Volunteer for the San Diego Asian Film Festival!

Hello world!

Julie Zhan here, your friendly neighborhood SDAFF volunteer co-coordinator, along with the spiffy Mr. Mark Gadia.

So before I convince you to LOVE volunteering , let me introduce ourselves: I am a recent graduate of UCSD, foolish with unwavering hope, armed with nothing but an intense passion to live life, inspire, and witness and create miracles.

Oh, and I am a nerd for dance, Jackie Chan, Bboy Cloud, fat hamsters, and food. Mark, my better half, is the yin to my yang: as I frolic away in my flowery nonsense, Mark is the straight-to-the-point, Comic Con-going, karaoke-singing, action figure-collecting, model warship-building Trekkie with a heart of gold.

Now that that is out of the way, let's get back to the point of this blog:

Volunteering for SDAFF will be one of the greatest experiences you'll ever have, and here's why:

The Mission and Vision

The San Diego Asian Film Foundation gives Asian and Asian American artists and filmmakers the voice that they severely lack in the media arts, especially in Hollywood. 69—that is the overwhelming percentage of Hollywood’s roles reserved for Caucasian actors, compared to the 8.5% open to all ethnicities, the 8.1% reserved for African Americans; and the numbers continue to dwindle down to a pathetic 0.5% for Native Americans.

To worsen the matter at hand, these meager opportunities for minorities are plagued by stereotypes: the role of the Asian with perfect grades, the gangster African American, the Mexican gardener. This blatant injustice requires the community to come together and take action.

That is where you come in: volunteering for SDAFF will let you make a direct, positive contribution to the issue at hand. You will help inspire patrons by becoming ambassadors of SDAFF's mission and vision.

Our volunteer positions include: merchandise, customer service, facilities, gala, street team (marketing), and special events. Let me also highlight the Soles for Orphans Shoe Drive where volunteers will help collect and package donated shoes, in conjunction with this year's International Adoption Spotlight. Also, you can help run our What Inspires You? videobooth, where patrons and volunteers will be able to contribute their voice to a documentary about inspiration, passion, and identity.

The People

There's nothing more fulfilling than being a part of a group of passionate, devoted, and talented individuals, united under a cause that defies convention and furthers our society. The staff, volunteers, and patrons alike are genuine and fierce advocates of film, creativity, and justice. By volunteering, you will cultivate lasting friendships (I've made lifelong friends that are family to me, thanks to SDAFF), learn from one another, and bask in the spirit of the community.

The Films

We have over 140 film programs this year. I've seen several of them, and I must say, these films are exceptional in terms of story, performance, cinematography, editing--everything! By volunteering, you will get a movie voucher for every 4 hours of contribution. That means you'll be able to watch some of our films for free! Be sure to check out the spectacular short film programs!

Now that I've written a novel, I hope, if you read this far, that you are interested in volunteering with us.

If so, please go to www.shiftboard.com/sdaff and register. Mark and I will approve of your application accordingly (as soon as we possibly can!).

Until next time,

Julie