12th Ave’s Northwest Film Forum hosts the 2015 Seattle Asian Film Festival this weekend featuring 38 works including “the best in recent independent cinema by and about Asian Americans.”

“SAAFF is the only film festival in Seattle to provide a space for Asian American voices, perspectives and histories by screening independent films that reflect the diversity and richness of the Asian American community,” according to a release on the festival.

This year’s highlights include:

• The Seattle premiere of 9-Man, a documentary about a gritty, Chinese-American streetball game that’s been played competitively in the alleys and parking lots of Chinatown since the 1930s. The film captures the spirit of 9-man as players not only battle for a championship, but fight to preserve a historic game. Director Ursula Liang won the Audience Award & Special Jury Award for Best Director at the 2014 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
• To Be Takei, SAAFF’s opening night film, is a documentary about actor and activist George Takei’s journey from a WWII internment camp, to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, to social media superstar. To Be Takei was an official selection at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
• The Seattle premiere of Sriracha, a short documentary that tells the story of the ubiquitous, spicy sauce’s origin, its cult following, and the man behind the iconic “Rooster Sauce.” Sriracha won Best Short Film at the NYC Food Film Fest.

Tickets for individual screenings are $11 ($13 for opening night) or you can buy a festival pass for $75. Learn more at seattleaaff.org/2015/.

Meanwhile, February’s Capitol Hill art walk Thursday night brings an opening from artist John Criscitello at Vermillion. CHS featured the Woo! Girl creator late last year and we’re looking forward to seeing his latest work not pasted to a utility vault.

For a listing of all the February art walk venues and highlights, check out capitolhillartwalk.com.

For more things to do around Capitol Hill this weekend, check out the CHS Calendar — or add your event to the list.

[ai1ec]