TwoOhSix Recap - 2019 Seattle Asian American Film Festival

This is such a fun and well organized festival and I am thankful for having the chance to cover it every year. The crop of movies I was able to watch was very impressive and the opening night party was a lot of fun including a killer set from Filipina-American rapper Ruby Ibarra. Seriously, check her out, she's about to be real big real soon. The volunteer staff that runs the festival always puts on a smooth production and this year was definitely no exception. See below for a recap of the films I watched and my selection for 2019 TwoOhSix Festival Favorite.

For Izzy - 2019 SAAFF Movie Review

The Movie: For Izzy

The Director: Alex Chu

The Cast: Elizabeth Sung, Jennifer Soo, Jim Lau, Michelle Ang

The Story: The lives of a recovering addict and her single mother change forever when they move in next door to a widowed father and his adult daughter with autism.

Origin Story - 2019 SAAFF Documentary Review

The Documentary: Origin Story

The Director: Kulap Vilaysack

The Story: When Kulap Vilaysack was 14, she took her father's side in an argument and her mother replied, 'Why are you defending him? He's not your real dad.' Twenty years later, she's finally ready to explore what that means.

Ulam: Main Dish - 2019 SAAFF Movie Review

The Documentary: Ulam: Main Dish

The Director: Alexandra Cuerdo

The Story: The first food documentary following the rise of the Filipino food movement via the chefs crossing over to the center of the American table.

Blowin' Up - 2019 SAAFF Documentary Review

The Documentary: Blowin' Up

The Director: Stephanie Wang-Breal

The Story: Working within a broken criminal justice system, a team of rebel heroines work to change the the way women arrested for prostitution are prosecuted.

Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity, and Stereotypes - 2019 SAFF Documentary Review

The Documentary: Drawn Together: Comics, Diversity, and Stereotypes

The Director: Harleen Singh

The Story: With a lively backdrop of superheroes, comic books, and animated comics, meet three talented artists—a Sikh, a woman, and an African American—who are challenging the racist stereotyping currently endemic in America through their work in comics.

On Happiness Road - 2019 SAAFF Movie Review

The Movie: On Happiness Road

The Director: Hsin-Yin Sung

The Cast: Lun-Mei Kwei, Te-Sheng Wei, Bor Jeng Chen, Hui-Jen Liao, Bella Wu

The Story: Chi earned her American dream after persevering with her studies in Taiwan. Following her grandmothers' death, Chi returns to her family on Happiness Road, where she begins to feel nostalgic about her childhood and starts to contemplate the meaning of "life" and "home".

TwoOhSix Picks - 2019 Seattle Asian American Film Festival

The Seattle Asian American Film Festival is back for another round of feature films, documentaries, short films, and special events all organized by a volunteer staff and presented across multiple venues including the Northwest Film Forum, the Broadway Performance Hall, Rhein Haus, and the Washington Hall event space. Below you will find a list of films that have been specially chosen as this year's TwoOhSix Picks. Links below the posters will take you to the film's SAAFF page where you can watch trailers, see photos, and read info!