BAAFF LOGO 2019

2019 was the first year I volunteered for BAAFF, the Boston Asian American Film Festival. I've met a lot of really great folks in my time with BAAFF, some of them I've become very close to, and consider them friends for life.

I'm incredibly happy to have joined, as I didn't have many Asian friends growing up in Maine, and it feels good to be close with friends that have similar shared experiences.

I was really nervous to my first meeting with BAAFF. I didn't know anyone- I didn't have any real connections- I just loved film and I wanted to volunteer in the community. I wasn't sure how I could help- just that it seemed like a cool space.

As time went on, I got more comfortable with folks- and noticed a REALLY cool graphic on the wall. I poured compliments onto the piece, immediately seeing how the Festival's themes of 'Rising Together' fit so well with Hokusai. Little did I know, my friend Yixuan Zeng was the artist- who was seated in the room. Yixuan is one of the best illustrators I've ever met. She's incredibly versatile, and her topnotch artwork is only matched by her heart- she's devoted to social justice and storytelling possibilities. I am constantly blown away by her and her amazing art.

So, with that said, I saw her art and told her that something THAT cool deserved to be animated- without actually understanding what it was that I just volunteered for.

What followed was a very eventful few months as I tried to figure out how to animate water. I had a lot of help- my wife, Corey Valois stepped in and assisted me.

This is the end result!

BAAFF Logo 2019, Design by Yixuan Zeng, Animation by Chandarith Moeun and Corey Valois