BOSTON – The Boston Asian American Film Festival, which focuses on Asian American filmmakers and actors, is in its 16th year, and Northeastern University students had a chance to speak with showrunners of new shows. .
“I think people realize how important these stories are,” Susan Chinsen told WBZ-TV. Chin Seng is one of the founders of BAAFF, an event that builds bridges between Asian American filmmakers, actors, and at-home audiences.
“Interior Chinatown” Showrunner
At Northeastern University, students in the Asian American Studies class welcomed writer and showrunner Charles Yu as a special guest Friday.
“The story begins to evolve almost immediately, incorporating other people’s ideas and opinions,” Yu told the class.
Yu is the brains behind the upcoming series “Interior Chinatown,” which will premiere on Hulu in November. His upbringing in an immigrant family shaped much of the star-studded Asian cast.
“I was either the only Asian kid or one of the only Asian kids, so inevitably I didn’t know how I would fit in there,” he said.
That message resonated with many university students in attendance.
tell the complete story
“We grew up not really seeing ourselves in the media, so being able to ask questions and ultimately be a part of the conversation directly was great,” said student Macy Jiang. It was very special.”
“The best way to humanize someone is to tell their whole story,” Yu explained. “Not as a stereotype, not necessarily as a hero, but just as a flawed, complete human being.”
This broader conversation at Northeastern and Hollywood is why BAAFF in Boston gets bigger and better every year.
“Over the past 16 years, Asian American media has really come a long way, especially in terms of representation in films like “Interior Chinatown” and Margaret Cho’s “All That We Love.” “I did,” Chinsen recalled. “We are in a completely different place.”
The Boston Asian American Film Festival runs through the weekend, including a special screening of “Interior Chinatown” at the Emerson Paramount Center on Saturday.
tiffany chan
