BOSTON – The Boston Asian American Film Festival running for its 16th year and highlighting Asian-American filmmakers and actors, students at Northeastern University got a chance to speak with the showrunner for a new show.

“I think people are realizing how important these stories are,” Susan Chinsen told WBZ-TV. Chinsen is one of the original founders of BAAFF, an event that bridges the gap between Asian-American filmmakers, the actors and audiences watching at home.

Showrunner “Interior Chinatown”.

At Northeastern, students in an Asian-American studies class had a special guest Friday — author and showrunner Charles Yu.

“The story begins to evolve and incorporate other people’s ideas and voices almost immediately,” Yu told the class.

Yu is the mastermind behind the upcoming series “Interior Chinatown,” premiering on Hulu in November. His upbringing in an immigrant family shaped much of his star-studded Asian cast.

“I was either the only Asian kid or one of the only Asian kids. And so you kind of don’t know how you fit in there,” he said.

That message resonated with many of the students in the room.

Tells whole stories

“We didn’t really grow up with too much of, I guess, being able to see ourselves represented in the media, so to be able to ask questions and finally be a part of the conversation so directly was very special,” said student Macy Jiang.

“That’s the best way to humanize someone is to tell their whole story,” Yu explained. “Not as a stereotype, not as a hero, necessarily, but just as a flawed, drunk person.”

This broader conversation at Northeastern and in Hollywood is why BAAFF gets bigger and better every year in Boston.

“Over 16 years, where Asian-American media has really come — it’s come so far, especially in representation with ‘Interior Chinatown’ and ‘All That We Love,’ Margaret Cho’s film,” Chinsen reflected. “We’re in a very different place.”

The Boston Asian American Film Festival continues through the weekend with a special screening of “Interior Chinatown” at the Emerson Paramount Center on Saturday.