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LOCAL FILMMAKER SHOWCASE

Saturday, January 18, 2025 @ 1:30 - 3PM (Doors at 1PM)
Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association
111 Riverfront Ave SW
Admission is FREE

• RSVP HERE

Chinatown Pop Up Movie Club is excited to celebrate the 2025 Lunar New Year with a local filmmaker showcase including the world premiere of Ginger Beef’s latest music video TAKEOUT! Also included in this shorts package is a documentary about Calgary’s Chinatown in the early 1970’s that will be screened in its original 16mm format by Joe Kelly, a beautiful animation about the memory of grandfathers, and a documentary about a Calgary Chinese Orchestra project made during the pandemic, that involved over 70 musicians from all around the world. After the shorts program, there will be a Q&A with the local filmmakers in attendance!This screening was made possible by the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS) and EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society.ABOUT THE VENUE:The Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association (CCECA) is a non-profit social service organization located in the heart of Calgary's Chinatown. It has been serving Chinese seniors citywide since 1985. It provides a great variety of services and programs including social services, community support, health services and more. Its current membership exceeds 2,000 members.Accessibility: The whole building has wheelchair accessible facilities; Handibus can use the loading zone at the rear of the building.

SHORTS PROGRAM

TAKEOUT
Ginger Beef (Jiajia Li & Warren Tse) | 2025 | 5 min. | WORLD PREMIEREA strange new immigrant searches for community in his strange new home.In 2021, Jiajia Li and Warren Tse recorded the song “Flashback” and filmed a music video to be premiered at Sled Island’s summer video event. The video was so warmly received that the duo felt obligated to continue building on their one-off pandemic project — giving birth to the band Ginger Beef.Since the inception of Ginger Beef, music videos have been very near and dear to the couple. So far, they’ve released three beloved music videos which exemplify their trademark sense of fun while prominently featuring the city of Calgary as a character. Most recently, their video for “Dew” was nominated in the Best Music Video category and screened to much delight at the 2024 YYC Music Awards.“Takeout” is Ginger Beef’s most ambitious music video to date. Drawing from their own immigrant backgrounds, the couple have weaved a moving story with the help of their frequent collaborator Barbara England, the Jing Wo Cultural Association, and some of the most dynamic dance talent in Calgary.Ginger Beef is the collaboration of the husband and wife team of award-winning flutist Jiajia Li and veteran producer/multi-instrumentalist Warren Tse (AKA MSG). The result: a gleaming pop artifact which balances dazzling instrumental performances and catchy melodies with deep grooves.For more information, go to: gingerbeefband.com

SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS A DAY
Rob Lockwood | Early 1970’s | 26:22 min.Seventy-Five Cents a Day is a black and white 16 mm film produced and directed by Rob Lockwood in the early 1970’s, with support from the University of Calgary. It offers a poignant examination of the Chinese immigrant experience in Canada, focusing particularly on the community in Calgary's Chinatown. It begins by tracing the contributions of Chinese labourers who helped construct the Canadian Pacific Railway under harsh conditions, earning little pay and enduring significant hardships. Through personal stories, it highlights the enduring legacy and struggles of the Chinese-Canadian community.The narrative then transitions to Calgary's Chinatown, which serves as a microcosm of the broader cultural and economic contributions of Chinese Canadians. It explores how restaurants became the backbone of Chinatown's economy, providing employment and serving as cultural hubs. However, the film also delves into challenges, such as generational divides, internal community fragmentation, and the threat of urban renewal projects that sought to demolish Chinatown in the name of modernization.Amid these struggles, a grassroots effort emerges, led by organizations like the Sein Lok Society, to preserve Chinatown's heritage and advocate for its future. The film captures the tensions between preserving cultural identity and adapting to a rapidly changing urban landscape, ultimately posing questions about the value of cultural preservation in the face of progress. Through its deeply personal stories and broader social commentary, the film paints a vivid picture of resilience, unity, and the fight for recognition in a multicultural Canada.

WHAT THEY LEFT BEHIND
Vicky Xingyu Gu | 2022 | 6:49 min.A young woman dreams about her earliest memory of her great-grandfather’s death. While walking home, she recalls her teenage self attending her paternal grandfather’s wake. She goes further back to her memories with her grandfathers as a child. Seeing her grandmothers mourning for her grandfathers in present day, she starts to let go and make peace with her past.Vicky Xingyu Gu (顾星宇) is a Chinese animator currently based in Calgary, Alberta. She received her MFA degree in Digital Arts & Animation at the University of Southern California. Her works are inspired by cultural conflicts, emotional struggles, as well as societal issues that she witnesses. She enjoys experimenting with different techniques and materials in both digital and traditional media.For more information, go to: xingyugu.com

OFF TO THE RACES
Vicki Van Chau | 2021 | 12:26 min.Part music video and part documentary, Off to the Races is a new arrangement of the classic Erhu song, Horse Race. The film is a collaboration between the Calgary Chinese Orchestra, filmmaker Vicki Van Chau, and music producer Warren Tse. Through an open call process, the film features 72 participants from the global music community playing with the members of the Calgary Chinese Orchestra, in celebration of the Lunar New Year.Vicki Van Chau (周倩瑜) is a second generation Chinese-Vietnamese Canadian filmmaker, curator and cultural worker based in Calgary, Alberta on Treaty 7 territory. She is currently the Executive Director of the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS) and is one of the co-founders of the Chinatown Pop Up Movie Club. She has produced and directed several award-winning short films that have screened across Canada and internationally.For more information, go to: vickichau.com

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THE TEAM

We are a team of volunteers from all different backgrounds, that came together through our love of Calgary's Chinatown and films that speak to the Chinese diaspora community. The team consists of:Vicki Chau, Carrie Yap, Wilson Wong, Alice Lam, Lyndi Woo

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