21 Years Later: What to screen

21 Years Later

The D.C. Asian Pacific American Film Festival’s 21st edition is “Loud. Proud. Unbowed.”

By Pat Padua

@PatPadua The 21st annual D.C. Asian Pacific American Film Festival explores a rich array of distinct cultures. Featuring 56 films from seven countries, it streams online from July 15 to 25 and closes with an in-person screening of The Girl Who Left Home at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. These independent productions revel in Hollywood tropes, but each puts a regional flavor on a vanilla template—for example, in more than one case, food plays a crucial role in cross-cultural conflicts. The Girl Who Left Home wasn’t available for preview, but it’s the debut feature from Rockville native Mallorie Ortega. The musical dramedy tells the story of a young Filipino American woman who puts aside her career dreams to help keep her family’s business afloat. Based on the high quality of the titles we did screen, the festival will be a thoroughly entertaining look at the Asian and Pacific Islander immigrant experience in America.

Lumpia With a Vengeance

“Nobody will get that! It’s too Filipino!” That’s what one unfortunate villain tells high school student Rachel (April Absynth) when she explains her crime-fighting name Ate Hero is a pun on generational honorifics. Director Patricio Ginelsa’s rambunctious second feature is indeed very Filipino, but as with lumpia, everyone will want seconds. In fact, Lumpia With a Vengeance is a belated sequel to Ginelsa’s low-budget action comedy Lumpia (2003), which depicted students dealing with bullies at a predominantly Filipino high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a bigger budget and an exuberant pop art sheen, Ginelsa follows up with his high school charges 18 years later—in comic book movie form.

Vengeance tracks a vigilante known as Lumpia Man (Mark Muñoz), who tries to protect his reputation from a crime gang that sells drug-laced versions of the Filipino egg roll that gives him his name. Ginelsa makes a running joke out of mistaken culinary identity: News reports initially claim that murder victims have been found with taquitos sticking out of their mouths, but Fogtown’s Filipino mayor clarifies the distinction for a press conference filled with reporters who still don’t get it. Comic book graphics introduce each character and punctuate fight scenes, and the sight of greasy, delicious lumpia being wielded as deadly weapons may seem silly. But despite that surface glitz, food is a powerful metaphor. When used for good, it unites people of different cultures; laced with drugs, it’s a corruption of the culture. Even without that subtext, Vengeance is a wild ride, with Muñoz, a former mixed martial arts fighter, as a strong and mostly silent presence. Watch for genre veteran Danny Trejo as a rival drug lord.

The cast and crew of Lumpia With a Vengeance will participate in a live virtual Q&A on Sunday, July 18, at 6 p.m. All audience members who buy a pass or purchase a ticket will get a link to a free digital copy of a comic book tie-in. Americanish

Hijabi American Muslim Iman K. Zawahry makes her feature directorial debut with this endearing rom-com about three women who try to reconcile varying degrees of Pakistani tradition with the dating pool in Jackson Heights, Queens. Maryam (Aizzah Fatima) is a PR

A scene from Lumpia With a Vengeance

specialist who reluctantly tries to make racist political candidate Douglas Smarts (George Wendt) more palatable for social media; her younger sister, Sam (Salena Qureshi), is getting ready to take the MCAT and dreams of attending Harvard; meanwhile, their cousin Ameera (Shenaz Treasury) is visiting America determined to meet and marry a Pakistani doctor. Naturally, each of the three women matches up with someone they least expect. But even if the plot is thoroughly predictable—as soon Ameera meets Black Muslim bodega owner Gabriel (Godfrey), you know they’ll end up together—the cast is likable enough to make it all work.

The cast and crew of Americanish will appear for a live virtual Q&A on Thursday, July 15, at 9 p.m. Dinner Party

First-time director Chris Naoki Lee grew up in an ethnically diverse community in Los Angeles, and based this timely and provocative drama on his own circle of friends. The slowburning tension starts when Cal (Lee) brings his new girlfriend, Izzy (Imani Hakim), to meet his high school friends, most of whom he hasn’t seen in a decade. Hosting the party are Shannon (Kara Wang), the only woman in this gang of bros, and her husband, Vinny (Daniel Weaver, who also cowrote the script with Lee). In the backdrop of this amiable but uneasy reunion is the outcome of a fictional assault trial, which everyone is following on social media. This already tense group dynamic is fueled by the fact that Cal and his friends grew up in a different political climate—one in which a certain level of racial and sexual hostility was played for laughs, but their jokes just aren’t funny anymore, especially to outsiders. And coloring the proceedings is a dark secret that these friends share.

If the setup is contrived, Lee, who made the film in four days during the pandemic, deftly directs his ensemble cast, who are completely convincing in their roles as a bunch of old friends who haven’t seen each other in years. And the fictional trial case is a clever device, raising relevant questions without preconceived ideas of guilt. DinnerParty is a sober look at where society is today, suggesting that maybe we can’t all get along after all.

Patricio Ginelsa A scene from Americanish

Take Out Girl

This flawed but ultimately moving crime drama from Guyanese American director Hissoni Mustafa revolves around Tera (Hedy Wong, who also cowrote and produced), who delivers orders for her family’s Chinese restaurant in a crime-ridden Los Angeles neighborhood. Tired of watching her mother, Wavy (Lynna Yee), working so hard just to break even, Tera decides to work with neighborhood drug kingpin Lalo (former Soul Train dancer Ski Carr), who seems to take a shine to the tough young woman, referring to her as “take out girl.” While Tera doesn’t like being part of the drug economy, it’s the only way to lift her family out of despair, but then her family’s past activities come back to haunt them all. Take Out Girl is sometimes too raw and the acting is inconsistent from scene to scene; but Wong is a formidable presence, Yee a steady elder, and Carr a vivid gold-toothed villain.

Food

Best Bagel Best Bakery Best BBQ Restaurant Best Brunch Best Burger Best Burmese Restaurant Best Caribbean Restaurant Best Chinese Restaurant Best Cupcake Best Doughnuts Best Dumplings Best Ethiopian Restaurant Best Falafel Best Fast Casual Dining Best Food Nonprofit Best Food Truck Best French Restaurant Best Fried Chicken Best Fries Best Gay Bar/Club/Lounge Best Gelato/Ice Cream Best Gluten-Free Menu Best Hangover Breakfast Best Indian Restaurant Best Italian Restaurant Best Japanese Restaurant Best Kabob Restaurant Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant Best Korean Restaurant Best Laotian Restaurant Best Late Night Eats Best Latin American Restaurant Best Local Soup Best Mexican Restaurant Best Middle Eastern Restaurant Best Mussels Best New Restaurant Best Pho Restaurant Best Pie Best Pizza Best Place to Buy Candy Best Place to Have Dinner with Live Music Best Pretzel Best Ramen Best Raw Bar Best Restaurant Best Restaurant with a View Best Salvadoran Restaurant Best Sandwich Best Seafood Restaurant Best Slice of Pizza Best Small Plates Best Soul Food Restaurant Best South American Restaurant Best Steak House Restaurant Best Taco Best Thai Restaurant Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant Best Vietnamese Restaurant Best Wings

Dear Readers of Washington City Paper:

Now, more than ever, we care how you feel. Really, we do. We are once again asking for your favorite haunts, your favorite handyman, your favorite vegetarian joint, your favorite bike shop, and, of course, the things that got you through the pandemic. Let’s celebrate D.C. Let’s define what we love most about living here, in good times and bad. Let’s vote. NOMINATIONS / July 1 - August 1 ~ VOTING August 19 - Sept. 19

Drink

Best Bar Best Bar with Games/Activities Best Beer Selection Best Bloody Mary Best Brew Pub Best Cocktail Bar Best Coffee Shop Best Distillery Best Dive Bar Best Happy Hour Best Irish Pub Best Kombucha Best Local Brewery Best Local Winery Best Margarita Best Neighborhood Bar Best New Bar Best Outdoor Bar with TVs Best Rooftop Bar Best Sports Bar Best Trivia Bar Best Whiskey Selection Best Wine Bar

Arts & Entertainment

Best Art Class Best Art Collective Best Arts and Culture Nonprofit Best Commercial Art Gallery Best Dance Company Best Film Festival Best First Date Activity Best Go-go Band Best Karaoke Best Local Choral Group Best Local Cover Band Best Local Original Band Best Movie Theater Best Museum Tour/Exhibit Best Music Venue Best Outdoor Movie Series Best Outdoor Venue Best Performance Artist Best Place for Adult Entertainment Best Place For Tearing Up the Dance Floor Now That We Are Vaccinated Best Recording Studio Best Theater Company Best Twitch DJ Best Visual Artist Arts and Culture Festival We Missed Most Comedy Venue We Missed Most Jazz/Blues Venue We Missed Most Museum Art Gallery We Missed Most Music Festival We Missed Most Neighborhood Festival We Missed Most Performing Arts Venue We Missed Most

Health & Beauty

Best Barre Studio Best Beauty Store Best Cannabis Dispensary Best Childbirth Services Best Chiropractor Best CrossFit Gym Best Dance Class Best Dentist Best Doctor Best Eye Doctor Best Facial Best Gym Best Hair Salon Best Hair Stylist Best HIIT Studio Best Hospital Best Hot Yoga Best Indoor Cycling Studio Best Makeup Artist Best Mani/Pedi Best Martial Arts Classes Best Med Spa Best Personal Trainer (Gym) Best Personal Trainer (Non-Gym Individual Person) Best Physical Therapy Best Pilates Studio Best Place for Adventure Sports Best Place for Hair Removal Best Plastic Surgeon Best Spa Best Tattoo Parlor Best Therapeutic Massage Best Threading Best Yoga Instructor Best Yoga Studio

Goods

Best Adult Toy Store Best Arts & Crafts Supply Store Best Bike Shop Best Bookstore Best Clothing Boutique Best Comic Book Store Best Consignment Shop Best Flower Shop Best Food Market Best Garden Store Best “Gifting” Service Best Green Business Best Grocer Best Handmade Apparel/Accessories Best Hardware Store Best Home Goods Store Best Liquor Store Best Pet Shop Best Place to Buy a Suit Best Place to Buy Beer Best Place to Buy Eyeglasses Best Place to Buy Home Furnishings Best Place to Buy Instruments Best Place to Buy Jewelry Best Place to Buy Wine Best Place to Get CBD Products Best Record Store Best Running Store Best Smoke Shop Best Specialty Food Store Best Tea Shop Best Vintage Clothing Store

Services

Best Architecture Firm Best Auto Repair Best Bank/Credit Union Best Bike/Scooter Share Best Cable Provider Best Cellular Service Provider Best Contractor Best Dog Trainer Best Dog Walk Service Best Doggie Daycare Best Dry Cleaner Best Home Repair Contractor Best Internet Provider Best Landscape/ Garden Designer Best Lawyer Best Maid Service Best Money Management Services Best Movers Best Pet Groomer Best Pet Services Best Photography Services Best Place to Get Your Bike Fixed Best Place to Get Your Cracked Phone Screen Fixed Best Plumber Best Real Estate Agent Best Real Estate Group Best Ride Share Best Roofers Best Shared Work Space Best Vet

People & Places

Best B.I.D./Main Street Best Charity Event Best Community Blog Best D.C. Marathon Best Elementary School Best Graduate Program Best High School Best House of Worship Best Life Coach Best Local Instagram Account Best Local Sports Team Best Middle School Best Nonprofit Best Place to Day Trip Best Place to Meditate Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner Best Place to Volunteer Best Preschool Best Shopping Center Best Summer Camp Best Tour for Out-of-Towners

Pandemic Superstars

Best COVID-19 Business Pivot/Innovation Best COVID-19 Silver Lining Best COVID-19 Support Service Best Drive-In Theater Best Drive-Through Experience Best Local Lockdown Product Best Local Lockdown Service Best Local Virtual Workout Best Lockdown Cook-at-Home Meal Best Lockdown Takeout/ Delivery Discovery Best Lockdown Takeout/ Delivery Experience Best Pandemic Restaurant Pick-up Kit Best Prepared Cocktail To-Go Best Socially Distanced Event Series Best Virtual Fundraiser during COVID-19 Most Missed Closed Restaurant