The first of three collections of short films showcasing stories from various Asian American cultures and communities. The films include: Shaya, Jin, Rainy Day of Earthworms, Mei, Kimchi Fried Dumplings, Raising Emma, Knots in my Shoes, Tule Lake.
OCT 25 @ 7:00PM
Special Guest Appearance by Director Gary Mei (Rainy Day for Earthworms).
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After a tribal Pakistani family is sent to live in Los Angeles as refugees, a young boy is forced to become the patriarch of his family. While the move might seem welcome, the family struggles to assimilate with other members of the community and finds life in Los Angeles more challenging than in war-torn Pakistan. Tragedy ultimately strikes after an unfortunate confrontation with neighborhood kids, which raises the question of who is to blame.
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With the global economic collapse, immigrant communities have been the hardest hit. Opportunities for immigrants have dried up at an alarming pace. For one young Korean immigrant, Jin, who is the lone caretaker of his young brother, the only option is to take a job driving for the local mob lieutenant. When things go wrong on a job, Jin finds himself unexpectedly moving up in the organization after he rectifies the situation. When another job goes awry, it becomes apparent that the lieutenant is slipping and Jin is tasked with typing up the loose end. Will the young apprentice overtake his mentor? Can Jin commit a horrific crime to provide for his family?
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After finishing the fourth grade. Matt reluctantly spends his summer at Chinese language school. There, he befriends Dao and Nathan. After a terrible accident shakes their community, the trio splits. Matt must make peace with what happened before the summer ends.
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"Mei 媚姐" is a mixed-media animated short that captures the loving relationship between the director and her caretaker; capturing little moments that she reminisces about her childhood in Hong Kong. Combining animation, photography and video, the film also brings the unique culture of Hong Kong to life.
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A Korean American man comes home with a new boyfriend for Christmas to find his younger brother, who is also gay, resentful for being left to care for their aging parents. Tensions come to a breaking point, but once emotions are out in the open, the family can begin to heal.
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Raising Emma examines the life of Emma, an adopted Asian American college student. Her story leads us from her experiences in an orphanage in China to growing up with her American family in Chicago.
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An autobiographical short focusing on the filmmaker’s experiences growing up as an Asian American with cerebral palsy disability. Facing discrimination, prejudgment, and racism as a child. The filmmaker states, “I went through a suicidal phase; wanting to give up because of the consequences I faced being disabled. I'll share my story from the unique knots of my shoes.”
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In the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, over 110,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were, by government order, forcibly relocated to internment camps across the country. Surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers, the Tule Lake “segregation center” in northern California was the largest of such camps and did not close until after the war. Set in the winter of 1943 after martial law was imposed on the camp, "Tule Lake" is an animated short film about perseverance, based on the true story of one internee and her actions one night.
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