By Michelle Geslani for Asians in America magazine | July 23 2009
Running over the course of three decades, this festival is one impassioned and shaped as much by its historical past, as by its contemporary progressiveness. With an unwavering eye for activism and the power of storytelling, Asian CineVision is prepared to showcase its best and most dynamic collection. How so? Read on.
“We are the center,” said Liliana Chen, the Executive Director of the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), when describing both the longevity of the festival and its influence on the other 16-20 similar events scattered throughout the country who have “emulated” its original model.
The center, indeed, because as it stands, the AAIFF, which is produced by Asian CineVision, a nonprofit media-arts organization whose roots are in activism, is the longest running festival of its kind with this year being its 32nd.
Beginning today, July 23, and running throughout the weekend here in New York City,
the AAIFF will be showcasing some of the best independent feature and short films done by Asian Americans and about the Asian American community.
After scouring far and wide for submissions, and then going through a rigorous screening and selection process, AAIFF’s lineup over the next four days is brimming with unbridled talent and an almost boundless list of topics such as education, gentrification, unemployment and even outsourcing. Underlying many of the selected films is a characteristic so central to each one’s impact and message.
“Our scope has expanded beyond just documentaries,” explained Irene Cifra, the festival director, “because we wanted to focus on the art of storytelling and narratives as well as those filmmakers who are exceptionally talented technically.”
In fact, as part of this expansion Martha Tien, the program manager, said Asian CineVision’s decision to allow filmmakers who weren’t Asian American was a no-brainer. “Instead of being exclusive, we wanted to be inclusive, which goes hand-in-hand with our mission to support any and all emerging artists."
Over the course of the festival’s history, some themes- like discrimination and poverty- have remained staples. However, the difference in these themes’ tones, from the AAIFF’s early years to today, is vast. There was a time when being active in the Asian American community meant being loud, fierce, aggressive and in-your-face. According to Chen, this year’s films reflect how times have changed in the world of activism, as Asian CineVision once knew it.
“Of course we want to provide a voice for change, but it’s a more subtle voice, and a more subtle level of activism,” she said. She referenced one of the feature films called Children of Invention, a story about a single mother trying to make a living through a number of money scams and schemes, explaining how a general message was conveyed through its heartbreaking plot, but without any overt gestures. “It’s a storyline that can be found in a lot of American households today, but the movie’s characters just happen to be Asian American,” Chen said simply.
Cifra offered up another example of how the festival was going in the direction of simple, yet subtle activism. She chose to highlight Whatever It Takes, a film that documents the first year of a new and small school in the Bronx, created in order to break down many of the larger, overpopulated ones that dot New York City, and ensure that students would be given the attention that they deserved. She applauded it, saying, “It’s not overly preachy, but rather completely straightforward since it follows the school’s principal and faculty so that you get a sense of how invested they all are in what they believe the education system could be.” According to her, the true power of the film is found in its honesty and in its sincere reliance on its subjects to “tell their stories,” as opposed to feeling as though you’re being hit over the head with a textbook about social justice and higher education.
Manilatown is in the Heart, by Curtis Choy, is also yet another film that simply follows its subjects and candidly hears what they have to say. While it is about the late poet Al Robles, it also showcases the lives of Filipino immigrants in San Francisco during the ‘70s. From interviews with contemporaries to snippets of black and white interview footage from the past, it not only provides a historical context, but a poignant tapestry of first-hand anecdotes and memories.
“We are coming to an age where the narrative of the Asian American experience has changed from outright, ‘This is my Asianness! This is what I want you to know about me! This is how I am different from my parents!’” said Chen, “we have moved passed that…a lot of our films talk about everyday people who just happen to be Asian American or made by Asian Americans.”
When confronted by blockbuster films featuring stereotypical portrayals of Asians as karate gurus or muddled with heavy accents, Chen believes the AAIFF and Asian CineVision are “bridge-builders,” in that they don’t necessarily judge those films, but instead just present what they think are the best films out there- those narratives that have grown beyond kung fu and accents.
While many other Asian American festivals across the country span as long as 10 days, the AAIFF found itself shrinking down to four days both because of budgetary reasons and an understandable concern about overreaching and biting off more than they could chew.
But to sort of compensate, the festival itself has garnered the support of many sponsors, especially those locally based in New York City (specifically in the Chelsea area, where most of the screenings will take place). They wanted to capture the spirit of this neighborhood, known for its heavy embracing of independent and diverse artists. As much as the festival is a nationally recognized event, it is also seeking to reaffirm itself as a community one, too. “We are truly a part of all that this vibrant, melting-pot of a city has to offer- we don’t want this festival to just be something that only Asians go to!” exclaimed Chen.
“Even though it’s only four days our festival is hip, urban and progressive, and hopefully what we do this year will set the tone for what goes on at all the other ones.”
To obtain more information on the AAIFF, such as ticket instructions, film schedules and summaries, and venue locations visit www.aaiff.org/2009/.
To learn more about Asian CineVision, visit their website.
**Angry Asian Man has put together a useful two-part listing of noteworthy films to check out this year. You can view part one here and part two here.
Stay tuned right here at Asians in America magazine for my reviews over the next few days. Also, for the most up-to-date tidbits and pics LIVE from the festival, follow AIA on our very own Twitter account (yes, we made one).
