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The Asian American Film Canon

REVISITING THE GREATEST  ASIAN AMERICAN FILMS OF THE PAST 20 YEARS

This October, SDAFF Artistic Director Brian Hu teamed up with the Los Angeles Times to conduct a critics and curators poll of the greatest Asian American films of the past  20 years. With over 20 ballots received, the poll announced the first of its kind: a canon of Asian American cinema that we can watch, study, and debate. The list is designed to engage new audiences, as well as to remind us that well before the Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell, independent Asian American filmmakers, often with only credit cards and wild ambitions, had been telling the community’s stories. Now is as good a time as any to rediscover them.

Not surprisingly, many of the films on the LA Times list once played the San Diego Asian Film Festival. To celebrate SDAFF’s 20th anniversary, we’re bringing the films out of the archives and back into the community. Prior to the festival, SDAFF will screen five films from the Asian American Canon for free in the community. And during our festival, we are excited to bring four films that show the exciting range within the canon–from a hometown musical, a game-changing documentary, a new modern classic, and a crossover family comedy shown in glorious 35mm.

Sponsored by the University of San Diego.

 

Previous Shows

Festival Screenings from the Asian American Canon

Next Shows

Pre-Festival Community Screenings

(FREE to the public)

THE GRACE LEE PROJECT / Grace Lee / 2005
Wed / Oct 23 / 9:35am
San Diego City College, Room MS 162

BETTER LUCK TOMORROW / Justin Lin / 2002
Thu / Oct 24 / 6:00PM
University of San Diego
Soles Building, Warren Auditorium

MINDING THE GAP / Bing Liu / 2018
Fri / Oct 25 / 6:00PM
University of California, San Diego
Calit2 Auditorium

AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS
Grace Lee / 2013
Tue / Oct 29 / 4:00PM
University of San Diego
Soles Building, Warren Auditorium

THE MOTEL / Michael Kang / 2005
Sat / Nov 2 / 5:00pm
Encinitas Public Library