2023 PROGRAM

Opening Film: Arnold is a Model Student
Thursday, March 9th, 2023 

Opening Night Reception: 6:00 PM
​Catering by Yuan Wonton! 
Film: 7:00 PM

Thailand | 2022 | 85 min 
​Language: Thai with English Subtitles
​FAMILY FRIENDLY FILM

Arnold is a clever student who has won many academic awards. One day, he meets Bee who runs an underground business helping students cheat on their exams. Bee asks Arnold to join his cheating ring and offers him a lot of money. While Arnold considers working with Bee, many of his schoolmates, unhappy with their school’s disrespect of their freedom, organize a big protest.

Director/Screenwriter  
Sorayos Prapapan

Starring
Korndanai Marc Dautzenberg, Siriboon Naddhabhan, Winyu Wongsurawat

Country
Thailand, Singapore, France, Netherlands, Philippines

CHINA I 2021 I 104 minutes 
Language: Cantonese, Mandarin with English Subtitles

​The animated comedy film I Am What I Am tells the story of three left-behind teenagers - Gyun, Kat and Doggie - from a small village in Guangdong, where they’ve been ignored and bullied by others and decide to join a group of lion dance. They finally realize their dreams and become their own lions with their youthful passion and all-around drive.

Director
Sun Haipeng

Cast
Xin Li, Hao Guo, Meng Li

Synopsis
Chinese immigrants made a home in Denver a decade after the city’s founding and were instrumental in completing the transcontinental railroad. They survived in spite of racist policies that relegated them to a place and a station. So why doesn’t Denver have a Chinatown? In Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown, an #IAmDenver documentary from the Denver Office of Storytelling, their descendants recall with pride their ancestors’ contributions and reject the notion that one tragic day in 1880 defined their community.

Directors
Roxana A. Soto, Emily Maxwell

FRIDAY, MARCH 10TH, 2023
​2:00 PM 

Reclaiming Denver's Chinatown
USA Colorado / 51 minutes / Family Friendly
Language: English

​Synopsis
A middle-aged, Korean-drama obsessed widow from Singapore travels out of the country for the first time to Seoul, and ends up getting lost. Her journey becomes an unexpected road of self discovery, as she comes to terms with the life she truly wants for herself, beyond her roles of daughter, wife and mother.

Director
He Shuming

Cast
Hong Huifang, Kang Hyung-suk, Jung Dong-hwan

Synopsis
Big Fight in Little Chinatown is a story of community resistance and resilience. Set against the backdrop of the COVID pandemic and an unprecedented rise in anti-Asian racism, the documentary takes us into the lives of residents, businesses and community organizers whose neighborhoods are facing active erasure.

Coast to Coast the film follows Chinatown communities resisting the pressures around them. From the construction of the world’s largest vertical jail in New York, Montreal’s fight against developers swallowing up the most historic block of their Chinatown, big box chains and gentrification forces displacing Toronto’s community, to a Vancouver Chinatown business holding steadfast, the film reveals how Chinatown is both a stand-in for other communities who’ve been wiped off the city map, and the blueprint for inclusive and resilient neighborhoods of the future.

Director
Karen Cho

Stay after the film for a Q&A with the director!

Synopsis
The biggest film of the decade is back on the big screen where it belongs! RRR is an exhilarating, action-packed spectacular mythologizing two real-life freedom fighters who helped lead India’s fight for independence from the British Raj, Komaram Bheem (N.T Rama Rao Jr., aka Jr NTR) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan). Set in the 1920s before their fight for India’s independence began, RRR imagines a fictional meeting between the two, set into motion when a young Gond girl is stolen from her village by British soldiers.

With staggeringly choreographed action sequences, an all-timer of a musical number, and a powerful story, RRR is pure big screen joy from start to finish. Audiences across the world have been won over, it's a great big party, and you're invited- come join!

​Director/ Screenwriter
S. S. Rajamouli

Cast
N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Alia Bhatt

Synopsis
Xiang Wei Xin, a 17-year-old high school sophomore, regards eating as the most important and most healing thing in life. The first time she met her senior Tao You Quan was in the school’s welfare agency. At that time, Xiang Wei Xin lost 5 yuan and could not buy her favorite pineapple bread. Tao You Quan made up the money for her, which made her feel deeply indebted to her. The next day, she saw a breakup scene by the school’s swimming pool. She broke up with her cheating girlfriend but couldn’t separate it. Xiang Wei moved her heart and used her best friend Fang Qi Ran as an excuse to let Tao You Quan break up successfully. She believed that she was brave and repaid.

​
Director
Ryan Tu

Cast
Eric Chou, Moon Lee, Jean Ho
Ryan Tu

Synopsis
Satoshi loses his eyesight completely at the age of 9 despite numerous surgeries, but grows up with a cheerful spirit thanks to his mother Reiko’s unconditional love. Surrounded by affection and friendship at high school, Satoshi’s future seems bright until one day his family realizes that he is losing his hearing as well. Determined to never give up, Reiko tries everything she can to give him a hope. Inspiring true story of a mother and son, who became the first blind and deaf professor in the world - Satoshi Fukushima.

Director
​Junpei Matsumoto

Cast
Koyuki, Taketo Tanaka, Hisashi Yoshizawa


​​FRIDAY, MARCH 10TH, 2023
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

We invite you to join us for our Festival Culinary Experience where guests will sample food and drinks

celebrating a variety of cuisines in the Sie FilmCenter lobby.

​We are excited to showcase 7 short films from local filmmakers all over the USA.
​
​Check out the link for more information on all of these amazing films and filmmakers!

Synopsis
​​A 28-year-old IT geek, Hau, is a mediocre but warm-hearted introvert, who suddenly finds himself the object of affection for five attractive women within the same year. The quintet share virtually no similar traits except one quirky thing: they all live in remote corners of Hong Kong. Seeing our heartthrob’s struggles in getting there’s half the fun, though; all that travelling allows director Amos Why to offer his audience a chance to see and appreciate parts of the city they rarely get to experience.

Director/ Screenwriter
Amos Why
​
Cast
Kaki Sham, Cecilia So, Jennifer Yu
Amos Why

We are excited to showcase the amazing films from our Emerging Artists!  Don't miss this year's contributions.

​For more information on each of these films click on the button below.