Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2021

OPENING NIGHT SPOTLIGHT: The No-Good Very Bad Terrible Longest Worst Year — 2020 COVID Shorts

Expired March 15, 2021 6:59 AM
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27 films in package
TOGETHER ALONE
A glimpse into the lives of frontline workers by documenting one doctor’s life in isolation at home.
BACK TO WORK
A family experiences the realities of COVID-19 firsthand, together.
100 MILES APART
Two newly engaged Filipino American healthcare workers are forced to shelter in place 100 miles away during the pandemic as one nurse volunteers to work a COVID unit.
AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET
When Hoang Dinh Nguyen fell ill with COVID-19 in his Issaquah nursing home, he and his family could not see each other.
QUALITY OF CARE
Video chronicles of a young physical therapist at Elmhurst Hospital, known as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in Queens, NYC.
HOME, DELIVERED
Under quarantine, South Asian seniors living in Queens, NYC find comfort with the help of a local organization.
RADICAL CARE: THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD
A group of mostly women of color volunteers came together to sew masks for those in need across the U.S.
POI DOG LESSONS
Honolulu Theatre for Youth company actor Maki‘ilei Ishihara taps into her mixed Asian Pacific heritage to co-produce an animated video poem that celebrates cultural identity and underscores the need to take care of one another.
QUARAN-ZINE CONNECTIONS
Four friends, all Chinese internationals in the US, gather virtually to have a quaran-zine making session as a means of sharing and connecting.
COOKING WITH CHRISTINE
Chef Christine Ha hosts an interactive, online cooking class to raise charity funds for COVID-19 relief.
SPAMFIGHT!
When the COVID-19 shelter in place takes effect, an Asian American woman cooks Spam despite her vegetarian boyfriend’s disgust, in order to express her identity and fulfill her cravings.
COVID-20
COVID-20 is an experimental short film made with just a cell phone and drone, no budget, cast, or crew other than myself. It explores the experience of quarantining early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, capturing the eerie novelty of the time.
INVULNERABLE
Hamza hasn't been sleeping very well — partly due to the stress of the pandemic, partly because he keeps flying into his bedroom window while he's asleep.
LEGISLATING FROM HOME
Minnesota State Representative Fue Lee serves his community from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SHU MAI ONLINE
With gigs canceled by the coronavirus, Miss Shu Mai finds new ways to make a living.
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE'S COOLER COUSIN
Hydroxychloroquine was first used to treat malaria, except ancient Chinese traditions were better at it.
AN UNEXPECTED GOODBYE
A father dies suddenly from COVID-19, and his family is forced to create a new ritual when proper funerals are not allowed.
REOPENING
Two married undocumented Chinese immigrants come to terms with the closing and re-opening of their restaurant during COVID-19.
DAY SIXTY
An Asian Canadian woman prepares herself to go out during the pandemic amidst the rise of racist attacks.
MULGOGI
A contemplative, ambient short film examines the uncertainty and curiosity that fill ordinary places in these unprecedented times.
THE UPRISING
As millions of people mobilized in city streets to express outrage and sadness in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, follow locals who felt called to join the movement in Seattle.
Closed captions available
CULTIVATING RESILIENCE: SEATTLE'S HMONG FLOWER FARMERS
After most of Pike Place Market shut down, many of Washington's Hmong flower farmers were left with nowhere to sell.
Closed captions available
FIRST, WE EAT
An observational portrait of California's Chinese community through the perspective of a Chinese restaurant and an LA-based graduate trying to navigate the financial difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.
HEY YÚ | 如魚得水
Locked down at home with a nagging phone call from his parents and a deadline to make an anniversary sign, Kent notices his goldfish have mysteriously multiplied.
HOT WOKE ASIAN
A comedic sketch brings dating and social awareness during the pandemic together through a song.
Opening Night Q&A 1
Moderated by Ellison Shieh with Mireia Vilanova and Windsor Wong (co-directors, First, We Eat), Jules Suo (director, Mulgogi), Athena Han (director, Hey Yú), Andy Wong (director, Day Sixty), Lauren Frohne (director, As Close As You Can Get), and Corinne Chin (director, Cultivating Resilience, The Uprising).
Opening Night Q&A 2
Moderated by Mariko Toyoji with Valerie Soe (Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad), Alexander Catedral (Back To Work), Laj P. Waghray (director, Together, Alone), Joua Lee Grande (director, Legislating from Home), and Jin Yoo-Kim (director, SPAMFIGHT!)
This virtual screening is eligible for audience awards! Unlock it to cast your vote.
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Filmed during COVID-19 and across various states of lockdown, these short films capture the shared experiences of Asian Americans and people of all backgrounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the pandemic itself, these shorts explore not only fights for racial justice and the necessity of economic support for small businesses, but also the creativity that has blossomed during lockdown.


Co-presented by International Community Health Services (ICHS) and Musang

Washington one of the first in the United States to experience the COVID-19 pandemic, as the virus ravaged nursing homes throughout the western part of the state. When Hoang Dinh Nguyen fell ill with COVID-19 in his Issaquah nursing home, his family could not be with him, nor could they be with each other. Still, they found ways to connect — and sustain each other — despite keeping physical distance. This short film follows their journey and their family’s legacy of resilience and survival. (Content Warning: Death, Hospitalization, Illness)

  • Year
    2020
  • Runtime
    6 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United States
  • Director
    Lauren Fronhe
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