Schedule:

Friday, May 17, 2024

Opening Night!

8pm - Dìdi (??)
Dìdi (??) Is Written And Directed By Academy Award-Nominated Filmmaker Sean Wang. The Film Is Set In 2008 In The Bay Area, And Is A Funny, Irreverent, And Affecting Ode To First-Generation Teenagers Navigating The Joy And Chaos Of Adolescence As Seen Through The Lens Of A 13-Year-Old Taiwanese American Boy, Played By Izaac Wang (Good Boys, Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon). At Its Premiere In Competition At The 2024 Sundance Film Festival It Received Critical And Audience Acclaim, Winning Both The U.S. Dramatic Audience Award And The U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award For Best Ensemble Cast.

Directed and Written By Sean Wang

Saturday, May 18, 2024

4:00pm - Nurse Unseen
Nurse Unseen Is A Feature-Length Documentary That Explores The Little-Known History And Humanity Of The Unsung Filipino Nurses Risking Their Lives On The Frontlines Of A Pandemic, Thousands Of Miles From Home. The Film Unearths The Colonial Ties Between The Philippines And The United States That Have Led To Filipino-American Nurses Becoming The Unknown Backbone Of The United States Health Industry.

Directed, Produced and Edited By Michele Josue

5:30pm - Between Two Worlds [Shorts]
A Collection Of Aapi Short Films About Feeling Out Of Place, Belonging Neither Entirely Here Nor There, And Forging A Path Ahead In Uncertain Times.
Honolulu
Live From The Clouds
Kowloon!
Birdsong
On The Mountain
Singing In The Lifeboat
Shé (Snake)
Invasive Species

8:00pm - Aapi Voices At Kartemquin

Aapi Voices Fund:
Dedicated To Supporting The Asian, Asian American, And Pacific Islander Communities, The Peng Zhao And Cherry Chen Aapi Voices Fund Recognizes The Critical Importance Of Funding For Filmmakers Developing And Delivering Their Films And The Value Of Investing In Kartemquin’s Collaborative Model Of Nurturing Early-Career Filmmakers. Through This Fund, Kartemquin Is Advancing Impactful And Dynamic Stories Reflecting On The Varied Experiences Of The Aapi Community That Challenge And Inspire – Both Filmmakers And The Communities They Represent.

Kartemquin Films
For Over 50 Years, Kartemquin’s Mission Has Been To Empower The Creation Of Stories That Foster A More Engaged And Just Society — Turning Toward And Grappling With The Most Critical Issues Of Our Time.
We Do This By Producing Documentaries On A Wide Range Of Issues, Championing Filmmakers In Developing Their Craft, And Aligning With Partners Who Understand That Documentaries Are Powerful Vehicles For Truth That Can Transform The World Around Us.

Spirited
Ej Lee: All American
Iris Chang: Power Of One
Untitled Scientist Project
Nobuku Miyamoto: A Song In Movements
Coming Of Heritage
Chinatown Futures

Sunday, May 19, 2024

2:00pm - Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song In Movements
After Decades Of Groundbreaking Cultural Work That Unites Communities And Sets The Bar For Asian American Storytelling, Miyamoto Reflects On A Life That Has Bridged Coasts, Industries, Families, And History. Featuring Rare Archival Footage, Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song In Movement Is A Story Of A Changing Community Told Through The Singular Life Of One Of Its Most Beloved Storytellers.

Directed By Quyên Nguyen-Le

4:00pm - Ashima
Ashima Is An Intimate Portrait Of Elite Rock Climber Ashima Shiraishi As She Travels To South Africa To Try To Become The Youngest Person In The World To Climb A V14 Graded Boulder Problem. Accompanying Ashima Is Poppo, An Eccentric, Hermit-Like, Retired Avante Garde Dancer, Who Also Happens To Be Her Father. Emotional And Rooted In Character, Ashima Is A Love Letter Not Only To Climbing, But To Immigrant Parents And The Realization Of The American Dream.

Directed By Kenji Tsukamoto

Monday, May 20, 2024

6:00pm - Family Is Everything: Filipino-American Shorts
When People Say That “Family Is Everything,” They Don’t Usually Mean It Literally. This Program Of Filipino-American Short Films Examines Family As The Source Of Both Our Greatest Joys And Our Deepest Sorrows.
The Van
Apartment 605
Little Manila
Fidel
The Roaring Of The Carabao
Kain Tayo!
Chicken For Dinner
A Karaoke Space Odyssey
Uprooted

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

6:00pm - In Full Spectrum: Aapi Queer Shorts
This Program Features Short Films Celebrating The Rich And Complex Experiences Within The Asian American And Pacific Islander Lgbtq+ Community, Exploring Themes Of Love, Self-Discovery, Resilience, And Identity Across Generations And Emotional Landscapes.
Know You Twice
Aik?ne
(To Write From Memory)
It Was Love To Me
Let
Here, Hopefully
Mia’s Mission

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

6:00pm - Aapi Shorts: Chicago!
7 Shorts From Emerging To Well Established Filmmakers From Chicago Exhibit The Rising Wave Of The Aapi Film Scene In The Windy City.

Whitewash
Arrangements
Champion
The Bridge
Befriending
The Story Of A Stranded Frog
All The Ways To Say I Love You

8:00pm - The Queen Of My Dreams
In 1999, The Sudden Death Of Her Father Hassan Sends Queer Muslim Grad Student Azra Flying Back To Her Ancestral Home In Pakistan, Where Her Stern Mother Mariam Demands She Play The Role Of The Perfect Grieving Daughter. But Through Flashbacks To Mariam's Own Life In Karachi 30 Years Before, We See The Connections Uniting Mother And Daughter, Starting With Their Shared Love Of The Bollywood Star Sharmila Tagore.

Directed and Written By Fawzia Mirza

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Closing Film

8:00pm - Smoking Tigers
Staggered By The Separation Of Her Parents, A Korean-American Girl Struggles To Find Herself. Caught Between Supporting Both Parents In Their Work While Longing For Their Old Life Together And Burdened By The Responsibility Of A Younger Sibling, Few Things Seem To Be Falling Into Place. Upon Starting A New Year Of High School Among Wealthy Elites, She Also Has To Balance The Duality Of Her New Friends And Low-Income Reality.

Directed and Written By Shelly Yo

Sunday, May 26, 2024

8:00pm - Asian Persuasion Comedy Variety Show [At Io Theater]

In Celebration Of Aapi Heritage Month, Io Presents The Asian Persuasion Comedy Showcase In Partnership With The Foundation For Asian American Independent Media (Faaim). This Comedy Variety Show Will Be The Culmination Of Faaim’s Film Festival Happening The Week Prior At The Gene Siskel Theater.

Jerry Tran
Sonal Aggarwal
William Paik
Stir Friday Night
Asian Takeout
The Victor Wong Fellowship
Shawn Shakya

Ticket Information

General Admission: $13

Students: $8

Youth (under 17): $8

Gene Siskel Film Center Members: $6.50

Current students and faculty of the School of the Art Institute, and staff of the Art Institute: $5

Date: May 17-26, 2024

Location:
The Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60601
iO Theater, 1501 N Kingsbury St, Chicago, IL 60642

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