41st Asian American International Film Festival Announces Centerpiece and Closing Night Films

NEW YORK, JUNE 20, 2018 – The 41st Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF41), presented by Asian CineVision, has announced that the festival will screen Cathy Yan’s Sundance breakout DEAD PIGS and the intimate profile LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY as its Centerpiece selections. The festival will close with ULAM: MAIN DISH, a delicious film documenting the rise of Filipino cuisine across the United States. AAIFF41 will take place July 25 – August 5 in New York City.  

Recently tapped by Warner Bros. to helm its upcoming Harley Quinn-centric movie, Cathy Yan is one of the most exciting voices rising within the industry. In DEAD PIGS, her thoughtful exploration of modern China is marked with a distinctive blend of vibrant flair and dark humor. Weaving together the stories of everyday people met with an unbelievable situation, the tale of a country experiencing and struggling with significant cultural shifts comes to the fore.

A national icon, Chien-Ming Wang thrilled the people of Taiwan with his back-to-back 19-win seasons as part of the New York Yankees before an injury derailed his career. LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY, directed by Frank W Chen, follows Wang as he attempts a major league comeback. In building a close portrait of an athlete whose personal highs and lows often informed the collective experience of an entire nation, the film illustrates the profound impact of a beloved athlete and the tenacity that fuels his difficult climb back to the top.

To learn about the unique characteristics and history of a cuisine is to gain further understanding of a culture and its identity. Directed by Alexandra Cuerdo and featuring interviews with several chefs and restaurateurs leading the Filipino food movement, ULAM: MAIN DISH examines the politics and challenges faced in establishing Filipino cuisine’s place on the American dining table. Fundamental to this story about food is one of immigration and community, which have long defined the Asian American experience.

With cultural touch points as varied as food, baseball, and a peculiar incident involving dead pigs, these selections represent only a small taste of the eclectic lineup that the Asian American International Film Festival strives to present each year to its audience. By telling rich stories with meticulous attention and craft, these films showcase how diverse the Asian and Asian American experience is and how imperative it is for the myriad of voices to have their chance to be heard and represented. The full lineup for AAIFF41 will be unveiled on June 26, 2018.  

Details on the Centerpiece and Closing Night screenings are as follows:

Centerpieces

DEAD PIGS

Q&A with Director Cathy Yan after the screening

Date: Saturday, July 28, 2018

Time: 7:00PM

Venue: Village East Cinema

LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY

Q&A with Chien-Ming Wang after the screening

Date: Sunday, July 29, 2018

Time: 6:00PM

Venue: Village East Cinema

Closing Night

ULAM: MAIN DISH

Q&A with Director Alexandra Cuerdo and Producer Rey Cuerdo after the screening

Date: Saturday, August 4, 2018

Time: 7:00PM

Venue: Asia Society

Tickets are currently on pre-sale for Opening Night, Centerpiece, and Closing Night at aaiff.org/2018.The 41st Asian American International Film Festival will run July 25 – August 5 with full lineup for sale on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.

About the Asian American International Film Festival

The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), presented by Asian CineVision, is the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to films by and about Asians and Asian Americans.

About Asian CineVision
Asian CineVision (ACV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media arts organization devoted to the development, exhibition, promotion, and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video.

Thank You

The 41st Asian American International Film Festival is made possible by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Nielsen, SAG-AFTRA, Cadillac House, and the Friends of ACV. Incubated at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP.