Radar: VAFF 2011

Today marks the return of a burgeoning film festival that has increasingly caught global attention. VAFF kicks off its 14th year highlighting the work of Asian filmmakers from around the world with productions stemming from as far away as the Philippines, Cambodia, India, Hong Kong, and beyond.

On offer at this year’s festival (which kicks off today and runs through Sunday) are various documentaries, shorts, and feature-length films that highlight cross-culture similarities and differences (of particular interest given the fact that Vancouver is home to Canada’s largest Asian populations). Needless to say, we think this festival is definitely one to note.

Set to start the festival off, we’ll see Kelly Hu (of X-Men 2 fame) on-hand to present her feature piece titled Almost Perfect alongside Edison Chen (Hong Kong celebrity). Their rom-com aims to shine a comedic light on the everyday dysfunctions of a young 30-something woman who constantly fixes others’ problems – yet neglects her own…something people from around the world can relate to.

Be sure to watch for Ramona S. Diaz’s film The Learning as she reveals the day-to-day grievances of several female Filipino migrant teachers faced with the tough inner-city realities of their new homes and jobs working within Baltimore’s challenged school system.

And for something a little more dark and edgy (if that’s your thing), might we suggest checking out Resident Aliens that chronicles the lives of three Cambodian refugees (former gang members) who managed to survive genocide on home turf, then grew up in the US only to be deported back to Cambodia due to felony convictions. Riddled with personal strife, struggle and heart-wrenching outcomes for all, this is definitely worth tuning into.

Be sure to catch a flick or a few during this year’s VAFF!