Select filmmakers in attendance.
Saturday, May 17, 4:00 p.m. | Whether from Chicago or about Chicago, these shorts by AAPI filmmakers with a local connection display the range and quality the Windy City is known for. WHAT I AM TODAY: MAA MAA DEI (pictured, dir. Ian Szetho, 19 min.) documents Jessica “Jaye” Fong’s rise to award-winning restaurateur. In HE (dir. Yihui Hu, 24 min.), Jing He’s life changes when she learns her father has another son. In APART (dir. Sukwon Jeong, 19 min.), Sukjin travels around the world to close an emotional distance. Margot discovers something unexpected when she finds a video her mother left behind in HEY KIDDO (dir. Melissa Kong, 8 min.). THRUST, EPISODE 1 (dir. Noah Causey, 11 min.) gives a behind-the-scenes look into zany and absurd BFA programs. In A SIMPLE ASK (dir. Nadya Naumaan, 9 min.), Nida inadvertently summons an ancestor when they ask Allah for assistance. And in CHECK PLEASE (dir. Shane Chung, 10 min.), a fight over who gets to pay the bill turns deadly. Dialogue: Select filmmakers in attendance.
Asian American Showcase | May 16–22, 2025
Presented as an annual collaboration with the Foundation for Asian American Independent Media and now celebrating its 28th year, the Asian American Showcase (AAS) provides a platform for new work by established and emerging Asian American filmmakers. Synopses provided by AAS. Learn more at faaim.org.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu