American ArabAMERICAN ARAB is a mosaic of personal stories, from hate crimes to hope, punk rock to arty docs, that drives you to think about American and world realities, and helps you see them more clearly. It is an important document and beacon of hope for a community and people too often misunderstood, with disastrous consequences.
American Zombie
Cambodian SonKosal Khiev was forced to flee Cambodia to the US at 1 year old. Later returned to Phnom Penh as an exiled "criminal alien," he is a volatile, charming young poet whose life begins to change when he is invited to represent Cambodia at the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
Dreaming Lhasa
East Side SushiSushi has come a long way from its humble origins to become a symbol of refined taste representative of an entire nation and its people. Juana Martinez is confronted with this inseparability of sushi and the Japanese people during her pursuit of becoming a sushi chef in EAST SIDE SUSHI.
Eat Drink Man WomanThis year marks the 20th anniversary of Ang Lee's critically acclaimed EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, a story of master Chinese chef Mr. Chu, his three daughters and their Sunday night dinners. Each week, the family meal quickly turns into an "announcement" session, where Confucian traditions meet and clash with modern love and the unpredictability of life.
Farah Goes BangFarah Mahtab's sex life is a litany of awkward encounters. This 20-something is eager to lose her virginity and unearth her desirability. Will a cross-country road trip with her best friends Roopa and K.J. to canvass for 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry provide the sweet release she craves?
Golden Gate GirlsGOLDEN GATE GIRLS reveals the untold story and achievements of San Francisco native Esther Eng, one of the first female Chinese American directors. Filmmaker Louisa Wei takes us through photos and memories from close relatives that paint a venerable portrait of the legendary artist as her centennial is celebrated this year.
The Great PassageWhen shy book salesman Majime is recruited to work on an ambitious new dictionary, his life finally begins to bloom. In Japan's quirky 2013 Academy Awards Best Foreign Language Film entry, the dictionary forms the backbone, not only of human communication, but for any number of life's most powerful transitions.
The HaumanaTui Asau is Jonny Kealoha, the host of a struggling luau show on Waikiki. After his former master hula teacher passes away, he is pushed into her role teaching high school boys. Keo Woolford's directorial and screenwriting debut richly weaves narrative and breathtaking island scenery with a Hawaiian-infused soundtrack.
Innocent BloodA dark thriller set in L.A.'s Koreatown, INNOCENT BLOOD finds former police detective James Park in a desperate search for his son while confronting ghosts from his past. As the body count rises, Park must navigate a dangerous cat-and-mouse game as the lines between justice and revenge are blurred.
InnocentsBullied by fellow students and disregarded by parents and teachers, two young outsiders escape into the wilderness where fantasy and imagination take hold. Sanctuary is short lived, however, when monsoon season descends and oppressive adults encroach.
Ilo IloWinner of the Caméra d'Or at Cannes, ILO ILO is the riveting quasi-autobiographical first feature by Anthony Chen. A temperamental 10-year-old's parents hire a Filipina domestic worker to take care of the house and wrangle their son. She quickly grows to know more about the Lim family than anyone else.
JadooIn this lighthearted family story, Shalini returns home to announce her engagement. She wants the perfect Indian wedding with a feast prepared by her uncle and father — both chefs. But it has been two decades since they have spoken to one another. Will Shalini's wedding bring them together?
Awesome Asian Bad GuysWhat happened to the actors that played that one Asian villain in your favorite childhood action flicks? Well, it turns out that they teamed up with the National Film Society to avenge the wrongful death of Tamlyn Tomita's twin sister, Pamlyn, in AWESOME ASIAN BAD GUYS. Pretty awesome, right?
Brahmin BullsSmart and cynical, BRAHMIN BULLS won the Audience Choice Award Feature at the San Diego Film Festival in 2013. This remarkably assured debut feature film from director Mahesh Pailoor explores a familial relationship where father and son are more likely to lock horns than hug it out.
Bringing Tibet HomeBRINGING TIBET HOME is the poignant debut feature documentary film by Tibetan filmmaker Tenzin Tsetan Choklay. New York-based artist Tenzing Rigdol navigates various international borders to transport more than 20 tons of Tibetan soil for an installation in Dharamshala, India, titled "Our Land, Our People."
Karaoke GirlA compelling look at the life of a karaoke girl in Bangkok, where poverty, gender and desire tangle to create intractable situations that leave her suffering, and yet sometimes hopeful. Part-documentary, part-fictionalized narrative, this film is sure to touch your heart.
LordvilleAsking what it means to own land, acclaimed director of HISTORY AND MEMORY (SFIAAFF '91) and STRAWBERRY FIELDS (SFIAAFF '97) reins in stories of the everyday — powerful floods, ancestral secrets and colonial violence — to expose traces of a town's history. The cinematic probing compels us to ponder our relationship to the land.
The Missing PictureOscar-nominee and Winner of the 2013 Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes, this latest film from renowned director Rithy Panh is a testament to the ability of cinema to give form to phantom pains caused by unthinkable trauma. Clay figures, archival footage and spoken words are woven together in this stunningly vivid film.
Pee MakSuperb physical comedy and bone-chilling scares collide in SHUTTER co-director Banjong Pisan- thanakun's hilarious send-up of one of Thailand's most widely filmed ghost stories — of Mae Nak Phra Khanong. PEE MAK dominated Thailand's box office in 2013 to become its biggest draw ever, nearly triple that of the nearest competitor.
The Road to FameStudents in China's most prestigious drama school earnestly seek stardom in a staging of the 1980s American musical "Fame." An incisive look at the students' competition for spots in the production as well as the realities of life in a transforming Chinese society, from the director of BEIJING OR BUST.
SiddharthPoor street merchant Mahendra sends his young son, Siddharth, off to work to help support the family. When the boy fails to return home for the holiday, Mahendra finds himself on a desperate and seemingly futile search for his son. SIDDHARTH is a powerful story of loss and hope.
StatelessVietnamese refugees who have been living in a condition of statelessness in the Philippines for 16 years await a rare opportunity for resettlement in the United States. They speak of their anticipation, hopes and fears. A moving documentary about the long wait for home.
Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom
The Way We DanceA daydreaming tofu shop worker becomes a rising star as a member of her college's hip-hop dance team. Her stardom quickly begins to fall, however, when her fellow team members, a rival dance team and romance get in the way.
Zone Pro Site: A Moveable FeastWan, daughter of legendary chef Master Fly Spirit, is up to her neck in debt. One thing that can save her: good cooking, of course! With help from a hunky "Gourmet Doctor," her stepmom and a cast of classic Taiwanese talent, she'll save the day in this colorful comedy.
