Film fest leaves summer void

Say it ain’t so.

I know it’s been rumored for months, but don’t tell me that there’s not going to be a 2008 Aurora Asian Film Festival.

Alas, it’s true. It’s been confirmed by us and the Aurora Sentinel that the annual event has been suspended due to a variety of factors, which include a number of major sponsors leaving and the core group of volunteers simply burning out.

While I understand the reasons why it happened, I’m still bummed out about it.

The festival has been an annual staple of both Aurora and the Asian-American community. While there are other larger As-Am events that showcase Asian culture, such as the Boulder Asian Festival and the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the AAFF has always been my favorite.

Since I began attending in 2002, it’s been my way of kicking off the summer. It was three and a half days of doing nothing but sitting back and watching some movies. Some were good, some were bad and some I couldn’t decide, but it was fun taking it all in. And I loved debating the merits of the films after each showing with other patrons in front of the Aurora Fox Arts Center.

Other film festivals don’t have the same feel. There are too many films in each showing at the Boulder Asian Film Festival to remember them all. And the Starz Denver Film Festival is massive – once one movie lets out, another one begins. It’s hard to find time in between to chat. The AAFF was just right.

It’s going to be weird when May ends and there are no Asian movies showing at the Fox Arts Center.

Maybe I’ll just pick up a bunch of DVDs and spend that weekend on my couch. Who wants to join me?