Category: Culture

Today, I moderated the Q&A for the world theatrical premiere of Kintsukuroi at the historic Gardena Cinema, hosted by Judy Kim, alongside an enthusiastic and deeply moved audience. It was also my first time experiencing the 130-minute historical epic on the big screen, and as a double immigrant to Canada and later America in the 1980s, the film resonated with me on a profoundly personal level as a double immigrant to Canada and then America. More than a story about the complex and diverse Japanese American communities impacted by internment during and after World War II, the film speaks powerfully to generations of Asian Americans and immigrants navigating identity, displacement, survival, and belonging in North America.

As an independent filmmaker, I watched Kerwin Berk’s 130-minute historical epic Kintsukuroi — made on a bare-bones budget of just USD $30,000 — and was so deeply impressed that I decided to take it on for distribution. I also chose to present its world premiere theatrical screening as a benefit event for Judy Kim’s family-owned Gardena Cinema on Saturday, May 16 at 2:30 p.m. As a fellow indie filmmaker, I truly believe audiences deserve to experience not only Kintsukuroi, but also Berk’s debut features Infinity and Chashu Ramen. In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, both films will begin streaming worldwide on May 19 via AAM.tv.

In 2016 — perhaps even earlier — while I was developing my now-defunct Chinese feature Morning, Paris! in Beijing, I met Ludi Lin, then a starry-eyed young actor with unmistakable charisma. Over the past decade, we’ve stayed close as friends, and honestly, I’ve rarely witnessed an actor’s trajectory evolve with such dynamism, discipline, and sheer cinematic momentum. When Ludi decided to venture into stand-up comedy, I introduced him to my comedy partner-in-crime, Keith Nahanee, who invited him to perform live at Vancouver’s Rez Comedy showcase. Later, when financing finally aligned for Season 3 of Comedy InvAsian, Ludi was one of the very first people I called about joining the ensemble.

Kicking off AAPI Heritage Month in style, Quentin Lee’s Margin Films celebrates its 30th anniversary with Cinemasianamerica—a vibrant new book and a seven-day screening series lighting up the Laemmle Royal Theatre in Los Angeles. The series is also streaming on AAM.tv, bringing the celebration to audiences everywhere. On Friday, May 1, 2026, Cinemasianamerica opened with a 30th anniversary screening of Shopping for Fangs, the groundbreaking debut feature from Lee and Justin Lin. The night drew a feast of collaborators, who turned out in full force for both the screening and a lively after-party in West Los Angeles.

Queer Canadian filmmaker Desiree Lim banded with three queer youths to launch a new podcast, redefining what queer thriving looks like. Queer Becomings: Beyond Survival spotlights bold, brilliant voices who have moved beyond simply surviving and into lives shaped by the courageous act of self-discovery.

When I got into UCLA Film School in 1993, I set out to make a feature film before turning 25. Every short I created at UCLA became part of that larger vision—I was building toward something bigger. The result was Flow, which world-premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 1995. It was the first major festival I ever attended—and where I met my doppelgänger, Adi Tantimedh, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the actor playing the fictional filmmaker in Flow.

While making my feature The Way You Dance, one of the great pleasures was working with Dhirendra, a Vancouver-based South Asian Canadian actor. A veteran character performer with a career spanning more than four decades since the mid-’80s, he remains remarkably accessible, collaborative, and—above all—an absolute joy on set. In the film, he plays Hanish Patel, the immigrant father of Angel, one of the story’s three central characters. It’s a role he brings to life with quiet depth and authenticity—qualities that reflect his enduring craft. So when I learned he had been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for his voice performance in Crave’s Superteam Canada, I reached out to him for an interview with CHOPSO. Even after working together, I found myself increasingly fascinated by the arc of his career—and eager to explore the stories behind it.

Coming home from dinner with my son, I just received a Facebook post saying that Nicholas Brendon has passed away in his sleep from natural…

While I couldn’t resist the curiosity of watching Melania on Amazon Prime for free—as anyone might be curious about what a well-shot documentary on the inauguration of an American president looks like—I found myself inevitably comparing it to Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl’s far more brilliant film about the rise of Adolf Hitler at the 1934 Nuremberg Rally. I can hardly recall another feature-length documentary centered on the ascent of a world political figure since Riefenstahl’s artful and controversial propaganda masterpiece—one that won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival before later being widely denounced.

In Japanese, meaning “golden repair,” Kintsukuroi refers to the traditional art of mending broken pottery with lacquer mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum—and it’s…