New York Women in Film & Television is proud to co-present four films at the 47th Annual Asian American International Film Festival, which takes place August 1-11, 2024 in New York City and online.
This year’s festival features a captivating array of films that delve into themes of love, relationships, grief, and complex emotions. In addition to a stellar lineup of films, the festival will feature exclusive panels, receptions, and VIP events, providing unique opportunities to connect with industry professionals and fellow film enthusiasts.
Use code AAIFF47_NYWIFT to access 20% off screenings!
Films Co-Presented by NYWIFT include:
Meeting You, Meeting Me (dir. Lina Suh)
Date/Time: Sunday, August 4, 4:15 PM
Location: Regal Union Square – Auditorium 15 (850 Broadway, NYC)
Runtime: 85 min
Genre: Drama
When unexpected, much-needed friendship arrives at your doorstep…. Two women from very different walks of life—a Korean American divorce attorney who is very rooted in her immigrant family’s upbringing, and a Californian college dropout searching for herself after being canceled online—both desperately need a friend in this moment, when they cross paths by chance and form an unlikely friendship.
Smoking Tigers (dir. So Young Shelly Yo)
Centerpiece Screening and Reception
Date/Time: Sunday, August 4, 7 PM
Location: Regal Union Square (850 Broadway, NYC)
Runtime: 91 min
Genre: Coming-of-Age, Drama, Family
Directly following this 91-minute screening will be a filmmaker Q&A with writer/director So Young Shelly Yo and producer Guo Guo. Afterwards, we’d love to welcome you to our centerpiece reception with light refreshments. Location and other details to follow.
Set in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, Smoking Tigers is a portrait of a lonely Korean American teen named Hayoung who is taken under the wings of three wealthy students she meets at an elite academic boot camp. As she falls deeper into their world, Hayoung works harder to hide her insecurities about her problematic family and lower-income background, only to discover the bittersweet pains of adulthood that will forever shape her life.
How to Live as an Asian Woman in NYC (dir. Jacqueline Jaemin Yeon)
Date/Time: Thursday, August 8, 6 PM
Location: Regal Union Square – Auditorium 14 (850 Broadway, NYC)
Runtime: 3 min
Genre: Documentary
Presented as part of a Shorts Program (total runtime 109 minutes)
Filmmaker Q&A to follow
How to Live as an Asian Woman in NYC is a short documentary by Jacqueline Jaemin Yeon, where she offers tips on navigating life in New York City as an Asian woman.
Inspired by Anne Anlin Cheng’s usage of the term “yellow woman” in her articles, Yeon employs the symbolic representation of the ornamental yellow Lego figure as an allegorical counterpart to herself within the Euro-American cultural context. Combining Lego stop motion, narration, and personal footage, Yeon explores her experiences amid the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes. Through humor, she contrasts the usual serious narratives, aiming to refresh dialogue on the critical issue of hate crimes against Asian women in NYC.
The Queen of My Dreams (dir. Fawzia Mirza)
Closing Screening and Reception
Date/Time: Sunday, August 11, 7 PM
Location: Regal Union Square (850 Broadway, NYC)
Runtime: 97 min
Genre:Coming-of-Age, Drama, Family, Romance
After this 97-minute film screening, AAIFF programmers will sit down with writer and director Fawzia Mirza for a filmmaker Q&A, followed by our closing reception with light refreshments, held at Sugar Mouse (47 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10003).
Queer Pakistani grad student Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined—from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming-of-age in rural Canada.
*This film is not available on VOD
Thanks to our partner:
Regal Union Square
850 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
membership@nywift.org
Join the conversation on social media:
#nywift | @nywift
NYWIFT programs, screenings and events are supported, in part, by grants from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
