Opening Night Film
THE PARADISE WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 at 7:00 PM
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
ENCORE SCREENING Tues 11/12 @ 5p
San Diego has been called many things – including a paradise. It’s also a refugee city, a cluster of neighborhoods, a militarized zone, a border town. And Asian American. This collection of four short documentaries, commissioned on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, maps many such San Diego’s – across ethnicity, geography and history. At the same time, they hold on to some notion of paradise, however illusory: a haven from war, the dreams of an immigrant, precious teenage reminiscences, solace in the afterlife, and spaces for creative expression.
Admission includes special receptions:
5:30PM–7:00PM Pre-Screening Reception
9:00PM–11:00PM After Party
Centerpiece Film
STRAIGHT UP
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 at 6:55 PM
Ultrastar Cinemas Mission Valley
Todd is a gay man in his 20’s, and his love life is absolutely dead. His OCD fear of bodily fluids may be the culprit. But maybe he’s…straight? After a therapist plants the possibility he’s not who the world thinks he is, Todd decides to date like a bro, failing miserably until he meets Rory, a neurotic, struggling actress and fellow OCD enthusiast.
Admission includes a special pre-screening reception from 5:30PM-7:00PM.
Closing Night Film
TO LIVE TO SING
Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019 at 7:00 PM
San Diego Natural History Museum
Zhao Li lives for Sichuan opera but knows not everyone does. Only the elderly still show up for her theater’s performances. Meanwhile, the performers in her troupe have an eye on more lucrative and modern stagecraft. So when Zhao Li receives the devastating news that her theater is about to be demolished by the government, she keeps it a secret, not simply to protect troupe morale, but to delay everyone’s inevitable departure. Fable-like and romantic, Zhao Li’s plight – to protect her livelihood and her lifeblood – is every bit as heartfelt and whimsical as the operas she brings to life on stage.
Admission includes special receptions:
5:30PM–7:00PM Pre-Screening Reception
9:00PM–11:00PM After Party
