WHEN THE WORLD WAS YOUNG Wins Audience Choice Award For Best Short Narrative At 16th DisOrient Asian American Film Festival

When The World Was Young, a family drama that tells the story of siblings Benjamin (Jason Ma) and Audrey (Lia Chang) who return home to confront their Mother's (Virginia Wing) memory loss and discover a hidden key to her past, was voted Audience Choice for Best Short Narrative at the 16th annual DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon.

Virginia Wing, the star of When The World Was Young, garnered a 2021 DisOrient Inspirational Artist Award. Written and directed by Garth Kravits, the film is Executive Produced by Lia Chang's production company Bev's Girl Films, with producers Garth Kravits of Cut & Dry Films and Eric Elizaga. The cast also stars Lia Chang, Jason Ma and Jo Yang, and features Daniel Dunlow, Michelle Miller and Mark York.

The virtual 2021 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon featured 46 films over 10 days from March 19 through March 28.

Among other Audience Choice award winners were Curtain Up!, Best Feature Documentary; See You Then, Best Feature Narrative; and Atomic Cafe: the Noisiest Corner in J-Town, Best Short Documentary.

16TH ANNUAL DISORIENT FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS

Best Feature Narrative: Coming Home Again; Filmmaker Wayne Wang

Best Feature Documentary: Curtain Up!; Filmmakers Hui Tong and Kelly Ng

Best Short Narrative: Valley; Filmmaker Allan Zhang Tran

Best Short Documentary: Equality Tea; Filmmaker Jaime Sunwoo

Jason D. Mak Award for Social Justice: Cane Fire; Filmmaker Anthony Banua-Simon

SPECIAL AWARDS

DisOrient Inspirational Artist Award: Virginia Wing (When The World Was Young)

DisOrient Special Recognition for Outstanding Music Video: Ben Phantom (Saigon)

DisOrient Heritage Award: Fugetsu-Do; Filmmaker Kaia Rose

DisOrient 2021: Raising Our Voices Award: Take Out Girl; Filmmaker Hisonni Mustafa

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

Best Feature Documentary: Curtain Up!; Filmmakers Hui Tong and Kelly Ng

Best Feature Narrative: See You Then; Filmmaker Mari Walker

Best Short Documentary: Atomic Cafe: the Noisiest Corner in J-Town; Filmmakers Akira Boch and Tad Nakamura

Best Short Narrative: When The World Was Young; Filmmaker Garth Kravits

DisOrient is the premiere Asian American independent film festival of Oregon, celebrating films with authentic Asian Pacific American voices, histories and stories. They highlight social justice themes that translate to universal human experiences. They promote representation, diversity and inclusion to broaden the narrative of who is American, and to strengthen and build community.

For more information about the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon winners, visit DisOrient Film Website.