Aug 3 Kicks Off the 45th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), Running through Aug 13.

AABANY is longtime community partner to the AAIFF, and AABANY members are invited to attend the film festival with the special 20% discount code: AAIFF45BAR. 

Our own Francis Chin, AABANY’s professional development committee chair will also be speaking on the 72 Hour Shootout post-screening panel, a special part of the AAIFF.

About the Festival

The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) proudly known as “The First Home to Asian American Cinema,” is the first and longest running festival to premier and showcase independent Asian, Asian diaspora and Pacific Islander cinema. With its origins at the Henry Street Settlement in New York City’s Lower East Side, the AAIFF brings together audiences from all over New York City, the tri-state region, and around the world. The 45th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF45) will take place from August 3 – 13, and combines in-person screenings and events with online programs. 

This year, AAIFF will feature FREE CHOL SOO LEE, a documentary which excavates the essential story of 1970s San Francisco, when 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder. In the past, AABANY featured Chol Soo Lee’s case in a trial reenactment titled, Alice in Chinatown: Chol Soo Lee and His Fight for Freedom. Five decades later, this documentary by Julie Ha and Eugene Yi revisits Chol Soo Lee’s story and serves as an urgent reminder that his legacy is more relevant than ever.  

On August 13th, the festival will showcase its Closing Night Presentations. Features include DEAR CORKY, directed by Curtis Chin illustrating an intimate look at the legendary photographer Corky Lee. A long-time friend of AABANY, we have hosted various events honoring Corky’s legacy, including the photo exhibit “Photographic Justice: A Tribute to Corky Lee,” currently showing at the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York. Passionate about activism, documenting history, and combatting Asian hate crimes through his camera, Dear Corky is a film revealing the man behind the iconic pictures that mobilized the Asian American community. 

To learn more about the other films and see the full schedule of the festival, click here. For more information about ticketing, click here.

Congratulations to AABANY Student Outreach Committee Co-Chair William Lee on Being Honored as Mayer Brown’s Pro Bono Associate of the Year

The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) congratulates William Lee on being honored as Mayer Brown’s Pro Bono Associate of the Year on July 12, 2022. Mayer Brown is an international law firm specializing in the global financial services industry with approximately 200 lawyers in each of the world’s three largest financial centers: New York, London and Hong Kong. William was the sole “Pro Bono Associate of the Year” of the Americas out of three international recipients.

William has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. His experience includes volunteering for AABANY’s pro bono clinic, overseeing Columbia Law School’s Pro Bono Caravan, and supervising a postering campaign to provide AAPI neighborhoods in New York with COVID relief information. He is also Co-Chair of the AABANY Student Outreach Committee.

William, an associate in Banking & Finance, emphasized the importance of pro bono work during these trying times. To William, pro bono work means urgency. He noted how right now is the most important time to engage in pro bono, and if we do not fight, nothing will ever change.

William spoke about his experience with AABANY: “Before COVID, I wasn’t really involved with AABANY. I got involved by raising my hand to help the pro bono clinic as a translator. I’m not smarter or more qualified than anyone else in any other way. All I did was raise my hand, continue to say yes, and always try to do the right thing. A lot of law firm associates think they have no time to do pro bono, but I am a walking example that you can do both.”

How does he make time for Pro Bono work as a BigLaw associate? William highlighted the importance of time management: “Sometimes, you have to sacrifice an hour with family or while on vacation for a meeting, but it is worth it in the end.”

William said that while this award was completely unexpected, he is extremely grateful for this honor. He also emphasized that this award is a big win for AABANY.

Please join AABANY in congratulating William Lee on being honored as Mayer Brown’s Pro Bono Associate of the Year!