The 2009 Asian American International Film Festival in New York is just days away -- July 23-26 in New York. Narrative and documentary features will screen at Clearview Chelsea, and short films will screen at the Museum of Chinese in America. In anticipation of the big event, here's a handful of some of the film highlights to check out:
Li Tong
Directed by Nian Lu
Sat, July 25 @9pm
(Feature) Li Tong, a restless young girl, loses her bus pass one day after school. Her meandering trip home is the thread of this poignant "day in the life" tale, which wends its way through the various homes, personae and urban landscapes of contemporary Beijing.
Waiting for a Train
Sat, July 25 @6:45pm
Directed by Oscar Bucher
(Short) Toshio Hirano left his home in Japan to pursue his dream in Appalachian mountain country, singing bluegrass by the railroad tracks.
Whatever It Takes
Directed by Christopher Wong
Sat, July 25 @6pm
(Feature) In 2002, the New York Board of Education initiated a movement to establish small, specialized schools that would attempt to patch the cracks -- both institutional and personal -- through which students are allowed to fall. This documentary is the fierce and fearless account of Edward Tom's first year as principal of one of those schools, the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics.
Walking While Sleeping
Directed by Han Lee
Sat, July 25 @ 4:30pm
(Short) Two dreamlike narratives entwine as paths cross between girl and cat, man and stranger. Unraveling the threads, however, does little to tie up loose ends.
No Joke Burma
Directed b Li-Anne Huang
Sat, July 25 @ 4:30pm
(Short) Imprisoned in the past and currently under house arrest, three men known as the Mustache Brothers eke out a living as comic performers and set their sights on the eventuality of freedom.