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婦人 (Fujin)

Film 婦人 (Fujin) Directed by Rachel Nakawatase Glimmering with private dreams and the gentle pulses of communal care, Rachel Nakawatase films her great-grandmother and Aunties…
Special Presentations

7 DAYS

Film 7 DAYS Directed by Roshan Sethi Ravi and Rita dutifully go on an arranged blind date. He’s awkward and sincere, while she’s respectfully present,…
Asian American Panorama

A.RTIFICIAL I.MMORTALITY

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Film A.RTIFICIAL I.MMORTALITY Directed by Ann Shin What makes us human? Can it be replicated? If you could preserve your consciousness forever, would you? Award-winning…

A Sand on the Seafloor

Film A Sand on the Seafloor Directed by Joo young (Judy) Kim A filmmaker and dancer’s collaborative meditation on patience. In a minute, a moment, eternity—the crashing of the waves,…
Asian American Panorama

ACCEPTED

Film ACCEPTED Directed by Dan Chen T.M. Landry College Preparatory is a legendary Louisiana K-12 school with astonishing rates of college acceptances. As documentarians…

Afterimages

Film Afterimages Directed by Bryan Sih Take a seat at the table for a family dinner to remember, featuring a hungry ghost who refuses…
Asian American Panorama

AMERICANISH

Film AMERICANISH Directed by Iman Zawahry Sam, Mayram, and Ameera—three very different Muslim women from the same family—try to find their own path to…

Americanized

Film Americanized Directed by Erica Eng A Chinese American teen in Oakland struggles to find a place on her basketball team and community. Facing…

An Uninterrupted View of the Sea

Film An Uninterrupted View of the Sea Directed by Mika Yatsuhashi With incredible access to archival government documents and home video, filmmaker Mika Yatsuhashi delivers a biting look at…

Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town

Film Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town Directed by Akira Boch, Tadashi Nakamura "Sid Vicious loved our fried rice!" Atomic Cafe was the rowdy Little Tokyo post-show destination for punks in…

Beyond the Lake My Sister Sleeps

Film Beyond the Lake My Sister Sleeps Directed by AnQi Yu, Mel Guo How else to explain to a child the pervasive nature of death in the family? A young boy…
Special Presentations

CATCH THE FAIR ONE

Film CATCH THE FAIR ONE Directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka Boxer Kaylee’s been training for the fight of her life, every punch growing more agile and ferocious than…

Cheyenne

Film Cheyenne Directed by Rich Underwood A moving and inspiring portrait of a young woman’s search for a kidney, and the loved ones and…

Chimera

Film Chimera Directed by Eileen Yoon Across time and continents, two stories of Ayeon gently echo each other but are unable to fully align.

chinese cabbage flowers in yīngélìshì

Film chinese cabbage flowers in yīngélìshì Directed by Yifan Xu An audio-visual blossom of a short, in which the accidental discovery of dried cabbage flowers in Mel Y.…

Closed on Sunday

Film Closed on Sunday Directed by Natalie Kimm Three perspectives on Chick-fil-A’s opposition to the LGBTQ+ community and how this stance reflects their lives as consumers…

Dancing On My Own

Film Dancing On My Own Directed by Alexandra Cuerdo In this autobiographical mix of documentary and fiction, queer Asians find belonging and inspiration at New York's radical…

Dear Angie

Film Dear Angie Directed by Abel Guan A mother prepares to leave the country and her daughter behind for reasons not so clear. Emotions run…
Classics Restored

DIM SUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HEART

Film DIM SUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HEART Directed by Wayne Wang Before he directed The Joy Luck Club, Wayne Wang made this underseen family comedy about Chinese American mothers…

Diverse

Film Diverse Directed by Jenifar Mansoor Youth from different backgrounds come together to discuss and celebrate cultural diversity in their neighborhood of El Cajon.

Dog Story

Film Dog Story Directed by Grace Zhang A hauntingly shot coming-of-age film about Jo, twice othered, gender-fluid and Asian, acting out fantasies with their friend…
Special Presentations

DRIVE MY CAR

Film DRIVE MY CAR Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi Yusuke lives life the way he directs his plays: with precision and purpose. Perhaps it’s a reaction to…

Everything Stays

Film Everything Stays Directed by Cole Bacani Though family bonds are woven strong, Gabe deliberates the heartbreaking decision to break the ties that bind and…

F1-100

Film F1-100 Directed by Emory Chao Johnson Documentation of an international student’s gender transition interlaces his return to his more conservative home country of Malaysia.…

FITNESS! or a story about SWEAT

Film FITNESS! or a story about SWEAT Directed by Kana Hatakeyama With the deliciously offbeat humor of a laggy music video stream, here comes a woman’s fitness journey in…

force

Film force Directed by Jennie MaryTai Liu, Simon Liu A parable about control and an emanant vision of a changing people and place. Mesmerizing images coupled with…

Forever Tonight

Film Forever Tonight Directed by Swetha Regunathan In this glittering short, an Indian American teenager sneaks out of the house to attend an outdoor prom…

Fugetsu-Do

Film Fugetsu-Do Directed by Kaia Rose A loving look at mochi through four generations of the Kito family’s legendary shop in LA, which survived…

Girl In The Water

Film Girl In The Water Directed by Shi-Rou Huang In this hand-drawn animation, a woman’s body abstracts and expands as she nurses the wounds of heartbreak.

Golden Jubilee

Film Golden Jubilee Directed by Suneil Sanzgiri Wandering through virtual halls of an ancestral home in Goa, 16mm direct animation, digital renderings, and surveillance technologies…

Gone Camping

Film Gone Camping Directed by Emily Kim An awkward teen must decide between hanging out with her cool teenage friends, or camping with her boob-poking…

Hawaiian Soul

Film Hawaiian Soul Directed by ʻĀina Paikai The legacy of Hawaiian musician and land defender George Jarrett Helm lives on in contemporary Indigenous movements and…

How To Stop Being Chinese

Film How To Stop Being Chinese Directed by Isaac Kau Three young women follow a five-part guide evoking Chinese superstitions in their attempt to disconnect themselves from over…
Asian American Panorama

I WAS A SIMPLE MAN

Film I WAS A SIMPLE MAN Directed by Christopher Makoto Yogi Facing death, a solitary patriarch comes to terms with the forces that have shaped his life and the…
Asia Pop!

IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE

Film IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE Directed by Masaya Tsutsumi In an attempt to find a way to escape the dullness of unemployment and the dread of a…
Asian American Panorama

INDIA SWEETS AND SPICES

Film INDIA SWEETS AND SPICES Directed by Geeta Malik Coming home from UCLA, Alia meets a handsome grocery worker—the very opposite of her crazy rich family’s marital…
Asian American Panorama

ISLANDS

Film ISLANDS Directed by Martin Edralin Following the death of his mother, a single, middle-aged Filipino immigrant desperately searches for love while struggling to…
Asia Pop!

JAMES & ISEY

Film JAMES & ISEY Directed by Florian Habicht As endearing a birthday present as cinema has ever seen, this joyous documentary follows Maori elder Isey during…

Learning Tagalog With Kayla

Film Learning Tagalog With Kayla Directed by Kayla Abuda Galang Beginning with conversational phrases and common expressions, Kayla lets the world know that although she’s stuck at home,…
Asian American Panorama

LIKE A ROLLING STONE: THE LIFE & TIMES OF BEN FONG-TORRES

Film LIKE A ROLLING STONE: THE LIFE & TIMES OF BEN FONG-TORRES Directed by Suzanne Joe Kai Suzanne Joe Kai’s documentary sheds light on the most illustrious byline in 1970s rock and roll journalism, covering…

Lion on the Mat

Film Lion on the Mat Directed by Asail Echols A badass Vietnamese American woman finds strength and healing through the power of Jiu Jitsu.

Little Sky

Film Little Sky Directed by Jess X. Snow A love letter to queer Asian youth who may be struggling to navigate their own family dynamics while…

Love, All

Film Love, All Directed by Hayne Lim A passionate student athlete details the story of how he fell in love with tennis, and the lessons…
Classics Restored

LUMPIA

Film LUMPIA Directed by Patricio Ginelsa The first Asian American superhero movie! Back in 1996, Patricio Ginelsa started filming this ultra low-budget, comic book-inspired…
Asian American Panorama

LUMPIA WITH A VENGEANCE

Film LUMPIA WITH A VENGEANCE Directed by Patricio Ginelsa Fogtown’s finest return to save a fab Fil-Am wedding from a queenpin slinging drugs disguised in lumpia. If…

Mahålang

Film Mahålang Directed by Caili Quan, Elliot deBruyn, Nathaniel Brown From a cold and grey NYC, choreographer and dancer Caili Quan pays tribute to Guam, the island home…
Asian American Panorama

MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST

Film MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST Directed by Ann Kaneko Once a source of water, groundwater “mining” has made Owens Valley the nation's largest source of toxic dust.…
Masters

MEMORIA

Film MEMORIA Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong Weerasethakul reaffirms his place among the great living filmmakers with this sonic time-space odyssey set in Colombia’s…

Money Cat

Film Money Cat Directed by Connor Kurth, Thomas Ireton A couple turns to a mysterious Money Cat to help solve their financial problems, but their actions come…

Mountain Lodge

Film Mountain Lodge Directed by Jordan Wong A jagged desktop space-time orbits a Tumblr dedicated to Yankee Candle’s “Mountain Lodge” scent, evoking the absolutely absurd…

Never Rest/Unrest

Film Never Rest/Unrest Directed by Tiffany Sia How do you consume the disintegration of a society from afar? Often, in the same ways as locals…

On the Grind

Film On the Grind Directed by Maurice-John Cardoza Three young entrepreneurs—a barber, jewelry designer, and clothes thrifter—talk about what it means to be a small business…

Once Upon a Screen: Explosive paradox

Film Once Upon a Screen: Explosive paradox Directed by Kevin B. Lee Kevin B. Lee focuses his inimitable curiosity on a BevMo! that was once an AMC, where he saw…

Overcast

Film Overcast Directed by Mikayla Kim Asian American youth discuss how their upbringing influenced their relationship to mental health, while exploring growing up in…

Post Office

Film Post Office Directed by Courtney Loo, David Karp Conflicting experiences of being Chinese in America clash when a mother and her children encounter a young girl…

Revolution Day

Film Revolution Day Directed by Pita Birkbeck Follow City Heights activists on Revolution Day, as they take back July 4th and independence for themselves and…

Rumi and His Roses

Film Rumi and His Roses Directed by Navid Sinaki A memory of first queer love furtively housed in DVD menus as love poems. An opaque and pixelated…
Asian American Panorama

SEE YOU THEN

Film SEE YOU THEN Directed by Mari Walker Thirteen years after a sudden breakup, two exes reconnect: Naomi (SDAFF favorite Lynn Chen), an artist who questions…

Show Me Other Places

Film Show Me Other Places Directed by Rajee Samarasinghe A woman travels to a multitude of virtual reality-scapes, both “real” and digitally rendered: a waterfall at night,…
Asian American Panorama

SILENT RIVER

Film SILENT RIVER Directed by Chris Chan Lee Grappling with an estranged wife and a mystery limp, Elliot checks into a highway hotel where thumps coming…

Something You’ve Never Told Me

Film Something You’ve Never Told Me Directed by Katie Colosimo Old friends on a weekend getaway have some old tensions to attend to.

Sorry for the Inconvenience

Film Sorry for the Inconvenience Directed by Jane Chow Things to do today: study for your learner’s permit? Check. Rehearse for Zoom theater production of The Tempest?…

Strawberry Cheesecake

Film Strawberry Cheesecake Directed by Siyou Tan Behind a cloud of pastel colored vape smoke, three teen girls in Singapore plot against their overly strict…

SummerWinterSummer

Film SummerWinterSummer Directed by Thy Tran Struggling to deal with his lover’s disappearance, Duy’s string of online hookups takes him to darker places than…

Taking it Back

Film Taking it Back Directed by Mia Gonzalez A look at the effects of misogyny through the stories of two young girls: a skater and tarot…
Classics Restored

TERMINAL USA

Film TERMINAL USA Directed by Jon Moritsugu In Jon Moritsugu’s post-punk twist on the family sitcom, Dad calls drug-dealing son Katzumi a “mutated stain on…

The Leaf

Film The Leaf Directed by William J. Zang With the film industry decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a San Francisco filmmaker weighs an emotional decision to…

The Secret Life of Lance Mah

Film The Secret Life of Lance Mah Directed by James Mah A Darth Vader cosplayer shares his thoughts on volunteerism, fandom, and community through his work with the San…

The Trees Ahead

Film The Trees Ahead Directed by Yuta Yamaguchi Through movement, poetry, and sound, film becomes a walking meditation. Take a breath.

There Was Nobody Here We Knew

Film There Was Nobody Here We Knew Directed by Khaula Malik In this possible-documentary about possible aliens, a Pakistani couple in quarantine bicker and ruminate about extraterrestrial and terrestrial…

Three Missing Letters

Film Three Missing Letters Directed by H. Lan Thao Lam, Lana Lin Snail mail becomes a stranger-than-fiction speculative site in this experimental documentary, which reimagines three lost letters from a…
Asia Pop!

TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB

Film TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB Directed by Tan Bee Thiam Sweet Ah Bee is the newest Happiness Agent at a resort deadly serious about cracking the happiness algorithm.…

To Know Her

Film To Know Her Directed by Natalie A. Chao In this poetic-associative investigation of the blank shape called ‘mommy,’ a young woman grapples with her mother’s memory…

to live here

Film to live here Directed by Melanie Dang Ho Between Vietnam and New Orleans, in the wake of diaspora and disaster, one asks: where is here, and…

we didn’t see it as a tidal wave

Film we didn’t see it as a tidal wave Directed by Gi (Ginny) Huo, Saif Al-Sobaihi A super 8 stop motion film that uses family archives from the first Mormon to be baptized in…
Asian American Panorama

WHO IS LUN*NA MENOH?

Film WHO IS LUN*NA MENOH? Directed by Jeff Mizushima A documentary about LA-based, Japanese performance artist Lun*na Menoh. Or is it? With Lun*na, who once made a…

ZONA

Film ZONA Directed by Masami Kawai Solidarity lies just beneath bare survival in a dystopia that forces a scrappy elderly woman to crib moisture…