The DisOrient Asian American Film Festival will mark its 15th anniversary this month with almost 50 movies shown at three locations over five days.
The festival runs March 10-15, with encore screenings on March 16 and 17. DisOrient events will be held at the newly remodeled Broadway Metro, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the Redwood Auditorium in the Erb Memorial Union.
DisOrient centers the Asian American/Pacific Islander experience, broadening the narrative of who is American. The curated program includes feature narratives, documentaries and short films. Many filmmakers will attend and help expand the film experience, answer questions and discuss the inspiration behind the stories.
DisOrient 2020 features 45 films and 30-plus filmmakers. A prelude to opening night on March 10 and 12 includes showings at the Broadway Metro theater, at 43 W. Broadway in downtown Eugene.
Opening night festivities begin with “Chinatown Rising,” which screens at 6 p.m. Friday, March 13, at the Broadway Metro. The feature documentary depicts events during the Asian American civil rights movement of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s and foreshadows today’s battle for social justice. Directors Harry and Josh Chuck will be on hand.
A ticket stub or festival pass provides entry to a catered opening night reception at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art following the screening. Storyteller Hannah Kim and singer/songwriter Jon Lee will perform.
Other highlights include:
- “Geographies of Kinship,” the centerpiece film, sees four adult adoptees reconnect with their South Korean roots.
- “Seadrift,” directed by Tim Tsai, premiered at Slamdance. A small Texas town erupts in racially charged tension between established residents and Vietnamese immigrants over fishing territory.
- “Found in Korea,” the closing night film. Director Nam Holtz travels back to Korea to seek information about her birth parents, discovering culture and identity along the way.
- “Empty by Design” is inspired by director Andrea A. Walter’s experiences searching for belonging when living in different countries. Produced by Chris Pang, Osric Chau and Dante Basco.
- “Samurai in the Oregon Sky” is an Oregon story of the only bombing on the U.S. mainland during World War II.
- Five shorts programs. The 11 a.m. Sunday, March 15, shorts program is free.
Individual tickets are $9 and $15 for all films and can be purchased at the door or online at the festival website. The student price for weekend films is $5.
Memberships provide full access to the entire festival and a special green room. See the website for the full schedule, program, film trailers and membership info.