RFN Indie Fest returns to The Park RVA on Saturday, May 17 for Season Two, Episode Two--marking the second of four festivals planned for this year. This installment features 16 powerful films--14 shorts and two feature documentaries--including four films by Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino-American filmmakers in celebration of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
Fourteen filmmakers are *scheduled to appear and participate in post-screening Q&As, for an unforgettable deep dive into their creative journeys and cinematic visions.
The Official Selection lineup is:
12PM FEATURE FOCUS
Bluff City Chinese, Thandi Cai - Chicago
Bluff City Chinese follows two Chinese-American storytellers, filmmaker Thandi Cai and Delta elder Emerald Dunn, as they uncover the untold history of Chinese immigrants in Memphis, Tennessee. Through personal journeys, community oral histories, and archival research, the film weaves a 150-year tapestry of identity, belonging, and resilience. Set against a backdrop of social and racial tensions, this intergenerational collaboration celebrates the power of storytelling to preserve heritage, bridge divides, and inspire unity for future generations. Emerald Dunn* (Writer/Cast, Memphis) | Virginia Premiere | A/PA Spotlight
Bluff City Chinese, Thandi Cai - Chicago
2PM SHORT CIRCUIT
"Heist School," Loïc Emeric Dewaele* - Belgium | World Premiere
"The Picnic," Tricia Dumm* - Fredericksburg | World Premiere
"The Woman with a Name or Two," Andrew Chi Nguyen* - Richmond | World Premiere | A/PA Spotlight
"Bible Camp," Philip DeRise - Brooklyn | Hyon Jung Lee* (EP/Writer, Los Angeles) | Virginia Premiere | A/PA Spotlight
"Waiting for April," Timothy Parsons* - Chesapeake | Richmond Premiere
"Girls Will Be Girls," Isabel Steubel-Johnson - UK | Virginia Premiere
“The Woman with a Name or Two,” Andrew Chi Nguyen - Richmond
4:30PM SHORT CUTS
"The Leap Beneath," Roman Willi - Switzerland | World Premiere
"Horsepower," DJ Higgins - Schuylkill Haven | Joseph Sernio* (EP/Cast, Asbury Park) | Virginia Premiere
"Humanity," Will Sidaros* - Richmond
"Maggie Campbell," Adam Lapallo* & Rachel Weatherly* - Richmond
"Wildman," Austin Lewis* - Richmond | Richmond Premiere
“Milwaukee,” Donald Hollowell - Paducah | Virginia Premiere
"The Third," Meredith Lawder* - Brooklyn | Elliot Blanchard* (DP, Brooklyn) / World Premiere
"Memory Project," Timothy Parsons* - Chesapeake | Richmond Premiere
“Horsepower,” D.J. Higgins - Schuylkill Haven
7PM FEATURE FOCUS
Faith Healers, Regina Aquino* - Arlington
Faith Healers is the untold history of Filipino doctors who left their homeland to care for Americans. Through the life of Dr. Zorayda Lee-Llacer, we witness an immigrant's journey and her many contributions to American healthcare. By exploring the complicated colonial history between the USA and the Philippines, we grasp the enormity of the challenges and achievements of a vibrant Filipino American community that grew just outside the nation's capital in Prince George’s County, MD. Virginia Premiere | A/PA Spotlight
Faith Healers, Regina Aquino - Arlington
Tickets $15 per screening group in advance, or $18 day of event. Or get an All Day Pass for just $50 and save $10!
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