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PRESS@SEATTLEAAFF.ORG

12th Annual Seattle Asian American Film Festival Announces 2024 Lineup:

64 Films Including 2 Special Presentation Screenings, 7 Feature-Length, and 8 Shorts Programs

SEATTLE (FEB 16, 2024) – The Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF) proudly presents its 12th annual festival from February 26 – March 3, 2024 at Northwest Film Forum. The 64 films in SAAFF’s 2024 program truly demonstrate the talent of up-and-coming filmmakers and the richness and diversity of Asian American storytelling. This year, SAAFF offers two Special Presentation screenings, including the World Premiere of AMERICAN SON, following the life and career of tennis prodigy Michael Chang, and the first promotional event of local multi-hyphenate creator Susan Lieu’s upcoming book, FROM STAGE TO PAGE: THE JOURNEY FROM 140 LBS TO THE MANICURIST’S DAUGHTER WITH SUSAN LIEU, as she discusses her journey from an one-woman stage show to diving deeper into her family narrative of intergenerational trauma and healing in a memoir. 

The four-day festival kicks off on Feb 26th at Northwest Film Forum with UNSEEN, a documentary following the journey of aspiring social worker Pedro who, due to his identity as a blind, undocumented immigrant, must traverse ableist and xenophobic structural barriers in order to obtain stability and security. Director Set Hernandez approaches this journey to self-healing with nuance and care, employing experimental cinematic techniques that call into question ideas of accessibility in film, and probe the intersections of citizenship, disability, and mental health. 

Opening Night continues at historic Washington Hall with headlining performer Emei, a 23-year-old Los Angeles based alternative pop sensation whose catchy, hard-hitting bops verbalize the gritty experiences of being a 20-something year old pressured to strive for perfection and success within the mechanisms of fame and belonging, informed by her experiences navigating the American and Chinese music and celebrity industries. Additional live performances by Kenshi Killzzz, a Seattle based singer and songwriter, will take you on a relaxed journey through Lo-fi sounds, and soul searching through her lyricism. DJ Sake Bomb will serve up a mix of upbeat and social tunes perfect for dancing and mingling. 

From Feb. 26 – March 3, SAAFF will screen several documentaries making their Seattle premieres.  STARRING JERRY AS HIMSELF by filmmaker Law Chen recounts the shockingly true story of a recently retired Chinese man who becomes entangled in an elaborate con game in a documentary that illuminates structures of aging and isolation in Asian American families. Jay Caspian Kang’s AMERICAN SON (World Premiere) follows the life and career of tennis prodigy Michael Chang in a narrative that spans sports, immigration, and geopolitical events and calls into question the personal and societal structures that uphold the American Dream. FROM STAGE TO PAGE: THE JOURNEY FROM 140 LBS TO THE MANICURIST’S DAUGHTER WITH SUSAN LIEU is a special presentation of a combination screening and book talk with multi hyphenate creator Susan Lieu and journalist and memoirist Putsata Reang. Watch the stage recording of Lieu’s play “140 LBS: How Beauty Killed My Mother,” followed by a discussion between Lieu and Reang as they delve into Susan’s journey from this one-woman show to writing her upcoming memoir, The Manicurist’s Daughter. 

Feature narratives include Closing Night film SORRY, WE’RE DEAD, director Alex Zajicek’s absurd and darkly comedic tale of a depressed screenwriter whose unfinished story begins to bleed into her life, Caylee So’s THE HARVEST about a son who must grapple with cultural tradition and familial expectation as he returns to his Hmong household to care for his stubborn and ailing father, and THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER, a somber and gritty narrative about an elderly Vietnamese cab driver who becomes embroiled in an escape plan when he is taken hostage by three convicts.

SAAFF’s shorts programs are the perfect opportunity to take in many films in one screening. Don’t miss the two Centerpiece shorts programs that embody core festival themes: BETWEEN GENERATIONS, a program that focalizes intergenerational interaction and exchange in Asian American communities; and CHANNEL SURFING, a diverse selection of genre shorts from sci-fi dystopia to family mob dramas to lo-fi pixel quests that feel like switching through the channels on TV. Other programs include (RE)CLAIM (a collection of shorts exploring reclamation in its many forms); HAVE YOU EATEN YET? (stories about the importance of food and cooking); INSERT TITLE HERE: AN ABSURD SHORTS PROGRAM (strange, bizarre, and comedic shorts); and AFTERIMAGES: EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS.

There are two free screenings during the festival including COMING AROUND, a feature length documentary about a queer Muslim woman navigating her identity and decision to come out to her family, and DOC BLOCK: DOCUMENTARY SHORTS. 

SAAFF festival passes and individual tickets are available now for purchase at seattleaaff.org. The schedule is available at https://saaff2024.eventive.org/schedule. 

Ticket Prices:

Opening Night including film and party: $35+

Opening Night film only: $13

Opening Night party only: $25

Festival Tickets: $13-$30 (general) | $11 (students/seniors) 

Festival Hybrid Pass: $150 (access to all in-person/online screenings except special events)

Virtual Festival Pass: $120

Virtual Shorts Pass: $80

Visit https://saaff2024.eventive.org/ for tickets, passes, and the full schedule. Most film screenings will be followed by panel discussions or Q&A with the directors and cast in attendance. Many filmmakers will be in town for the festival and available for press interviews. For film screeners, interview requests, and press passes, contact press@seattleaaff.org.

About SAAFF

Seattle Asian American Film Festival (SAAFF) is the only film festival to provide a space for pan-Asian American voices, perspectives, and histories told through multimedia arts in Seattle. A volunteer-run organization that empowers and uplifts Asian American creatives and builds community connections through their annual festival and other year-round events. They aim to be a platform that broadens the understanding of their community’s stories through elevating independent films that reflect the diversity and richness of Asian Americans and Asian diasporas. For more information about SAAFF, visit seattleaaff.org. For tickets, go to https://saaff2024.eventive.org/.