Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival

Fri.-Sun., Oct. 9-11, various times and locations, $4.99-$45, phillyasianfilmfest.org.

by Molly Eichel

[ festival/movies ]

Barring two stoners with a jonesin' for White Castle, think about the last time you saw an Asian-American in the lead of a mainstream movie. It's difficult, right? One of the few fests of its kind on the East Coast, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival seeks to spotlight those unheralded names. Now in its second year, the festival opens with Tze Chun's Children of Invention, about a brother and sister who take to the streets after their mother goes missing. The Asian-American angle isn't all about who's in front of the camera, though. The centerpiece screening is writer/producer Will Tiao's Formosa Betrayed, starring the decidedly white James Van Der Beek as an FBI agent whose murder investigation takes him to Taiwan and pits him against the Chinese mafia. In addition to the screening slate, PAAFF honors Penn alum Aaron Yoo with its Rising Star Award. Yoo has carved a niche for himself in supporting roles, including as a member of Michael Cera's queer band in Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist and as Shia Labeouf's best friend in Disturbia, playing, ironically enough, a stoner.

Fri.-Sun., Oct. 9-11, various times and locations, $4.99-$45, phillyasianfilmfest.org.