All right, New York City. Tonight is Opening Night of the Asian American International Film Festival. The festivities kick off with the opening presentation of Hong Kong filmmaker Ivy Ho's directorial debut Claustrophobia.
Narrative and documentary features will screen at Clearview Chelsea, and short films will screen at the Museum of Chinese in America. If you're thinking about attending, here's another handful of film highlights to check out:
Hubad
Fri, July 24 @8:45pm
Directed by Mark Gary and Denisa Reyes
(Feature) In a conservative atmosphere, theater director Andre tries to break new ground with a hyper sexual play. He faces obstacles in funding his project and working with his actors, but passion ignites between the two middle aged leads as theater and life becomes intertwined.
A Green Mountain in the Drawer
Fri, July 24 @ 5pm
Directed by Hwa Jun Lee
(Short) In a state of reflective isolation, an elderly Korean American woman buys a plane ticket. The journey she makes is a moving return to the mountaintop of her most vivid memory.
Incongruent Body
Sat, July 25 @ 6:45pm
Directed by Jian Lee
(Short) Self-image is an inescapable constant in our society. The incongruent body in this short leaps between live action, stop motion, and traditional animation to reveal the gruesome viscera of physical beauty in a watchful world.
Fruit Fly
Sun, July 26 @6pm
Directed by H.P. Mendoza
(Feature) A naughty, fast-paced, punchy romp of a musical, Fruit Fly follows young performance artist Bethesda on her soul-searching journey to find a place for herself while trying her luck in the art scene.
Crossing Midnight
Sat, July 25 @ 4:30pm
Directed by Kim Snyder
(Short) For persecuted minorities in Burma, sometimes survival necessitates flight. In neighboring Thailand, a growing community of refugees and health workers is actively helping the displaced Burmese.