{"id":61074,"date":"2025-08-01T16:43:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T20:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/?p=61074"},"modified":"2025-08-01T16:43:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T20:43:16","slug":"forging-perpetual-bonds-at-asian-american-international-film-festival-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/2025\/08\/01\/forging-perpetual-bonds-at-asian-american-international-film-festival-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Forging Perpetual Bonds at Asian American International Film Festival 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>By Roger Costa<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>TRANSPLANT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Centered on the compulsive devotion of an ambitious young surgical resident, Korean-American director Jason Park\u2019s feature debut is a visually sumptuous (and gory) dramatic thriller that easily announces a major cinematic force. Park coordinates the sensitive and provocative material with master techniques, demonstrating authenticity while providing a highly entertaining and accurate portrait of a trapped youth in competitiveness, family expectations, faith and the morals of medical practice and aiding others.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61073\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TRANSPLANT-FOTO-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TRANSPLANT-FOTO-2.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TRANSPLANT-FOTO-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TRANSPLANT-FOTO-2-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TRANSPLANT-FOTO-2-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In his first role for cinema, actor Eric Nam delivers an impressive embodiment of a young man navigating the uncertainties of maturity; and Bill Camp, a veteran Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Nominee who\u2019s always captivating and efficient, simply storms out as the arrogant surgical leader of the training program. The chemistry between these two is perfect, their rivalry and mutual respect are displayed as a masterclass in acting. Park\u2019s film is also enhanced by the stunning sound design and music, creating an atmospheric vibe, the precise editing and of course, its exquisite cinematography. Park has a lot of confidence in his visual choices. Here is an ambitiously crafted, impressively acted and satisfying indie gem deserving Awards attention.<\/p>\n<p>(Screens Sunday, August 3<sup>rd<\/sup> at Regal Union Square NYC)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61071\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SURRENDER.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"386\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SURRENDER.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SURRENDER-300x165.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>SURRENDER<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A gritty and raw examination on family trauma, addiction, gambling and mental instability, Chinese-American writer and director Jess Dang paints a sensitive and urgent canvas of female bond and co-dependence. Making her directorial debut, Dang casts an empathetic and non-judgmental eye on the issues related to her feminine heroine while observing how the world reacts to her.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61069\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-SURRENDER-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-SURRENDER-2.jpeg 700w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-SURRENDER-2-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-SURRENDER-2-180x135.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-SURRENDER-2-400x300.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/FOTO-SURRENDER-2-600x450.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A profound and touching existential journey, the film delicately and never intrusive, follows Naomi, a young Asian American woman seeking her own identity while confronting past and present relationships. Dang demonstrates incredible empathy for her characters, giving them space and time to reflect and then move on. A poignant story of survival.<\/p>\n<p>(Screens Friday, August 8<sup>th<\/sup> at Regal Union Square NYC)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-61070\" src=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MONGRELS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MONGRELS.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MONGRELS-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MONGRELS-400x225.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>MONGRELS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Losing someone is never an easy task, neither is it re-starting. For a family dealing with grieving and self-examination these challenges could be transformational. Korean-Canadian filmmaker Jerome Yoo\u2019s complex and deeply affecting drama is a meditation on family struggle, resilience and perseverance.<\/p>\n<p>Seductively shot and mysteriously observational, it focuses on a family rebuilding their life in Canada while adjusting to a tragic past. Set in the early 90\u2019s, the narrative explores themes such as sexuality, identity, prejudice and animal abuse with spontaneity and natural vigor. A sensation at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, this is a touching and heart-rending story of a broken family in process of redemption.<\/p>\n<p>(Screens Sunday, August 10<sup>th <\/sup>at Regal Union Square NYC).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>(The 48<sup>th<\/sup> Asian American International Film Festival runs thru August 10<sup>th<\/sup> in New York City. Go to <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaiff.org\/program\"><em>https:\/\/www.aaiff.org\/program<\/em><\/a><em> for details)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Roger Costa TRANSPLANT Centered on the compulsive devotion of an ambitious young surgical resident, Korean-American director Jason Park\u2019s feature debut is a visually sumptuous (and gory) dramatic thriller that easily announces a major cinematic force. Park coordinates the sensitive and provocative material with master techniques, demonstrating authenticity while providing a highly entertaining and accurate portrait of a trapped youth in competitiveness, family expectations, faith and the morals of medical practice and aiding others. In his first role for cinema, actor Eric Nam delivers an impressive embodiment of a young man navigating the uncertainties of maturity; and Bill Camp, a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":61072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1,16],"tags":[],"views":1368,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61074"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61074"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61074\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61075,"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61074\/revisions\/61075"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brazilianpress.com\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}