Brave to be me - Shorts
Sunday october 19, 2025
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
This inspiring collection of AAPI short films celebrates the courage it takes to live authentically. From personal journeys of self-discovery to bold expressions of identity, these stories highlight resilience, vulnerability, and the strength found in embracing one’s true self. Together, they honor the bravery it takes to stand tall, be seen, and be unapologetically you.
Fruit Tart
While embarking on a lonely journey home after missing her train, a girl's insecurities manifest in the form of a talking fruit tart.
Radha, an 11-year-old girl in rural India, loses her school bag on her first day of work at a firecracker factory. Patakha follows her journey to retrieve it — and the hope for the future that has been taken away.
Patakha
Whitewashed
Feeling like an outsider in his Chinese class, a third-generation Chinese American confronts his mother about why she never taught him Mandarin.
Showtime
On the day of her first live performance, a singer's day turns upside down when a simple ask from her mom spirals out of control and she struggles to balance her day job and her dreams.
Minasan – San Jose Japantown's Third Space
Brendan and his friends started a shop in San Jose’s historic Japantown called Minasan. What began as a 3-month lease became something bigger than what they had imagined. While Brendan gives you a tour of his favorite spots around the area, hear about why it’s significant for Minasan to be part of Japantown and what they’re doing to build and nurture a community third space.
As Ramadan draws to a close, a young woman returns home, stirring up buried tensions and unspoken truths that refuse to stay in the past.
NANI
Victoria
Victoria calls her Mom.
Ikigai
Ikigai follows Mayumi, a 9-year-old girl, as she tries to find balance in her Japanese identity and American nationality. Hanako, her mother who celebrates their culture through Nihon Buyo, sees Mayumi’s new school as an opportunity to share their culture with the white students.
Q&A
Moderator:
Mike Inouye
South Bay native Mike Inouye is NBC Bay Area's weekday morning traffic anchor. Reporting on traffic for Bay Area commuters, he says he finally has a job that encompasses his passion for technology, communication, and live performance. Mike has appeared at clubs ranging from the Comedy Store© in Hollywood to ComedySportz© San Jose, where he sometimes still performs as a professional improvisational comedian, as well as on-stage in roles with assorted Bay Area theater companies.
Showtime Actor:
Shefali Gauri
Shefali Gauri is a first-generation South Indian American dramedy writer and rock singer-songwriter based in New York. She is a Ph.D. student in Film and Media Studies and African American Studies at Yale University, and earned her B.A. in African American Studies and Political Economy from the University of California at Berkeley. She is passionate about the nuances of the human cost of politics and the diasporic experience.
Minasan Filmmaker:
Jason Leung
Jason Leung is a freelance photographer and videographer specializing in food, product, and event photography for small businesses and nonprofits. He also creates short documentaries, event recaps, and food recipe videos.
Showtime Writer/Director:
Vivek Menon
Vivek Menon is a New York City–based filmmaker telling comedic, heart-driven stories that spotlight minority characters in unexpected situations. A UCLA graduate with a Film/Television minor, he began directing with a four-episode sitcom web series co-created with his father, released on YouTube in 2023. He wrote and directed his debut short film, Showtime, the following year.
NANI Director/Writer:
Mainak Dair
Mainak Dhar is an Emmy Award-winning editor with a broad-ranging portfolio that includes movie trailers, documentary features, social media content, branded projects, and narrative films. Alongside his editing work, he has created his own films, which have been showcased at festivals around the world.
Ikigai Director/Writer/Producer:
Maren Emiko Elardo
Maren Emiko Elardo is a Japanese-Italian American filmmaker from San Jose, California. Graduating in under three years, Maren is a recent alumna from California State University, Northridge, specializing in Film Production with a focus in editing, complemented by a minor in Photography & Video.