New Hepatitis B Documentary, BE ABOUT IT, Premiering at San Francisco’s Center for Asian American Media Film Festival

 

BE ABOUT IT provides a firsthand look at this potentially deadly disease impacting up to 1 in 12 in the Asian American community

 

WHAT:
BE ABOUT IT – a documentary that follows two fathers, two families and their battle against chronic hepatitis B (hep B) – is premiering at the Center for Asian American Media Film Festival (CAAMFest) in San Francisco, California.  The documentary, nominated for the Best Asian American Documentary and the Audience Award, features the stories of Alan Wang and AJ Jabonero – both of whom contracted hep B at birth.  Alan is a TV news reporter who saw several family members suffer and die from liver complications due to hep B, and now diligently monitors his own health.  AJ, a radiology technician and triathlete, lost his father to liver cancer 10 years ago. The cause of the cancer – hep B – was not often discussed in AJ’s family.  Through the lives of Alan and AJ, witness how two families cope with the impact of this potentially life-threatening virus.

 

WHO:
The film’s cast and Director Christopher Wong will lead a panel discussion and Q&A about the film and the impact of hep B on their families and the Asian American community. Representatives from local San Francisco organization Hep B Free will be available in the theater lobby following the Q&A to further discuss hep B and provide information on how families can help break the silence and encourage people to get tested and talk to their doctors about potential treatment options.

WHY:
Hep B, caused by the hepatitis B virus, can result in serious liver problems before symptoms become noticeable, and as such, is frequently referred to as a “silent killer.” Up to two million people are infected in the United States and as many as two out of three Asian Americans who are living with hep B aren’t aware they have it. Often stigmatized and misunderstood, hep B is the most common cause of liver cancer among Asian Americans.  This documentary and related awareness efforts aim to empower Asian Americans to talk openly about hep B and motivate communities to learn the facts and dispel the myths around the virus.

 

WHEN:
Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 12:15 PM

WHERE:
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (2550 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110)

 

For more information about hep B, please visit www.hepbsmart.com