Posted on Mar 10, 2023
Eugene film festival spotlights Asian American and Pacific Islander stories
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In 2006, Oregon filmmaker Jason Mak established the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival in Eugene so he could spotlight Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers and stories.
This weekend, the festival returns to the Art House Theater with a roster of new independent films, all celebrating AAPI experiences.
The slate of movies this year are all centered around the theme “We Generation.” Programming director Susan Hirata came up with the slogan after thinking about how Asian communities are affected by generations past and future.
“And if we can think in terms of a ‘we generation,’ that maybe we can embrace our past and at the same time we can think in ways that build a better future for those who come after us,” she said.
This weekend, the festival returns to the Art House Theater with a roster of new independent films, all celebrating AAPI experiences.
The slate of movies this year are all centered around the theme “We Generation.” Programming director Susan Hirata came up with the slogan after thinking about how Asian communities are affected by generations past and future.
“And if we can think in terms of a ‘we generation,’ that maybe we can embrace our past and at the same time we can think in ways that build a better future for those who come after us,” she said.
Eugene film festival spotlights Asian American and Pacific Islander stories
Posted from opb.org
Eugene
Movies
Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."In 2021, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission reported that Anti-Asian bias crimes and incidents went up 300%.
Quan believes part of the reason for the uptick in crimes is due to the lack of proper AAPI representation.
“You have to ask yourself, why are people feeling the permission to victimize an elderly Asian American out of the blue? Where are those feelings coming from?” she said. “The power of media images and the power of the lack of representation is part of the problem, and the limited amount of stories we get to tell.”
But Quan acknowledges there has been progress in Hollywood.
This year’s Academy Awards saw an unprecedented four Asian actors get nominated in their respective categories, which many are seeing as a milestone for Asian representation in Hollywood.
That said, Hirata is quick to point out — there’s still much to be done.
“There are so many things now that divide our communities, divide our country. It’s really important and impactful when we really lean into the kinds of things that bring us together. I know our festival does it, so I hope that people participate so that they get that sense of coming together rather than being fractured.”
..."In 2021, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission reported that Anti-Asian bias crimes and incidents went up 300%.
Quan believes part of the reason for the uptick in crimes is due to the lack of proper AAPI representation.
“You have to ask yourself, why are people feeling the permission to victimize an elderly Asian American out of the blue? Where are those feelings coming from?” she said. “The power of media images and the power of the lack of representation is part of the problem, and the limited amount of stories we get to tell.”
But Quan acknowledges there has been progress in Hollywood.
This year’s Academy Awards saw an unprecedented four Asian actors get nominated in their respective categories, which many are seeing as a milestone for Asian representation in Hollywood.
That said, Hirata is quick to point out — there’s still much to be done.
“There are so many things now that divide our communities, divide our country. It’s really important and impactful when we really lean into the kinds of things that bring us together. I know our festival does it, so I hope that people participate so that they get that sense of coming together rather than being fractured.”
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