Film Screening & Talkback: Specially Processed American Me

Flushing Town Hall will host the film screening of Jaime Sunwoo’s theatrical production Specially Processed American Me on Saturday June 24, the day before the anniversary of the start of the Korean war. The event will include a talkback to reflect on the ongoing Korean War and how war impacts the Asian American community at large, using themes from the film as a starting point. Spam dishes from local Korean restaurants will be served.

Specially Processed American Me by Jaime Sunwoo is a surreal autobiographical performance using SPAM, the canned meat, as a portal into her Asian American upbringing and her family’s experiences of the Korean War. It investigates SPAM’s legacy in the military and its significance across the Asia-Pacific – Korea, the Philippines, Okinawa, Hawaii, and Guam. The film will be subtitled in Korean to make it accessible to Korean speaking audiences.

Learn more about the project and watch the trailer at speciallyprocessed.com and follow @speciallyprocessed

GENERAL ADMISSION
Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY 11354
Saturday June 24, 1-4pm
12:30pm doors open, 1pm show starts.
Spam dishes from local Korean restaurants will be served after the talkback.

GROUP TICKETS
Want to attend as a group? With a minimum of 10 tickets, you can avoid convenience fees by sending payment via Venmo to @FreeRein-Projects or by check to Free Rein Projects at 1 Main Street #7E, Brooklyn, NY 11201. You can have the option to assign your tickets under one name or have a unique promo code for members of your group to claim.

DONATION
Donations will go towards providing free tickets to low income New Yorkers who receive social services at community organizations such as Korean American Family Service Center and WomanKind. A unique promo code will be generated and shared internally with these organizations for community members to claim donated tickets. Any remaining funds will support educational and accessible events related to Specially Processed American Me.

Donations can be made directly on our Eventbrite page or by sending payment via Venmo to @FreeRein-Projects or by check payable to ‘Free Rein Projects’ at 1 Main Street #7E, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

To make a tax-deductible donation, submit it at tinyurl.com/leviathanlab and under ‘Additional Information’ include ‘Free Rein Projects’, or by check or money order payable to ‘Leviathan Lab’ and earmarked in the memo line to ‘Free Rein Projects’.

Covid Safety Information: Masks and vaccinations are still recommended for all individuals to protect against COVID-19. However, visitors are no longer required to wear masks nor show proof of vaccination to enter Flushing Town Hall.

The filmed theatrical production of Specially Processed American Me was produced by Free Rein Projects and made with support from Asian Women Giving Circle. Event sponsors include Korean American Family Service Center, The Korea Society, WomanKind, The Association of Asian American Yale Alumni, Leviathan Lab, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, REACH Coalition, and our space sponsor Flushing Town Hall.

The premiere production of Specially Processed American Me, produced by Free Rein Projects, Ping Chong and Company, and Dixon Place, was made possible with support from the Queens Council on the Arts’ Artist Commissioning Program, Asian Women Giving Circle, the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre by the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in association with The New York Foundation for the Arts, Brooklyn Arts Fund, MVRP Foundation, The Laundromat Project, and The Jim Henson Foundation. Specially Processed American Me was developed through BRIClab, HB Studio Rehearsal Space Residency, BAX Upstart Program, Barn Arts Residency, Leviathan Lab, and FailSafe.

Artist Bio:
Jaime Sunwoo is a Korean American multidisciplinary artist from Brooklyn, New York working in film, theater, and art. Her works connect personal narratives to global histories through surreal storytelling. She tudied art at Yale University, and was a fellow for Ping Chong and Company and The Laundromat Project. Her award winning film Handwritten is part of Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Dreams series. Her work has been presented at Park Avenue Armory, Abrons Art Center, JACK, The Brick, New Ohio Theatre, The Tank, Flux Factory, Art in Odd Places, Gallery Korea at KCCNY, Open Source Gallery, and Westbeth Gallery. She has led workshops, given lectures, and joined panel discussions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Food and Drink, Yale University, New York University, The Wang Center at Stony Brook University, and Mills College. More at jaimesunwoo.com / @jaimesunwoo

Info about our event sponsors can be found at:
Korean American Family Service Center: kafsc.org/our-mission
The Korea Society: koreasociety.org/about-us
WomanKind: iamwomankind.org/about-us/
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families: cacf.org/mission-and-vision
REACH Coalition: tinyurl.com/reachcoalition
Association of Asian American Yale Alumni: aaaya.org/about
Leviathan Lab: leviathanlab.org/mission