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Arts & Culture

Seattle Asian American Film Festival Returns With 12th Anniversary

As we welcome the Year of the Wood Dragon, SAAFF’s theme focuses on growth and transformation.

by Jenn Ngeth

This year’s Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF) celebrates its 12th year of virtual and in-person screenings. Explore the complexity of dynamics through this festival — from complicated mother-daughter relationships to future dystopias that distort reality, this year’s lineup will satisfy all festivalgoers. With 17 programs, eight feature-length films, and 55 shorts, the audience can enjoy a variety of narrative, documentary, and animated films by Asian American filmmakers from a wide spectrum of experiences. This festival will feature numerous award-winning films like unseen, The Accidental Getaway Drive, A Dire Strait, and many more. The in-person screenings will take place at the Northwest Film Forum from Feb. 22 to Feb. 25 and virtually on Eventive from Feb. 26 to March 3.

“People come to our festival to connect with themselves, their wider community, and underrepresented histories and stories they may not necessarily find elsewhere. A lot of people look forward to our festival every year because they know they’ll find films and stories they wouldn’t have heard of otherwise,” said Ellison Shieh, the co-director of SAAFF.

A colorful graphic promoting the Seattle Asian American Film Festival, indicating both in-person and virtual event dates. The text is overlaid on stylized images of retro television sets surrounded by lush tropical plants.
(Image courtesy of SAAFF)

As a volunteer-led organization, SAAFF began in the 1980s, and after a hiatus was revived in 2002 by filmmaker Wes Kim and again in 2012 by Kevin Bang and Vanessa Au. Since then, it has been a vital platform for the AA&NH/PI community to showcase their creative works.

Shieh said, “Film festivals like ours exist to provide a third space that celebrates independent filmmaking and serves as a community space that specifically platforms Asian American stories, creativity, and storytellers.”

Opening night kicks off on Feb. 22 with an in-person screening of unseen, directed by Set Hernandez, at the Northwest Film Forum. This documentary follows the journey of Pedro, a blind, undocumented immigrant. Pedro meets both political obstacles and unexpected healing as he works toward his college degree in hopes of becoming a social worker and providing for his family.

Shieh said, “The vulnerability of this film as well as its unique out-of-focus approach to filming brings audiences closer to Pedro as he navigates his journey through the years.”

A close-up from behind a person wearing a flat cap and glasses looking out towards a blurred waterfront scene, suggestive of introspection or observation of the surroundings.
Pedro, the main character in the documentary “unseen.” (Photo courtesy of SAAFF)

After the film, there’ll be an Opening Night Party at Washington Hall where guests will be able to celebrate with refreshments and live performances from EMEI, Kenshi Killzzz, and DJ Sake Bomb. Festivalgoers can purchase the Opening Night ticket and party bundle on SAAFF’s website to save and partake in this year’s festival celebration.

The program From Stage to Page: The Journey from 140 LBS to The Manicurist’s Daughter with Susan Lieu will take place on Feb. 23. Lieu is a Seattle-based Vietnamese American author, playwright, and performer who tells her story of intergenerational trauma, sudden loss, and her personal story of dealing with an unjust medical system. This special event will be in preparation for Lieu’s book launch on March 12 and will invite guests to watch a stage recording of 140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother followed by an intimate discussion about her memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter, with journalist and memoirist Putsata Reang. In-person or virtual tickets can be purchased online.

“From sharing Susan’s story on stage across the country about grappling with her mother’s death from a botched tummy tuck, to diving deeper into family stories and her healing journeys, this is a conversation that you don’t want to miss,” said Shieh.

Just like in previous years, SAAFF offers free programming (first come, first serve seating). On Feb. 24, one of the programs, Doc Block: Documentary shorts, will be available for attendees to enjoy. A few of the diverse short documentaries featured are Gund Kwok, Disappearing Jewels, Art21: Christine Sun Kim, and more. From Kingston, Jamaica to Jamaica, Queens, directed by Titi Yu tells the story of 85-year-old Patricia “Miss Pat” Chin, the co-founder of VP Records, the largest independent reggae label in the world, who’s still making music today.

A woman wearing a peach headscarf looks thoughtfully to the side, while another woman in a white headscarf speaks animatedly beside her. The background shows a softly lit indoor setting with more people conversing.
Scene from the film “Coming Around,” a film about a queer Muslim Palestinian woman who grapples with coming out to her mother. (Photo courtesy of SAAFF)

One feature that Shieh is especially excited for festival goers to see is Coming Around. They said, “Coming Around is an intimate cinema vérité film that follows a queer Muslim Palestinian woman who grapples with her identities and whether to come out to her mother.” The in-person screening happens on Feb. 25, so come back in to view this double feature program, Coming Around with Here, Hopefully.

“SAAFF’s mission centers our community of filmmakers and art supporters, and how we approach the work we do is constantly evolving. As we continue our mission to support and uplift Asian American independent films and storytelling, we hope that the festival brings together connections and community that our audiences are looking for,” said Shieh.

The winners of the festival will be selected by audience choice, the SAAFF staff, and a selection of jurors. You won’t want to miss this curation of films that highlight the diverse creative visions of the AA&NH/PI community! For more information on SAAFF’s programs and to purchase your tickets, visit SAAFF’s website.

This article is published under a Seattle Human Services Department grant, “Resilience Amidst Hate,” in response to anti-Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander violence.

Jenn Ngeth is a Khmer American woman from Seattle, Washington, who grew up in South Park. She received her A.A.S. in visual communications from Highline College and is a published poet and multidisciplinary artist.

📸 Featured Image: Susan Lieu (front) from “140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother.” (Photo: Ashley Yung, courtesy of SAAFF)

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