Boston Asian American Film Festival


Boston Asian American Film Festival, a production of the Asian American Resource Workshop, includes a program of independent cinema highlighting recent, significant works by and/or about Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora. BAAFF is New England's largest Asian American film festival. The festival takes place in the month of October in Boston at Emerson College's Bright Family Screening Room in the Paramount Center and opening night in Cambridge at the Brattle Theatre. The 4-day film festival features special premieres, exclusive Q&As with filmmakers and various co-sponsored events around Boston.
The festival was created in 2008.
WWW baaff.org

History

BAAFF existed for several decades under the name Asian American Resource Workshop, but finally established its current name in 2008 under the leadership of Susan Chinsen. In 2018, the festival hit its 10-year anniversary, commemorated by 10 days of screenings.

Previous Screenings

Notable films that have screened at BAAFF starting from 2010 include Bertha Bay-Sa Pan's Almost Perfect, Quentin Lee's White Frog and The People I've Slept With, Michael Kang's Knots, Byron Q's Bang Bang, Minh Duc Nguyen's Touch, Jeff Chiba Stearns's One Big Hapa Family, and a special event honoring veteran actor James Hong entitled "James Hong, Behind the Scenes Secrets of Hollywood."

2018, October 18–28

  • Retrospective screening for the 25th anniversary of The Joy Luck Club directed by Wayne WangDeported, directed by Sahra V Nguyen. Post screening Q&A with director Sahra V Nguyen.Fiction & Other Realities, directed by Bobby ChoyFor Izzy, directed by Alex ChuBitter Melon, directed by H.P. MendozaGo For Broke: An Origin Story, directed by Alexcander BocchieriNailed It, directed by Adele Free Pham
  • ''The Ito Sisters''

2017, October 19–22

The Jade Pendant directed by Po-Chih Leung. Post screening Q&A with author/producer L.P. Leung and actor Brian YangResistance at Tule Lake directed by Konrad Aderer. Post screening Q&A with director/producer Konrad AdererGook directed by Justin Chon. Post screening Q&A with producer Alex Chi

2016, October 20–23

Tyrus directed by Pamela Tom. Post screening Q&A with the director.Comfort directed by William Lu. Post screening Q&A with director William Lu and actor Chris DinhThe Tiger Hunter directed by Lena Khan

2015, October 22–25

Seoul Searching directed by Benson LeeThe Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor directed by Arthur DongMiss India America directed by Ravi Kapoor

2013, October 24–27

Linsanity with producer Brian YangInnocent Blood with producer Trip HopeThe Way We Dance with director Adam Wong

2012, October 25–28

White Frog drama feature directed by Ellie Wen. Guest Appearance and Q&A with Actor Booboo Stewart, Producer/Writer Ellie Wen and Executive Producer David Henry Hwang. Special Lion Dance Performance by Wah Lum Martial Arts AcademySunset Stories drama feature directed by Ernesto Foronda, Silas Howard.Wedding Palace Comedy feature directed by Christine YooI Am A Ghost Horror feature directed by H.P Mendoza. Screened at Somerville Theatre.
  • Fear Buffet: A Shorts Program Featuring Dumpling, How War Ends, Fortune Cookie Magic Trick, Mr. Nakamura's Addiction, Bloodtraffick and Down Under Pui Chan: Kung Fu Pioneer documentary directed by Mimi ChanModel Minority Directed by Lily Mariye.Mr. Cao Goes To Washington Directed by S. Leo Chiang.Yes, We're Open Directed by Richard Wong.
  • Reel Food: A Shorts Program Featuring Wonder Boy, People Aren't All Bad, The Commitment, Bleached, Café Eleve, My 2009 Experience, Commitment and Nani Special Appearance by filmmakers Henry Ho, Albert Chan, and Kelly Li.Shanghai Calling, directed by Daniel Hsia.

2011, November 10–13

Almost Perfect Post-screening Q&A with director Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, actor Tina Chen, opening Performance by The Genki Spark: Taiko Projects with AttitudeBehind the Scenes Secrets of Hollywood Actor James Hong. Co-presented by MIT Asian American Association, MIT Inventing Our Future, WGBH and Chinese Historical Society of New England
  • Shorts:The Potential Wives of Norman Mao, ''Angel Island Profile: Tyrus Wong, Asian American Jesus, Wear I Fit, The Bus Pass, Brides Wanted, Room #11, Lunchtime, and Mother. Co-presented by MIT Asian American Association, MIT Inventing Our Future, Queer East, Boston LGBT Film Festival, and Channel APA.One Big Hapa Family Post-screening Q&A with director Jeff Chiba Stearns Co-presented by New England Japanese American Citizens League and Discover Roxbury. Touch, directed by Minh Duc Nguyen) Post-screening Q&A with director Minh Duc Nguyen. Co-presented by Viet AID and Intercollegiate Vietnamese Students Association. Preceded by short, Heart directed by Erick Oh.Bang Bang, directed by Byron Q Post-screening Q&A with director Byron Q. Co-presented by The Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth.
  • Shorts program includes: Fatakra, A Tree Falls in Forest, Ballet of Unhatched Chicks, Boys and Girls, The First Draft of Yao Ming's Retirement Speech, Memory of Forgotten War, My Name is Seven, N as in Name: Danh Nguyen, Rehearsing the Future, and Top Spin. Co-presented by MIT Asian American Association, MIT Inventing Our Future, Queer East, and Boston LGBT Film Festival. Knots'', directed by Michael Kang Post-screening Q&A with Director Michael Kang and Writer/Actor Kimberly-Rose Wolter Co-presented by Boston Korea.

2010, November 11–14

Today's Special, Co-presented by the National Association of Asian American Professionals -Boston, Opening Performance by The Genki Spark: Taiko Projects with AttitudeAoki, directed by Mike Cheng, Ben Wang, Infamy, directed by Kevin Senzaki, Co-Presented by Discover Roxbury, Boston Center for Community and Justice, and New England Japanese American Citizen League.
  • Shorts: When Five Fell, Humberville Poetry Slam, Clap Clap, Andy Topi, Master of His Domain, Space Cadet, Ajumma! Are you Krazy???, Co-Presented by Korean Student Association at UMASS Boston, Boston Progress, and Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and the National Association of Asian American Professionals - Boston.Race, Acting, Sexuality, and Asian American Masculinities, Co-Presented by Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth and Institute for Asian American Studies at UMASS BostonThe People I've Slept With, directed by Quentin Lee, Co-Presented by Harvard AAA, Boston Asian American Student Intercollegiate Conference, and the National Association of Asian American Professionals - Boston.The Things We Carry, La Petite Salon, Co-Presented by Asian Sisters Participating In Reaching Excellence, The Asian American Center at Northeastern University, and Boston University's Asian Women's Health Initiative Project.