Good people of New York! This is it. The Asian American International Film Festival kicks off tonight with the Opening Night presentation of Wayne Wang's The Princess of Nebraska, a complex drama about the conflicted emotional landscape of a young woman at a crossroads. Based on a short story by award-winning writer Yiyun Li, the film stars newcomer Li Ling in a stunning debut as Sasha, a pregnant teen who travels alone from Omaha to San Francisco for an abortion.
The film screens tonight, 7:30pm at Asia Society, followed by the Opening Night Gala. Director Wayne Wang, cinematographer/co-director Richard Wong, and star Ling Li will be in attendance. For more information about the film/screening, go here. Also read this cool interview with Wayne Wang here.
AAIFF runs tonight through July 19, featuring an amazing, diverse lineup of programs with a little bit of something for everyone. Narrative features, documentaries, shorts, music videos—it's the best and brightest of Asian American independent cinema. For more information about the festival, including tickets, venue info and the schedule of events, visit the festival website here.