The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival / LAAPFF is now known as VC Film Fest and they’re celebrating 40 glorious years! This event is great at showcasing films from this region and this year, the shorts program includes Armed with Camera, Digital Histories and Pacific Cinewaves. This helps attendees select what they like to see, and sewn into the fabric of each of these are many animated works and they will be my focus on my top ten works to see this year.
And also included are my top three picks of live-action feature length works.
A valiant island warrior, wounded in battle against foreign invaders, falls into a mysterious underwater world. When the octopus who rescued him transforms into a handsome young man, they fall in love and an epic adventure begins.
ALL THE TIMETohru is a scared little kitten when he first enters his new place of residence, hiding in a pot and scuffling with the territorial tabby, Jiji. But Tohru soon learns the comforts of his new home -birthday celebrations, meals shared, and chin scratches. Over time, Tohru and Jiji become brothers, often gazing out the window together at birds. Tohru becomes ill and his health deteriorates, confusing and worrying his parents who want to comfort him. Through all his ups and downs, Tohru finds his place in a loving family where he will always belong.
BUCKETS CITYDuckhammer and Kid Squirrel, two best friends who love to play basketball, get thoroughly embarrassed in a game by two neighbourhood bullies that have been bullying them their whole lives. A few years later, Duckhammer learns to dunk, and Kid believes they can beat these bullies once and for all. He may also be trying to impress his lifelong crush, Claire Squirrel. But can he put aside his obsession with finally making a basket, which he has never done?
A reluctant Filipino-American daughter takes a trip with her mother to the island of Palawan to visit family. Their priorities clash but eventually, find a way back to each other.
On a campus saturated with couples in love, Saloni is enjoying her alone time. A cute boy walks past her and per usual, Saloni’s confidence does not kick in. She lets another one get away and goes on with her day but when she walks past a flier for an album launch party, she can’t help but notice something familiar. The shoes on the flier match the shoes that the cute boy was wearing in the garden! Is she finally going to make a move? Is she going to go to the party and find the mystery boy?
There’s only one problem, she has no idea what he looks like and the only way she can identify the mystery boy is through his shoes. With the help of her best friend and guiding inner voice, will Saloni gather the ounce of confidence she needs to catalyse her own journey?
Second episode of Perfect City series. A mouse and cat game in a children’s nightmare.
THE 7TH NIGHT: MAOMAO REVISITS
According to Chinese custom, every soul will pay a last visit to their beloved family on the 7th night after they passed away. What about cats? Will a cat come back for her farewell? or has she forgotten about her owner?
THE QUEEN’S FLOWERSA magical take on a true story, THE QUEEN’S FLOWERS is an animated short adventure for kids that follows Emma, a Native Hawaiian girl in 1915 Honolulu, as she makes a special gift for the last monarch of Hawai`i, Queen Lili`uokalani.
WALK WITH THE DEVILIn the empty abyss of the underworld, the devil picks up the soul of a child and escorts him to his next cycle of reincarnation. Mid-journey, the child gets distracted by a butterfly and goes off-course. The devil follows the child into a forest and as he makes contact with the butterfly, blurry memories from his past begin to flash before his eyes. He cries a single tear and morphs into something more human-like. At the end of the road, he waves good bye as the child walks through the portal–which then transforms into a grave.
WEATHER FORECAST: AUGMENTED!A girl works in a weather forecast studio on a stormy day. While cleaning the studio and trying out equipment while no one’s around, she stumbles upon an augmented weather system that not only projects satellite imagery in three dimensions but also has the power to alter the forecasted weather.
FEATURE LENGTH MOVIESS PLAYING AT VC FILM FEST
Aloha. Mahalo. Hang loose! From Japan’s temples to Brazil’s beaches to Hawaii’s epic North Shore waves, embark on a global quest to unravel the mystery of the Shaka gesture. Discover its origin, meanings and why itʻs the secret to paradise.
NOBUKO MIYAMOTO: A SONG IN MOVEMENT
After decades of groundbreaking cultural work that unites communities and sets the bar for Asian American storytelling, Miyamoto reflects on a life that has bridged coasts, industries, families, and history. Featuring rare archival footage, NOBUKO MIYAMOTO: A SONG IN MOVEMENT is a story of a changing community told through the singular life of one of its most beloved storytellers.
SALLIIn his feature film debut, Taiwanese writer and director Lien Chien-Hung helms a beautifully rendered study of a woman seeking love and companionship. A chicken farmer by trade, Lin Hui-Jun develops feelings for a French man, Martin, whom she only knows via the internet. While everyone around her is convinced it’s a scam, she longs to believe otherwise. Her journey outside of Taiwan to meet Martin is about more than just romance, it’s finally a chance at self-discovery. Esther Liu portrays Hui-Jun with deeply felt nuance, allowing a tender vulnerability in her character. Gorgeously lensed by Ching-Yao Liao, Salli is a smart and perceptive study of what it means to believe in love.
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