San Diego Asian Film Festival
Last week, the 24th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival hosted by non-profit media arts organization Pacific Arts Movement wrapped up its 10-day run. Lotus Magazine attended for the first time, experiencing what has now become the largest exhibition of Asian cinema on the West Coast. Featuring films from Asian American and international artists, 160+ films (including 5 world premieres!) from more than 30 countries and in more than 30 languages were included in the impressive lineup that ran from November 2-11, 2023. We were challenged to explore films from emerging artists with unique themes and stories outside of our usual fare, and we left feeling inspired. Some stories touched our hearts, some instilled fear, some made us chuckle, and some made us think about the world around us. The San Diego Asian Film Festival truly embodied the spirit of film in a way that was community-oriented, welcoming, and accessible (not to mention, very well-organized).
Films
© 2023 San Diego Asian Film Festival
SDAFF opened with QUIZ LADY, starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh. The film follows two sisters - one who has religiously followed her favorite game show since childhood and one who has struggled to find her path in life - united by a debt left to them by their gambling-addicted mother.
© 2023 San Diego Asian Film Festival
SDAFF concluded with MUSTACHE, a coming-of-age story. The film focuses on a Pakistani-American young boy as he tries to navigate a new high school with a mustache he is forbidden to shave.
Audience Award: Wonderland, directed by Chai Yee Wei
“An amusement park that’s closing. A man that’s dying. A choir director who’s hiding. Loke has just sold his house to finance his daughter’s education in America and moved into government housing, where he meets a group of older oddballs.
The housing is fine, actually. Just…there is a sense that the characters won’t have much of a future here. But that does not mean the place is barren. Lies, for instance, flourish in WONDERLAND. Loke is lying to his daughter. His daughter lies to him. Tan, the choir director, lies to Loke (and his own daughter…). But when Loke needs help translating correspondence with his daughter and vice versa, Tan and Loke form a reluctant friendship. This puts Tan in the unfortunate position of deciding how, or even if, he should relay bad news from abroad. For lies in a place without much of a future are not cowardly nor malicious. They are, in fact, an offering of love, a way to create a version of a world that’s just a little nicer.
As the film progresses, Tan recruits the elderly oddballs to help create an elaborate lie for Loke. And in the process, these people, these forgotten relics, come to life, their skills on display like the amusement park – lit up, colorful, happy to offer some fleeting alternative to reality.” – Laura Skokan, https://sdaff.org/2023/movies/wonderland/
Some Team Favorites:
Monster, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
A young boy, Minato, begins to exhibit strange behavior, prompting his mother to search for answers from the school he attends. However, as the story is told again through the perspective of one of the teachers and of Minato, the truth challenges the audience to think about who or what the “monster” really is.Abang Adik, directed by Lay Jin Ong
Two brothers struggling in the undocumented population of Kuala Lumpur find ways to survive together - until one of the commits an unspeakable act. The film takes the audience on a journey to consider what it means to love unconditionally, especially under such dire circumstances with limited choice.
What’s Next
Missed out on SDAFF or still hungry for film? Here’s what Pacific Arts Movement has coming up:
2nd Annual San Diego Environmental Film Festival: a celebration of films about the environment
All-day fest TODAY (11/18) Screenings from 12-8:30p at Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, UC San Diego on Saturday, November 18th from 12-8:30pm at Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, UC San Diego and block party from 4:30-6p. Get your tickets NOW!
SDAFF Spring Showcase: a celebration of Asian cinema in spring 2024
Keep a lookout for this next year!
Pacific Arts Movement
Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts) is a non-profit media arts organization dedicated to sharing Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander cinema to inspire, entertain, and support a more compassionate society. Join the movement by becoming a member of Pac Arts.
