AAAFF Voices, Lists
Hanna Huang
The Things that Lurk Within...

Sometimes the scariest things out there are the ones that comes from within…Check out our staff roundup of 4 thrillers and horror films for the spooky vibes this Halloween!

The Things that Lurk Within...
Josh Martin
Into the Current: CAUGHT BY THE TIDES and Its ...

Jia Zhangke’s Caught by the Tides plays at the AFS Cinema through Thursday, May 29th. To mark its Austin theatrical run—co-presented by our own AAVClub—AAAFF programmer Josh Martin takes an in-depth look at the film and its history.

Into the Current: CAUGHT BY THE TIDES and Its Times
Guest User
March Events Recap

March was an eventful month from Diasporic Disco Queer Prom to SXSW. Let’s get into it and debrief!

March Events Recap
Josh Martin
Stranger in My Own Hometown: Edward Yang, the ...

With A Brighter Summer Day playing at the AFS through this weekend (first week of April 2024), we’re resharing an article on the film written by AAAFF Special Programs & Film Programmer, Josh Martin, back in 2016.

Stranger in My Own Hometown: Edward Yang, the New Cinema, and A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY
Guest User
Art In Motion: Expressions Through Film Recap

Earlier this month we hosted an event at AFS Cinema called Art In Motion: Expressions Through Film with our friends at aGLIFF, Cine Las Americas, IndieMeme, and Austin Jewish Film Festival in collaboration with Big Medium’s Studio Tour. This showcase explores art in practice, expressionism, and performance through the medium of film.

Art In Motion: Expressions Through Film Recap

Get to Know Our 2021 AAAFF Poster Artist, Eileen Wu

AAAFF-2021_poster.png

We’re excited to unveil our official 2021 Austin Asian American Film Festival poster created by artist Eileen Wu. We talked to Eileen about her work, approach to the poster, and where one can find more of her art.

Please tell us about yourself and the type of work you create.

My name is Eileen Wu and I experiment across as many creative outlets as my energy can output. I prefer to prioritize being outside with my fingers in the earth or looking at bugs and birds.

How did you approach the creation of the poster and was there anything that inspired it?

I like posters that have an interesting framing component, and my go-to frame is an arch. The koi fish are symbols of perseverance and went well with the distant, water landscape beyond the arch frame. Symbols of perseverance like kois are rooted in my Asian culture, and have been images I've been exploring more lately as I'm going into distinguishing what parts of Eastern cultures are proving more useful for someone like me who grew up in a Westernized community.

Where can people learn more about you and find your work?

You can find pixels of my work at eileenwu.me.

Thanks, Eileen! We love the incredible poster this year!

On Processing Anti-Asian Violence

On Processing Anti-Asian Violence

My fellow 哥哥, 弟弟, 姐姐, 妹妹, my Asian brothers and sisters, uncles and aunties, I understand that it’s difficult for us to speak out. Not only are we silenced by white supremacy, but we’re also silenced by the forbearance of our collectivist culture. But I urge you to be strong, to be courageous, to give voice to those that can no longer do so.

An Asian-American Immigrant Relationship to Food as Told Through Minari

An Asian-American Immigrant Relationship to Food as Told Through Minari

At David’s age, I so badly wanted Campbell’s chicken noodle soup to cure my colds instead. When David complains that his grandma “smells like Korea” and demands to know why she doesn’t bake cookies like real grandmas do, I stifle guilty chuckles, remembering the scent of a-mah’s old clothes, mothballs and the wet market offerings of southern Taiwan.

#StopAAPIHate

Dear Asian American community and allies,

It has been a year of change and new that we at AAAFF have been navigating through in the past year. Although we have had some tremendous growth in the organization, we have also been balancing that with how to be a civically-minded arts nonprofit. Unfortunately, what has not been new is anti-Asian hate and violence against women of Asian descent in part perpetuated by the harmful stereotypes of Asians depicted in the media we consume.

This is why our work in championing Asian and Asian American stories by those from the communities they write and create films about is so important. We would also like to take some time to highlight the tremendous work that our fellow Austin-area nonprofit, Asian Family Services of Austin, does around domestic violence and sexual assault.

Our team and community have been working on how to be a bigger part of the solution. In the meantime, please consider these resources to learn more about how to #StopAAPIHate.

Hanna Huang, Executive Director of AAAFF

A Black Man’s Guide* to “Asian American Cinema”

A Black Man’s Guide* to “Asian American Cinema”

The differences in our experiences have resulted in a complicated relationship between Black and Asian Americans. At its best, our bond as POC’s could easily be described as a force to be reckoned with. At its worst, our differences are weaponized by the guardians of white supremacy resulting in some gnarly shit on both sides of the racial aisle. Yea dude, it’s #complicated. This is why I think media, specifically film, is such an important tool for fostering a collective understanding.