Asian American Films
Mostly listing those films that are good, but somewhere below the mainstream...
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- DirectorJustin LinStarsParry ShenJason TobinSung KangA group of over-achieving East Asian American high school seniors enjoy a power trip when they dip into extracurricular criminal activities.
- DirectorAlice WuStarsJoan ChenMichelle KrusiecLynn ChenA gay Chinese-American and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.
- DirectorJessica YuStarsJimmy TsaiAndrew VoKhary PaytonA kid dreams of playing professional basketball in order to escape his dead-end job, living in the suburbs, his bossy older brother and running his Mom's ping pong classes.
- DirectorMira NairStarsKal PennIrrfan KhanTabuAmerican-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.
- DirectorQuentin LeeStarsKarin Anna CheungWilson CruzArchie KaoA promiscuous woman tries to find out who got her pregnant so she can get married and live a normal life.
- DirectorBenson LeeStarsCha In-pyoJustin ChonJessika VanIn 1986, a group of foreign-born Korean teenagers attend a summer camp in South Korea.
- DirectorMichael KangStarsJeffrey ChyauSung KangJade WuThirteen-year-old Ernest Chin lives and works at a sleazy hourly-rate motel on a strip of desolate suburban bi-way. Misunderstood by his family and blindly careening into puberty, Ernest befriends Sam Kim, a self-destructive yet charismatic Korean man who has checked in. Sam teaches the fatherless boy all the rites of manhood.
- DirectorEric BylerStarsChris TashimaAllison SieSab ShimonoLong after their break-up, Chinese American Raymond Ding and bi-racial Aurora Crane struggle to let go. Torn apart by mismatched ideals, meddling friends, and the complexities of racial identities, they find other suitable mates but can't stay away from each other.
- DirectorDave BoyleStarsHiroshi WatanabeNaeMio TakadaForty-year-old Jimmy is growing up--or at least he's getting older. While mooching the upper bunk of his 10-year-old nephew's bed, he enjoys the never-ending generosity of his sister Aiko and dodges the wrath of his impatient brother-in-law Tak. He thinks that if only he could get married all his problems would be solved. But when he falls head over heels for Tak's niece, things only go from bad to worse.
- DirectorMichael KangStarsJohn ChoJun KimJeong Jun-hoWhen John Kim, an ambitious young lawyer, takes on a pro bono case to exonerate a fourteen-year-old boy from a first degree murder charge, he finds a world he never knew existed in the underbelly of Manhattan - the Korean underworld.
- DirectorDavid KaplanStarsDean WintersAarti MannKevin CorriganIn this super-feel-good foodie comedy, young Manhattan chef Samir rediscovers his heritage and his passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food.
- DirectorRon OdaKris ChinStarsJames KysonKathy UyenKirt KishitaJim, the cheapest Chinese American dude in LA, has recently been left by his fiancé, Katherine two weeks before their wedding on Valentine's Day. In order to ease his pain, he asks his long-time best friend and ex-con, Alex, to kill him. Alex reluctantly agrees to give Jim his wish, but he doesn't think its a good idea to do the job down in LA. So Jim and Alex begin their journey with a trip up to Jim's Aunt's cabin in the mountains, under the strict condition that all business is to be taken care of before Valentine's Day.
- DirectorJustin LinStarsRoger FanDustin NguyenSung KangBruce Lee's shocking death left legions of stunned fans and a legacy of 12 minutes from his unfinished Game Of Death. Undeterred, studio executives launched a search for his replacement chronicled here through the eyes of five aspiring thespians who find out what the real game is.
- DirectorGrace LeeStarsGrace Lee BoggsGrace LeeGrace LeeIs your name Grace Lee? Do you think you are the only Grace Lee? Did you know there are quite a few of you? Oh yes, it's true. There are many of you and they're all over. They are mostly typically dutiful East Asian daughters with the associated and expected talents. Except, that's not always true. Then again, there are even more Grace Lees around. Why?
- DirectorRichard WongStarsLynn ChenParry ShenSheetal ShethA couple experiment with having an open relationship.
- DirectorDebbie LumTwo strangers -- an elderly American man and a young Chinese woman -- pursue a marriage brokered by the internet, but they get more than they bargained for when she moves across the Pacific to start a new life with him in America, in this intimate and quirky, personal documentary about modern love.
- DirectorEric BylerStarsJacqueline KimEugenia YuanMichael AkiMichael, a young mechanic, is forced to choose between a daring tryst with an alluring stranger and the habitual comfort of his bittersweet obsession: his beautiful young tenant.
- DirectorJeff AdachiStarsFrank ChinDaniel Dae KimBobby LeeFrom silent film star Sessue Hayakawa to Harold and Kumar Go to Whitecastle, the Slanted Screen examines the portrayal of East Asian men in film and television, and how new film-makers are now redefining age-old stereotypes. Includes interviews with actors Mako, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, James Shigeta, Dustin Nguyen, Will Yun Lee, Phillip Rhee, Tzi Ma, comedian Bobby Lee, producer Terence Chang, casting director Heidi Levitt and directors Gene Cajayon and Eric Byler. The film contains over fifty film clips of depictions of East Asian American male characters from Hollywood films spanning almost a century. It asks why and how stereotypical portrayals still persist, and why the roles for East Asian American men are diminishing even as the East Asian American population is increasing.
- DirectorArthur DongStarsTurhan BeyJoan ChenTsai ChinHollywood Chinese is a captivating look at cinema history through the lens of the Chinese American experience. Directed by triple Sundance award-winning filmmaker, Arthur Dong, this documentary is a voyage through a century of cinematic delights, intrigues and treasures. It weaves together a wondrous portrait of actors, directors, writers, and movie icons who have defined American feature films, from the silent era to the current new wave of Asian American cinema. At once entertaining and enlightening, Hollywood Chinese reveals long-untold stories behind the Asian faces that have graced the silver screen, and weaves a rich and complicated tapestry, one marked by unforgettable performances and groundbreaking films, but also by a tangled history of race and representation.
- DirectorJennifer M. KrootStarsGeorge TakeiBrad TakeiWalter KoenigA look at the many roles played by eclectic actor/activist George Takei, whose wit, humor and grace have helped him to become an internationally beloved figure and Internet phenomenon with 7-million Facebook fans and counting.
- DirectorJeff AdachiStarsAdam DriverMax GailAlvin IngThe film tells Jack Soo's story through a montage of film and television clips, rare footage, interviews with family members, friends, co-workers, and others who knew him best. From his early appearances on programs such as The Jack Benny Show and Valentines' Day, Soo's life is examined both in the historical context of the times, and the grandeur of an earlier Hollywood where stars like Soo succeeded in a multitude of artistic mediums, reminiscent of vaudevillian times. From Soo's early training as an announcer and stand-up comic, to his singing, acting and dancing career on Broadway, culminating with his signature role as Detective Nick Yemana, Soo's unique talent and dedication to his craft are fully explored and captured through a dazzling kaleidoscope of images, music, montages, interviews and stories. Featured interview subjects include Nancy Kwan who was Soo's co-star in the film version of Broadway Flower Drum Song; Soo's co-stars on Barney Miller, Max Gail and Steve Landesberg; Hal Kanter, the creator and producer of Valentine's Day and George Takei, Soo's friend and co-star in The Green Berets. The film will also dig deep into Soo's past, including interviews with Soo's daughter and close friends, former Topaz internees, former Motown executive Al Abrams, and others who knew Soo at key points in his life and career.
- DirectorJon M. ChuStarsConstance WuHenry GoldingMichelle YeohThis contemporary romantic comedy based on a global bestseller follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu to Singapore to meet her boyfriend's family.
- DirectorAngie WangStarsAnnie Q. RiegelFrancesca EastwoodPierson FodeIn 1984, the most powerful drug dealer on the west coast was a 19 year old coed. Based on actual events.
- DirectorLulu WangStarsShuzhen ZhaoAwkwafinaX MayoA Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.
- DirectorEmily TingStarsAnna AkanaRichard NgLynn ChenWhen spoiled rich girl Sasha Li blows through most of her trust fund, she is cut off by her father and forced to go back to China and work for the family toy business.
- DirectorSusan JohnsonStarsLana CondorNoah CentineoJanel ParrishA teenage girl's secret love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her love life.
- DirectorNahnatchka KhanStarsAli WongRandall ParkJames SaitoEveryone assumed that Sasha and Marcus would wind up together, except for Sasha and Marcus. Reconnecting after 15 years, the two start to wonder--maybe?
- DirectorBertha Bay-Sa PanStarsKelly HuChristina ChangRoger ReesA 30-something career woman tries to find the balance between her demanding family and her perfect new boyfriend.
- DirectorEvan Jackson LeongStarsJeremy LinDaniel Dae KimCandy RichardzThe life story of basketball sensation, Jeremy Lin.
- DirectorGeorgia LeeStarsTzi MaJacqueline KimElaine KaoThe Wongs struggle to cope with life, love, and family dysfunction in the suburbs of New York.
- DirectorSteve JamesStarsThomas SungHwei Lin SungCyrus Vance Jr.A small financial institution called Abacus becomes the only company criminally indicted in the wake of the United States' 2008 mortgage crisis.
- DirectorSalima KoromaStarsAwkwafinaDavid LeeRichard LeeFour Asian-American rappers run into tough obstacles as they try to make it big in Hip Hop, a genre rooted in black culture.
- DirectorGeeta Vasant PatelRavi PatelStarsRavi PatelGeeta Vasant PatelChampa V. PatelAn Indian-American man who is about to turn 30 gets help from his parents and extended family to start looking for a wife in the traditional Indian way.
- DirectorGrace LeeWhat exactly does food reflect about Asian Pacific Americans? This film grapples with how family, tradition, faith, and geography shape our relationship to food. Off the Menu takes audiences on a journey from Texas to New York and from Wisconsin to Hawaii using our obsession with food as a launching point to delve into a wealth of stories, traditions, and unexpected characters that help nourish this nation of immigrants.
- DirectorPamela TomStarsTyrus WongLisa SeeEllen HarringtonTYRUS examines the life and work of pioneering Chinese American artist Tyrus Wong. Beginning with his arrival to the immigration detention center at Angel Island in 1919, nine year old Tyrus would overcome a life of poverty, racism, and discrimination to become a renowned painter and Hollywood sketch artist. The film will show how the quiet beauty of Tyrus's eastern influenced paintings caught the eye of Walt Disney and became the inspiration for the classic animated feature Bambi. For the next 25 years, Tyrus brought his artistry to Warner Brothers where his striking storyboards and set illustrations helped set the tone and drama for films such as The Sands of Iwo Jima, Rebel Without a Cause, William Goldman's Harper and Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch. At 104, Tyrus is the oldest living Chinese American artist.
- DirectorTony LamStarsTanzila AhmedAngelo AnchetaJay ChenIn 1982, Vincent Chin was murdered in Detroit by two white autoworkers at the height of anti-Japanese sentiments. His killers, however, got off with a $3,000 fine and no jail time. Outraged by this injustice, Asian Americans around the country united for the first time to form a pan-Asian identity and civil rights movement. This documentary, based off a series of townhalls organized by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, features interviews with the key players at the time as well as a whole new generation of activists whose lives have been impacted by the case. The documentary asks how far Asian Americans have come since then and how far they have yet to go.
- DirectorChristine ChoyRenee Tajima-PenaStarsLily ChinRonald EbensStarleneThe film recounts the murder of a Chinese-American automotive engineer in a racially motivated hate crime, and how the murderer escaped justice in the court system.
- DirectorLouisa WeiS. Louisa WeiStarsLaw Chung-LongEsther EngGraham HodgesSurprising or not, the first female director of Southern China was a San Francisco native and an open lesbian. Esther Eng, 1914-70, was a true pioneer. She made 11 Cantonese language films: one in Hollywood, five in China, three in California, one in Hawaii and one in New York, all before, during and after WWII. In her 1941 film Golden Gate Girl, she gave Bruce Lee his screen debut with the role of a baby girl. She created at least four restaurants in New York City, including a fine dining Esther Eng Restaurant in uptown with very good ratings and frequented by celebrities like Marlon Brando and Tennessee Williams. Her obituary appears in both New York Times and Variety she died in 1970.
- DirectorTze ChunStarsCindy CheungMichael ChenCrystal ChiuTwo young children living illegally in a model apartment outside Boston are left to fend for themselves when their hardworking mother disappears.
- DirectorAnna ChiStarsBai LingSteph SongTalia ShireA story about a group of estranged Chinese-American siblings who reunite after the death of their mother.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsTamlyn TomitaRosalind ChaoKieu ChinhThe life histories of four East Asian women and their daughters reflect and guide each other.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsLi LingBrian DanforthMinghua TanThe story of a pregnant Chinese girl's life in the U.S. Based on the the short story by Yiyun Li.
- DirectorDavid KaplanStarsTsai ChinKen LeungRandall Duk KimA rotoscope-animated modern-day Cinderella story set in the underbelly of New York's Chinatown.
- DirectorTony ChanStarsJeffrey LauColeen O'BrienChit-Man ChanThe story of one man desperately trying to obtain a green card by marrying an American woman.
- DirectorSteven J. KungStarsJack YangHeather MazurPat TsaoWhen a young and talented Chinese American actor is fired from a starring role on a television show, he attempts to salvage his career by entering into a romantic relationship with a successful casting director.
- DirectorValerie SoeStarsGeorge ChenJustin TanKristina WongLOVE BOAT: TAIWAN looks at the Taiwan Love Boat, where college-aged Taiwanese Americans get closer to their history, their culture and each other.
- DirectorDaniel ParkStarsRhonda AldrichSteve ByrneStefanie CarpenterIn LA's Koreatown, 5 legendary partiers go out for one more night of debauchery, growing up by throwing down like they did in the old days.