26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival - March 13-23, 2008

Wayne Wang’s return to Asian American storytelling focuses on Beijing native Mr. Shi, who visits his estranged daughter, Yilan, in America. Language and emotional distances hamper Shi’s adjustment as both he and Yilan struggle to overcome their respective pasts. Quiet but complex, A Thousand Years finds Wang at his intimate best. In Person: Wayne Wang, Henry O, Vida Ghahremani
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A nameless San Franciscan (Spencer Nakasako) attempts to hand a briefcase over to a triad boss and goes deep into the rabbit hole of Hong Kong circa 1989. An impressionistic portrait of a city in flux, Wang’s film is the work of a great Asian American artist going home. Free-wheeling and no-holds-barred, it was the first film to be rated X. In Person: Wayne Wang
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For The Joy Luck Club’s fifteenth anniversary, we offer its admirers a chance to see it again on the big screen, and invite a new generation to participate in this Asian American classic from Wang and best-selling author Amy Tan. Ming-na and Tamlyn Tomita lead an all-star cast in this heartfelt story of mothers, daughters and the Chinese American experience. In Person: Wayne Wang, Ming Wen, Lauren Tom, Amy Tan, Janet Yang
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This kinetic and edgy companion film to Wang’s A Thousand Years of Good Prayers follows Sasha, a young, pregnant woman who arrives in the Bay Area for an abortion. As she wanders through San Francisco, she contemplates the value of love, friendship and her impending decision. In Person: Wayne Wang, Richard Wong, Ling Li, Pamelyn Chee, Brian Danforth More...

A poetic and powerful documentary which explores the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami with a gentleness that belies the weight of its subject. In Indonesia’s Aceh province, amidst broken landscapes and missing loved ones, four individuals rebuild their lives and comprehend the immensity of how their worlds have changed. More...

The director of Colma: The Musical returns with a very different kind of film: a dream-logic thriller about a man who searches for his girlfriend after receiving a phone call from a mysterious man. A dark and whimsical ride through the streets of San Francisco. In Person: Richard Wong, Preston Conner, Theresa Navarro More...

Richard Wong’s and H.P. Mendoza’s award-winning indie musical (Special Jury Award, SFIAAFF ’06) returns in a special sing-along presentation including a few new surprises. Three best pals sing and dance their way through a town where the dead outnumber the living one thousand to one. In Person: Richard Wong, H.P. Mendoza More...

Sultry, sexy and strong-minded, Anna May Wong (1905–1961) was a rare and true global star—a revered fashion icon and one the most influential actresses of the 20th Century. The star of such films as Shanghai Express and Piccadilly, her fascinating and tumultuous life is brought to screen in this revealing documentary. In Person: Elaine Mae Woo More...