Saturday, October 21
Part 1: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Featuring “Starring Jerry as Himself,” “Year of the Rat,” and Q&A with filmmaker Ricky Qi
FILM FEATURE:
STARRING JERRY AS HIMSELF
This is a story about our producer’s father Jerry. Jerry is a retired, divorced Taiwanese immigrant living in Orlando. One day, he gets an urgent call from the Chinese police.
They inform him that he’s the prime suspect in an international money laundering investigation where $1.28mm was illegally moved through his Florida bank account. Under threat of arrest and extradition to China, the police force Jerry to cooperate and be an undercover agent in their case. Over the next few weeks, Jerry helps the police investigate an international money laundering case by taking surveillance photos of his bank, making top secret transfers, and even wearing a wire to spy on bank tellers. After months of keeping the investigation a secret, Jerry finally reveals everything to his family. His three sons decide to document his ordeal and discover the truth about what really happened and how it changed Jerry's life forever.
FILM SHORT:
YEAR OF THE RAT
For the first time in her life, Chinese immigrant Joy Xu has found herself with nothing to do.
Her children have spread their wings and left the nest, leaving Joy with no-one to look after. Desperate for companionship, the only thing Joy has to look forward to is Chinese New Year dinner, a meal she has spent days preparing in anticipation of her daughter Sophie’s arrival.
When Sophie is a no-show, Joy awakens to a rude reality: Sophie, the one person she always thought she could rely on, doesn’t seem to really care to understand her mother’s needs. Resolving to find someone whom she can depend on, Joy dives headfirst into the world of online dating, using it as an opportunity to redefine herself as a person and as a woman.
Q&A GUESTS
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RICKY QI - WRITER and DIRECTOR, Year of the Rat
Ricky Qi is a photographer, filmmaker, and National Geographic Explorer. Ricky’s work is known for his humanistic portrayal of individuals caught in the currents of the times, and is inspired and grounded by his firsthand experiences witnessing individuals from traditional cultures learning to navigate an increasingly interconnected world. These experiences have profoundly influenced his perspectives as an artist and storyteller, affirming his passion for genuine connection and breathing intimacy into his work. A child of two cultures, Ricky strives to tell stories that describe the human condition with purpose and clarity. Follow Ricky on Instagram,@supplythelight.
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Keith Koo - Moderator
Keith is a Founder and Managing Partner of Guardian Insight Group, a Technology Risk advisory firm dedicated in guiding enterprise companies and startups in identifying, assessing, controlling, and mitigating risks associated with doing business between clients and their third parties.
Keith is also the creator and Host of the “Silicon Valley Insider” Radio show and Podcast on 1220AM KDOW Silicon Valley/San Francisco. Keith has interviewed C-Level executives from Fortune 100, government officials as well as "unicorns" all in the context of innovation, disruption and the risks associated with doing business to achieve optimal business outcomes.
Keith is an adviser to Fortune 1000 companies, accelerators and startups in emerging technology such as fintech, insurtech, blockchain, IoT, artifical intelligence, and cyber security.
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Jason Collom - Panelist for Starring Jerry as Himself/Year of the Rat
Jason Collom is a second-generation policeman. He served for 27 years, with 8 years in patrol and 19 years in investigation. In the past 11 years, he was a Senior District Attorney Inspector in San Francisco. In his previous life, Jason held class discussions and lectured on Asian American Studies at UCLA.
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Jennifer Masuda - Panelist for Starring Jerry as Himself/Year of the Rat
Jen Masuda has over 12-years of service as a staff member with Yu-Ai Kai Senior Community Center in San Jose serving in various roles; the last 4-years as Executive Director. She has been instrumental in developing marketing, programming, policies, and systems to improve productivity, increasing participation and revenues for Yu-Ai Kai. Jen was the primary caregiver to her grandmother who suffered from dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease, which led her to discover Yu-Ai Kai and the wonderful offerings of services for both her and her grandmother.