Rise: Film and Photography

Witness visual stories that document moments of awakening, protest, celebration, and transformation across Asian and Asian American experiences. These images and films capture both quiet moments of personal discovery and powerful displays of collective action.

In Philly's Chinatown: The 2024 Annual Mid-Autumn Festival

Se Eun Katie Ryu

"Film photograph taken on the streets of Philly's Chinatown, enjoying the 2024 Annual Mid-Autumn Festival. Festivities and activities included musical performances, lion dances, screen-printing "No Arena in Chinatown" flyers, and carnival games for youth. The community gathered in joy and solidarity, the day inevitably shaped by the threat of the 76s arena proposal."

CHINATOWN SAYS NO

Se Eun Katie Ryu

"The fight continues! Despite Mayor Cherelle Parker's endorsement of the Philadelphia 76ers' plan to build a new arena in Center City, Chinatown residents and activists are clear in their standing. Chinatown says no to harmful development in the community—no stadium in 2000, no casino in 2008, and now no arena. This is a photograph of various flyers posted together, expressing opposition on the ground, in the everyday lives of actual residents. No Arena in Chinatown!"

Hope

Chloe Chao

"This is a portrait of my grandmother, who we call Nai Nai (奶奶). Nai Nai is the matriarch of my family, a storyteller, and an artist. She grew up in the midst of the Japanese-invasion of Manchuria, spending her primary school days collecting scrap metal to be melted down to become weapons and later fled from China to Taiwan. She later came to the United States to study at MIT during a time when 2% of the student body were women and even fewer were women of color. After graduating, she raised three children while working a full time job. Despite every challenge, she is one of the most joyful people I know, always lighting up a room. There are many more stories I could tell about 奶奶, but this portrait captures her core being: her strength, joy, and hope."

The Filipino Goodbye

Raymond Tisch

"Two things sparked the creation of the film. It was my friend's poem, The Filipino Goodbye, and my professor's saying, "Write what you know."

The Filipino Goodbye is based on some parts of my experiences growing up being Filipino American and attending Filipino family parties, feelings that I felt coming back home from college time to time, and addresses topics that are prevalent in the Filipino community that go unspoken such as generational trauma to toxic behaviors and gossip.

Our film highlights the cultural dissonance found within Immigrant parents and children in the U.S, specifically ours is through the lens of the Filipino-American family. In a place as diverse as the U.S, we believe our film resonates on a universal level, as we all are striving to better our communication and connection to our community.

In a time where people's differences serve as the catalyst for conflict, we hope that our film is a catalyst towards understanding one another on a deeper and more personal level. There is no better time than now to explore what it means to be together. That is why it is our calling to take the Fil-Am experience represent it through film and other art mediums."