Spa Night - Asian American International Film Festival Opening Gala
VIEW EVENT DETAILSNEW YORK, July 21, 2016 — The opening night gala for the 39th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) kicked off at Asia Society with a screening of Spa Night, a film directed by Andrew Ahn. Following the screening, Haisong Li, programs manager of AAIFF, moderated a conversation between Ahn and the lead actor of the film, Joe Seo. (36 min., 21 sec.)
The 39th Asian American International Film Festival OPENING NIGHT GALA
Presented by Asian CineVision in association with Asia Society
Spa Night
Director Andrew Ahn | 2016 | USA | 93 min.
In Korean and English with English Subtitles
Los Angeles’ Koreatown is a three-square-mile block of restaurants, strip malls and markets located halfway between the bustling city centers of Hollywood and Downtown, a tightly knit tri-lingual community and the city’s most densely populated district. Until recently, young Korean-American David Cho (Joe Seo) has lived a subdued life in this oft-ignored neighborhood, but when his immigrant parents (Youn Ho Cho and Haerry Kim) can no longer afford to keep the family restaurant open, he feels pressure to succeed in school and beyond. David shadows a successful family friend hoping to learn about college, but what starts as a university tour turns into a drunken bender that ends at a nearby Korean spa, where the sheltered David first witnesses the underground gay hookup scene. Though shy, David is drawn into this world, taking a job at the spa and discovering his burgeoning sexual desires in the process. Spa Night, which won the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Performance (Seo), is a muted but deeply moving story of discovery.
Liquor Sponsors:
Beam Suntory, YOBO Soju and YumBui Wine.
NOTICE:
1. Please arrive 15 min. prior to the screening.
2. Student and senior tickets require valid ID.
Tickets are sold through the Festival. For complete Festival schedule and box office information, please click here.
The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) is produced by Asian CineVision (ACV), a nonprofit media arts organization devoted to the development, promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American film and video. AAIFF is the nation’s longest-running festival of its kind and a leading showcase for the best in independent Asian and Asian American film and video.
Event Details
725 Park Avenue, New York, NY