Let’s Watch Some Trailers: Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
The 10-day celebration of cinema starts Thursday.
Byron Yee’s The Aliens screens at Lightbox Film Center Friday, November 10.
Founded in 2008 the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF) screens shorts, features and movies from all over Asia and the diaspora. Here are a few trailers to whet your whistle for this year’s edition, which runs November 9 to 19.
The Dragon Painter
PAAFF kicks off on Thursday with 1919’s The Dragon Painter. Directed by William Worthington, this silent film is set in Japan but was filmed in Yosemite National Park and stars early Hollywood power player Sessue Hayakawa and his wife Tsuru Aoki. (Thursday, November 9 @ Lightbox Film Center)
The Aliens
Actor Byron Yee makes his feature directorial debut with this romantic drama about a guy named Jacob who stares up at the sky looking for aliens from outer space only to meet an alien of a different sort. Stars Yee and Stephanie Arcila. Yee will do a Q&A after the screening. (Friday, November 10 @ Lightbox Film Center)
Finding Kukan
Robin Lung’s film documents her search for a lost film legend — “Li Ling-Ai, the uncredited female producer of Kukan, a [1939] landmark color film about the atrocities committed by Imperial Japan in China.” Followed by a Q&A with Lung. (Sunday, November 12 @ Lightbox Film Center)
Fermented
Culinary documentarian Jonathan Cianfrani explores the history and uses of fermentation through the eyes of chef/author Ed Lee. (Tuesday, November 14, Reading Terminal Market)
The Soul Of The Tiger
PAAFF closes out with the latest film by Francois Yang (Mooncake, One Magic Evening), about a man digging into family secrets while investigating the sudden death of his brother. (Sunday, November 19, Asian Arts Initiative)
