The Asian Film Festival of Dallas (AFFD) returns to the Angelika Film Center in Dallas for the 24th edition of the popular film festival. Taking place July 24-27, AFFD’s Opening Night selection is Shinji Araki’s Japanese thriller, Penalty Loop. The Centerpiece will be Johnny Ma’s comedy-drama The Mother and the Bear, and the Closing Night selection is Yugo Sakamoto’s Japanese action-comedy Baby Assassins: Nice Days.
AFFD’s special Saturday Women’s Showcase spotlighting female filmmakers will feature Mye Hoang’s latest feline-inspired documentary 25 Cats From Qatar, and Dương Diệu Linh’s Vietnamese fantasy/drama Don’t Cry, Butterfly. All screenings will take place at the Angelika Film Center Dallas.
AFFD Programming Director Paul Theiss, said, “This year’s festival is especially exciting as we present our latest Women’s Showcase, celebrating powerful works by female filmmakers from across Asia—South Korea, India, Singapore, and Vietnam—as well as the United States. For the festival as a whole, while fans can still count on the high-energy action films we’re known for, a deeper theme emerged as I programmed the lineup: the power of connection. This year’s festival explores the deep human need to reach out, be seen, and never go it alone. And what better place to celebrate that spirit of connection than at a film festival, which brings us together through the shared experience of storytelling.”
Asian Film Festival Opening Night July 24
Opening night on Thursday, July 24, features Shinji Araki’s Penalty Loop. The Best Asian Film winner at the Fantasia Film Festival, which screened in front of a sold out audience there, Araki’s film gives the time-loop movie treatment an action-filled edge. The film follows a man who wakes up one morning and proceeds to exact revenge on the man who murdered his lover. However, when he wakes up it is the same day, and he finds himself forced to kill the man again and again and again. And that man also begins to realize he is caught in the same loop destined to be killed over and over and over again. Thus, a time loop cat-and-mouse between the two men is set into motion.
Johnny Ma’s The Mother and the Bear is a two-time festival award-winner making its way to Dallas and AFFD for the Centerpiece Screening on Friday, July 25. The Chinese Canadian filmmaker tries his hand with a lighter touch after building a critically-acclaimed reputation with dramatic fare with this film about a mother who discovers she doesn’t really know her own daughter after she has an accident and falls into a coma. Along with learning about her life, she starts working on some matchmaking for her daughter to take place post-coma as well as possibly starting a new relationship herself. Johnny Ma will also be in-person at AFFD to participate in the post-screening Q&A.
Female Filmmakers at AFFD
Saturday, July 26 will underline the “festival” in film festival with a full day of screenings and events celebrating Female Filmmakers at the Asian Film Festival of Dallas including the festival’s red carpet presentation and reception for filmmakers and pass holders. Mye Hoang returns to AFFD with her documentary 25 Cats From Qatar which follows an American flight attendant and cat cafe owner who reacts to a homeless cat crisis in Qatar by coming up with a plan to fly 25 cats to Milwaukee, with her cat cafe providing the way for people to adopt them.
The Best Film winner at Venice Film Festival’s Critics’ Week, Dương Diệu Linh’s Don’t Cry, Butterfly focuses on a wedding venue staffer who learns of her husband’s affair while watching live TV. Instead of confronting him, she decides to use a voodoo spell to reclaim his love.
Nelicia Low’s directing debut Pierce garnered her a Best Director award at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. The thriller follows the push and pull between a young fencer and his estranged older brother, recently released from juvenile prison after serving time for killing an opponent during a fencing match. As the younger brother trains for the national championships under his older brother’s guidance, he begins to question his brother’s true nature. All three filmmakers will be traveling from around the world to be in Dallas to participate in Q&As following their screenings.
Baby Assassins: Nice Days
Sunday will also feature films with attending filmmakers leading up to the Closing Night screening of Yugo Sakamoto’s Japanese action-comedy Baby Assassins: Nice Days. Jeff Mann’s Paper Marriage finds comedy and drama in the story of a Chinese immigrant facing deportation, who pays an unemployed and directionless man to marry her. During their year-long marriage of convenience, they struggle to manage living with each other’s differences until they are forced to learn to work together.
Lee Jong-min and Yeum Moon-kyoung’s South Korean comedy The Last Woman on Earth looks at a female screenwriter who finds tension with her fellow film students due to her script’s anger toward men. However, when a male directing student suggests they team up to actually make the film together, the real challenges begin.
AFFD Parties at Angelika Film Center
Also noted year after year for its singular party presentations, this year the Asian Film Festival of Dallas will complement the screenings and filmmaker appearances at AFFD with Opening Night, Centerpiece, and Closing Night parties at the Angelika Film Center with Asian cuisine and crafted drinks by George Kaiho, featuring Suntory Japanese Whisky, as well as themed presentations, filmmaker meet-and-greets, and photo opportunities for film fans who have come out to enjoy the great AFFD programming during those evenings.
To purchase badges, tickets and for more information, please visit //asianfilmdallas.com/.
