Newton, Mass., May 12, 2014, — In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the city of Newton presents the first annual Asian Pacific American (APA) Film Festival. The open reception was held on May 7 at Newton City Hall.
The reception included exhibitions of photography and painting, including Glimpses of Everyday India: Photography exhibition by Kanak Kale-Duttaroy, Chinese paintings by Sharon Wu and Irene Chang from Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA) .
Some of traditional Asian music and dance program included Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement by Ikebana International Boston chapter, Guqin, the ancient Chinese instrument: Shinyi Yang, Chinese Dance by GBCCA’s Liwen Wang, Traditional Korean Dance by Chan Hee Park, Martial Arts by Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy.
The film festival starts on May 14. Four award winning films will be shown at West Newton Cinema (1296 Washington St, W. Newton). Post-screening discussions will follow each screening. Please vist: www.newtoncommunitypride.org for tickets. The following is short introductions of the four films.
May 14: Today’s Special
A sous chef’s dreams of studying French cooking in France are shattered when he must take over his family’s Indian restaurant. While his relationship with his parents and his heritage is put to the test, he rediscovers his passion for life through the art of cooking Indian food.
May 15: Mrs. Judo: Be Strong
Be Gentle, Be Beautiful Tells the inspirational life story of Keiko Fukuda, a judo master who fought against all odds to become the highest ranking woman in the history of the sport.
May 21: One Big Hapa Family
A colorful mix of family interviews, animation, and historical documents and footage, this documentary captures both serious issues of racism and integration, and puts an important spotlight on mixed-race Asians.
May 22: Linsanity
Documentary film about the rise of Asian-American basketball player Jeremy Lin overcoming discouragements and racism and achieving success through his faith, desire, and perseverance.