Friday, June 17, 2022 | 6PM to 8PM
Since 2004, the CUNY Asian American Film Festival (AAFF) has recognized and awarded over $13,800 in cash prizes to student filmmakers enrolled at the City University of New York, including City College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Lehman College, College of Staten Island, and Queens College. The CUNY AAFF helps to promote the artistic visual talents and stimulate communication among CUNY students who are separated by the different campuses, and serve as a central location to display their creative works. Past participants have also had their films screened at the Asian American International Film Festival.
On the evening of the (Online) Film Festival, Friday, June 17, 2022, all winners and runner-ups will remain anonymous until after a screening of selected films that have been reviewed by our distinguished panel of judges. Following the screening will be an award ceremony and Q&A session with the filmmakers.
Winner ($200) and runner-up ($100) prizes will be awarded for each of the following categories: Fiction | Documentary
AAARI encourages all currently enrolled (or recently graduated in Spring/Fall 2021) CUNY undergraduate and graduate students, Asian and non-Asian, to participate in this great opportunity.
Chienchih (Chyan) Lo (City College of New York)
Sorry for Your Loss
In the limbo of a train station, a young female passenger regains the memory of her own death.
Documentary
Tabia Ahmed & Liam Elkins (Hunter College)
No History, No Self: The Fight for Asian-American Studies at Hunter College
For the past 15 years, students and faculty at CUNY’s Hunter College have protested for an institutionalized Asian-American Studies Program that would allow students of all backgrounds to promote a greater awareness of Asian-American communities and our diverse histories. Following the start of COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of Anti-Asian hate crimes has pushed universities across the United States to expand their teaching of Asian-American Studies and history. This documentary serves to remind CUNY of its imperative responsibility to establish Asian American Studies on its campuses as a means to combat ongoing racialized violence.
Fiction
Rachel Chow (Brooklyn College)
Jenny and Her Package
The only meaning left in Jenny’s life is her cat, Bowie. When an important package gets lost, she wonders whether she can carry on with what is missing.
Documentary
Hafsah Ansar (Hunter College)
Being Asian American During the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans, but the experiences and challenges of Asian Americans often go unnoticed. To raise awareness for the silent struggles that they’ve endured, five East Asian Americans discuss their experiences with anti-Asian racism, how they are coping, and ways that we can reduce anti-Asian sentiment.
Fiction (Winner)
Kwang Min Lee (Brooklyn College)
Tricycle
Immigrant youngster from South Korea tries his best to make friends in a new environment. While he is spending the day with his friend, an unexpected encounter with his father on the street leaves him with a dilemma in different relationships.
Documentary (Winner)
Siddrah Alhindi (Baruch College)
A Place to Pray – An MSA Story
Ramadan 2022 has begun. It is the first since the COVID-19 pandemic started, with most Muslim college students observing during in-person classes throughout the spring semester. This main act of Muslim worship throughout the religious month includes fasting from eating from dawn to dusk. This documentary follows the board of Baruch College’s Muslim Students Association (MSA) as they share the club’s history, the importance to each individual, how it functions as a crucial part of their college experience, and if they’ve faced inaccessibility in professional settings when it comes to praying or breaking their fasts.
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Festival Sponsor
Media Sponsors
Submission Guidelines
Extended Submission Deadline: Friday, May 20, 2022
Submission Form (Download) | Festival Poster (Download)
Submitter must be a currently enrolled or recently graduated CUNY student. (Copy of CUNY College ID and current semester’s class schedule, or proof of recent graduation Spring/Fall 2021 is required.)
Film must satisfy any one of the following criteria:
- Production exclusively or majority-produced by CUNY personnel involving at least one Asian CUNY personnel in a key position, e.g. Director, Writer, or Editor
- Contains an Asian American / Asian theme or narrative
Submissions must be emailed to info [at] aaari.info no later than 5pm EST on Friday, May 20, 2022. Anything received afterwards will not be accepted. (In the event of a submission deadline extension, you may submit an updated version of your film for consideration.)
Submitter, or their authorized representative, must be available to attend the film Q&A segment of the (Virtual) Festival on June 17, 2022, or else they will forfeit their award.
Festival Chairman
Ryoya Terao
Panel of Judges
John Acosta, Patrick Chen, Bang-Geul Han, Vinit Parmar, Katie Quan, Ryoya Terao, Larry Tung & Jennifer Betit Yen
Coordinator
William Tam
Technical Assistance
Antony Wong & Zhu-Hui Wu
