JOIN US FOR THE 17th ANNUAL HAAPIFEST!

Started in 2004 by OCA-Greater Houston, the Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival (aka HAAPIFEST) was created to highlight and celebrate the diversity of AAPI culture, food, and family, to support AAPI artists and filmmakers & to share the untold AAPI experience for the Greater Houston metropolitan area through edutainment.

Today, #HAAPIFEST is an immersive, multi-day celebration of film, music, and art, showcased by a dedicated committee of volunteers.

TICKETS & DAY PASSES TO FILM SCREENINGS ARE AVAILABLE AT https://www.goelevent.com/HAAPIFEST/e/Search

PURCHASE YOUR OFFICIAL HAAPIFEST MERCHANDISE HERE

• Want to support OCA-Greater Houston programming? Make a donation or purchase festival merchandise 
• Funds raised will go to HAAPIFEST, Arts, Culture, and educational programs

For full film details, please visit our website @ http://HAAPIFEST.com

**HAAPIFEST 2021 Artwork by @bananmilk_

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***PLEASE NOTE ALL SCREENINGS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES, BY PURCHASING TICKETS YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOU WILL BE VIEWING THE FILM IN THE UNITED STATES, NO REFUNDS

SOME FILMS CONTAIN MATURE CONTENT, PLEASE REFER TO WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. 

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2021 HAAPIFEST FILM LIST

Festival Theme: RAISING COMMUNITIES

Thursday, 6/03 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING AWARENESS

Yello

Documentary Short | 2020 | United States |5min| English | Directed by King Yaw Soon

In this colorful and moving animated documentary, a woman takes us through her emotional process after a racist encounter at the airport, offering an honest look at fear and connection in an era marked by uncertainty.

Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad

Documentary Short | 2020 | United States |8min| English | Directed by Valerie Soe

This short experimental documentary looks at the Auntie Sewing Squad, a group of mostly women of color volunteers who came together following the U.S. government’s botched response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Covid and Who I Am Now

Documentary Short | 2020 | Canada |12min| English | Directed by Diana Dai

A young Chinese Canadian medical student was attacked during the Covid-19 pandemic. The doc explores Mary’s deep emotional journey and how she struggles with her self identity amid rising anti-Chinese racism during this unprecedented time.

A Shot Through The Wall

Narrative Feature| 2021| United States|1hr 28min| Chinese, English | Directed by Aimee Long

A young Chinese-American cop unravels after accidentally shooting an innocent African-American man through a wall.

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Friday, 6/04 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING YOUTH

Cashback

Narrative Short | 2021| United States | 8 min | English | Directed by Zoe Eisenberg

On her last night of work, a pregnant theater manager discovers a bag of cash under a seat and must decide what to do with it.

Unplanned Parenthood

Narrative Short | 2021 | United States | 16 min | English | Directed by Leah Sherman-Weiner

A young adoptee has an unplanned pregnancy and must decide whether to abandon her education and future career to raise her unborn child, or to opt for an abortion or adoption and say goodbye to her only known kin before giving them a chance.

Metamorphosis in the Slaughterhouse

Narrative Feature | 2021 | Iran |1hr 16min| Persian with English Subtitles | Directed by Javad Daraei

Shadi is a little girl whose parents have been accused of murdering a girl in the village. The villagers killed her parents to seek revenge. Her uncle adopts her and now Shadi must face the problems that people of the village caused them.

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Saturday, 6/05 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING PARENTS

Let’s Eat

Narrative Short | 2020 | United States | 9 min | Chinese (English Subtitles) | Directed by Dixon Wong

Let’s Eat follows the story of an immigrant mother and her daughter as they navigate through the beauty and challenges of life. Despite the difficulties they face, the warmth and love of family provides comfort and closeness, and cooking becomes a symbol of their unconditional love for one another.

Golden Boy

Documentary Short | 2020 | United States |21min| Chinese, English | Directed by Akira Boch, Tadashi Nakamura

The story of how a daughter documents her father’s journey of balancing family and work and how he adapts to being a caregiver. While she films his journey, she is also managing her own life as a student, soon to be post-grad, and someone navigating her family history.

Far East Deep South

Documentary Feature | 2020 | United States |1hr 16min| English | Directed by Larissa Lam

Far East Deep South explores the seldom-told history of early Chinese immigrants living in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s through the eyes of Charles Chiu and his family as they travel to Mississippi to find answers about his father, KC Lou. In the span of just several hours, a simple trip turns into an unexpected and emotional journey uncovering lost family history and the legacy of the early Chinese immigrants in the Deep South.

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Sunday 6/06 @ 12 PM CST

Theme: RAISING ACTIVISTS

VAKA

Documentary Short | 2019 | New Zealand |23min| English | Directed by Kelly Moneymaker

VAKA is a short documentary about the energy and resilience of the Tokelauan people as they weave their customary-wisdom regarding the environment with modern eco-technologies to respond to climate change.

Keep Saray Home

Documentary Short | 2020 | United States |30min| English, Vietnamese | Directed by Brian Redondo

ICE doesn’t just separate families at the border. In the outskirts of Boston, three families face the impending threat of deportation. But as refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam, they know they’ll have to fight together to stay together.

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Sunday 6/06 @ 2 PM CST

Theme: RAISING TOURISM

Cambodia Town: Not For Sale

Documentary Short | 2019 | United States |8min| English | Directed by Brandon Soun, Lan Nguyen

CAMBODIA TOWN: NOT FOR SALE captures the collective grassroots organizing among Long Beach residents against the ongoing gentrification of small ethnic-owned shops in the heart of Cambodia Town. Members of the community and small business owners express how this sudden change would come at the cost of their deep-rooted livelihoods.

Vietnam: Fast Forward

Documentary Feature | 2020 |United States| 59min| English | Directed by Eladio Arvelo

Fast-forward four decades since its Reunification, Vietnam is finally coming of age as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, powered by the entrepreneurial spirit of a new generation (70% of the population is under 35 years of age) that is eager to pursue their personal dreams.

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Monday 6/07 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING FIERCE WOMEN

MISS ASWANG

Narrative Short | 2021 | United States | 19 min | Tagalog (English Subtitles) | Directed by Rialin José

On her sixteenth birthday, DI VILLANUEVA is faced with an ASWANG—an evil mythical creature of Filipino folklore—which pushes her to confront the roots she has tried so hard to ignore.

Mickey on the Road

Narrative Feature | 2020 | Taiwan |1hr 35min| Chinese with English Subtitles | Directed by Diana Chiawen Lee

Best friends Mickey and Gin Gin are young women scraping by in southern Taiwan. Through misadventures--some comic, some brutal--Mickey and Gin Gin strengthen their friendship, and transform from rascally naifs into more mature souls with a clearer sense of themselves and the contemporary world.

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Tuesday 6/08 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING REBELS

Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town

Documentary Short | 2020 | United States |10min| English | Directed by Akira Boch, Tadashi Nakamura

In the late 1970’s, when L.A.’s punk rock scene was exploding, an unlikely family-owned restaurant in Little Tokyo started by Japanese Americans returning from America’s WWII concentration camps, became one its most popular hang-outs. That’s when Sansei “Atomic Nancy” with her “take-no-prisoners” punk make-up and demeanor took the café over from her parents and cranked up the jukebox.

Tammy

Narrative Short | 2021 | United States | 13 min| English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai (English Subtitles) | Directed by Andrew T. Horng

When an Asian-American skateboarder, who’s either stereotyped or ignored by everyone in her life, is invited to a skateboarding contest, her rare opportunity to shine is ruined by the presence of another Asian-American skateboarder.

Fall Back Down

Narrative Feature | 2020 | Canada |1hr 45min| English | Directed by Sara Beth (SB) Edwards

A depressed ex-activist takes a job in a sweatshop where he and his coworker make a grim discovery.

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Wednesday 6/09 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING STORYTELLERS

Goodbye, Vietnam

Documentary Short | 2020 | United States |10min| English | Directed by Maleigha Michael

An animated documentary about the story of a Vietnamese refugee narrated by his daughter.

Third Culture Kid

Narrative Short | 2021 | Germany | 16 min| English, German, Vietnamese (English Subtitles) | Directed by Truong Dam

James Heinrich Nguyen, a Third Culture Kid, is battling an inner conflict about cultural heritage, identity and marriage. (Advisory: This film contains explicit language.)

Love Letter to Houston

Documentary Short | 2021 | United States |36 min| English | Directed by Leah Ogawa

In the spirit of the season for love, the Houston Asian American Archive has selected four love stories from its archive to form the first episode "When Haru Met Saavi," as the premiere of the public program series "Dear Houston — Love, Asian America" on Valentine's Day, 2021. These four stories from past to present consist of ones crossing the ocean, crossing generations, and crossing gender norms.

Swingin’

Narrative Short | 2021 | Taiwan | 20 min | Chinese (English Subtitles) | Directed by Guo Shang-Sing

When sixth-grader boy Qiu is bullied in school for having gay dads, his stepfather Howard, a flamboyant Jazz trumpet player, must confront his own nightmares of childhood bullying before he can provide his son a feeling of security. Swingin' is the first dramedy/music film of its kind since Taiwan became the first (and only as of today) country in Asia to legalize same-sex in 2019.

Blue Lanterns

Narrative Short | 2021 | United States | 29 min | Chinese (English Subtitles) | Directed by Brandon Chi-Wei Chen

Kit and Fai, two innocent local Hong Kong kids, are approached by Chou, a mid-level gangster, in an arcade. As the two boys become entangled in the world of crime, their innocence disappears along with their friendship.

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Thursday 6/10 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING SECOND CHANCES

Three-Second Rule

Narrative Short | 2021 | United States | 12 min | English, Mandarin Chinese (English Subtitles) | Directed by Todd Lien

Life has its own mysterious way to challenge you for a decision you make within 3 seconds of your life, and the decisions these three girls make will challenge their outlook on life by forcing them to face themselves more honestly.

BLUE SUIT

Narrative Short | 2020 | United States | 16 min | English | Directed by Kevin J. Nguyen

When a surprise party interrupts his plans, an anxious man has to find a private moment to confess his feelings for his friend before he moves away the next day.

TALES OF THE CIRCLE KEYS

Narrative Feature | 2020 | United States |1hr 42min| English | Directed by Diq Diamond

Four tales interconnect as a screenplay writer, obsessed with a character in the script, searches for the perfect ending, which lead to the discovery of strange musical instruments, a magical journey of zaniness and the creation of the Circle Key Band…but is the world ready for an Asian Rockstar?

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Friday 6/11 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING SPIRITS

Fugetsu-Do

Documentary Short | 2020 | United States |13min| English | Directed by Kaia Rose

"We had to live the American Dream twice."An intimate portrait of a sweet shop that has been an anchor for the Japanese-American community in Little Tokyo since 1903. The ingredients of the brightly-colored pieces of mochi-gashi that line Fugetsu-Do's wood-paneled cases include so much more than rice flour and sweet bean paste. Mixed inside are stories of joy and pain, tradition and racism, legacy and loss.

Koreatown Ghost Story

Narrative Short | 2021 | United States | 15 min | English | Directed by Minsun Park & Teddy Tenenbaum

In this supernatural horror tale based on a Korean ritual starring Margaret Cho and Lyrica Okano, a woman entertains a macabre offer that would let her pursue her dreams, for better or for much much worse.

THE CELINE ARCHIVE

Documentary Feature | 2019 | United States |1hr 9min| English | Directed by Celine Parreñas Shimizu

Adulteress, traitor, heroine, or prey? In 1932, Celine Navarro was buried alive by her community in Northern California. This film digs up herstory.

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Saturday 6/12 @ 12 PM CST

Theme: RAISING HOPE

OCA Classic Films: Vincent Who?

Documentary Feature | 2009 | USA | 40 min | English | Directed by Tony Lam

In 1982, at the height of anti-Japanese sentiments arising from massive layoffs in the auto industry, a Chinese-American named Vincent Chin was murdered in Detroit by two white autoworkers. Chin's killers, however, got off with a $3,000 fine and 3 years probation, but no jail time. Outraged by this injustice, Asian Americans around the country united for the first time across ethnic and socioeconomic lines to form a pan-Asian identity and civil rights movement.

VINCENT WHO? explores this important legacy through interviews with the key players at the time as well as a whole new generation of activists whose lives were impacted by Vincent Chin.

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Saturday 6/12 @ 6 PM CST

Theme: RAISING ARTISTS

To Be Visible

Documentary Short | 2021 | United States |6 min| English | Directed by Leah Ogawa

Houston Asian American Archive of Rice University presents "To Be Visible," a puppetry animation video project that shines lights on the human experience of being Asian and Asian American living in the United States. The collections of oral history are from the Houston Asian American Archive.

Idol

Narrative Short | 2020 | Japan | 21 min | Japanese (English Subtitles) | Directed by Ryushi Lindsay

Single mother Miyabi relies on her child idol daughter Kasumi as their only source of income and ticket to future financial stability. When Kasumi is replaced in the group by a more popular girl, Miyabi must ensure she gets her daughter back in the lineup.

TOKYO HULA

Documentary Feature | 2019 | United States |1hr 12min| English, Japanese | Directed by Lisette Marie Flanary

TOKYO HULA explores the explosive popularity of the hula dance in Japan from both Native Hawaiian and Japanese perspectives. Today it is estimated there are nearly 2 million people dancing hula in Japan – a figure greater than the entire population of Hawaiʻi. Through the personal stories of Hawaiian master hula teachers and Japanese teachers and dancers, the documentary examines how tourism, economics and a love affair with the islands of Hawaiʻi has made hula big business in Japan.