LA Asian Pacific Film Festival 2021

37th Annual Asian Pacific Film Festival
September 23 - October 2, 2021

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), presented annually by Visual Communications (VC), has announced the complete lineup for the 37th edition of the Festival, which is set to take place September 23 to October 2, 2021. The Festival, which announced dates last week along with the first set of confirmed films, is pleased to present over 139 films during the 10 day Festival. This year’s productions celebrate the creative and nuanced storytelling of Asians & Pacific Islanders in America and around the globe. LAAPFF film presentations will be in-person events at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center’s Aratani Theatre, the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum, and Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center. 

“The Festival returns to connect our artists and communities in person,” says Francis Cullado, Executive Director of Visual Communications. “We are excited about our lineup of filmmakers whose work have the capacity to influence change in the world, as well as truly represent us. With our incredible narrative features, our non-fiction slate, and our live action, documentary, and animated shorts, this year’s LAAPFF will be one of our most exciting editions. We are all living in a time where anti-Asian hate crimes have risen. It is our hope that this year’s Festival will bring together not only our Asian & Pacific Islander communities, but all of our communities. We invite everyone to come experience art as entertainment, healing, and bridge building.”

 

Feature film highlights include:

●      The World Premiere of SILENT RIVER, from director Chris Chan Lee (YELLOW). Starring West Liang and Amy Tsang, this film takes you into a strange world, where one man’s struggle to reconcile with his wife becomes a journey for three strangers to return home.

●      The Los Angeles Premiere of Jeff Mizushima’s WHO IS LUN*NA MENOH?, which follows the life and work of the extraordinary Japanese artist, Lun*na Menoh. From her early career in Japan to the underground music scene in L.A., her uniquely individual artistic career and expressionism are explored.

●      The Special Presentation of LIST OF A LIFETIME, directed by Roxy Shih, an alumnus of Visual Communications’ Armed With a Camera Fellowship. Starring Kelly Hu (FINDING OHANA), Sylvia Kwan (GREY’S ANATOMY), Patricia Velasquez (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT), Jane Sibbett (FRIENDS), and Shannen Doherty (CHARMED), the film follows a woman diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, who is determined to track down the daughter she gave up for adoption. LIST OF A LIFETIME will have its world broadcast premiere on Sunday, October 10th at 8pm on Lifetime.

●      The West Coast Premiere of Kazem Mollaie’s THE BADGER, a powerful narrative from Iran.  The film begins right before a woman’s second marriage, when her 11-year-old son is kidnapped. Starring Iranian actress Vishka Asayesh, this film explores the unspoken challenges faced by a family on the verge of new beginnings.

●      The West Coast Premiere of Bee Thiam Tan’s TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB, a comedic odyssey from Singapore that takes you through the Tiong Bahru Social Club, a data-driven project to create the happiest neighbourhood in the world. 

●      The Los Angeles Premiere of Patricio Ginelsa’s LUMPIA WITH A VENGEANCE, a nostalgic follow-up to Ginelsa’s directorial debut LUMPIA in 2003. The action-packed comedy, starring April Absynth, MMA artist Mark Muñoz, and Danny Trejo (MACHETE), made its world premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.

●      The Los Angeles Premiere of Oscar® winning filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s latest film THE RESCUE, a thrilling look at the 2018 rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach trapped deep inside a flooded cave. 

●      Fresh from winning the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary and the Albert Maysles Award for Best First Documentary Feature at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, Jessica Kingdon’s ASCENSION will make its Los Angeles Premiere at LAAPFF, in collaboration with MTV Documentary Films. The film examines the contemporary “Chinese Dream” through staggering observations of labor, consumerism, and wealth. 

●      Following its screening at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, Evan Jackson Leong’s narrative debut SNAKEHEAD will make its Los Angeles Premiere ahead of a nationwide release from Samuel Goldwyn Films and Roadside Attractions. Set in New York’s Chinatown, the crime thriller follows a woman's rise in the international underworld of human smuggling, and stars Shuya Chang, Sung Kang, and Jade Wu.

 

On October 1, LAAPFF kicks off Filipinx American History Month with a curated selection of films by Filipinx filmmakers, including:

 

●      The Encore Presentation of Mallorie Ortega’s THE GIRL WHO LEFT HOME, the award-winning musical about a young Filipina on the brink of Hollywood stardom, who is pulled back into her past life and family obligations. The cast boasts charming performances from Emy Coligado (CTRL), Paolo Montalban (CINDERELLA), and Haven Everly. The film made its world premiere during the 2020 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, where Ortega won an Emerging Filmmaker Award.

●      The World Premiere of Randal Kamradt’s NO DOGS, set against the backdrop of the Watsonville race riots that set Central California ablaze in 1930. 

●      The Los Angeles Premiere of Dante Basco’s directorial debut THE FABULOUS FILIPINO BROTHERS, which he also stars in and co-wrote alongside his siblings. Told in four unique vignettes, this film is a romantic comedy following four Filipino American brothers and their lovers in the events leading up to a controversial Filipino wedding.

●      The West Coast Premiere of ISLANDS, the SXSW award-winning film by Martin Edralin. Starring Rogelio Balagtas, who won a Special Jury Mention at SXSW, the film follows a shy middle-aged Filipino immigrant, who has lived in the comfort of his parents’ home his entire life. As their health declines, he longs for a partner, terrified of being alone after they pass.

The largest festival of its kind in Southern California, LAAPFF is also a proud Academy Award® - qualifying film festival for the Short Film Awards. LAAPFF’s programming hopes to mobilize and engage audiences towards social activism and civic engagement, a cornerstone that is part of the Festival’s foundation. This year’s productions by Asian & Pacific Islander artists from around the world amplify themes that include race, immigration, gentrification, economic security, and more. 

From the short film lineup, select highlights include:

 

●      F1-100, directed by Emory Chao Johnson, combines video, illustration, and animation into an intimate portrait of an international art student studying abroad in the United States. Drawing on artist profile and gender journey films, F1-100 is a transnational meditation through time and space of a young artist carrying a heavy burden. The film received the Loni Ding Award in Social Issue Documentary at CAAMFest. F1-100 will screen in the “Point of Entry” shorts program.

●      The Los Angeles Premiere of ʻĀina Paikai’s HAWAIIAN SOUL, based on the true story of Hawaiian hero George Jarrett Helm Jr., a musician who gained the support of elders to protect the island of Kahoʻolawe from military bombing. This film is a tribute to the legacy of a leader and artist who used his voice to inspire a revolution of consciousness. HAWAIIAN SOUL will screen as part of the “Pacific Cinewaves Shorts” program, which represents LAAPFF’s commitment to amplify Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities from Hawaiʻi, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Guåhan (Guam), Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Samoa, and throughout the Pacific region.

●      The World Premiere of Sharmila Ray’s DEVOTEE, a textured drama that follows a man as he encounters a guru and her group of devotees. The film features powerful performances from Kausar Mohammed and David Huynh, and will screen as part of the “Taking Space” shorts program.

●      The Los Angeles Premiere of the animated short BLUSH, from Emmy winning director Joe Mateo. The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, and is the inaugural short film from Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation.

LAAPFF is proud to debut the works from Visual Communications’ Digital Histories program, designed for Asian & Pacific Islander older adults to use their unique voices and perspectives to share stories with the generations to come. Since its creation in 2003, Digital Histories has provided a professional and artistic work environment for underserved, ethnic-minority seniors. This year, Digital Histories will debut non-fiction works that feature immigration histories, unique artist profiles, and more. The 2021 Digital Histories films include: DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN (dir. George Wada), DO YOU LOVE ME? (dir. Teresa Matsushima), EYE OF THE NEEDLE (dir. Joe Virata), KAERU (dir. Don Bannai), PUTTING THEM WHERE THEY COULD DO NO HARM (dir. Steve Nagano), FRAN (dir. Robert Shoji), EATING TAMALES WITH CHOPSTICKS (dir. Jeff Chop), LAURIE LEWIS - "MANZANAR" (dir. Jeff Chop), PAPER SON (dir. Patty Fong), THE CONVERSATION (dir. Joe Virata), and YEAR OF THE PLAGUE (dir. Fran Ito).

Visual Communications founded the Armed With a Camera (AWC) Fellowship for Emerging Media Artists to develop the next generation of Asian & Pacific Islander artists and connect communities through the power of storytelling. The Fellowship boasts alumni including Christopher Yogi (I WAS A SIMPLE MAN), Erin Li (KEPLER X-47, currently on Amazon Prime Video’s Etheria), and Roxy Shih (LIST OF A LIFETIME). This year, LAAPFF will host encore presentations of the 2020 Armed With a Camera films: AFTERIMAGES (dir. Bryan Sih), A CURE FOR ALL THINGS (dir. Katherine Chou), BACK TO THE SOURCE (dir. Sandra Carbonell-Kiamtia), COFFEE TALKING OUT OF COFFINS (dir. NamQuyen Le), CRASHING WHEELS ON CONCRETE (dir. So Young Shelly Yo), ETA (dir. Justin Ricafort), HERSELVES (dir. Kristy Choi), HOME (dir. King Lu), MANGO BABY (dir. Serena Violet Hodges), and THANK YOU, COME AGAIN (dir. Nirav Bhakta). 

 
Narrative Features include:

A SHOT THROUGH THE WALL (dir. Aimee Long)

A Chinese American police officer's life unravels after he accidentally shoots an innocent Black man. Facing trial, he wades through his guilt as he navigates the complicated worlds of media, justice, racial politics, and his own morality.

AMERICANISH (dir. Iman Zawahry) - Los Angeles Premiere

Career-driven sisters and their newly-immigrated cousin must navigate the conflicting demands of romance, culture, work, and family. Serving both as a lighthearted reimagination of a classic romantic comedy, AMERICANISH tackles and celebrates the complex intersectionalities of womanhood.

 

DEFINITION PLEASE (dir. Sujata Day) - Los Angeles Premiere

In 2005, eight-year-old Monica Chowdry was on top of the world as champion of the Scribbs National Spelling Bee. In present day, an adult Monica is still living at home in Pennsylvania with her ailing mom, and things get complicated when her estranged brother returns. 

 

I WAS A SIMPLE MAN (dir. Christopher Makoto Yogi) - West Coast Premiere

A ghost story set in the pastoral countryside of the north shore of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. Told in four chapters, this film is a story of an elderly man facing the end of his life, who is visited by the ghosts of his past.

 

ISLANDS (dir. Martin Edralin) - West Coast Premiere

Joshua, a shy middle-aged Filipino immigrant, has lived in the comfort of his parents’ home his entire life. As their health declines, he longs for a partner, terrified of being alone after they pass.

LISA MANIA (dir. Shaun Vivaris) - World Premiere

Dom, a real estate businessman going through a mid-life crisis, sees his therapist about suspicions he has about his wife Lisa. With what looks like mounting evidence of Lisa's infidelity, a bad mix of drugs, and hell being raised by a succubus demon, Dom's problems seem to only worsen.

 

LIST OF A LIFETIME (dir. Roxy Shih)

 When a woman is diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, she becomes determined to track down the daughter she gave up for adoption as an infant.

 

LUMPIA WITH A VENGEANCE (dir. Patricio Ginelsa) - Los Angeles Premiere

In this action comedy, the lumpia-armed avenger returns to Fogtown! Teenager Rachel finds herself tangled up with a crime syndicate selling drugs masked as food. She teams up with the crime fighter to prevent a mysterious crime boss from destroying her town and her parents' dream wedding.

 

MARVELOUS AND THE BLACK HOLE (dir. Kate Tsang) - Los Angeles Premiere

A teenage delinquent befriends a surly magician who helps her navigate her inner demons and dysfunctional family with sleight of hand magic. A coming of age comedy that touches on unlikely friendships, grief, and finding hope in the darkest moments.

SILENT RIVER (dir. Chris Chan Lee) - World Premiere

Desperate to reconcile with his estranged wife, Elliot stops at a desert motel to await her call. He encounters Greta, an uncanny woman on the run from a mysterious past. Compelled to help, Elliot soon discovers her secret — and faces a choice between her longing or his own survival.

SNAKEHEAD (dir. Evan Jackson Leong) - Los Angeles Premiere

Sister Tse's brought to New York by a snakehead, a human smuggler. Her survival instincts gain her favor with the matriarch and she rises the ranks. Soon, Tse must reconcile her success with her real reason for coming to America, drawing on the strength she's found, transforming victimhood into power. 

THE BADGER (dir. Kazem Mollaie) - West Coast Premiere

Right before Soodeh Sharifzadegan's second marriage, her 11-year-old son Matiar is kidnapped. Soodeh is forced to ask for the ransom money from her ex-husband Peyman. After Matiar's release, Soodeh realizes that it was all her son's plan to provide the grounds for his father's return.

 

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MRS. WU (dir. Anna Chi) - West Coast Premiere

Eager to repair the strained relationship with her adult daughter and help her shy granddaughter Emma find her voice, irascible Wu family matriarch Lily persuades longtime friend Charlotte, Emma, and Emma's best friend to go on a wild road trip with her - without telling the girls' parents.

 

THE FABULOUS FILIPINO BROTHERS (dir. Dante Basco) - Los Angeles Premiere

Told in four unique vignettes, this film is a romantic comedy following four Filipino American brothers and their lovers in the events leading up to a controversial Filipino wedding.

 

THE GIRL WHO LEFT HOME (dir. Mallorie Ortega)

In the wake of her father’s sudden passing, Christine must put her career on pause to return to her childhood home. Met with her past and the possibility of losing the family restaurant, Christine must decide to stay and support her family, or leave to pursue her lifelong dreams.

 

THE MONSTERS WITHOUT (dir. Randal Kamradt) - World Premiere

When a rogue monster threatens existence, only the scrappy multi-national team P.H.A.S.E. can stop him. But their newest recruit holds a stunning secret. Against impossible odds, this lonely, conflicted, difficult, and altogether human team must band together to save the world.

 

TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB (dir. Bee Thiam Tan) - West Coast Premiere

Ah Bee goes on a comedic odyssey through Tiong Bahru Social Club, a data-driven project to create the happiest neighbourhood in the world. Little by little, Ah Bee’s encounters with the neighbourhood’s residents reveal the absurdity of life.

 

WATER LIKE FIRE (dir. Mitchel Viernes) - Los Angeles Premiere

While surfing helps mend the emotional wounds of her parent’s death, Chanel still struggles to connect with her drug-addicted brother, Caleb. When Caleb is injured in a hit-and-run accident, Chanel vows to help her brother heal his physical injuries and his drug problem.

 

 

Documentary Features include:

ACCEPTED (dir. Dan Chen) - West Coast Premiere

Four high school seniors in rural Louisiana attend T.M. Landry, a controversial school made famous for sending its graduates to elite universities. Each senior is forced to contend with uncomfortable truths about their school and the college admissions system, and decide what they are willing to do to be accepted.

 

ASCENSION (dir. Jessica Kingdon) - Los Angeles Premiere

ASCENSION examines the contemporary “Chinese Dream” through staggering observations of labor, consumerism and wealth. In cinematically exploring the aspiration that drives today’s People’s Republic of China, the film plunges into universal paradoxes of economic progress.

 

CANE FIRE (dir. Anthony Banua-Simon) - Los Angeles Premiere

An examination of the past and present of the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi, interweaving four generations of family history, numerous Hollywood productions, and troves of found footage. This film is a kaleidoscopic portrait of the economic and cultural forces that have cast indigenous and working-class residents as “extras” in their own story.

 

FACELESS (dir. Jennifer Ngo) - U.S. Premiere

Following characters simply known as the Daughter, the Believer, the Student, and the Artist, FACELESS documents the stories of the individuals whose lives are upended as protests against a controversial extradition bill engulf Hong Kong.

 

FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK (dir. Bobbi Jo Hart)

The untold story of a self-founded, 1960s garage band — which included Filipina American and queer bandmates — that morphed into the ferocious rock group Fanny, the first band of women to release an LP with a major record label (Warner/Reprise, 1970).

 

LIKE A ROLLING STONE: THE LIFE & TIMES OF BEN FONG-TORRES (dir. Suzanne Joe Kai) - West Coast Premiere

LIKE A ROLLING STONE is a documentary of journalist, broadcaster, and author Ben Fong-Torres, the legendary writer and original editor in charge of Rolling Stone magazine’s music coverage. At the tiny San Francisco start-up with barely room for four desks, Ben helped propel its meteoric rise into popular culture.

 

MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST (dir. Ann Kaneko) - Los Angeles Premiere

From the majestic peaks of the snow-capped Sierras to the parched valley of Payahuunadü, “the land of flowing water,” MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST poetically weaves memories of Native Americans, Japanese American WWII incarcerees, and environmentalists, who form an unexpected alliance to defend their land and water from Los Angeles.

 

OPHIR (dir. Alexandre Berman, Olivier Pollet)

A poetic yet dramatic ode to the indelible thirst for freedom, culture, and sovereignty, OPHIR sheds light on the biggest conflict of the Pacific since WWII, revealing the visible and invisible chains of colonisation and its enduring cycles of physical and psychological warfare in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

 

THE CELINE ARCHIVE (dir. Celine Parreñas Shimizu)

In 1932, Celine Navarro was buried alive by her own community of Filipino Americans in Northern California. Grief-stricken filmmaker Celine Parreñas Shimizu, finding kinship with Navarro’s long-lost story, exhumes her tragic life while trying to unravel the mystery of her murder.

 

THE RESCUE (dirs. E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin) - Los Angeles Premiere

THE RESCUE chronicles the dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach, trapped deep inside a flooded cave. Oscar®-winning directors/producers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin reveal the perilous world of cave diving, the bravery of the rescuers, and the dedication of an entire community that made great sacrifices to save these young boys.

TRY HARDER! (dir. Debbie Lum) - Los Angeles Premiere

With humor and heart, TRY HARDER! takes us to the reality of the American college application process and the intersection of class, race, and educational opportunity at the top public high school in San Francisco, where a majority of the student body is Asian American.

 

WE ARE FROM THERE (dir. Wissam Tanios)

Two Syrian brothers in their mid 20's take a leap of faith and start their lives from scratch in new cities. They leave everything behind except their passion for life, determination, sense of humor, and hope for a better future.

 

WHO IS LUN*NA MENOH? (dir. Jeff Mizushima) - Los Angeles Premiere

This film follows the life and work of the extraordinary Japanese artist, Lun*na Menoh. From her early career in Japan to the underground music scene in LA, from fashion show runways featuring her sculptural designs to art galleries showing her fantastical work, Lun*na's edgy, witty, and beautiful creations are explored.

 

WUHAN WUHAN (dir. Yung Chang) - Los Angeles Premiere

Documenting life at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic during the lockdown in Wuhan, China, WUHAN WUHAN includes portraits of a couple expecting a baby, quarantined families in a byzantine shelter, dedicated medical workers, and a psychologist facing her own family crisis while helping patients with the unknown threat.

Ticketing for the general public will be available starting Monday, September 13, 2021 at 12:00pm PT. For program information, please visit https://festival.vcmedia.org

The Festival is proud to be partnering with our following screening venues across Los Angeles:

●      Aratani Theatre @ Japanese American Cultural & Community Center – Little Tokyo (DTLA): 244 S San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

●      Tateuchi Democracy Forum @ Japanese American National Museum: 111 N Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012

●      Regal L.A. LIVE: A Barco Innovation Center: 1000 W Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90015