Come celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by attending this special screening of an award-winning documentary by a Chicago filmmaker. The director, Jonald Reyes, will speak about the film and answer questions after the screening.
Released 2008 – 88 minutes – Not rated

"That Asian Thing" is a documentary film exploring the issue of low Asian American influence within “mainstream America.” It has become a unified voice by multiple Asian American artists based out of the Midwest Mecca of Chicago, IL. This project is geared to open peoples’ eyes and help them realize that there is an untapped pool of talent with an original image. An evolution is slowly taking place and “That Asian Thing” intends to tell the story that is.

This documentary will unravel issues dealing with identity and assimilation. Young adults and teenagers already face the trials and tribulations of peer pressures which can create complex standards for confidence and self-esteem. With the addition of being an Asian American and only a handful of artists with the same race actually reaching water cooler conversation, most youths succumb to being unique and assimilate to their environment. This environment is everything around us which has a low impact of Asian America. Sub-decade into the new millennium, American culture has been powered by mainstream activity. The rulers that magistrates “the mainstream” are the higher percentage of product buyers. This piece of the pie chart just happens to be teenagers and young adults. Yes - A CYCLE! In the big picture, with a lack of Asian American culture in mainstream America - young Asian Americans don’t have much to relate to. Thus, for some young teens, they become insecure about their identity, heritage, and sometimes embarrassed. “That Asian Thing” is geared to install that missing pride and strengthen a timid voice in the pursuit to try and break the cycle.

Jonald Reyes (writer, director, producer) conceived the thought of “That Asian Thing” after watching a plethora of films to only realize that there aren’t many good movies that tell the story of a young Asian American in the performing arts. He graduated from Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, with a BA in English, concentration in Cinema Studies. After graduating, he embarked on a new canvass in Chicago, IL. Continuing a mission to develop his love of writing, he completed the Writing Program at the famous Second City Training Center. He and his writing cohorts (a.k.a. the Brown Line Crew) presented Sex, Lies, and Asparagus in Donny’s Skybox Theater, Piper’s Alley. After its run, and a couple of more classes, Jonald continued to exercise his pen by freelancing for random websites. He also has a few screenplays in the mix, but then again, who doesn’t? “That Asian Thing” is Jonald’s first documentary and first full-length feature.

Registration is required.