Director/Producer/Editor | 2019 | Feature Documentary | 68 mins
In 1979, a Vietnamese refugee shoots and kills a white crab fisherman at the public town docks in Seadrift, TX. What began as a dispute over fishing territory erupts into violence and ignites a maelstrom of boat burnings, KKK intimidation, and other hostilities against Vietnamese refugees along the Gulf Coast.
Set during the early days of Vietnamese arrival in the U.S., SEADRIFT is a feature documentary that examines the circumstances that led up to the shooting and its dramatic aftermath, and reveals the unexpected consequences that continue to reverberate today.
Supported by: Austin Film Society, Center for Asian American Media, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, City of Austin Cultural Arts, Firelight Media, Humanities Texas, and ITVS.
Awards include: Texas Visionary Award from Houston Film Critics Society, Juried Awards from Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Dallas International Film Festival (Best Historical Film), Houston AAPI Film Festival, Rockport Film Festival, Indie & Foreign Film Festival (Migrant Center of New York), Viet Film Festival (Spotlight Award), and Immigration Film Festival (Washington DC), and Audience Awards from Austin Asian American Film Festival, Boston Asian American Film Festival, Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, and DisOrient Asian American Film Festival.
Broadcasted and streamed on PBS and the WORLD Channel as part of Reel South Season 5 (2020) and Season 7 (2022).
Watch now on Apple TV / Amazon / Kanopy / OVID / Slamdance Channel / DVD
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