(Graphic, slightly cropped, by Tsz Kam, courtesy of Austin Asian American Film Festival/Juice Consulting)
The 16th Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) is set to return this year at the AFS (Austin Film Society) Cinema theater on June 26-30, according to a recent press release. Created to highlight films by Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander filmmakers, news on AAAFF’s lineup begins with the announcement of key headliners.
“New Wave” is a coming-of-age documentary by Los Angeles-based producer, writer and director Elizabeth Ai, focusing on displaced Vietnamese youth who redefine their identity in southern California with New Wave music. The documentary will premiere and open the festival on Wednesday, June 26.
The festival’s centerpiece is “Blue Sunshine,” a narrative feature about a trans woman working as a teacher in a small South Indian town, partly inspired by director Samyuktha Vijayan’s experience as a trans woman. The film won Best Feature Jury Award at the Tasveer South Asian Film Festival in October 2023 and was officially screened by the International Indian Film Festival in November 2023 and Glasgow Film Festival in March 2024. Following a red carpet lead-up, “Blue Sunshine” will screen on Friday, June 28.
“Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts” by director Shaun Seneviratne will close out the festival on Sunday, June 30. The narrative feature had its world premiere at SXSW 2024 in March and follows Ben Santhanaraj as he “journeys to Sri Lanka to rekindle his relationship with Suzanne Hopper, an American NGO worker, after a long separation,” according to the SXSW website.
The AAAFF also announced an exhibit at The Austin History Center displaying archived materials from throughout the history of the festival and organization. The exhibit, open until July 2, includes posters, photographs and other materials from over the years.
For more information about the festival, read more at aaafilmfest.org.
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