The 45th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF45) will take place from Aug. 3 through 13. Three films by Taiwanese directors as well as two US-Taiwan co-productions have been selected. In addition, Taiwanese American film editor Jean Tsien (錢孝貞) was announced as the recipient of AAIFF45's Media Award.
AAIFF45 is presented by Asian CineVision （ACV） in association with Asia Society. The programs combine in-person screenings and events with an online exhibition. "O~Fortuna (喔～命運女神)" is about a successful musician who accidentally falls out the window and embarks on a journey through his past, present, and future. "Still Rolling (殺青)" depicts a new filmmaker's struggles to defend her boundaries while working on a Chinese TV production. "An Unfinished Film (未完成電影)" is an experimental documentary born out of an unfinished feature film by Taiwanese filmmaker/photographer Yi-Chiang Lin (林奕彊).
AAIFF45 also honors Jean Tsien, a veteran documentary editor, executive producer, and story consultant who has been working in the documentary film industry for 40 years. She received the 2017 Golden Horse Award for Best Film Editing. Her notable editing credits include the 2001 Academy Award-nominated film, "Scottsboro: an American Tragedy;" and three Peabody Award-winning films: "Malcolm X — Make It Plain (簡而言之麥爾坎)," "Travis and Solar Mamas (太陽能媽媽);" and the 2020 Primetime Emmy winner for Outstanding Documentary, "The Apollo (阿波羅任務)." Most recently, she produced "Hidden Letters (女書)," which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
In addition, two Taiwanese co-productions will be featured at AAIFF45, highlighting Taiwan's international friendships. "No New Wave (曼島日夜)," directed by Singaporean writer and director Yao Zi-wei (姚子威), and "Tank Fairy (桶裝仙女)," directed by Erich Rettstadt. For more information, please visit https://www.aaiff.org/program.
(Photo courtesy of Asian American International Film Festival)