Author - Allen Huang

54 articles
Allen is a writer/organizer/manager based in Taipei, Taiwan. You can read his work on Redefine and Asian Junkie. You can follow him on twitter at @therealhojo.
Tracing the last century of Kauai’s history and its representation in film, Anthony Banua-Simon’s documentary, Cane Fire (2021), begins with a mystery: what happened to the never-released romance White Heat (1934)? White Heat was the first film to feature Kauai, Hawaii’s fourth largest island, and since then, more than sixty films have been shot there. For Banua-Simon, White Heat is far more than just an interesting bit of trivia. It may offer an elusive glimpse of his great-grandfather, an immigrant from the Philippines who worked over Kauai’s sugar and pineapple plants and stumbled into acting as an extra. The revelation that his great-uncle Henry followed a similar trajectory, from laborer to film crew member, inspired Banua-Simon to dig into Hawaii’s overlapping onscreen and offscreen histories. Indeed, Cane Fire masterfully weaves together an array of films, from blockbuster to pulp. What may initially strike the viewer as escapist fantasies turn out to mirror the political concerns of the era, particularly anxieties over organized labor. In peeling back the layers of mystique constructed by these films, Cane Fire provocatively reimagines Hawaii’s representation. /// READ THE INTERVIEW w/ Director Anthony Banua-Simon by Alison J. Smith @alison.j.smith: https://bit.ly/redefinecane Cane Fire screens at Brooklyn Art Museum @brooklynartmuseum from May 20-26 in Brooklyn, NY. It screens at Northwest Film Forum @nwfilmforum June 4-15 in Seattle, with in-person Q&A on June 4 and 5. #SeattleFilm #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #SeattleFilms #SeattleFilmmaker #SeattleFilmmakers #FilmJournalism #DirectorInterview #NYFilmmaker #HawaiianFilm #HawaiianFilms #AnthonyBanuaSimon #NewYorkFilm #NewYorkFilms @anthonybanuasimon #DocumentaryFilm #DocumentaryFilms
Sweetheart Deal @SweetheartDealMovie, a cinéma vérité-style documentary from local filmmaker Elisa Levine @ElisaLevine99, follows the trajectories of four sex workers on Aurora, and eschews feverish commentary in favor of unvarnished truths... Sweetheart Deal‘s four subjects — Krista (formerly Amy), Kristine, Sara, and Tammy — brim with wry humor and startling honesty about “being dopesick” and “turning tricks.” In the decade or so of filming between 2011 and 2021, they splinter off then reconnect, make amends and give apologies, all while being pulled relentlessly back into Aurora’s undertow. Each cycles in and out of Elliott’s RV, gradually shifting from casual acquaintances to close friends. “Everybody who’s out there on Aurora: you don’t know what their background is,” says Levine, who felt it was important to highlight the disparate backgrounds of these women, but also their solidarity and similarity. “They could come from a family of millionaires or they could come from a life of poverty. Once you get out there, [with] the intensity of what you have to deal with every day, just trying to survive there — everybody’s on an equal playing field. Nobody cares where anybody else came from. So that was something that was surprising and interesting and sad. Even people who came from a better-off background and had more opportunities to go into rehab more times and things like that over the years — they still very often fall back into the addiction.” /// READ THE INTERVIEW w/ Director Elisa Levine by Alison J. Smith @alison.j.smith: https://bit.ly/redefinesweetheart Initially viewed at @SIFFnews #SeattleFilm #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #SeattleFilms #SeattleFilmmaker #SeattleFilmmakers #FilmJournalism #DirectorInterview #ElisaLevine #SweetheartDeal #AuroraAve #AuroraAvenue #Streetwise #DocumentaryFilm #DocumentaryFilms #GabrielMiller #CinemaVerite #Highway99
For many Seattleites, Aurora Avenue has for years been synonymous with prostitution, drug trafficking, and general urban decay. For those unfamiliar with the region, it’s a stretch of Highway 99 running from the city’s north to south, which Kurt Cobain famously frequented during his last days. Sweetheart Deal @SweetheartDealMovie, a cinéma vérité-style documentary from local filmmaker Elisa Levine @ElisaLevine99, follows the trajectories of four sex workers on Aurora, and eschews feverish commentary in favor of unvarnished truths. With striking cinematography from the late Gabriel Miller, the film meditates on Aurora’s neon signs and endless lots, often blurred by rain, to moody effect. Sweetheart Deal rejiggers the viewer’s perspective from that of the driver whizzing along to that of a woman on the street corner eyeing those passersby. Partly inspired by the landmark 1984 documentary Streetwise, a profile of homeless Seattle youth, Levine sought to juxtapose the picture-perfect version of Seattle with its darker twin. /// READ THE INTERVIEW w/ Director Elisa Levine by Alison J. Smith @alison.j.smith: https://bit.ly/redefinesweetheart Initially viewed at @SIFFnews #SeattleFilm #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #SeattleFilms #SeattleFilmmaker #SeattleFilmmakers #FilmJournalism #DirectorInterview #ElisaLevine #SweetheartDeal #AuroraAve #AuroraAvenue #Streetwise #DocumentaryFilm #DocumentaryFilms #GabrielMiller #CinemaVerite #Highway99
All bets are off in Luv, Me, when two Asian roommates battle because one decided to create a dating app profile for another. Attempts to make up over K-Dramas fall short, but unexpected conversations offer bridges towards reconciliation. (Nicolas Jara & Yen Dinh, United States, 2022) /// May 8 is the last day to catch Translations 2022, a hybrid festival of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive films from around the world! An initiative of @threedollarbillcinema, Translations features short films, feature films, and networking events which are available virtually from May 5-8, 2022 — plus an one-day in-person engagement at @nwfilmforum on May 7. Check out our top picks from their eight short film programs over at https://bit.ly/redefine2022translations #SeattleFilm #TransgenderFilm #TransgenderFilms #NonbinaryFilm #NonbinaryFilms #GenderExpansive #GenderExpansiveFilms #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #ThreeDollarBillCinema #FilmJournalism #TransFilm #TransFilms #AsianFilmmaker #AsianFilmmakers #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #ThreeDollarBillCinema #FilmJournalism
As evidenced by its title, 17 Minutes with Nora showcases a slice of the daily drama experienced by one young adult — especially when the danger she faces in the streets suddenly affects her home life. (Imanol Ruiz de Lara, Spain, 2021) /// Translations 2022 returns with a hybrid festival of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive films from around the world! An initiative of @threedollarbillcinema, Translations features short films, feature films, and networking events which are available virtually from May 5-8, 2022 — plus an one-day in-person engagement at @nwfilmforum on May 7. Check out our top picks from their eight short film programs over at https://bit.ly/redefine2022translations #SeattleFilm #TransgenderFilm #TransgenderFilms #NonbinaryFilm #NonbinaryFilms #GenderExpansive #GenderExpansiveFilms #BlackFilmmaker #BlackFilmmakers #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #ThreeDollarBillCinema #FilmJournalism #TransFilm #TransFilms
How to Not Date While Trans by Nyala Moon @nyalamoonfilms - Fast-paced, punchy, and full of witty banter, How to Not Date While Trans takes viewers through the highs and lows of dating as a trans woman. Beyond the jokes, it also showcases the struggles and disappointments, through many a dating escapade. /// Translations 2022 returns with a hybrid festival of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive films from around the world! An initiative of @threedollarbillcinema, Translations features short films, feature films, and networking events which are available virtually from May 5-8, 2022 — plus an one-day in-person engagement at @nwfilmforum on May 7. Check out our top picks from their eight short film programs over at https://bit.ly/redefine2022translations #SeattleFilm #TransgenderFilm #TransgenderFilms #NonbinaryFilm #NonbinaryFilms #GenderExpansive #GenderExpansiveFilms #BlackFilmmaker #BlackFilmmakers #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #ThreeDollarBillCinema #FilmJournalism #TransFilm #TransFilms #NyalaMoon
BIRTHDAY BOY by Judith Corro (Panama) is an out-of-body experience, creatively showing the disorientation and dysphoria when one is disrespectfully misgendered on one of the most significant days of their lives. /// Translations 2022 returns with a hybrid festival of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive films from around the world! An initiative of @threedollarbillcinema, Translations features short films, feature films, and networking events which are available virtually from May 5-8, 2022 — plus an one-day in-person engagement at @nwfilmforum on May 7. READ ALL SHORT FILM PICKS: https://bit.ly/redefine2022translations #SeattleFilm #TransgenderFilm #TransgenderFilms #NonbinaryFilm #NonbinaryFilms #GenderExpansive #GenderExpansiveFilms #AsianMusician #AsianMusicians #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #ThreeDollarBillCinema #moonyeka #Filipinx #Sensual #FilmJournalism
"mother of pearl" by @m00nyeka - Nonbinary Seattle movement artist m00nyeka beckons one to “lower your defenses” in this revealing audio-visual exploration of glitter, pearls, rice, mesh, and all things sensually lustrous. /// Translations 2022 returns with a hybrid festival of transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive films from around the world! An initiative of @threedollarbillcinema, Translations features short films, feature films, and networking events which are available virtually from May 5-8, 2022 — plus an one-day in-person engagement at @nwfilmforum on May 7. Check out our top picks from their eight short film programs over at https://bit.ly/redefine2022translations #SeattleFilm #TransgenderFilm #TransgenderFilms #NonbinaryFilm #NonbinaryFilms #GenderExpansive #GenderExpansiveFilms #AsianMusician #AsianMusicians #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #FilmReview #FilmReviews #ThreeDollarBillCinema #moonyeka #Filipinx #Sensual #FilmJournalism
Vicky Farewell's debut album, Sweet Company (out now out now on @macdemarco.world's record label) embraces fun as a guiding light! READ THE REVIEW: https://bit.ly/redefinevicky by Miles Ginoza @weeaboo.diaspora The cheerfully upbeat 8-track pop R&B record has Vicky Farewell’s meticulous imprint on it from top to bottom. Farewell not only composed, arranged, and performed nearly all the parts on the record; she also engineered and produced it. This insistence on overseeing every aspect of the creation of the album was non-negotiable. For Farewell, this record was a chance to quiet self-doubt and find her voice, her sound, and by extension, herself... If the music feels right, if it inspires joy, then why second-guess or over-complicate it? It is a message to not only notice the simple joys all around us, but to also trust our intuition. Sweet Company is the confirmation that Vicky Farewell needed: a testament to her talents and the assurance that she can be a heavyweight in the music industry as a solo artist. (Photo by Lauren Kim) #VickyFarewell #LosAngelesMusician #LosAngelesMusicians #JapaneseMusician #JapaneseMusicians #IndiePop #IndieMusic #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #ExperimentalMusic #MusicJournalism #AlbumReview #AlbumReviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #Soul #IndieRNB #RNB #MacDemarco
Vicky Farewell's debut album, Sweet Company (out now out now on @macdemarco.world's record label) embraces fun as a guiding light! READ THE REVIEW: https://bit.ly/redefinevicky by Miles Ginoza @weeaboo.diaspora The cheerfully upbeat 8-track pop R&B record has Vicky Farewell’s meticulous imprint on it from top to bottom. Farewell not only composed, arranged, and performed nearly all the parts on the record; she also engineered and produced it. This insistence on overseeing every aspect of the creation of the album was non-negotiable. For Farewell, this record was a chance to quiet self-doubt and find her voice, her sound, and by extension, herself... If the music feels right, if it inspires joy, then why second-guess or over-complicate it? It is a message to not only notice the simple joys all around us, but to also trust our intuition. Sweet Company is the confirmation that Vicky Farewell needed: a testament to her talents and the assurance that she can be a heavyweight in the music industry as a solo artist. #VickyFarewell #LosAngelesMusician #LosAngelesMusicians #JapaneseMusician #JapaneseMusicians #IndiePop #IndieMusic #Indie #Pop #REDEFINEmagazine #REDEFINEmag #ExperimentalMusic #MusicJournalism #AlbumReview #AlbumReviews #MusicFeature #MusicFeatures #MusicMagazine #Soul #IndieRNB #RNB #MacDemarco
Ghanian-Australian musician @GenesisOwusu is finishing his first-ever U.S. tour this month! Check out our review of the blistering, high-concept show in Philly, written by Vee Hua @hellomynameisvee -- READ: https://bit.ly/redefinegenesislive By the end of the night, multi-faceted Australian musician Genesis Owusu and his three back-up “goons” will have brought the entire audience at Philadelphia’s @UndergroundArts venue through an emotional journey of darkness and lightness, exploring themes found throughout his 2021 concept-heavy record, Smiling With No Teeth. The album’s main narrative centers around two symbolic characters known as the “black dogs,” which are referenced in almost every track. The internal black dog represents depression; the external black dog represents racism. “[Smiling with No Teeth] is a very personal project for me… it’s a relaying of rage, sorrow, happiness, joy, hopefulness… For the longest time, Black people, especially, have been wronged and then expected to be the bigger person, and then expected to be the educators for the people who just wronged them. [Your] feelings of rage are then invalidated. You’re made to feel hysterical or paranoid… so this is moreso an intention and a statement of those raw feelings, whether logical or not.” - Genesis Owusu READ THE REVIEW: http://bit.ly/redefinegenesislive RED OUR INTERVIEW W/ OWUSU: http://bit.ly/redefinegenesis /// REMAINING TOUR DATES (don't miss this rare opportunity) 4/10 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA 4/12 - Basement East - Nashville, TN 4/14 - Antone's - Austin, TX #REDEFINEmagazine #MusicJournalism #MusicWriting #MusicReview #LiveShowReview #LiveShowReviews #MusicVideos #AustralianMusician #AustralianMusicians #SmilingWithNoTeeth #BlackDogs #Colonialism #Racism #PopMusic #Soul #RNB #R&B #DanceMusic #GenesisOwusu #Goons @Ourness @HouseAnxiety
The Growth Eternal's PARASAiL-18, is out now! Read the new interview by Vee Hua @hellomynameisvee -- https://bit.ly/redefinegrowth On its surface, PARASAiL-18, the 2022 full-length from experimental solo musician @TheGrowthEternal, comes across as a smooth, harmonious, and vocoder-laden electronic offering. Beneath its surface, however, one finds a challenging, highly-personal record that came from years of introspection and escape from challenging life circumstances — though the journey ultimately has a positive ending. It resolves in the type of self-aware expansiveness that the project’s name might suggest. Originally from Tulsa, Byron Crenshaw relocated to Los Angeles in 2019 and immediately connected with the community-oriented record label @LeavingRecords, who would go on to release PARASAiL-18. Yet life hasn’t always felt so smooth or aligned. He first began working on the record in 2018, when he was studying jazz at a Texas college and feeling massively conflicted that the institution’s approach to jazz varied significantly from his own. “My initial exposure to jazz before that was very much organic and vocalized and a lot of time mentorship-focused, which is basically the dynamic of jazz traditionally and how it was,” notes Crenshaw. “It was really conflicting when I knew I was passionate about this enough to put my life into it, and then I get to a space where… [due to the] the academic culture behind [the college] and how they viewed and positioned jazz in the curriculum, I felt marginal…” This marginalization, however, had a bright side; it allowed Crenshaw to connect to the historically Black artform in a deep way that he had never experienced before, as well as find his personal connection to it.  “It felt like one of those things where I didn’t really conceptualize it a lot of the time, but… it felt like a natural falling into,” he says. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW: https://bit.ly/redefinegrowth #TheGrowthEternal #LeavingRecords #ExperimentalMusic #ElectronicMusic #REDEFINEmag #REDEFINEMagazine #MusicJournalism #MusicWriting #MusicReview #MusicReviews #MusicInterviews #BlackMusic #MusicWriter #ExperimentalElectronic #Jazz #Electronic