2024 Lineup
HAPPY SANDWICH
RESCHEDULED TO SUNDAY, MARCH 17th
Opening Night Reception: 5PM , Film Start: 6:30PM
Runtime: 94 minutes, Language: Japanese, Country: Japan, Subtitle Language: English, Director: Tsukasa Kishimoto
In this uplifting documentary/fiction hybrid, Shogo Manna, the owner of a local BBQ joint, is told by Shinto priests to make a sandwich to offer to the gods. In order to fulfill this request Manna travels around to interview people involved in all aspects of food in Okinawa. In his conversations with the producers and chefs, he listens to their thoughts on their food and lifestyles, and moves toward his own idea of what could be a ”Sandwich for God.”
MOON MAN
Sunday, March 17th
Closing Night Film: 3PM , Closing Night Reception: 5PM
Runtime: 122 minutes, Language: Mandarin, Country: China, Director: Chiyu Zhang, Producer: Li Zhang
A Chinese box-office smash hit, this comedic sci-fi adventure finds an asteroid on track for a direct impact on Earth. A plan is hatched to deploy an Earth saving shield on the moon. But when things go awry, astronaut Dugu Yue becomes the "last human in the universe"
FRIDAY LINEUP
MARCH 15TH, 2024
FRIDAY, MARCH 15TH
YOU & ME & ME
Runtime: 122 minutes, Language: Thai, Country: Thailand, Director: Wanweaw Hongvivatana, Producer: Banjong Pisanthanakun
In 1999, while the world is gripped by Y2K hysteria, identical twin sisters “You” and “Me” are also concerned for their future. The twins share a unqiuely close bond together. That is until a charming teenage boy enters their lives in this plesant coming-of-age romantic tale.
TIME: 1:15 PM
FRIDAY, MARCH 15TH
BECKY & BADETTE
Runtime: 114 minutes, Language: Filipino, Country: Philippines, Director: Jun R. Lana, Screenwriter: Jun R. Lana, Producer: Benjamin Gonzales Tolentino, Cast: Eugene Domingo, Pokwang, Romnick Sarmenta, Cinematographer: Kara Moreno
In this heartwarming comedy about friendship and second chances, high school best friends Becky and Badette find themselves struggeling in their mid-40s. Despite this, they never lose hope that one day their big dream will come true: to become the famous celebrities they were always meant to be.
TIME: 4:00 PM
New to this year, the Golden Dragon Award was created to honor an individual or group in the cinematic world who uplifts and celebrates the AANHPI community. It is with this spirit that we honor actress Ji-young Yoo., who will join us for a Q&A after the film.
Hayoung, played by rising star Ji-young Yoo, is a lonely 16-year-old Korean-American girl struggling with her identity at an elite summer boot camp. Full of teenage angst, hidden shame, and the desire to fit in, Hayoung hides her problematic family woes and lower-income background. She staggers between the demise of her parent's marriage while attempting to make new friends, only to discover the bittersweet pains of coming-of-age.
SATURDAY LINEUP
MARCH 16TH, 2024
TIME: 10:00 AM - 10:45AM
CONNECTING THROUGH CULTURES WITH ASIAN AMERICAN ADOPTEES
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Attendees can expect a rich exploration of how Asian American adoptees add texture to the dissonance they may encounter, honoring the multifaceted layers of their cultural journeys. Learn from the unique experiences of transracial adoptees and ways they have navigated the intricacies of their cultural identities.
$5 Suggested Donation (donations go to our panelist honorarium payment)
COMMUNITY CONVERSTATION
SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH
LOCATION: SIE FILMCENTER LOBBY
TIME: Noon - 5:00 PM
Free & Open to the public: Featuring small batch soaps, handcrafted chocolate, art prints, and more! Stop by to support local businesses, grab a bite, and catch a movie
Participating Vendors:
Colorado Cocoa Pod, Maia Foods by Madhavi, Hkcoshop, Jini Kimchis Art, Kap Kap Co, Soap Charmers, Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake Art, SASS Jewelry, Art at CoArk ,Willa Miette Studio
Food Truck Outside: Koco Food Truck
SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH
TIME: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
The Short Films Showcase is BACK! Join us in feeling a wide range of emotions as we see the new short films coming out of the Colorado and USA AANHPI communities. Learn about the amazing stories that are being told from our local filmmakers, actors, talent, and more.
SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH
ELEGIES
Runtime: 101 minutes, Language: Cantonese, Mandarin, Country: Hong Kong, Director: Ann Hui, Producer: Ken Hui, Cast: Huang Canran, Liu Waitong, Deng Ah-Lam, Cinematographer: Mike Mak Chi-Kwan, Editor: Salt & Vinegar
Venice Career Golden Lion-winning auteur Ann Hui documents a topic she holds most dear – poetry. Through her personal encounters with some of Hong Kong’s most notable poets, Hui shows the topography of contemporary poetry on and of the city. Two poles of reality, the unrestrained Huang Can-ran and the cosmopolitan Liu Wai-tong, are juxtaposed to reveal two distinctively different personalities, ideals, and ways of life.
TIME: 2:00 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH
ONE WITH THE WHALE
Runtime: 80 minutes, Language: English, Siberian, Yupik, Country: United States, United Kingdom, Director: Jim Wickens, Pete Chelkowski, Producer: M. Watanabe Milmore, Aakapak Susan Apassingok, Yaari Walker, Executive Producer: Justine Nagan, Bonni Cohen, Alex Lieberman, Co-Producer: Nalu Apassingok, Editor: M. Watanabe Milmore
Hunting whales is a matter of life or death for the Indigenous people of St. Lawrence, a tiny island in the Bering Sea. So, when Chris Agra Apassingok becomes the youngest person to ever harpoon a whale for his Alaskan village, his mother proudly shares the news on Facebook. To her surprise, thousands of keyboard activists brutally attack Chris without fully understanding the scope of his accomplishment. One with the Whale is a heartwarming yet thrilling documentary of one family’s struggle to rebuild their shattered identities and regain a new foothold in both the ancient and modern world.
TIME: 4:30 PM
TIME: 7:15 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 16TH
OLD FOX
North American Premiere!
Runtime: 112 minutes, Language: Mandarin, Country: Taiwan, Subtitle Language: English, Director: Hsiao Ya-chuan, Screenwriter: Hsiao Ya-chuan, Adrienne Iwen Chan, Executive Producer: Hou Hsiao-hsien, Elisa Y.H. LIN, Fumiko Osaka, Cast: Bai Run-yin, Kuan-Ting Liu, Akio Chen, Cinematographer: Lin Tse-chung, Editor: Chu Chun Tao, Composer: Chris Hou
In this 80s set family drama, eleven-year-old Liao Jie and his father have been saving money to buy a home. However, things do not go as planned and Liao Jie comes to realize the harsh reality of being poor. He then forms a relationship with "Old Fox", their landlord who mentors Liao Jie to survive in a rapidly changing society.
SUNDAY LINEUP
MARCH 17TH, 2024
CONNECTING THROUGH CULTURES WITH FOOD & FOODWAYS
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Explore the rich tapestry of AANHPI cultures through the lens of cuisine, showcasing how food becomes a powerful vehicle for connection to one’s home culture. Join us for an exploration of the delectable ways in which AANHPI communities use food to preserve and celebrate their cultural identities.
Open to the public. $5 Suggested Donation
TIME: 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
COMMUNITY CONVERSTATION
SUNDAY, MARCH 17TH
TIME: 11:00 AM - NOON
Taste The Stories
Celebrating Asian and Asian American culture through culinary storytelling.
Culinary tastings from over a dozen of Denver’s top AANHPI’s chefs, restaurants, food trucks, and more! Including the award-winning Sap Sua restaurant, Adobo Denver, Kokoro, RiceBoxx Denver, Sweet Rice Flour, Die Die Must Try.
LOCATION: SIE FILMCENTER LOBBY
SUNDAY, MARCH 17TH
EMERGING ARTIST SHOWCASE
We are proud to showcase the short films from our amazing Emerging Artists right here in Colorado! Join us for an experience full of films from students, professors, and up and coming talent from all over Colorado. Here we will laugh, cry, and feel the immense Coloradan and AANHPI pride as we witness these amazing works of art.
