Second-Gen Stories

Second-Gen Stories

A collection of films with either direct or indirect interpretations, POV's, and insights of Second-Generation American stories and identities. Second-Gen Stories. NoBudge Collection 18.

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Second-Gen Stories
  • Asian Cinema Club

    Two friends start a t-shirt company as a ruse to engage their friends into joining their club. Hannah Marianetti and James Yu direct “Asian Cinema Club,” a docu-fictional reflection on Asian identity and making/appreciating art. Through an alternating GoPro-forehead POV, we casually follow Hannah...

  • ApHasiA: Describe the City You Live In

    Living in a city, an individual with Chinese roots is diagnosed with particular speech impediments. “ApHasiA: Describe the City You Live In,” directed by Shan Jiang, is a future-fiction diasporic tale that artfully tackles metropolis-living and linguistics. As we observe a sequence of geometrical...

  • The Death of Art Slob

    A documentary about the end of a young man’s musical project told through the anecdotes and recollections of everyone who helped along the way. “The Death of Art Slob,” directed by musician Amar Ahmad, is a poignant ode to suburban scenes, house shows, college towns, and the American enclaves whe...

  • Bowling 4 Eva

    A troubled teen girl spends her time trolling men online and bowling with her grandfather while becoming increasingly medicated. “Bowling 4 Eva,” directed by Aelfie Oudghiri, is a bracingly original portrait of depression and pharmaceuticals rendered with satirical bite and punctuated by animated...

  • Chopping Onions

    Director Adinah Dancyger crafts her personal experience growing up with her grandmother into a sharp double portrait, which folds in vital themes like assimilation, identity, and Korean barbecue. Soli, an 8-year-old who’s out of school for the summer, is left in the care of her grandmother in Que...

  • Sorry for the Inconvenience

    *Online Premiere* In Los Angeles Chinatown, a lonely teenager tries to help her parents keep their seafood restaurant afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Sorry for the Inconvenience,” directed by Jane Chow, is a tender portrait of an immigrant family from Hong Kong which builds warmhearted char...

  • Superfan

    During a sleepover, a tween celebrity obsession tests the boundaries of friendship, privacy, and a young girl's heart. Directing duo Karina Lomelin Ripper and Marc Ripper present “Superfan,” a sharply-crafted modern coming-of-age film. Sleepover gear in hand, Selena arrives to a Pacific Northwest...

  • Jenny and Jihae

    A young daughter and mother spend an evening together in the wake of an emotionally painful moment. Katie Kim directs “Jenny and Jihae,” a tender vignette that’s both heavy and sweet, a film that hovers around the senses — smell, touch, taste — to build intimacy and refuge. Jenny tries to ignore ...

  • Markings

    With the ghosts of his father and brother haunting his household, Reza gets pressured into getting a tattoo, a rite of passage to the only community that allowed him to seek refuge from his home. | Directed by Yasir Masood.

  • Pacurí

    At the cusp of her Quinceañera, Pacurí must decide where her loyalties lie: with her devoted family or her wealthy friends. “Pacurí,” directed by Gustavo René, is a coming-of-age drama about a Paraguayan-American teenager expressing independence while her family fixates on a culturally important ...

  • The 15

    A portrait of a young woman on the day of her Quinceñera in Los Angeles. Austin Spies directs “The 15,” a vérité style documentary that observes scenes and moments from a teenager's 15th birthday celebration. Sasha Sanchez sits in the chair of a beauty salon receiving touch ups for the big evenin...

  • AmeriGirl

    Struggling to fit in at a sleepaway camp with a group of white girls, 11-year-old Aaliyah Khan tries to befriend a new arrival. Samina Saifee’s “AmeriGirl,” nuances the coming-of-age realities of assimilation and conformity to American beauty standards. After being unembraced by two fellow camper...

  • K.I.N.G.

    A troubled teen ventures into an unfamiliar city seeking a bond with his estranged father. | Directed by Rashad Frett. Starring Jadiah Bailey, Janice Dias, and Yarc Lewinson.

  • Short Shorts

    An American Muslim teenager tries to maintain both her family and friends' approval. | Directed by Karina Adriana Dandashi.