AAPI Filmmakers Screening

AAPI Filmmakers Screening

Featuring Lava G. Khonsuwon, Sherwin Lau, Tony F. Marquez, and Terry Ngo

Noodle Therapy

Caught between two worlds, Rose and Jacob, mixed Isaan-Thai teens, distance themselves from their Isaan-Thai heritage. However, attending a traditional ceremony forces them to embrace their cultural identity. As they witness the beauty and significance of the rituals, they discover a sense of belonging they never knew they craved.

Desert Lotus

This is a micro documentary about my amazing mom. I asked my mom to talk about raising her daughters in the US after we lived in a Domestic Violence shelter. Mom has went from surviving to thriving! When I was dealing the height of my CRPS: no hope, couldn't walk, no cure, severe pain, couldn't work... I thought about my mom and what she went through as an immigrant. Thinking about how far my mom has come really inspired me to push on. 

Lava G. Khonsuwon is an award-winning Isaan Thai American filmmaker based in New Mexico. Her experience expands over 17 years in various departments: casting, accounting, and production. Recently, she has worked as the director for docu-style commercials - Seven Point Farms, Bold Futures, Hotel Zazz, Meow Wolf short doc, and BeWell NM.  She was the Producer for a Science Fiction Project "All That Remains", Co-Producer for a regional Superbowl Commercial, Produced/Cast the mini-series "Unstained", Production Coordinator for Meow Wolf Las Vegas and History Channel's: Histories Greatest Mysteries (NM episodes).  And recently, a field producer for a couple of Comcast projects. Discover more at beinglava.com.

Closing Time

In 1983, my parents immigrated from Hong Kong to the United States seeking a better future for our family. They persevered through the ups and downs and forged their own path in a new country and culture.

Having fulfilled their dream of creating a better life for their family and future generations, they retired in 2013.

This is their story.

Sherwin Lau is a filmmaker and educator based in New Mexico. Since 2006, he has worked on independent films, documentaries, commercials, music videos and has collaborated with filmmakers all around the world. He has worked for clients such as Warner Brothers, Fueled By Ramen, Blackmagic Design, Organ Mountain Outfitters, and Gypsy City Music. His professional work has been featured in prestigious film publications like American Cinematographer.  Discover more at sherwinlau.com.

FilAm

A story about a young Filipino American struggling to find his place in the world.

Tony F. Marquez is a Filipino American filmmaker now based in Albuquerque. Originally from the Washington DC metro area, his love of storytelling grew from playing with cameras as a way of visual self-expression to understanding the power it has to connect and empathize with people who were far different than him. His passion took him to George Mason University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Video Studies, but his curiosity drew him to continue learning by enrolling in post-grad classes at the VA Film Office, Women in Film & Video DC, and Arlington Independent Media. He landed jobs in non-scripted television with Travel Channel and Discovery Networks before transitioning to a career in scripted formats. Discover more at tonyfmarquez.com.

C a m p

Two "young" sisters try their best to commemorate their mother's legacy.  

Granny Playdate

Two grandchildren set out to find their Vietnamese boat refugee grandmother a playdate with another Vietnamese elder in Santa Fe.  

Terry Ngo is a filmmaker, educator, and community organizer. Her films include Santa Fe Resident, Santa Fe Resident Too, Granny Boot Camp (nominated for Best Short at the Viet Film Fest and won Best Comedy at the Madrid Film Festival), C a m p, Granny Playdate, Ofrenda, and 40. The films good enough, Show Up, and Thread were collaborations with her husband Nick Stofocik. Her films have all been on the film festival circuit.  Terry strives to make films that are intergenerational and hopefully comedic.