October 20, 2020 | Events, Film,

Celebrating The 12th Boston Asian American Film Festival

We’re thrilled to be partnering with The Boston Asian American Film Festival to present this entirely virtual cinematic experience! From documentaries about Wuhan to spelling bee champions, feature films to shorts, and several artist conversations, this upcoming month of film programming is truly something to behold.

The Boston Asian American Film Festival runs from OCT 21-NOV 01. However, certain films are only available during specific streaming windows, so be sure to head over to our website to buy your tickets and see the full schedule! Keep on reading to learn more about the lineup…

DEFINITION PLEASE
AVAILABLE ONE NIGHT ONLY | OCT 21| 7:30PM ET
Directed by Sujata Day
Narrative | Drama/Comedy | 91 mins | USA

A former Scribbs Spelling Bee champion, who lives at home with her ailing mother, must reconcile with her estranged brother in order to take the first steps in realizing her dreams and moving on with her life.

Followed by Q&A with Director Sujata Day and actors Ritesh Rajan and Anna Khaja, Moderated by Phil Yu.

76 DAYS
Premiering OCT 23 at 7PM (through OCT 25 or until Sold Out!)
Directed by Hao Wu, Weixi Chen, Anonymous
93 mins | Documentary | USA/China | Mandarin 

In this intimate and eye-opening film, 76 DAYS captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China. From the start, it’s a haunting look at how the pandemic impacted the hospitals and neighborhoods in Wuhan. These are images that could be out of a sci-fi feature. On January 23, the city of 11 million people went into a lockdown that lasted 76 days.

Directors Wu and Weixi Chen approached this documentary with a raw and realistic approach, chronicling the horrors – and humanity – as the virus spread throughout the city.

Content advisories: blood, illness, dead bodies

COMING HOME AGAIN
Premiering OCT 24 at 4PM (through OCT 25 or until Sold Out!)
Directed by Wayne Wang
86 mins | Narrative | Drama | United States/South Korea | English

Based on a personal essay by Chang-rae Lee published in The New Yorker, Coming Home Again is an intimate family drama about a mother, a son, and the burden of family expectations. Chang-rae, a first-generation Korean American, has returned to his family home in San Francisco to care for his ailing mother. He wants only to fulfill his role as the supportive son, but must also come to terms with his conflicted emotions towards his mother. The film takes place over the course of one full day.

During this day, he attempts to prepare a traditional Korean dinner for New Year’s Eve. The one she always cooked for the family. The care and precision that goes into preparing this meal gives him time to reflect on the intense relationship between them. Memories about it become a doorway into a woman who was so much more than the mother he thought he knew. Chang-rae is now faced with the dilemma of living with the permanent scars of family sacrifice unresolved, or the risk of opening new wounds with his mother dying.

Followed by a Q&A with Wayne Wang (Director) and Donald Young (Producer)

A THOUSAND CUTS
Premiering OCT 25 at 4PM (through OCT 26 or until Sold Out!)
Directed by Ramona S. Diaz
120 mins | Documentary | USA/Philippines | English/Tagalog

Nowhere is the worldwide erosion of democracy, fueled by social media disinformation campaigns, more starkly evident than in the authoritarian regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Journalist Maria Ressa places the tools of the free press—and her freedom—on the line in defense of truth and democracy. 

Followed by a Q&A with Ramona Diaz; Moderated by Trish Fontanilla

8:00PM ET Join us for an additional livestream Q&A with filmmaker Ramona S. Diaz and Maria Ressa in conversation with Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated filmmaker. Presented in partnership with the Asian American Film Festival Collective.

The Boston Asian American Film Festival runs OCT 21-NOV 01 on ArtsEmerson’s virtual platform. Be sure to get your tickets today!