17th Annual Asian American Showcase
- 17th Annual Asian American Showcase
The Gene Siskel Film Center and the Foundation for Asian American Independent Media (FAAIM) present the 17th edition of Asian American Showcase, April 6 through 19. The festival encompasses comedies and dramas, probing documentaries, provocative shorts, and an array of special activities, all showcasing a wealth of talent on the Asian American scene.
The art exhibition 100 Years, featuring work by Chicago artists Wang Frank Yefeng, Cheng-Yung Kuo, and noted Chinese brush painter Qigu Jiang opens in our Gallery/Café on Friday, April 6, with a reception from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Chicago’s Chinatown Centennial Celebration.
For their essential role in making Asian American Showcase possible, the Gene Siskel Film Center thanks FAAIM founding members Sooyoung Park, Ben Kim, and William Shin; festival director Tim Hugh; the Alphawood Foundation; the Illinois Arts Council, A State Agency; and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
- Opening Night Film
Showtimes
Tickets
Filmmakers in person!
- DAYLIGHT SAVINGS
- (aka SURROGATE VALENTINE 2)
- 2011, Dave Boyle, USA, 73 min.
- With Goh Nakamura, Yea-ming Chen
Singer/songwriter Goh Nakamura reprises his deadpan role as king of the romantic losers in this episodic road movie sequel to last year’s SURROGATE VALENTINE. The singer’s jingle for “Relatrix,” an anti-depressant, appears to have the TV half-life of nuclear waste, while his relationship with Erika, an emotionally prickly professor, looks like past history. An impulsive pursuit of the alluringly punkish chanteuse Yea-ming (Chen, guitarist for the band DreamDate) leads to Las Vegas via a disastrous but goofy adventure in atmospheric San Juan Bautista. HDCAM video. (BS)
Director Dave Boyle and actor Goh Nakamura will be present for audience discussion on Friday.
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YES, WE’RE OPEN
- Closing Night Film
Showtimes
Tickets
Richard Wong in person!
- YES, WE’RE OPEN
- 2011, Richard Wong, USA, 80 min.
- With Lynn Chen, Parry Shen
One-upmanship becomes the driving force behind this comedy that revolves around sex, gourmet meals, boorish banter, and bad choices. Bedtime has become a bore for longtime couple Sylvia and Luke, but when they meet urbane, charismatic new friends Elena and Ronald, both are left secretly humming with the sexual vibes. Invited for a very special dinner at the couple’s home, Sylvia and Luke discover that there is a little something extra on the menu, and more life lessons to be learned from the encounter than they had imagined. HDCAM video. (BS)
Director Richard Wong will be present for audience discussion on Sunday.
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I AM A GHOST
- Features
Showtimes
Tickets
- I AM A GHOST
- 2012, H.P. Mendoza, USA, 72 min.
- With Anna Ishida, Jeannie Barroga
This atmospheric ghost story poses a puzzle for Emily, a young 19th-century woman who lives alone in a sumptuous Victorian home, where she adheres to a simple and solitary daily routine. Life changes abruptly when she is confronted by a disembodied female voice singing a taunting ditty and asking abrasive questions. The voice reveals herself as “Sylvia,” a kind of ghost-buster spirit who is meant to guide Emily on a journey to the other world…but is Emily dead? Does this beautiful and mysterious house also harbor someone else? HDCAM video. (BS)
Please note:
The show original scheduled for Monday, April 16 at 8:00 has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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IN THE FAMILY
Showtimes
Tickets
Patrick Wang in person!
- IN THE FAMILY
- 2011, Patrick Wang, USA, 169 min.
- With Patrick Wang, Brian Murray
“Remarkably fresh and unpredictable…one of the most accomplished and undersold directorial debuts this year.”
—Paul Brunick, The New York Times
“A powerful study…beautifully written and performed…recalls the social realism of John Cassavetes.”
—Richard Kuipers, Variety
Joey, an Asian American gay man, has a comfortable life in a small Tennessee town with his partner Cody and their 6-year-old son Chip. Cody’s death in a tragic accident sets Joey on the path to an arduous and ugly confrontation over the custody of the boy, Cody’s biological son, with the people he had come to regard as family. This masterful drama, featuring an impressive ensemble cast and a stunning performance by director Wang as Joey, merits every bit of its epic length as it follows the conflicting ways of the law and the heart. 35mm. (BS)
Director/actor Patrick Wang will be present for audience discussion.
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KNOTS