Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival 2008

The 2009 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival Presented by HBO is a wrap! Thanks to all the volunteers, attendees and sponsors for making this happen. Thanks also to our venue partners: Asian Arts Initiative and the International House.

Festival Award Winners:

Best Narrative Feature Film: Why Am I Doing This?
Best Documentary: A Village Called Versailles
Best Short Film: I Don’t Sleep I Dream

Narrative Feature Audience Award: Formosa Betrayed
Documentary Audience Award: Operation Babylift

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The 2009 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival Presented by HBO launches today, Friday Oct 9th through Sunday, Oct 11th. Our Presenting Venues are the Asian Arts Initiative (1219 Vine Street, Chinatown Philadelphia) and the Ibrahim Theater at the International House (3701 Chestnut Street). Prices for all films: General Admission $8 | Student Price $6

Click to view online schedule & ticketing
Interactive Program Guide

OPENING NIGHT FILM
Children of Invention
Fri. Oct 9th, 7pm
Ibrahim Theater at the International House (37th & Chestnut)
The Sundance sensation about two young children living outside Boston who are left to fend for themselves when their mother gets embroiled in a pyramid scheme and disappears.
(Followed by our Opening Night Party at Marbar at 40th & Walnut, $15)

PAAFF & HBO Presents: A Conversation with Aaron Yoo
Sat. October 10th, 2pm
Ibrahim Theater at the International House (37th & Chestnut)
We are very excited to be teaming up with HBO to bring you this FREE event featuring rising Hollywood star Aaron Yoo (Disturbia, 21, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Gamer, etc). Aaron will be in attendance for the Q&A and will also be receiving the PAAFF Rising Star Award.

CENTERPIECE FILM
Formosa Betrayed
Sat. Oct 10th, 8pm
Ibrahim Theater at the International House (37th & Chestnut)
Sponsored by Comcast and the Penn Taiwanese Society
A political thriller, based on true events, set in Taiwan, starring James Van Der Beek.
-Philadelphia Premiere/Filmmaker Will Tiao will be in attendance
(Followed by an afterparty at Sumo at 12th & Chestnut)

CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Story of Wine
Sun. Oct 11th, 5:45pm
Ibrahim Theater at the International House (37th & Chestnut)
Sponsored by World Shippers & Importers and Bi-Co KSA of Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges
At the one year Anniversary Party for the wine bar ‘Story of Wine’, Min-sung, a former fund manager who became a sommelier because of his love for wine, made an exclusive wine list specifically paired with a unique story that represents the qualities of each wine.
-East Coast Premiere
(Followed by a FREE Wine Party featuring food from the Stephen Starr restaurant “El Vez”)

HIGHLIGHTS OF PAAFF FILMS at the ASIAN ARTS INITIATIVE (1219 Vine St)
OPERATION BABYLIFT: THE LOST CHILDREN OF VIETNAM
Saturday, October 10, 2:00 pm
During the last days of the Vietnam War in 1975, President Gerald Ford signed into law a $2 million inititative that airlifted over 2,500 orphans out of a lost country and into a new life. ‘Operation Babylift’ was an event that sparked controversy, defended by many as one of America’s most humanitarian acts and vilified by others as a mass kidnapping. Now over thirty years later, this documentary takes a candid look at the effects of Babylift on the adoptees, families, and volunteers, giving voice to their journey as they make peace with their controversial past.
-The screening will be followed by a discussion with film producers Tammy Nguyen Lee and Jared Rehberg.

A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES
Saturday, October 10, 7:00 pm
Sponsored by Boat People SOS and OCA-Greater Philadelphia
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Versailles residents impressively rise to the challenges by returning and rebuilding before any other flooded neighborhood in New Orleans, only to have their homes threatened by a new government-imposed toxic landfill just two miles away. The film follows the empowering story of how this multi-generational group of people, who has already suffered so much in their lifetime, turns a devastating disaster into a catalyst for change and a chance for a better future.
-The screening will be followed by a discussion with film producer S. Leo Chiang.

Philadelphia Asian American Film & Filmmakers is very pleased to announce that Comcast has come on board as a Premier Sponsor and HBO is returning as the Presenting Sponsor for the 2009 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, which runs October 9-11, 2009 at the Ibrahim Theater at the International House and the Asian Arts Initiative.

Congratulations to all of our filmmakers!

NARRATIVE FEATURES
Opening Night Film – Children of Invention Tze Chun & Mynette Louie
Centerpiece Presentation – Formosa Betrayed Adam Kane & Will Tiao
Closing Night Film – Story of Wine Cheol-ha Lee & Cha Seung-jae
Karma Calling Sarba Das & Sarthak Das
Second Moon Masahiro Sugano & Sanghoon Lee
Why Am I Doing This? Tom Huang & N.D. Brown

DOCUMENTARIES
Operation Babylift Tammy Nguyen Lee
A Song For Ourselves Tadashi Nakamura
Sounds of New Hope Eric Tandoc
A Village Called Versailles S. Leo Chiang
Whatever It Takes Christopher Wong

SHORT FILMS
Blood Colony Jacob Holcomb
Boba and Melon Gum Alice Park
Cotabato City Karen Lin
Evolution Kenji Lui
Fine Threads Adele Pham & Desi Girls on the Rise
Fortune Cooking Jason Karman
Foxes Rob Schwartz
Half Kenneth Ken Ochiai
The Humberville Poetry Slam Emily Chang
I Don’t Sleep I Dream J.P. Chan
Imprint Van Blumreich
In Search of Colors Will Kim
Interpretation Lin Oeding
Let Old Ghosts Rest Gregory Cooke
The Letter Kris Mendoza
Lui Lui in Amelica Vera Wing Lui
Manoj Zia Mohajerjasbi & Hari Kondabolu
Memory Block Hari Alluri
Motoo Adele Pham & Bao Nguyen
Mr. Cupcakes Angela Chen
Pho Dac Biet Christina Tran
Plan B Kaidy Kuna
Seen/Unseen Sara Suleman
Subconscious Jason Chen
Survivors Soham Mehta
Tatang Jean “Nico” Paolo
The Veiled Commodity Vinh Dickson
Wake Up Dawen Wang