FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver Film Media Contacts:
Ambriehl Turrentine: ambriehl@denverfilm.org
Marty Schechter: marty@schechterpr.com
Colorado Dragon Boat Media Contact:
Sara Moore: sara@cdbf.org
DENVER – Feb. 10, 2025 – Denver Film and Colorado Dragon Boat announced today the line-up for the 10th Annual Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival, March 14 – 16 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. Festival passes, available now, are $75 for Denver Film Members/$85 Non-Member, and individual film tickets, on sale Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. at denverfilm.org, are $13 for Denver Film Members/$16 Non-Member.
Founded in 2016, this year’s Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival continues its sixth-year partnership with Denver Film. The three-day all Asian and Asian American Film Festival is programmed with the theme “Honoring Our Past to Guide Our Future” celebrating individuals, organizations and films that highlight the rich cultures and experiences of AANHPI communities.
The Festival’s March 14 Opening Night features the presentation of New Wave, a nostalgic exploration of the Vietnamese new wave music scene, told through a blend of personal and historical lens. Director Elizabeth Ai will attend in-person and participate in a Q&A following the screening. The Festival will conclude March 16 with a presentation of the heartwarming drama Tinā, sponsored by Holland & Hart, which follows a grieving Samoan mother as she rediscovers her purpose after the loss of her daughter. A reception will follow the screening.
“As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival, we reflect on the power of storytelling to bridge generations, cultures, and perspectives. This year’s theme, ‘Honoring Our Past to Guide Our Future,’ reminds us that while history shapes us, we have the responsibility to learn from it—ensuring that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past,” said Colorado Dragon Boat Executive Director Sara Moore. “Films serve as a powerful gateway for connection, allowing us to step into different experiences, cultivate empathy, and deepen our understanding. By seeing and feeling these stories, we foster a shared sense of humanity—one that inspires us to build a brighter, more inclusive future together.”
The Festival will conclude March 16 with a presentation of the heartwarming drama Tinā
Courtesy: Denver Film
In addition to a diverse film lineup, this year’s festival includes Q&As with filmmakers and two creative conversations featuring local community members.
On Saturday, March 15 from 10 to 11 a.m., Colorado Dragon Boat will host a Heart Mountain reenactment and community conversation. The event will explore President Roosevelt’s 1942 executive order authorizing Japanese internment camps during World War II and the heroism exemplified by Heart Mountain Draft Resisters – some 315 Japanese-American men that stood up to the draft in an act of civil disobedience, refusing to fight for the U.S. when their own constitutional rights and civil liberties were being denied.
On Sunday, March 16 from 10 – 11 a.m, Colorado Dragon Boat will host “Intergenerational Insights and Lessons” during which long-standing community members share their personal experiences, insights, and life lessons they’ve learned from living in Colorado as a member of the AANHPI community. These stories showcase how these reflections have shaped their understanding of identity and purpose, highlighting the wisdom that can be passed down, and how it can influence future generations’ choices.
The festival will also feature live Q&As with filmmakers immediately following the Saturday, March 15, 11:30 a.m. presentation of the Local Showcase 1, the Saturday, March 15, 4:30 p.m. presentation of Third Act with director Tadashi Nakamura in attendance, and Local Showcase 2 on Sunday, March 16 at 11 a.m..
Other highlights include: An Asian Marketplace featuring gifts, artwork, crafts and novelties from local AANHPI-owned businesses on Saturday, March 15 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. in the Sie FilmCenter lobby, a Centerpiece presentation of the Hong Kong family drama Fly Me to the Moon sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office on Saturday, March 15 at 7 p.m., and a culinary experience and reception in partnership with Mile High Asian Food Week in the Sie FilmCenter lobby on Sunday, March 16 at 11 a.m. Culinary vendors include Kokoro, Die Die Must Try, Rocky Mountain Momo, Sweet Rice Flour, Riceboxx Denver, Pho King Rapidos, and Kids Table.
Click to see the full schedule and purchase tickets and passes.
Members of the press interested in covering the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival may contact Denver Film’s Ambriehl Turrentine at ambriehl@denverfilm.org, Marty Schechter at marty@schechterpr.com, or Colorado Dragon Boat’s Sara Moore at sara@cdbf.org.
NEW WAVE
Director: Elizabeth Ai
Opening Night – Friday, March 14, 7 p.m.
Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai embarks on a project to tell a story of joy and youthful defiance as she explores a musical phenomenon in the 1980s known to Vietnamese American teens as new wave. As she delves into the lives of family members and icons of the new wave scene, she uncovers much more than just music and fashion. In the heart of Orange County, California, this counterculture movement takes the youth by storm, becoming a sanctuary for rebellious teens. The fun Euro-synth dance beats and punk/goth aesthetics mask deep traumas—broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations that have shaped her community.
The joyful memories of her uncles and aunts sneaking out to this underground scene clash with her own painful childhood, haunted by her mother’s abandonment. As the filmmaker digs deeper, the excavation becomes an emotional journey, unraveling mysteries that touch on cultural identity, generational trauma, and the Vietnam War’s lasting impact. The exploration transforms from a love letter to her community into a cathartic process for the filmmaker. By confronting these buried emotions, the film takes us on a soulful journey that binds wounds, celebrates resilience, and offers new beginnings.
Includes a pre-film reception featuring food and drinks at 6 p.m. as well as a post-film Q&A with director Elizabeth Ai
LOCAL SHOWCASE 1
Saturday, March 15, 11:30 a.m.
Experience the power of storytelling at our Local Short Film Showcase, featuring incredible short films from talented filmmakers across Colorado and the USA! From heartfelt narratives to thought-provoking documentaries, this showcase celebrates diverse voices and creative storytelling within the AANHPI community.
Includes post-screening Q&A
PIGSY
Director: Chiu Li Wei
Saturday, March 15, 2:15 p.m.
Pigsy is a street-smart loser, who often messes things up. One day, he is chosen to enter “New
World,” to become a symbol of success. He can finally make his grandma proud! Soon after that, everything turns out to be a big mistake?! Pigsy does not want to be treated as a joke anymore, so he makes a secret deal with Bull Demon King. He stays in San-Zang’s group and gives the crucial information to the King, who wants to achieve eternal life. In exchange for that information, King promises to show him a secret passage to “New World.” As Pigsy completes his tasks, he discovers that the King shall take many people’s lives to achieve his immortality. Even his beloved grandma is in danger. He must do something in his power to stop this! Can he be successful this time? Get ready for Pigsy’s big adventure with his partners!
THIRD ACT
Director: Tadashi Nakamura
Saturday, March 15, 4:30 p.m.
Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura “The Godfather of Asian American film,” but his son, Tad, calls him Dad. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Tad uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging man who was a child survivor of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, a successful photographer who gave it up to tell his own story, an activist at the dawn of a social movement—and a father whose struggles have won his son freedoms that eluded Japanese Americans of his generation. As Parkinson’s Disease clouds his memory, Tad sets out to retrieve his story—and in the process discovers his own. The two have made films together, with Robert always by Tad’s side. Third Act is most likely the last.
Includes a post-film Q&A with director Tadashi Nakamura
FLY ME TO THE MOON
Director: Sasha Chuk
Centerpiece Presentation – Saturday, March 15, 7 p.m.
Eight-year-old Yuen moves from Hunan to Hong Kong with her mother to reunite with her father. Everything in the city is dazzling and new to her. However, the family faces poverty and a cultural barrier. Worse still, the father has a drug habit and has a difficult relationship with the family. This certainly is not the dream home Yuen has been looking forward to. All she wants is that her younger sister could reunite with them as soon as possible.
Out of fear, the sisters try to appease their father in their younger years. As soon as they reach adolescence, they start to resist and escape from him. However, even after they grow up and move away from him, Yuen realizes all the people she loves and treasures resemble her father in her childhood memories.
LOCAL SHOWCASE 2
Sunday, March 16, 11 a.m.
Discover the creativity and passion of the next generation of storytellers at our Short Film Showcase with an emphasis on student filmmakers! Featuring a diverse selection of short films from students and emerging talent across the country, this showcase highlights fresh perspectives, bold ideas, and innovative storytelling.
Includes post-screening Q&A
THE MIDSUMMER’S VOICE
Director: Yudi Zhang
Sunday, March 16, 1:30 p.m.
Sun Xiaolei, a Peking Opera student, is facing his first life-changing competition, but his delayed voice change might jeopardize everything. Fortunately, during this anxiety-inducing preparation period, he unexpectedly befriends two competitors – the tomboyish girl Shi Jiahui and the rebellious ‘Nepo baby,’ Xie Tianci. Together, these three young adults navigate the ‘voice change’ of adolescence during a transformative summer.
K-FAMILY AFFAIRS
Director: Arum Nam
Sunday, March 16, 4:00 p.m.
Arum’s parents are part of the proud 386 generation, which played a significant role in achieving democratization in South Korea. Eager to pass on a better world to Arum, her father became a public servant, and her mother, a feminist activist. However, at the age of 18, she came face to face with the Sewol ferry disaster, which left numerous victims due to the malfunctioning national system. To her dismay, even Arum’s father was involved in managing the aftermath of the accident, prompting her to question the democracy crafted by the previous generation. Navigating through Korean political history via her family’s journey, Arum reflects on her generation’s role, spanning from the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster to the impeachment, #MeToo movement, and the 2022 presidential election.
TINĀ
Director: Miki Magasiva
Closing Night – Sunday, March 16, 6:15 p.m.
Tinā is an inspiring drama, a light-hearted rhythmic tear-jerker, and the story of Samoan teacher Mareta Percival. Struggling after the death of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes, Mareta reluctantly takes on the role of substitute teacher at an elite, wealthy private school and is surprised to find children crying out for guidance, inspiration, and love.
Using the symphony of her culture to empower her students, she forms a choir, bringing them together while unexpectedly rediscovering her passion again for being a teacher and mother.
Arts in Society, Best Day Brewing, Bonfils Stanton Foundation, Britt Tshering & Wang LLC, Colorado Office of Film, Community Acts Fund, Denver7, Global Village Academy, Holland & Hart, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Liberty Global, Mile High Asian Food Week, Molson Coors, Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Denver
Denver Film has been transforming and entertaining the Colorado community through the power of diverse voices in film since 1978. Operating as the region’s only membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit film institution, Denver Film has grown into a signature cultural organization in the West, screening international and independent movies found nowhere else in the region.
Serving more than 100,000 patrons annually through 600-plus screenings that include year-round programming at Denver Film’s flagship home the Sie (pronounced SEE) FilmCenter, the annual Denver Film Festival celebration, the iconic Film on the Rocks program at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and Spotlight Festivals including CinemaQ, Women+Film, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival. Spotlights highlight underrepresented communities and foster inclusivity. Denver Film works to build resilience across all of its programming and events by amplifying diverse voices, promoting equity, and fostering community connections.
For more information or to explore the full suite of Denver Film programming, events, and ticketing visit: denverfilm.org.
Colorado Dragon Boat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to build bridges of awareness, knowledge, and understanding between the AANHPI community and the general public through cultural education, leadership development, and athletic competition.
Colorado Dragon Boat advocates for the community through its four programs: the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival, the AANHPI Emerging Leaders Program, and the new Riverdale Regional Park Dragon Boat Regatta. For more information visit: www.cdbf.org.
