Stabbing in San Francisco Chinatown Caught on Video

And Other Items of Note From Angry Asian America.

Shocking daylight stabbing in SF’s Chinatown caught on video

A man was arrested after stabbing another man in the back on a busy street in San Francisco's Chinatown Thursday afternoon. The unprovoked attack was caught on surveillance video, which shows a man in a hoodie walking down Stockton Street, and then violently lunging at a man who was waiting at the corner to cross the street. The victim was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive. The suspect, described as an Asian man in his 30s, was held on charges of attempted murder.

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U.S. citizen stopped at O'Hare, detained by immigration officials for nearly 30 hours

A U.S. citizen from the Chicago area spent nearly 30 hours in custody by federal immigration officials after she was detained at O’Hare Airport following a work trip Thursday. Sundas "Sunny" Naqvi and five colleagues, including two other U.S. citizens and three individuals with green cards, were all detained at the airport by federal immigration agents for their "recent travel history" after returning from Istanbul.

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Didn't Die

Here's a very different take on the zombie movie... In Didn't Die, directed by Meera Menon, a podcast host struggles to maintain her dwindling audience during the zombie apocalypse, but when her ex shows up with an orphaned baby, priorities shift in order to battle the ever-mutating threat. Starring Kiran Deol, Didn't Die premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and is currently in limited theatrical release.

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LAAPFF Festival Pass

Film fans, if you're in Los Angeles, and you want to support Asian American cinema, mark your calendars for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, happening April 29 to May 3. Better yet, go one step further and purchase a Festival Pass. It's the best way to fest. And a great deal. And an awesome way to support Visual Communications. Purchasing a Festival Pass helps offset rising venue, staffing, and accessibility costs — allowing Visual Communications to keep individual ticket prices lower and sustain artist support. Get yours here.

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JVKE x JEON SOMI - moonboy (official live video)

I cannot resist the charm of this dreamy new song collaboration from Jeon Somi and JVKE: "moonboy," a catchy pop-love duet that captures the thrill of falling head over heels.

Call For Entries: Viet Film Fest 2021

Submit your film to the 2021 Viet Film Fest.



Viet Film Fest
Hey filmmakers! Viet Film Fest, which celebrates Vietnamese stories and voices in cinema, is now accepting submissions for its 2021 film festival, to be held October 15-30, 2021 -- hosted virtually. Founded in 2003 by the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association, the festival "showcases the best creative work by and about Vietnamese people. Through the universal language of film, Viet Film Fest brings together multiple perspectives to expand the scope and horizons of Vietnamese cinema." The submission deadline is May 15 (early bird: April 30). For further information, go to vietfilmfest.com.

Trump is That Kid Who Kicks the Ball Over the Fence When a Call Doesn't Go His Way

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.


Trump Tells Asian American Reporter to "Ask China" About Deaths
Donald Trump abruptly ended his Monday press conference after a contentious exchange in which he asked an Asian American journalist to "ask China" about her question and then refused to take a query from another White House reporter. CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang asked Trump why he sees coronavirus testing as a global competition when more than 80,000 Americans have died. "Maybe that's a question you should ask China," Trump told Jiang. "Don't ask me. Ask China that question, OK?" And that was the beginning of the end of the press conference.

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Violence Against Asian Americans Is on the Rise -- But It's Part of a Long History
If you somehow think the rise of anti-Asian sentiment amidst COVID-19 is something new, take short and long look back at the history of Asians in America -- something you can see in the epic new five-hour documentary series Asian Americans, which premieres on PBS this week. All five parts are available for viewing in their entirety on pbs.org.

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Kevin Kwan's New Book is His Most Decadent Yet
How do you follow up one of the most successful trilogies of the 21st century? For Kevin Kwan, whose Crazy Rich Asians books have sold millions of copies and spawned a $200-million-plus movie, the answer rested in his greatest inspiration: A Room With a View. His new novel, Sex and Vanity, plays like a straight tribute to the E.M. Forster novel -- but in this version, the story moves between Capri and New York, tackling the nuances of Asian American identity in the process.

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API Heritage Jam
DJs Phatrick and O-Dub are teaming up for a livestream mix highlighting Asian and Asian American artists. Wednesday, May 13 at 4pm Pacific. Follow along on Instagram Live at either @djphatrick or @soulsides.

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CAAMFest Online: Heritage at Home
The Center for Asian American Media presents their reimagined festival experience, CAAMFest Online: Heritage at Home from May 13-22. The online festival will provide a platform to gather virtually in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The program features over 20 digital events, ranging from online film screenings to interactive panels, watch parties, and house parties with live performances, all free of charge. Learn more and reserve your tickets here. Join the conversation using #CAAMFestOnline and #HeritageAtHome.

3 in 10 Americans Have Witnessed COVID-19 Bias Against Asians

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America



More than 30 Percent of Americans Have Witnessed COVID-19 Bias Against Asians
More than 30 percent of Americans have witnessed someone blaming Asian people for the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey conducted for the Center for Public Integrity. Sixty percent of Asian Americans, who made up about 6 percent of the survey's respondents, said they’ve seen the same behavior.

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U.S. Senator Wants to Restrict Chinese Students From Studying Science
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) suggested that Chinese students should not be allowed to live in the U.S. for the purpose of obtaining science-related degrees from American universities. In an interview with Fox News, Cotton said that Chinese students seeking to study at U.S. schools should be limited to studying courses in the Humanities. "If Chinese students want to come here and study Shakespeare and the Federalist Papers, that's what they need to learn from America," Cotton said. "They don't need to learn quantum computing."

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Nurse Who Fought for More PPE Dies of Coronavirus Days Before Retirement
A nurse who fought for more personal protective equipment (amid the coronavirus epidemic allegedly died of COVID-19 last week, days before her union says she was scheduled to retire. Celia Yap Banago contracted the disease while caring for an infected patient at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, where she worked for 40 years.

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The Goonies Reunited!
This week, the cast of the beloved 1985 movie The Goonies held an epic online reunion -- including Ke Huy Quan, who played the intrepid, inventive Data. He was 14 when The Goonies was released, but has been fairly inactive as an actor in his adult years. However, he shares that thanks to movies like Crazy Rich Asians, there's been recent surge of interest in roles for Asian American actors. Now at age 50, he's gotten back into acting and has roles in the upcoming films Everything Everywhere All at Once and Finding Ohana.

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Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Virtual Showcase
As we head into May, we should have been gearing up for this year's edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications. It was slated to kick off this week. But given the state of the world, that's obviously not happening. But festival's organizers, undeterred by this set back, have announced the LAAPFF Virtual Showcase, a free digital showcase of films and panels to unite with audiences during this unprecedented time. The online showcase will highlight artists whose stories are critical at this moment in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic. This first time event begins May 1st and will run through May 28 as part of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. For further information, and to see the full lineup, go here.

A Filipino American DJ finds her groove in 'Flip the Record'

Marie Jamora's retro short is screening as part of the PBS Online Film Festival.



A little-known but lasting explosion of hip hop culture grew out of the Filipino American community of 1980s San Francisco. The short film Flip the Record, written and directed by Marie Jamora, takes us into the beat of an aspiring mobile DJ crew in '84. Vanessa, sick of the constraints and boring piano lessons in her conservative Filipino American household, starts teaching herself on the sly how to scratch on her older brother's turntables. Flip the Record follows Ness as she discovers her talents and place in the local music scene of the era.

After screening on the festival circuit, Flip the Record is now available to watch as part of the 2018 PBS Online Film Festival. The key to this film is in the feel of the details, from the retro fashion to the fresh dance moves, and even the hot-off-the-press homemade business cards. And of course, the music. It's a fun, vibrant look back at an influential but overlooked era in Filipino American pop culture.

Check it out:

CAAMFest Presents White Rabbit

Starring and co-written by Vivian Bang. Friday, May 11 at AMC Kabuki 8.



San Francisco film fans, this one's for you... Fresh from its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the wonderfully weird and delightful indie comedy White Rabbit is screening at CAAMFest. Co-written and starring Vivian Bang, and directed by Daryl Wein, the film follows Sophia, a Korean American performance artist trying find her voice amidst heartbreak and professional road bumps in modern Los Angeles.

It's screening Friday, May 11 at the AMC Kabuki 8 in Japantown. Here are some more details:

40th Asian American International Film Festival

Presented by Asian CineVision, July 25 - August 5



New Yooooork! New York film fans, this one's for you. The 40th Asian American International Film Festival, presented by Asian CineVision, is going down this week! As the nation's first and longest running Asian-interest film festival, AAIFF40 will present 20 feature films and 63 short films representing 18 countries. Screenings will be held at Cinema Village East and Asia Society in Manhattan, July 26 - August 5.

Here's this year's AAIFF trailer:

Watch these award-winning HBO shorts at LAAPFF

HBO presents the winners of the Asian Pacific American Visionaries short film competition.



The winners of HBO's first Asian Pacific American Visionaries short film competition will receive their world premiere screenings with an exclusive event at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

The winning filmmakers are Dinh Thai (first place, Monday), Tiffanie Hsu (second place, Wonderland), Jingyi Shao (third place, Toenail).

Exploring a range of topical issues facing the modern APA experience, the shorts offer a bold and uncompromising look at such controversial subject matter as crime, addiction and family turmoil. A panel discussion with the directors, led by Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang, will immediately follow the screening.

It's happening Friday, April 27 in the Tateuchi Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum. Here are some more details about the screening:

See you at the 33rd Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Presented by Visual Communications, April 27 - May 4



Los Angeles film fans, it's on. Make some plans and get down with community for the 33rd Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, running April 27 to May 4. Presented by Visual Communications, with eight days of screenings, panels and events, LAAPFF is the largest festival of its kind in Southern California and the premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema.

This year's festival kicks off with the Opening Night intro/retrospective 15th anniversary screening of Justin Lin's landmark film Better Luck Tomorrow. Justin Chon's Sundance award-winning feature Gook serves as LAAPFF's Centerpiece highlight as part of the festival's 25th anniversary commemoration of the Los Angles Uprising. The festival rounds with the Closing Night Gala presentation of Kogonada's debut feature Columbus, starring leading man John Cho.

Here are some the festival's highlights:

Pacific Arts Movement Presents: Right to Resist

Sunday, April 23 at the San Diego Asian Film Festival's Spring Showcase



San Diego film fans! As part of Pacific Arts Movement's 7th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase, you are invited to Right to Resist: From 9066 to 2017, a series of documentaries and short films highlighting those who spoke up against Executive Order 9066 and those who spoke up against the post-9/11 treatment of Muslim Americans, as well as those of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent today.

Right to Resist will screen Sunday, April 23 at Ultra Star Mission Valley Cinemas-Hazard Center. Admission is free for ages 17 and under. Here are some more details about the program:

Win tickets to CAAMFest 2017

March 9-19 in San Francisco and Oakland



Bay Area film fans! This one's for you. The Center for Asian American Media presents CAAMFest 2017, the nation's premiere event showcasing and celebrating bold and vibrant Asian American stories and storytellers. The 11-day festival, celebrating its 35th year, runs March 9-19 in San Francisco and Oakland.

The festival kicks off on Thursday, March 9 with the Opening Night Gala screening of Lena Khan's comedy The Tiger Hunter, starring Danny Pudi as an ambitious young man who leaves his small Indian village in pursuit of the American dream. Anybody want to go? I'm giving away some free tickets. Scroll down for details.

But first, here's the CAAMFest 2017 trailer:

Submit your film to LAAPFF 2017

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is now officially an Oscar-qualifying festival.



Hey filmmakers! Share your film with one of best fests around. This is your last-minute reminder that the final deadline is quickly approaching to submit your film to the 2017 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Presented by Visual Communications, LAAPFF is the leading showcase for new Asian Pacific American and Asian international cinema, providing a crucial launching point for the discovery and sustained support of Asian Pacific independent filmmakers and media artists from around the globe.

All films -- feature-length, shorts, narrative, documentary, animation, experimental -- need to be submitted and received through Withoutabox or Filmfreeway by Monday, January 2 at 5:00 PM PST.

39th Asian American International Film Festival

Presented by Asian CineVision, July 21-30 in New York City.



New York film fans! This one's for you. The 39th Asian American International Film Festival, presented by Asian CineVision, is going down July 21-30 at various venues in Manhattan and Flushing. As the nation's oldest and longest-running Asian-interest film festival, AAIFF 2016 is a ten-day celebration of inspiring Asian and Asian American works in film and video by innovative artists from around the world.

Here's the AAIFF 2016 trailer:

Join us for a live edition of Fresh Off The Show!

Special Screening with Cast & Crew, Tuesday, April 26 at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival



If you're in Los Angeles, and you're a super-fan of Fresh Off The Boat, I invite you to join us for a special live edition of Fresh Off The Show at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Film Festival. We'll be screening two brand-new episodes of the hit ABC comedy, followed by a Q&A and meet-and-greet with cast and crew from Fresh Off The Boat. I'll be moderating the evening, along my pal Jenny Yang.

It's happening Tuesday, April 26 at the Japanese American National Museum. Here are some more details:

C3: The Conference for Creative Content

Saturday, April 23 & Sunday, April 24 at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival



Hey, content creators! Visual Communications invites you to the sixth edition of C3: Conference for Creative Content, happening as part of opening weekend of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. It's this Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24 at the Japanese American National Museum in historic Little Tokyo.

The only event of its kind, the Conference for Creative Content brings together foremost media professionals in film, television, cable, digital, and transmedia to create a dialogue on the ever-changing media industry, share best practices, network, celebrate and build a collective vision for our community.

Whether you're a filmmaker still trying to get a studio meeting or a working actor looking to showcase your talent and boost your career to the next level, hear from influential, talented industry leaders who are changing the way we view, consume and create content.

Here a rundown of the conference schedule:

See you at the 32nd Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Presented by Visual Communications, April 21-28 in Little Tokyo, Koreatown and West Hollywood.



All right, Los Angeles film fans. Mark your calendars, call up some friends and make some plans. Visual Communications presents 32nd annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema.

Southern California's largest festival of its kind, LAAPFF runs April 21-28 in Little Tokyo, Koreatown and West Hollywood. The festivities kick off with the world premiere of writer/director Lena Khan's dramatic comedy The Tiger Hunter, starring Danny Pudi, on Thursday, April 21 at the Aratani Theatre.

Check out the festival trailer:

2016 LAAPFF x AAM15 Festival Kickoff Party

Saturday, April 2 at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena



All right, good readers. As many of you know, last month marked the 15th anniversary of this website. Yes, I've been running this blog for fifteen years and counting. We weren't going to let the moment pass without a proper celebration, so heads up, Los Angeles: we're throwing a party!.

We're partnering with Visual Communications to present the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Kick-Off Party, which is also doubling as the official Angry Asian Man 15th Anniversary Party. It's happening Saturday, April 2 at the USCA Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena.

Here are some more details:

Highs, lows and more highs in the stoner comedy 'Grass'

Screens Friday, March 11 at CAAMFest 2016 in San Francisco.



The arthouse stoner comedy Grass, written directed by Tanuj Chopra, makes its world premiere this week at CAAMFest 2016. Starring Pia Shah and Emily C. Chang, it's described as "an epic adventure of merriment, revelation and the quest for pizza spanning a single day in the park." And yes, there is weed.

See you at CAAMFest 2016

A celebration of film, music, food and digital media, March 10-20



Bay Area film fans, it's on. CAAMFest 2016 is going down March 10-20 in San Francisco and Oakland. Presented by the Center for Asian American Media, CAAMFest is an 11-day celebration of film, music, food and digital media from the world's most innovative Asian and Asian American artists.

This year, the Festival adds new venues in the Mission district. In addition to the historic Castro Theatre, New People Cinema in Japantown and the New Parkway Theater in Oakland, CAAMFest adds the venerable 106-year-ld Roxie Theater and the newly minted Alamo Drafthouse to its slate of venues.

CAAMFest showcases the work of new Asian and Asian American artists and pays tribute to the pioneers who have paved the way for Asian Americans in media and entertainment. The festival kicks of Thursday, March 9 with the Opening Night screening of the feature documentary Tyrus, celebrating the life and career of pioneering Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong.

Here's the CAAMFest 2016 trailer:

Win tickets to CAAMFest 2016

See you at the Opening Night Gala Screening of 'Tyrus' on March 10.



Bay Area! This one's for you. The Center for Asian American Media presents CAAMFest 2016, an 11-day celebration of film, music, food and digital media from the world's most innovative Asian and Asian American artists, running March 10-20 in San Francisco and Oakland.

The festivities kick off next Thursday with the Opening Night Gala screening of Tyrus, a documentary portrait about the art, life, and enduring impact of 105 year­-old pioneering Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong. Anybody want to go? I'm giving away some free tickets. Scroll down for details.

First, here's the CAAMFest 2016 trailer: