The Sundance Film Festival is poised to celebrate its 40th edition this year in Park City, Utah, from January 18-28th. Featuring a diverse array of over 80 films and 50 shorts, Cold Tea Collective has curated a list spotlighting AAPI talent.
For those unable to attend the festival physically, most of these films will be available online throughout the event. Online tickets range from a festival pass to single screenings and are available from January 25–28, 2024.
Plus, learn about the newest initiative from the Sundance Institute in collaboration with Gold House, the One House Filmmakers Fund that’ll support ten Asian Pacific filmmakers and storytellers.
And So It Begins
Emmy Award-winning Filipino American Ramona S. Diaz will unveil her documentary, And So It Begins. The film transforms the Philippine elections into a vibrant stage for a people’s movement defending truth and democracy against looming threats. And So It Begins explores the 2022 presidential race as President Rodrigo Duterte’s reign concludes. It focuses specifically on Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos, Jr.’s social media-driven campaign against incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo.
Online showtimes here
Dìdi (弟弟)
In his captivating directorial debut, California-based filmmaker Sean Wang presents Dìdi (弟弟), premiering at Sundance. The film, set in 2008, chronicles the journey of a 13-year-old Taiwanese American navigating adolescence. It blends humor and personal experience to offer a moving ode to first-generation teenagers exploring cultural heritage. Starring Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, and Chang Li Hua.
Online showtimes here
Love Me
Filmmakers Sam and Andy Zuchero debut with Love Me, a feature centered around a smart buoy and a satellite, embodied by Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun. The film unfolds an imaginative love story spanning a billion years in a post-humanity world.
Online showtimes here
Presence
Lucy Liu and Callina Liang star in Presence, the latest by legendary filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. This thriller is shot entirely in a single location, following a family moving into a suburban house, convinced they’re not alone. Soderbergh is renowned for iconic works like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, Contagion, Magic Mike, and the Ocean’s trilogy.
In person showtimes here
SHÉ (SNAKE)
Houston-based filmmaker and animator Renee Zhan brings the short film SHÉ (SNAKE). The compelling narrative follows Fei, the leading violinist in an exclusive youth orchestra, as she faces a formidable challenge when another talented Chinese violinist arrives. The film explores Fei’s internal struggles and the cost of the relentless pursuit of excellence. The film features Xiaonan Wang, Alina Lew, Simon Paisley Day, Elizabeth Chan, Leslie Ching, and Grace Fan.
Online showtimes here
Larry
Digital artist Takeshi Murata, known for exhibitions like Monster Movie at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2005, returns to Sundance with his animated short film, Larry. . Attendees can expect to watch “a dog lose its grasp of shape and time while balling like Shaq.”
Online showtimes here
The Looming Cloud
Filmmaker and composer Matthew Tyler directs, writes, and produces The Looming Cloud. The short film explores the intricacies of grief in the modern age as three siblings, portrayed by Mitzi Akaha, Jason Amerling, and Connie Shi, return home after their mother’s death, navigating the unique challenge of mourning in the complex world of social media.
Online showtimes here
Don’t forget to follow Cold Tea Collective on social media for our coverage of Sundance 2024.
Inaugural One House Filmmakers Fund led by Gold House
Beyond the amazing AAPI talent being featured at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Institute and Gold House launched the One House Filmmakers Fund. This initiative provides unrestricted financing, educational support, and amplification for filmmakers.
Ten filmmakers will receive unrestricted funding, collaborative mentorship with established filmmakers and industry executives, skills training, comprehensive business-building support, and support from Gold House and partners throughout the year. The 2024 cohort includes filmmakers:
- Arun Bhattarai for Agent of Happiness
- Naveen Chaubal for Pinball
- Marissa Chibás for 1972
- StormMiguel Florez for Welcome To Roswell
- Jalena Keane-Lee for Standing Above the Clouds
- Sura Mallouh for Untitled Sura Mallouh Project
- Walé Oyéjidé for Chiaroscuro
- Otilia Portillo Padua for The Queendom
- Shrihari Sathe for Doha – The Rising Sun
- Julie Forrest Wyman for Untitled Dwarfism Project
The One House Filmmakers Fund is made possible with the support of East West Bank Foundation, the charitable arm of East West Bank and a continuation of Gold House’s mission to empower the Asian Pacific diaspora supporting storytellers.
See also: Beef wins big at the 81st Golden Globe Awards
Help us uplift Asian diaspora voices
Support Cold Tea Collective with a monthly contribution to help ensure stories for and by the next generation of the Asian diaspora are here to stay.
