Austin, Asian, and American

Austin Asian American Film Festival calls action on the 15th annual event this weekend

The Austin Asian American Film Festival brings 26 films of diverse tone, length, and even truth to the AFS Cinema. (Pictured: Film still from Celine Song's Past Lives, a previous screening by the festival.)

Austin Asian American Film Festival/Facebook

In the wake of the award season dominance of Everything Everywhere All At Once, Asian filmmaking is big news. Austin got to premier the game changing film at South by Southwest in 2022, and now it's time to see what other Asian American film genius is coming out of this city.

Existing far beyond the current vogue, the Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) is already in its 15th year. Its scope covers films by Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) creatives, both supporting stories from the diaspora and lowering barriers for people in the community to find success in filmmaking.

AAAFF kicks off today, June 21, and closes Sunday, June 25. It all happens at the AFS Cinema, which is run by the Austin Film Society. This partner organization works in public television, film screenings, career programs, and more to provide similar opportunities to a variety of community groups.

A red carpet on June 23 will introduce Austin to filmmaker and documentarian PJ Raval (Kapwa Texas); film director, New Yorker video producer, and former AAAFF media director Christopher Hwisu (Missile); film director and head of filmmaker success for Seed&Spark Meghan Ross (Here to Make Friends); Austin-based actress and improv comic Yola Lu; and director Chloe Abrahams (The Taste of Mango) with her mother, the subject of the film, among others.

Starring Jerry As Himself serves as the opening night film, bending the expectations of genre and prompting questions about what constitutes a true story — in this case, one about a retiree who is recruited as a Chinese spy. Closing night goes to Arnold Is a Model Student อานนเป็นนักเรียนตัวอย่าง อานนเป็นนักเรียนตัวอย่าง, a serious story told with a comedic overlay, inspired by Thailand's "Bad Student" movement that calls into question how competitive and rigid schools can be.

The 26 total selections are political, intimate, true, fictional, short, and overall a diverse cross section of AANHPI experience — whether the story seems unique to the community or represents something shared among most people. There are also a few events for networking or just enjoying a night out, like the opening night party and a "Wine Down" event at the Violet Crown Wine Bar.

A full schedule, individual ticket links, and badge sales ($140, or $88 for students) are all available at aaafilmfest.org.

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New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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