Seasons Greetings,
Thank you for joining Asian CineVision as we celebrated our milestone 45th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF45). We invite you to reflect with us as we conclude 2022.
AAIFF45 was a work of laughter, frustration, and tears in the wake of a global pandemic that challenged last year’s programming. ACV is grateful to have continued as a hybrid festival format so that film festival goers could build community internationally.
We honored our 1970s founding as the nation’s first and longest-running festival that recognizes Asian diaspora media works by featuring an overview of the most iconic AAPI cinema through the years, including but not limited to rarely seen gems from our media archive and Chinese Cable Television (CCTV).
AAIFF45 also demonstrated the evolution of AAPI activist representation through innovative social justice storytelling, topical panels, and industry-led masterclasses that commemorated ACV’s legacy of activist organizing and coalition building in ’70s–’80s–’90s local New York City Chinatown. We are proud to highlight the grassroots movement with a network of AAPI media arts organizations.
Regardless of the decade, AAIFF has always been a platform to work through the heaviness impacting AAPI communities every day. As ACV reflected on heightened racism targeting the Asian diaspora, this year’s festival paid tribute to what the AAPI community has involuntarily overcome. After a long history of injustice thrust upon us, I hope that ACV continues to be your space to truly engage with the AAPI experience reflected on screen.
Thank you to everyone for making this year possible. It is through the support of contributors like you that we can continue to work towards ACV’s mission. Let’s start strong in 2023 and make AAIFF46 possible with your commitment to building a storytelling platform that future community builders can cherish. We are especially grateful to you all for inspiring creative storytelling in the AAPI community.
Take care of yourself and others. Remain alert. Stay angry.
John Woo
Executive Director
Asian CineVision