“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is not a philosophy I live by when it comes to choosing my next read. I was immediately captivated by the cover art for “Daughter of the Moon Goddess”, the first book of the Celestial Kingdom series by Malaysian-born author Sue Lynn Tan.

On Saturday, July 26, Viet Voices is hosting its inaugural one-day performance art festival, which features the works of fellows selected for the first AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship, co-founded by Viet Voices and local artist and curator hamsa fae.

francene rouelle writes pop songs like personal letters—vulnerable, emotionally layered, and steeped in reflection. Based in Austin and signed to indie Asian American label mhart, her work blends confessional songwriting with moody, stylized visuals that feel equal parts stage production and diary entry.

A love letter to her late mother, short film Lunchbox showcases Taiwanese American director Anne Hu’s poignant style with a personal story that brings a common AAPI childhood experience to life. 

Constance Tsang’s directorial feature debut is a collection of intimate, swaying close-ups and static, long uninterrupted shots which together paint a tender picture of the Chinese migrant community in Flushing, Queens. The world is big, but this community is tight-knit. Blue Sun Palace follows Didi (Xu Haipeng) and Amy (Wu Ke-Xi) who both work at the same massage parlor.

Festivals like the Pacific Arts Movement’s San Diego Asian Film Festival offer a beautiful space that connects local audiences with minority-created independent films. With the space to create stories that challenge the typical box office narratives, they present an opportunity to share narratives that minority audiences resonate deeply with.

Viet Voices is thrilled to announce an open call for San Diego’s first AAPI Emerging Artist Fellowship, a transformative program designed to support and nurture early-career Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists. This unique fellowship offers a platform for AAPI artists to engage deeply with their cultural identities and express their creative voices through a professional and developmental lens.

The impending ban of TikTok has Gen Z searching for an alternative--and they may have found one in RedNote (XiaoHongShu), another Chinese-owned app.

Now in its 22nd year, the Unforgettable Gala has hosted yet another magnificent night of celebration of outstanding Asian and Pacific Islander influencers and leaders in media, entertainment, and culture. With cross-generational attendance of longtime trailblazers and young talent breaking into the scene to carry the torch, it was moving to see so many stages of evolution in API representation in one room.

Featured in the Taiwan Showcase collection at the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Dead Talents Society’s two-day run brought in crowds of all ages and walks of life, eager to see young Taiwanese director John Hsu’s newest film. John made the grueling flight from Taiwan to attend the screenings, and he took some time to give a Q&A session with the audience and chat with me personally.

Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts) is thrilled to announce the 25th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF), taking place November 7-16, 2024. The festival will take place at the Regal Edwards Mira Mesa, with additional screenings and special events at the San Diego Natural History Museum and Museum of Photographic Arts @ SDMA in Balboa Park.

In the spirit of Halloween, Chinese-American author and newspaper columnist Qin Sun Stubis shares a short musing about some parts of the ghostly heritage of Asian culture, in particular a bizarre phenomenon that happens to play a central part in her new historical memoir, “Once in Our Lives.”