Film Series “Everything in This House is Gay (and Asian)”

JANM is proud to partner with One Institute to present three films, part of the 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival. The title of this series comes from a scene in The Wedding Banquet in which the central cast runs around pulling down artwork and hiding books that might be “too queer” before the unexpected arrival of a parent. In a moment of panic and frustration, one of the characters screams, “everything in this house is gay!” This series invites you into three very different, but very gay “houses” for a bite of cinematic Asian American history. This program is presented as part of the One Institute’s 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival. Established in 2023, Circa: Queer Histories Festival is a month-long, LA County-wide programming series showcasing the trailblazing histories and vibrant cultural contributions of LGBTQ+ communities through the lens of present-day challenges and triumphs. Through exhibitions, performance, readings, screenings, lectures, dialogues, and parties, Circa features queer and trans artists, activists, and educators leading the movement for LGBTQ+ liberation. $5 Adults, FREE for JANM Members Thursday, Oct 15 - Thursday, Oct 22, 2026 Japanese American National Museum JANM is proud to partner with One Institute to present three films, part of the 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival. The title of this series comes from a scene in The Wedding Banquet in which the central cast runs around pulling down artwork and hiding books that might be “too queer” before the unexpected arrival of a parent. In a moment of panic and frustration, one of the characters screams, “everything in this house is gay!” This series invites you into three very different, but very gay “houses” for a bite of cinematic Asian American history. This program is presented as part of the One Institute’s 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival. Established in 2023, Circa: Queer Histories Festival is a month-long, LA County-wide programming series showcasing the trailblazing histories and vibrant cultural contributions of LGBTQ+ communities through the lens of present-day challenges and triumphs. Through exhibitions, performance, readings, screenings, lectures, dialogues, and parties, Circa features queer and trans artists, activists, and educators leading the movement for LGBTQ+ liberation. Thursday, Oct 15 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Written and directed by Andrew Ahn, The Wedding Banquet (2025 1 hr. 43 mins.) is a joyful look into queer family and a somber recognition of how hard it can be to keep these things safe in the world we live in. Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris (Bowen Yang) and running out of time, Min (Han Gi-Chan) makes a proposal: a green-card marriage with their friend Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) in exchange for expensive IVF for her partner Lee (Lily Gladstone). Elopement plans are upended, however, when Min's grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet. Rated R. Parental supervision is required for guests under 17. The screening will be followed by a short conversation with director Andrew Ahn. Thursday, Oct 22 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM In Saving Face (2004, 1 hr. 31 mins.), written and directed by Alice Wu, the central love story is that of two women. But equally important to the film is a different love story between a mother and child. The film unearths what happens when familial obligation enforced by cultural norms is at odds with desire. When 48-year-old widow Hwei-Lan Gao (Joan Chen) informs her less-than understanding father she’s pregnant, he banishes her from Flushing until she remarries or proves Immaculate Conception. With nowhere else to go, Hwei-Lan moves in with her grown daughter, Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a Manhattan doctor who doesn’t want a roommate, especially since she’s met Viv (Lynn Chen), her sexy young lover. So Wil does what any dutiful child with an expectant, unmarried mother on her hands would do: she proceeds to set Hwei-Lan up with every eligible bachelor in town. Please note the film is rated R and parental supervision is required for guests under 17. Thursday, Oct 22 | 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM Nowhere (1997, 1 hr. 22 minutes), written and directed by Gregg Araki, is a dark and dire, yet comical and surreal, exploration of a day in the life in Los Angeles. Araki describes it as “Beverly Hills, 90210 on acid.” Nowhere is a stylized foray into the nightmare world of adolescent highs and lows. But more than that, it functions as a study of an entire generation and the direction they’re headed. Where Araki’s 1995 film The Doom Generation seemed to be a wake-up call, Nowhere is more of a reflexive inquiry into the destiny of the seemingly apathetic youth who place more emphasis on style than substance. An ensemble piece with James Duval (star of all three of the films in Araki’s Teen Apocalypse trilogy), Nowhere’s cast mixes well-known faces—Ryan Philippe, Christina Applegate, Debi Mazar, Heather Graham, Guillermo Diaz, Denise Richards,