generational, and interpersonal identity.

STAND UP SPEAK UP

Paziano Parel-Sewell | USA | 2023 | 12 min

CONEFLOWER WOMEN

KC Park | USA | 2023 | 13 min

LA NUEVA FLOR

Emmanuel Enriquez | USA | 2023 | 10 min

BERG MO | GRAPE LEAVES

Anaheta Hamzai | USA | 2023 | 4 min

DE AQUÍ Y DE ALLÁ.

Leilani Gonzalez | USA, Mexico | 2023 | 7 min

SIL-TTEU-GI

Yezy Suh | USA | 2023 | 5 min

Sun, Nov 5 » 12:00pm Edwards

PARALLEL LIVES

Arwan Shrivastava | USA | 2023 | 7 min

INSIDE ONYX

Attila Sharipbek | USA | 2023 | 4 min

THE WARRIOR WITHIN

Jacquelyn Dy | USA | 2023 | 8 min

GROWING UP | 철들다

Isabel Kim | USA | 2023 | 8 min

PUPPY LOVE

Nella Sak | USA | 2023 | 8 min

WEATHERED

Patrick Jang | USA | 2023 | 10 min

SHORTS FOR SHORTIES! (38 min)

Our family-friendly selection is back! Full of treats, monkey adventures, and koi fish fantasy to spark joy for the next generation of dreamers and achievers.

MEIHOUWANG

Justin Ni | USA | 2023 | 7 min

AKI

Wanci Hua | USA, Taiwan | 2022 | 4 min

DYING TO DEFROST

Heather Ann Abeyasekera | Singapore | 2023 | 4 min

SWEET REFUGE

Maryam Mir | USA | 2023 | 12 min

OUR PHOTO MEMENTO

Samaneh Lashgari | Iran | 2022 | 7 min

A SUMMER DREAM | 夏之梦

Wendy Jia | USA | 2023 | 2 min

BETWEEN WINGS AND SWINGS

Yuyang Yan | Canada | 2022 | 3 min

SOFT LANDINGS (89 min)

Stories that find gentleness in an unpredictable world.

THE LAST SEPTEMBER

Sophia Shi | USA | 2023 | 12 min

NOVA

Manaal Shareh | USA | 2023 | 6 min

TEETERING GRAPHITE | 巛－ － － 谷

Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin Liu | Taiwan, USA | 2023 | 13 min

BIRDSONG

Hrishi Bardhan | USA | 2022 | 12 min

GROCERY LIST

Joanne Mony Park | USA | 2022 | 9 min

IN THE GARDEN OF TULIPS

Julia Elihu | USA | 2023 | 13 min

ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES | 我的朋友

Zhang Dalei | China | 2023 | 24 min

Sat, Nov 4 » 11:00am Edwards

Thu, Nov 9 » 4:00pm Edwards

Short Films

TAKE ME NOW FISH GOD (71 min)

A hyper-pop fever dream of sexy fish deities, synchronized crocodile spinning, and an AI goddess, where each surrealistic fantasy overwhelms despair with color, flair, and camp.

GARDEN AMIDST THE FLAME | EN ÚMA AN ÚNÈR I WÀ'À

Natasha Tontey | Indonesia, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands | 2023 | 27 min

LUX CHROMA

Ari Yong | Malaysia | 2023 | 10 min

CHOMP IT!

Mark Chua, Lam Li Shuen | Singapore | 2023 | 12 min

Tue, Nov 7 » 4:00pm

HITO

Stephen Lopez | Philippines | 2023 | 22 min

ULTRA BAD OBJECTS (105 min)

From rogue raccoons, Bobby Lee, elusive kimchi, and first time highs in the PH, these shorts revel in the funky and the fermented.

ROCK INN

Fon Davis | USA | 2023 | 11 min

HOUSE RULES

Aimee Pham, Kai Sampadian | USA | 2023 | 13 min

SAY SOMETHING

Jiin Oh | USA | 2023 | 13 min

THE NEW TALE OF RAT WIFE | 쥐아내전

Yoonsun Kim | South Korea | 2023 | 19 min

DEATH & RAMEN

Thu, Nov 9 » 8:35pm

Tiger Ji | USA | 2023 | 14 min

IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY | 가족의 이름으로

Lee Gyeongjun | South Korea | 2023 | 22 min

WHEN YOU LEFT ME ON THAT BOULEVARD

Kayla Abuda Galang | USA | 2023 | 13 min

Edwards

Edwards

ABOUT PACIFIC ARTS MOVEMENT

Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts) is one of the largest media arts organizations in North America that focuses on Asian and Asian American cinema. Our mission is to present Pan Asian media arts to San Diego residents and visitors in order to inspire, entertain, and support a more compassionate society.

OUR PROGRAMS

Pac Arts is committed to sharing powerful stories with audiences year-round through the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Spring Showcase, Spotlight Screenings, and Outdoor Screenings. From our award-winning high school documentary program Reel Voices to Youth Days at the festival, we are also dedicated to educating and nurturing a new generation of creative leaders and storytellers.

SPRING SHOWCASE An eight-day presentation of the best of Asian and Asian American cinema on the other side of the calendar year.

YOUTH DAYS Two days of free youthoriented film screenings to educate, enlighten, and enhance local students' film and cultural literacy.

REEL VOICES A 10-week summer documentary program training local high school students to become sociallyconscious digital storytellers. Since 2005, Reel Voices empowers high school youth to learn the art of documentary filmmaking and to tell stories that are both personal and deeply relevant to the broader San Diego community.

OUTDOOR CINEMA Pac Arts presents year-round film programs such as Spotlight and Outdoor Screenings throughout San Diego County.

LEARN HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS pacarts.org/donate

We’re looking for original and creative stories that amplify the experiences of service members, veterans and their families. Also, open to all military-connected filmmakers. OCTOBER 16, 2023

aEnjoy change of pace.

Apl.de.ap

of the Black Eyed Peas

Southwestern College

Wednesday,

Sponsors

MAJOR GRANTS

MAJOR SPONSORS

SPOTLIGHT SPONSORS

PRINT SPONSOR

MEDIA PARTNER

MAJOR MEDIA

VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY SPONSOR

COMMUNITY SPONSORS

FEATURE FILMS

100 YARDS (P. 22)

THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER (P. 14)

ABANG ADIK (P. 18)

AGRA (P. 25)

AH FEI (P. 28)

ALL EARS (P. 22)

AS IF IT'S TRUE (P. 18)

COBWEB (P. 18)

COME HOME, MY CHILD (P. 14)

CONCRETE UTOPIA (P. 19)

DAY OFF (P. 19)

DIVINE FACTORY (P. 25)

EAST WEST PLAYERS: A HOME ON STAGE (P. 11)

EGGHEAD & TWINKIE (P. 14)

ELEGIES (P. 22)

EVIL DOES NOT EXIST (P. 23)

THE FALL OF THE I-HOTEL (P. 28)

FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (P. 28)

GROUNDED (P. 15)

HITO HATA: RAISE THE BANNER (P. 29)

HOME IS A HOTEL (P. 15)

HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY (P. 15)

IN OUR DAY (P. 23)

IN WATER (P. 23)

INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL (P. 25)

KILLING ROMANCE (P. 19)

MA, I LOVE YOU (P. 19)

MAD FATE (P. 24)

MONSTER (P. 24)

NEW STRAINS (P. 16)

NOWHERE NEAR (P. 16)

ONE SECOND AHEAD, ONE SECOND

BEHIND (P. 20)

THE OATH OF THE SWORD (P. 13)

ONLOOKERS (P. 26)

RAGING GRACE (P. 20)

RALLY (P. 16)

RED CARD (P. 17)

RED, WHITE & BRASS (P. 20)

RIVER (P. 21)

SAND (P. 26)

THE SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT (P. 17)

SLEEP (P. 21)

SMALL FRY (P. 26)

THE TASTE OF MANGO (P. 27)

TERRESTRIAL VERSES (P. 27)

TIGER STRIPES (P. 27)

TYPHOON CLUB (P. 29)

WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE P. 17)

WONDERLAND (P. 21)

YOU & ME & ME (P. 21)

YOUTH (SPRING) (P. 24)

SHORT FILMS

THE 25TH FILIAL EXEMPLAR (P. 31)

100% USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC

HOMEMADE TOFU (P. 34)

ALONE (P. 35)

ABAN (P. 34)

ADAM'S SONG (P. 34)

AFTER BED (P. 30)

AIKĀNE (P. 30)

AKI (P. 37)

ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES (P. 37)

ALL TRACE IS GONE, NO CLAMOUR FOR

A KISS (P. 31)

ANU (P. 32)

AWAKEN (P. 31)

AZHEH (P. 31)

BENKYODO: THE LAST MANJU SHOP IN J-TOWN (P. 32)

BERG MO (P. 36)

BETWEEN WINGS AND SWINGS (P. 37)

BIG DAY (P. 33)

BIRDSONG (USA) (P. 37)

BIRDSONG (UK, LAOS) (P. 35)

BISTRO #1 (P. 35)

THE BODY OF MY NAME (P. 14)

BOLD EAGLE (P. 30)

BRIGHTER DAYS (P. 32)

CARPENTER (P. 35)

CARRION (P. 30)

CHOMP IT! (P. 38)

CLOSING DYNASTY (P. 34)

CONEFLOWER WOMEN (P. 36)

DADDY-TO-BE (P. 33)

DE AQUÍ Y DE ALLÁ. (P. 36)

DEATH & RAMEN (P. 38)

DYING TO DEFROST (P. 37)

FACING THE SEA IN SPRING BLOSSOM (P. 32)

THE FANATICS (P. 17)

FIND WHERE I BELONG (P. 34)

FIRST CHAIR (P. 32)

GARDEN AMIDST THE FLAME (P. 38)

A GUIDE TO NOT DYING COMPLETELY

GOLDEN VOICE (P. 34)

GROCERY LIST (P. 37)

GROWING UP (P. 36)

HAFEKASI (P. 34)

HERE, HOPEFULLY (P. 32)

HITO (P. 38)

HOUSE RULES (P. 38)

HYPHEN (P. 35)

I HAVE NO LEGS, AND I MUST RUN (P. 30)

I WAS BORN IN 1988 (P. 31)

IN THE GARDEN OF TULIPS (P. 37)

IN THE NAME OF THE FAMILY (P. 38)

INSIDE ONYX (P. 36)

INVASIVE SPECIES (P. 35)

IT FOLLOWS IT PASSES ON (P. 33)

KĀUA - WE (YOU & I) (P. 31)

LA NUEVA FLOR (P. 36)

THE LAST SEPTEMBER (P. 37)

THE LIGHT (P. 30)

LOTUS-EYED GIRL (P. 26)

LUX CHROMA (P. 38)

MA'AT (P. 31)

MANY MOONS (P. 31)

MEIHOUWANG (P. 37)

MIA'S MISSION (P. 35)

MORE BOUNCE (P. 34)

THE NEW TALE OF RAT WIFE (P. 38)

NEXT OF KIN (P. 35)

NIAN (P. 20)

NOISE (P. 16)

NOVA (P. 37)

ON ANOTHER'S SORROW (P. 33)

THE OLD YOUNG CROW (P. 34)

OUR PHOTO MEMENTO (P. 37)

PANDEMIC BREAD (P. 32)

PARADISE (P. 30)

PARALLEL LIVES (P. 36)

PIPA AND LIZARD (P. 17)

PRIMETIME MOTHER (P. 18)

PRIMITIVE TIMES (P. 32)

PUPPY LOVE (P. 36)

QUEERFULLY DEPARTED (P. 35)

REALITY (P. 35)

RED THREADS (P. 30)

RETURN TO YOUTH (P. 32)

A ROADSIDE BANQUET (P. 34)

ROCK INN (P. 38)

SAWO MATANG (P. 30)

SAY SOMETHING (P. 38)

SHE SINGS FOR THE WORLD (P. 32)

SIL-TTEU-GI (P. 36)

STAND UP SPEAK UP (P. 36)

A SUMMER DREAM (P. 37)

SUPERMARKET AFFAIRS (P. 34)

SWEET REFUGE (P. 37)

TEETERING GRAPHITE (P. 37)

THIRSTYGIRL (P. 30)

THROUGH SUNLESS WAYS (P. 35)

TIME_TRAVELER (P. 31)

TO WRITE FROM MEMORY (P. 32)

TONGUE (P. 30)

TRACING HISTORY (P. 35)

THE VOYAGER'S LEGACY (P. 34)

THE WARRIOR WITHIN (P. 36)

WEATHERED (P. 36)

WHAT THEY LEFT BEHIND (P. 34)

WHAT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT (P. 27)

WHEN YOU LEFT ME ON THAT BOULEVARD (P. 38)

WHERE IS THE FRIEND'S HOME? (P. 30)

WHITE ANT (P. 30)

YOUNG PEOPLE, OLD, PEOPLE & NOTHING

IN BETWEEN (P. 34)

ZENAIDA (P. 35)

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160+ films

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