2025 Lineup
RECEPTIONS
NEW WAVE
FRIDAY, MARCH 14TH
Opening Night Reception starts at 6PM Film starts at 7PM
Director Elizabeth Ai will attend in-person and participate in a Q&A following the screening.
Year: 2024, Runtime: 88 minutes, Language: English, Vietnamese, Country, United States
Denver Film and Colorado Dragon Boat will kick off the 10th annual Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival in the Sie FilmCenter lobby on Friday, March 14. Arrive early for the Opening Night Pre-Film Reception with light bites and drinks provided. Event included in the Opening Night Film screening ticket.
Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai embarks on a project to tell a story of joy and youthful defiance as she explores a musical phenomenon in the 1980s known to Vietnamese American teens as new wave. As she delves into the lives of family members and icons of the new wave scene, she uncovers much more than just music and fashion. In the heart of Orange County, California, this counterculture movement takes the youth by storm, becoming a sanctuary for rebellious teens. The fun Euro-synth dance beats and punk/goth aesthetics mask deep traumas—broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations that have shaped her community.
The joyful memories of her uncles and aunts sneaking out to this underground scene clash with her own painful childhood, haunted by her mother’s abandonment. As the filmmaker digs deeper, the excavation becomes an emotional journey, unraveling mysteries that touch on cultural identity, generational trauma, and the Vietnam War’s lasting impact. The exploration transforms from a love letter to her community into a cathartic process for the filmmaker. By confronting these buried emotions, the film takes us on a soulful journey that binds wounds, celebrates resilience, and offers new beginnings.
Director: Elizabeth Ai, Screenwriter: Elizabeth Ai, Producer: Simu Liu, Diane Quon, Geeta Gandbhir, Robina Riccitiello, C.Y. Lee, Linh Song, Dug Song, Executive Producer: Simu Liu, Geeta Gandbhir, Robina Riccitiello, Diane Moy Quon, C.Y. Lee, Co-Producer: So Yun Um, Betty Hang, Cinematographer: Bryant Swanstrom, Editor: Nancy Nguyen, Hee-Jae Park, Samuel J. Rong, Christina Sun Kim, Composer: Greg Bernall, Chris Upton
Sponsored By: Tito's Vodka and Refugees + Immigrants United
SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
CENTERPIECE: FLY ME TO THE MOON
Year: 2024, Runtime: 111 minutes, Language: Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan Dialect, Japanese, Country: Hong Kong
Stay for a conversation and some lite bites after the film! Your ticket to Fly Me to the Moon includes a post-film reception. Centerpiece Reception sponsored by The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco will take place in the lobby after the film.
Eight-year-old Yuen moves from Hunan to Hong Kong with her mother to reunite with her father. Everything in the city is dazzling and new to her. However, the family faces poverty and a cultural barrier. Worse still, the father has a drug habit and has a difficult relationship with the family. This certainly is not the dream home Yuen has been looking forward to. All she wants is that her younger sister could reunite with them as soon as possible.
Out of fear, the sisters try to appease their father in their younger years. As soon as they reach adolescence, they start to resist and escape from him. However, even after they grow up and move away from him, Yuen realizes all the people she loves and treasures resemble her father in her childhood memories.
Director: Sasha Chuk, Screenwriter: Sasha Chuk, Producer: Stanley Kwan Kam-Pang, Executive Producer: Jun Li, Cast: Wu Kang-ren, Sasha Chuk, Angela Yuen, Tse Wing-yan, Natalie Hsu
Sponsored By: Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
TIME: 7:00 PM
TINĀ
SUNDAY MARCH 16TH
Closing Night Film: 6:15PM , Closing Night Reception: Following Film
Year: 2025, Runtime: 124 minutes, Language: English, Samoan, Country: New Zealand
Celebrate the 10th Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival with the Closing Film TINĀ. Join us after the film for a post-reception with food provided by No Ke Aloha. Closing Night Reception starts after the film in the Sie FilmCenter Lobby.
Tinā is an inspiring drama, a light-hearted rhythmic tear-jerker, and the story of Samoan teacher Mareta Percival. Struggling after the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes, Mareta reluctantly takes on the role of substitute teacher at an elite, wealthy private school and is surprised to find children crying out for guidance, inspiration, and love.
Using the symphony of her culture to empower her students, she forms a choir, bringing them together while unexpectedly rediscovering her passion again for being a teacher and mother.
Director: Miki Magasiva, Screenwriter: Miki Magasiva, Producer: Miki Magasiva, Dan Higgins, Mario Gaoa, Cast: Anapela Polataivao, Antonia Robinson, Dalip Sondhi, Nicole Whippy, Cinematographer: Andrew McGeorge, Editor: Luke Haigh, Music: Igelese Ete, Sebastian Pan
Sponsored By Holland & Hart
SATURDAY LINEUP
MARCH 15TH, 2025
TIME: 10:00 AM - 10:45AM
Heart Mountain Reenactment
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
In 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing Japanese incarceration camps during World War II. One act of heroism and courage was exemplified by some 315 Japanese-American men that stood up to the draft in an act of civil disobedience, refusing to fight for the U.S. when their own constitutional rights and civil liberties were being denied. When your government takes away your rights as an American citizen and detains you and your family in incarceration camps without any due process, do you prove your loyalty to the United States by being drafted to fight in World War II or do you resist the draft and challenge the constitutionality of the government’s actions?
Come join us for an abridged reading of trial transcripts and personal accounts that tell the story of the Heart Mountain Draft Resisters. This Community Conversation is presented by Colorado Dragon Boat and the Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA).
Open to the public. $10 Suggested Donation
SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
LOCATION: SIE FILMCENTER LOBBY
TIME: 11:00 AM- 7:00 PM
Free & Open to the public: Featuring handcrafted chocolate, ceramics, art prints, desserts and more! Stop by to support local businesses, grab a bite, and catch a movie
Participating Vendors:
Colorado Cocoa Pod, Sweet Rice Flour, Hkcoshop, Jini Kimchis Art, Kap Kap Co, Soap Charmers, Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake Art, SASS Jewelry, Wandering Maven
Food Truck Outside: Koco Food Truck
SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
TIME: 11:30 AM
Experience the power of storytelling at our Local Short Film Showcase, featuring incredible short films from talented filmmakers across Colorado and the USA! From heartfelt narratives to thought-provoking documentaries, this showcase celebrates diverse voices and creative storytelling within the AANHPI community. Includes post-screening Q&A.
SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
PIGSY
Runtime: 96 minutes, Language: Chinese, Subtitle Language:English
Pigsy is a street-smart loser, who often messes things up. One day, he is chosen to enter “New World,” to become a symbol of success. He can finally make his grandma proud! Soon after that, everything turns out to be a big mistake?! Pigsy does not want to be treated as a joke anymore, so he makes a secret deal with Bull Demon King. He stays in San-Zang’s group and gives the crucial information to the King, who wants to achieve eternal life. In exchange for that information, King promises to show him a secret passage to “New World.” As Pigsy completes his tasks, he discovers that the King shall take many people’s lives to achieve his immortality. Even his beloved grandma is in danger. He must do something in his power to stop this! Can he be successful this time? Get ready for Pigsy’s big adventure with his partners!
Director: Chiu Li Wei, Producer: Phil Tang & Bruno Felix
Sponsored by Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Denver and International School of Denver
TIME: 2:15 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
THIRD ACT
Year: 2025, Runtime: 91 minutes, Language: English, Country: United States
Director Tadashi Nakamura will attend in-person and participate in a Q&A following the screening.
Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura “The Godfather of Asian American film,” but his son, Tad, calls him Dad. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Tad uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging man who was a child survivor of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, a successful photographer who gave it up to tell his own story, an activist at the dawn of a social movement—and a father whose struggles have won his son freedoms that eluded Japanese Americans of his generation. As Parkinson’s Disease clouds his memory, Tad sets out to retrieve his story—and in the process discovers his own. The two have made films together, with Robert always by Tad’s side. Third Act is most likely the last.
Year: 2025, Runtime: 91 minutes, Language: English, Country: United States Director: Tadashi Nakamura, Screenwriter: Victoria Chalk, Tadashi Nakamura, Producer: Tadashi Nakamura, Eurie Chung, Executive Producer: Spencer Nakasako, Diane Quon, Carrie Lozano, Lois Vossen, Donald Young, Co-Producer: Lou Nakasako, Alexandra Margolin, Cinematographer: Tadashi Nakamura, Lou Nakasako, Jess X Snow, Justyn Ah Chong, ‘Āina Paikai, Evan Kodani, Akira Boch, Quyên Nguyen-Le, Editor: Victoria Chalk, Composer: Miles Senzaki, Sound Design:, Jon Oh.
Sponsored By: Sakura Foundation
TIME: 4:30 PM
SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH
CENTERPIECE: FLY ME TO THE MOON
Year: 2024, Runtime: 111 minutes, Language: Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan Dialect, Japanese, Country: Hong Kong
Stay for a conversation and some lite bites after the film! Your ticket to Fly Me to the Moon includes a post-film reception. Centerpiece Reception sponsored by The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco will take place in the lobby after the film.
Eight-year-old Yuen moves from Hunan to Hong Kong with her mother to reunite with her father. Everything in the city is dazzling and new to her. However, the family faces poverty and a cultural barrier. Worse still, the father has a drug habit and has a difficult relationship with the family. This certainly is not the dream home Yuen has been looking forward to. All she wants is that her younger sister could reunite with them as soon as possible.
Out of fear, the sisters try to appease their father in their younger years. As soon as they reach adolescence, they start to resist and escape from him. However, even after they grow up and move away from him, Yuen realizes all the people she loves and treasures resemble her father in her childhood memories.
Director: Sasha Chuk, Screenwriter: Sasha Chuk, Producer: Stanley Kwan Kam-Pang, Executive Producer: Jun Li, Cast: Wu Kang-ren, Sasha Chuk, Angela Yuen, Tse Wing-yan, Natalie Hsu
Sponsored By: Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
TIME: 7:00 PM
SUNDAY LINEUP
MARCH 16TH, 2025
Intergenerational Insights and Lessons
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
Long-standing community members share their personal experiences, insights, and life lessons they’ve learned from living in Colorado as a member of the AANHPI community. Valuable lessons learned from their own life journeys will be recounted, offering advice on resilience, patience, and the importance of community. These stories showcase how these reflections have shaped their understanding of identity and purpose, highlighting the wisdom that can be passed down, and how it can influence future generations’ choices. This community conversation emphasizes the power of storytelling to bridge generational gaps, fostering deeper understanding, connection, and the shared responsibility of preserving and honoring traditions and lessons for the future. It is a reminder of how storytelling is a tool for nurturing empathy, mutual respect, and learning from one another.
Open to the public. $10 Suggested Donation
TIME: 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH
TIME: 11:00 AM - NOON
LOCATION: SIE FILMCENTER LOBBY
A culinary journey celebrating the rich traditions of AANHPI cuisine, where time-honored flavors and modern innovation come together to honor our past and inspire our future
Culinary tastings from over a dozen of Denver’s top AANHPI’s chefs, restaurants, food trucks, and more!
Including Kokoro, RiceBoxx Denver, Sweet Rice Flour, Die Die Must Try, Kids Table, Rocky Mountain Momo, Pho King Rapidos, and Spice Room.
In partnership with Mile High Asian Food Week
SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH
LOCAL SHOWCASE 2
Discover the creativity and passion of the next generation of storytellers at our Short Film Showcase with an emphasis on student filmmakers! Featuring a diverse selection of short films from students and emerging talent across the country, this showcase highlights fresh perspectives, bold ideas, and innovative storytelling. Includes post-screening Q&A.
TIME: 11:00 AM
SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH
THE MIDSUMMER’S VOICE
Year: 2024, Runtime: 105 minutes, Language: Chinese, Country: China
Sun Xiaolei, a Peking Opera student, is facing his first life-changing competition, but his delayed voice change might jeopardize everything. Fortunately, during this anxiety-inducing preparation period, he unexpectedly befriends two competitors - the tomboyish girl Shi Jiahui and the rebellious 'Nepo baby,' Xie Tianci. Together, these three young adults navigate the 'voice change' of adolescence during a transformative summer.
Director: Yudi Zhang, Screenwriter: Yudi Zhang, Executive Producer: Chen Lizhi, Cast: Cheng Bian, Meijun Zhou, Chi Zhang, Shaoxi Chen, Editor: Kong Jinlei, Composer: Dong Dongdong
Sponsored By: Global Village Academy
TIME: 1:30 PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH
K-FAMILY AFFAIRS
Year: 2025, Runtime: 90 minutes, Language: Korean, Country: South Korea
Arum's parents are part of the proud 386 generation, which played a significant role in achieving democratization in South Korea. Eager to pass on a better world to Arum, her father became a public servant, and her mother, a feminist activist. However, at the age of 18, she came face to face with the Sewol ferry disaster, which left numerous victims due to the malfunctioning national system. To her dismay, even Arum's father was involved in managing the aftermath of the accident, prompting her to question the democracy crafted by the previous generation. Navigating through Korean political history via her family's journey, Arum reflects on her generation's role, spanning from the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster to the impeachment, #MeToo movement, and the 2022 presidential election.
Director: Arum Nam
Sponsored By: Colorado Asian Pacific American Bar Foundation
TIME: 4:00 PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH
TIME: 6:15 PM, with Reception Following Film
CLOSING NIGHT: TINĀ
Year: 2025, Runtime: 124 minutes, Language: English, Samoan, Country: New Zealand
Celebrate the 10th Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival with the Closing Film TINĀ. Join us after the film for a post-reception with food provided by No Ke Aloha. Closing Night Reception starts after the film in the Sie FilmCenter Lobby.
Tinā is an inspiring drama, a light-hearted rhythmic tear-jerker, and the story of Samoan teacher Mareta Percival. Struggling after the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes, Mareta reluctantly takes on the role of substitute teacher at an elite, wealthy private school and is surprised to find children crying out for guidance, inspiration, and love.
Using the symphony of her culture to empower her students, she forms a choir, bringing them together while unexpectedly rediscovering her passion again for being a teacher and mother.
Director: Miki Magasiva, Screenwriter: Miki Magasiva, Producer: Miki Magasiva, Dan Higgins, Mario Gaoa, Cast: Anapela Polataivao, Antonia Robinson, Dalip Sondhi, Nicole Whippy, Cinematographer: Andrew McGeorge, Editor: Luke Haigh, Music: Igelese Ete, Sebastian Pan
Sponsored By Holland & Hart
