FAAIM First Thursday’s
AAPI Film Night:
Food is Love

A collection of AAPI short films featuring food!

6:00 PM, August 6th, 2026
Haibayo Cafe
1132 W Argyle St, Chicago, IL 60640

A Slice of Home

Directed & Produced by Pauline Tran
paulinetran.com

Between the hum of mixers and the scent of coconut, Brooklyn baker Stacey Mei Yan Fong prepares a pandan pie in memory of her Singaporean grandfather, blending Americana with Asian flavors and a touch of nostalgia. Each whisk and pour is paired with reflections on bicultural identity, family expectations, and the ways food encapsulates love across time and cultures.

I Pie (A Love Story)

Directed by Nobu Adilman

A pie man discusses his love for baking pies... and only pies.

Benkyodo:
The Last Manju Shop in J-Town

Directed by Akira Boch, Tadashi Nakamura
akiraboch.com
tadashinakamura.com
IG: tadashinakamurafilms

Ricky and Bobby Okamura wrestle with closing their beloved family-owned manju shop after serving the San Francisco Japantown community for 115 years.

MSG:
Mysterious Savory Grains

Directed by Kyle Finnegan
Produced by Yi Chen, Kyle Finnegan
kylefinnegan.com
IG: c35films

Tim Ma is on a mission to change that perception and use MSG as a way to share his culture through food. Through interviews with Ma and two MSG experts, the documentary explores the origin of MSG's stigma and how the ways we talk about food can be just as pervasive today.

IG: MSG_Documentary
IG: SnackNight.mov

Sameer and the Giant Samosa

Directed by Faroukh Virani
Written by Meenakshi Ramamurthy, Faroukh Virani
faroukh.com
linkedin: Meenakshi Ramamurthy

"Sameer and the Giant Samosa" is a dark comedy about a newlywed Indian couple and their diverging views on marriage and tradition. A surreal turn of events reveals the groom's true, hidden appetites.

What I Am Today:
Maa Maa Dei

Directed by Ian Szetho
ianszetho.com

Jessica "Jaye" Fong started her pop-up, Maa Maa Dei, to capture the experience of growing up as an Asian-American restaurant kid in the Midwest. From growing up as a Third Culture restaurant kid to pursuing a career in architecture/engineering in Chicago, this story ultimately showcases how our lineage can impact our trajectory in life and can shape what we aspire to do with the time we are given.

IG: Maa Maa Dei

FAAIM First Thursday’s AAPI Film Night:Food is Love