PAAFF director Rob Buscher says specialized film festivals like this are about so much more than just entertainment — they are about spreading awareness, tolerance and understanding through storytelling.
"So if we can find ways to engage other people who aren't from our cultures in a friendly conversation around things that have a low barrier to entry, like food or film or music, I think that it's an easier way to start to understand who these people are," Buscher said.
Filmaker Tony Bui, who is in Philadelphia for the festival and celebrating the 20-year anniversary of his acclaimed film "Three Seasons," says it's crucial for marginalized groups to carve out their own space to tell their own stories.
"If we all just wait around for Hollywood to tell our stories, it's just not going to happen," Bui said. "So I think that it's important that filmmakers, people of color, tell their own stories, because no one else is going to do it for us."
PAAFF runs through Nov. 17.