#DisOrient2019: 5 Things to Know About Oregon’s Only Asian-American Indie Film Fest!

By Keely Miller and Kiana Nadonza

The 14th annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival is coming up! The festival focuses on film, music, and other forms of art that showcase the Asian American experience- including complexities of identity that demonstrate how minorities are more than just “the Other.” Events run from Thursday, March 14th through Sunday, March 17th. The festival will include 11 feature films and 23 short films.

All of DisOrient’s film selections promote intersectional approaches to diversity, culture, and identity. Selected films cover topics that are extremely relevant in our current political climate. Many films are interactive with Q&A events afterward, so the audience can take part in these important, often race-based conversations. The Siren encourages intersectional approaches to art and is a supporter of DisOrient’s message, so here's what we think our readers need to know:

1. The festival is one of the only festivals of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Though you may be able to catch festivals around PNW that center on some of DisOrient’s themes, DisOrient is one of the only festivals nearby that focus specifically on Asian American independent films. Further, they are completely volunteer-based and run by people who are passionate about Asian American-produced art!

The official movie poster of Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066 (2018) directed by Jon Osaki. Screening on Saturday, March 16th at 2:40 PM in UO’s EMU Redwood Theater. Image courtesy of DisOrient Asian American Film Festival.

2. No car? No problem! The entire festival is taking place on the UO campus.

All of DisOrient’s events will take place on the University of Oregon campus, including Erb Memorial Union (EMU), the Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum, Lawrence Hall during Dead Week. Since all of DisOrient’s screenings are so close by, this is the perfect chance to crawl out of your piles of study guides in Knight Library to take a break and enjoy yourself with friends! Please visit disorientfilm.org for more information.

A still of Keire smiling from the documentary Minding the Gap (2018) directed by Bing Liu. Screening on Saturday, March 16th at 6 PM in UO’s EMU Redwood Theater. Image courtesy of DisOrient Asian American Film Festival.

3. Ducks receive a big discount with their student ID!

If you are a University of Oregon student, you are eligible for a $3 discount on every ticket you purchase. Tickets may be purchased online or in front of the event and you will be asked to show your student ID at the door. Interested in multiple films? DisOrient has options! You can buy a ticket for each individual film, a day pass to see multiple films in one day, or a VIP pass (which gets you full access to all the films and related events!). Details on tickets and passes are available at disorientfilm.org.

A still from the short film Searching for None (2019), directed by Jean Louis Droulers. Screening on Saturday, March 16th at 8:50 PM for free in UO’s EMU Redwood Theater. Image courtesy of DisOrient Asian American Film Festival.

4. DisOrient is offering FREE ADMISSION for their Saturday night shorts program.

Join the festival’s free night of movie shorts on Saturday March 16th starting at 8:50 PM in the UO EMU Redwood Auditorium (Room 214). Not only will there be eight short films, but you can also stay for the Q&A session featuring Searching for the None’s writer and lead actor, Andy Do! More info here: disorientfilm.org/2019-schedule/

The official movie poster for the short film Liquor Store Babies (2018) directed by So Yun Um. Screening on Sunday, March 17th at 4:50 PM in UO’s EMU Redwood Theater. Image courtesy of DisOrient Asian American Film Festival.

5. The audience has a voice in the festival.

DisOrient is all about the community and what they think! After each screening, the audience vote on the film they watched by rating it on a scale of 1-5. These votes are tallied and ultimately determine the Audience Choice Feature Film and the Audience Choice Short Film. Both awards will be announced at the catered Closing Night Awards Gala in the EMU Crater Lake Rooms (145/146) on Sunday, 3/17. By attending a film, you get a say in the best movies of the entire festival!

More info (including tickets and movie trailers) can be found at disorientfilm.org.