Festivals

S.F. Asian-American Film Festival

The acclaimed San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival screened March 20-22, 2009 at Camera 12 Cinema in downtown San Jose. The premiere showcase for Asian American and Asian Films in North America, the festival presented more than 100 films and videos in March at venues in San Francisco and Berkeley, as well as San Jose. The festival schedule at Camera 12 was as follows:

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

7:00pm -- White On Rice, dir. David Boyle, 85 mins.
In this decidedly quirky vision of a man desperate to postpone maturity, Jimmy -- 40, divorced and sharing a bunk bed with his 10-year-old nephew -- embarks on a mission to find a new wife.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

12:45pm -- Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority, dir. Kimberlee Bassford (USA), 56 mins.
The remarkable life of Patsy Mink, the first woman of color to serve in the U.S. Congress and co-author of the landmark 1972 Title IX which banned sex discrimination in schools, is documented.
2:00pm -- The Equation of Love and Death, dir. Cao Baoping (China), 92 mins.
Zhou Xun is a lovelorn, chain-smoking cab driver on the hunt for her ever-elusive boyfriend in this quick-witted dark comedy set in Kunming, China.
3:00pm -- 3rd I South Asian International Shorts 2008, video shorts, 84 mins.
A richly layered compilation of dark yet hopeful South Asian short films from India, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States
4:30pm -- Children Of Invention, dir. Tze Chun (USA), 88 mins.
Living clandestinely out of a model home, a brother and sister take matters into their own hands when their mother gets caught up in a pyramid scheme that targets immigrants.
5:00pm -- Times of Departure, 93 mins.
This collection of short films explores those who transport themselves to new places, situations and even states of mind, be it on a crosstown bus or a plane headed overseas.
7:00pm -- Half-Life, dir. Jennifer Phang (USA), 106 mins.
This apocalyptic family drama follows a sister and brother trying to cope in a near-future suburban California.
7:15pm -- Heaven on Earth, dir. Deepa Mehta (Canada), 106 mins
A loveless arranged marriage, a mythic Indian King Cobra and the wintry confines of North America are at the heart of legendary filmmaker Mehta's fearless, allegorical fable.
9:30pm -- Treeless Mountain, dir. So Yong Kim (South Korea), 189 mins.
Six-year-old Jin and her little sister's lives are drastically changed when their struggling mother leaves them under the care of their alcoholic aunt.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

12:30pm -- Adela, dir. Adolfo Alix Jr. (Philippines), 90 mins.
This moving examination of the ways in which poverty and old age marginalize Filipino citizens follows Adela, a remarkable isolated woman on the verge of her 80th birthday.
2:00pm -- The Love of Siam, dir. Chookiat Sakveerakul (Thailand), 158 mins.
Two teenage boys come to terms with their own affections (and one's family tragedy) in this groundbreaking gay romance that was Thailand's representative to the 2009 Academy Awards.
2:30pm -- Mixtape 4 The MSG Addict, 89 mins.
With works that resist marketable labels of thi-or-that genre, this short film compilation includes switchblade sisters, maternal vampires, found footage, and Lou Diamond Phillips tributes.
4:45pm -- Whatever It Takes, Christopher Wong (USA), 94 mins.
The inspiring story of a South Bronx high school teacher in its dynamic first year, led by a charismatic Chinese American principal.
5:15pm -- The Mosque in Morgantown, dir. Brittany Huckabee (USA), 76 mins.
A small university town in West Virginia becomes the unlikely battleground for the soul of Islam in America when Asra Nomani fights for the right of women to pray alongside men in the local mosque.
7:00pm -- Fruit Fly, dir. H. P. Mendoza (USA), 82 mins.
This loud-and-proud, indie-Asian-gay hijacking of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg focuses on performance artists, irritating roommates, fag hags, leather bears and versatile bottoms in San Francisco.
7:30pm -- Karma Calling, dir. Sarba Das (USA), 90 mins.
Call centers, Hindu hip-hop, dollar-store moguls and busybody aunties are all toppings for tis extra-large slice of the immigrant story set in the Raj household in New Jersey.
9:00pm -- The Chaser, dir. Na Hong-jin (South Korea), 125 mins.
An ex-cop-turned-pimp matches wits with an impassive serial killer in this gritty thriller, a sleeper hit from South Korea.

Go to S.F. ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL for more information.