Far East Deep South Film Screening

Far East Deep South Film Screening

Far East Deep South explores the seldom-told history of Chinese immigrants living in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s through the eyes of Charles Chiu and his family as they travel from California to Mississippi to find answers about his father, K. C. Lou.  

Join us for this outdoor screening & bring your own blanket or chair. Film will be followed by a panel conversation with producer Baldwin Chiu and Von Gordon, director of the Alluvial Collective, on the C Spire Stage.

*Food trucks on-site: Soul Foodin’ Good

Baldwin Chiu
Baldwin Chiu and his family are the subjects of Far East Deep South and he teamed up with his wife, Larissa Lam, to produce the film. The film made its national broadcast debut on “America Reframed” on World Channel (PBS) in May 2021. His family’s story has previously been featured on NBC News and NPR among other media outlets. He is a graduate of the ACT One film producing program, and he previously produced the award-winning documentary short, Finding Cleveland. He was born in San Francisco and raised in Sacramento, where he later graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a degree in mechanical engineering. Chiu is also a motivational speaker and rapper known by his stage name, Only Won. His clever and witty videos like “Cantonese Boy,” “12 Days of Dim Sum” & “I Wanna Be an Engineer” have gone viral with over one million views on YouTube. He was previously a spokesperson for the Intel/White House campaign, “Stay With It,” and produced digital content promoting careers in science and engineering under the Obama administration. Chiu’s songs were featured in the video game “Sleeping Dogs” and the film Dead Man Down. Chiu is also an actor who has appeared in films such as The Pursuit of Happyness, The Hulk and The Matrix. In 2018, Baldwin was named an Honoree for Mandarin Leader Magazine recognizing excellence amongst Chinese in North America, and he is also the recipient of Sacramento State’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award. Additionally, Chiu has been a speaker on numerous panels addressing race, immigration, and Asian American representation in the media. He has spoken at major companies such as Apple, Google and Bank of America as well as conferences like RootsTech.

Vondaris “Von” Gordon
Von Gordon is the Executive Director of The Alluvial Collective, which aims to create spaces for interracial, multicultural dialogue and promote equity and belonging for all people and in communities. He is passionate about equipping local people and systems leaders to build stronger communities through dialogue, knowledge growth, and empowerment. A native of Moorhead, in Sunflower County, Mississippi, Von is a member of the W.K.Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network. He lives in Jackson, Mississippi.