New Wave
Saturday october 18, 2025
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
film: New Wave
Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai embarks on a project to tell a story of joy and youthful defiance as she explores a musical phenomenon in the 1980s known to Vietnamese American teens as new wave. As she delves into the lives of family members and icons of the new wave scene, a surprising and powerful story emerges about lasting effects of the Vietnam War and displacement on the community's mental health, and how that impact carries over generations.
Q&A Guest and moderator
Moderator: Robert Handa
Elizabeth Ai is a Chinese Vietnamese American award-winning filmmaker and writer whose work explores identity, memory, and survival. Her debut feature documentary, NEW WAVE, premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, earning a Special Jury Mention for Best New Documentary Director, and later won the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature Film at Viet Film Fest, the first time in the festival’s 21-year history it was awarded to a Vietnamese American woman. Acclaimed by The New York Times, Vogue, and the Los Angeles Times, Ai is also the archivist, curator, and author of New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora.
New Wave
Director: Elizabeth Ai
Robert Handa is an award-winning journalist with a remarkable three-decade career. He’s been honored with multiple Emmys and was named the 2015 Reporter of the Year by the Associated Press. We proudly commemorate his decade-long tenure as the host of 'Asian Pacific America with Robert Handa,' a revered weekly talk show spotlighting Asian newsmakers, community events, accolades, and youth perspectives. Handa's exceptional contributions were recognized with the 2022 Best Media Personality title in a readers’ poll by Metro Silicon Valley.