“No Look Pass” is the coming-of-age American Dream story of Emily “Etay”

“No Look Pass” is the coming-of-age American Dream story of Emily “Etay” Tay, a first generation Burmese immigrant from Chinatown, Los Angeles, who breaks all of the rules of tradition. After living a double life at Harvard University, she strives to play professional basketball in Germany while coming out as a lesbian. Emily’s dreams are no slam dunk — family, race, and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell conspire against her, firing her passions on and off the court.

The documentary, screening Sunday and Wednesday during the 30th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, is the true story of an Asian-American Harvard graduate who makes it big in basketball.

What magical timing is Emily Tay’s story in the midst of Linsanity, the male Harvard educated basketball player?
Called “a poster child for the American dream,” she is the daughter of immigrants from Myanmar (also known as Burma) and a star player on the Harvard women’s basketball team — who cleans toilets to earn money to support herself.

While her parents expect her to marry a man they choose and become a housewife, her dream is to play professional basketball in Europe and be with her lesbian lover.

“No Look Pass” — the title refers to Tay’s signature move on the court — is among some 100 films and videos screening at this year’s 11-day festival

Presented by the Center for Asian American Media, a group dedicated to promoting the diversity of Asian-American experiences, festival programs include 10 world premieres and seven U.S. premieres from two dozen countries; films screen in Berkeley and San Jose as well as San Francisco.

Filmmaker Melissa Johnson first saw Emily in February 2008 at Lavieties Pavilion, the Harvard home gym. She had heard about this girl, “The Asian Sensation,” “A one-woman Cirque du Soleil”, while she was in town filming “Act As If”, a short documentary about her friend and former coach, Kathy Delaney-Smith.

While the team practiced in a flurry around her, Melissa had to quickly pick a few players to interview. Her eye immediately went to Emily. Throughout her 13-year career as a player, Melissa played with and against hundreds of young women, but that number only included a handful of Asians and no one from Burma. Emily jumped and hung in the air like a guy and made daring behind-the-back passes the likes of which no one had ever seen before in this gym. It was impossible not to stare. Melissa’s director of photography leaned over to whisper, “You can pick whoever you want, but it’s my responsibility to tell you that the camera loves that girl.”

Coach Delaney-Smith warned me that Emily was notoriously, even painfully shy, and sure enough, she declined the interview. Melissa’s curiosity was piqued — what athletic star, ranked Top 25 nationally for assists, brimming with cockiness on the court (at a school known for its ambitious students no less) would shirk the spotlight? What was this kid’s story?

After prodding from her coach, Emily relented. She was her final interview, late in the locker room on a Sunday evening. Her nervousness gave way to an incredible recounting of her life.

We hope you get a chance to see this incredible, exciting and timely film.

S.F. International Asian American Film Festival
Where: Most screenings at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, 1865 Post St.; Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St.; S.F. Film Society Cinema, 1746 Post St., S.F.

When: Today through March 18

Tickets: $10 to $12 most films, more for special events

Contact: (415) 865-1588, www.caamedia.org

Note: “No Look Pass” screens at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Kabuki and 9 p.m. Wednesday at SFFS Cinema.

“No Look Pass” comes to the Bay Area in full force over the next couple months as part of IndieFest , Cinequest, and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival .

Visit for more screenings in your area www.nolookpassthemovie.com