The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival announced the lineup for the 39th edition of the annual showcase of Asian American, Native Hawaian, Pacific Islander, diasporic and Asian international cinema taking place May 4 to May 13, 2023.
On May 4, the Festival will kick off with a community celebration party at the Japanese American National Museum, followed by Opening Night programming on May 5th with the World Premiere of Armed With A Camera Vol. 2023 (AWC). This year, Armed With A Camera will feature six short films produced by Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander artists, in reflection of VC’s renewed commitment to uplifting Native Hawaiian and Pasifika stories.
In addition to AWC VOL. 2023, the Festival will feature several programs reflecting Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Indigenous perspectives to amplify the contemporary storytelling of Indigenous Peoples that universally connects all of us.
A central theme to the 39th edition of LAAPFF is wellness and joy, in continuation of VC’s year-round efforts to uplift the legacy of former Executive Director Linda Mabalot and her dedication to cultivating emerging generations of storytellers. This year commemorates the 20th year since Linda became an ancestor. VC has curated a series of healing and renewal-focused programs and activities for filmmakers and artists to participate in. These will precede film exhibitions throughout the Festival. The Festival’s Renewal towards joy and wellness reflects Linda’s vision of creating community with Artists and Allies.
With 16 selections in the Narrative Features program, each film brings in a perspective from all over the globe; united in varying degrees of connection and joy. Travel to Japan to meet an old picture book writer named Yamazaki, and understand what romance and love means to him as an elderly gay man. In Pasadena, CA, we’ll meet Laela and Colin; two long lost high school sweethearts who unexpectedly reunite 23 years after being separated during the 1998 riots in Jakarta, Visit Iran to meet Esmail, a newly named Patriarch, and his family that is constantly arguing and under pressure from various debts in the face of sanctions against Iran, And enter an ethereal, mythical tale of a colonial-era boarding school in the Himalayan mountains, to meet the mischievous sixteen-year-old Jaivardhana and his crush Tarini.
The Documentary Program features ethical productions that drive field towards greater documentary accountability practices. Storytelling of lived experience is a powerful way to grow empathy and build solidarity. From a son’s desire to connect with his Bengali father; to the wayfinding brilliance of Pasifika voyagers; to the tender days of an aging Japanese mother with Dementia and her caregiving daughter; to the complexity of a woman’s kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan; this year’s Documentary program welcomes in a learning experience to better understand each other so that we can navigate life together.
Documentary Programs
BIG FIGHT IN LITTLE CHINATOWN
Directed by Karen Cho
DAME VALERIE ADAMS: MORE THAN GOLD
Directed by Briar March
FLY IN POWER
Directed by Yin Q, Yoon Grace Ra
IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM
Directed by Alaudin Ullah, Vivek Bald
KAPWA TEXAS
Directed by PJ Raval
LIQUOR STORE DREAMS
Directed by So Yun Um
NURSE UNSEEN
Directed by Michele Josue
PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE: THE CORKY LEE STORY
Directed by Jennifer Takaki
THE FALL OF THE I-HOTEL
Directed by Curtis Choy
THE GRIZZLIE TRUTH
Directed by Kathleen S. Jayme
UNSEEN
Directed by Set Hernandez
WHETŪ MĀRAMA / BRIGHT STAR
Directed by Aileen O’Sullivan, Toby Mills
WHO IS NEXT?
Directed by Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva, Sultan Usuvaliev
WISDOM GONE WILD
Directed by Rea Tajiri
ZERO WASTE
Directed by Danny Kim
Narrative Programs
B-SIDE: FOR TAYLOR
Directed by Christina YR Lim
GAGA
Directed by Laha Mebow
GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Directed by Jason Karman
HITO HATA: Raise the Banner
Directed by Duane Kubo, Robert A. Nakamura
JAMOJAYA
Directed by Justin Chon
KĀINGA
Directed by Angeline Loo, Asuka Sylvie, Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, HASH, Julie Zhu, Michelle Ang, Nahyeon Lee, Yamin Tun
LEILA’S BROTHERS
Directed by Saeed Roustaee
MY PARTNER
Directed by Keliʻi Grace
NO NO GIRL
Directed by Paul Daisuke Goodman
OLD NARCISSUS
Directed by Tsuyoshi Shoji
RAGING GRACE
Directed by Paris Zarcilla
RED, WHITE & BRASS
Directed by Damon Fepulea’i
STARRING JERRY AS HIMSELF
Directed by Law Chen
THE CLOUD MESSENGER
Directed by Rahat Mahajan
THE HARVEST
Directed by Caylee So
THE VILLAGE
Directed by Seric Aprymov
THE WIND & THE RECKONING
Directed by David L. Cunningham
THIS TIME
Directed by Sebastien Tobler
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