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Index of Shorts

Discover an exciting new generation of filmmakers in this year's program, which includes international standouts, sensory slow burns, provocations to the form, and lush pleasures.

A Man Trembles

Film A Man Trembles Directed by Lam Li Shuen, Mark Chua Set during the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis, a family of three plot an otherworldly escape at Sentosa Island.

A Place in Blue

Film A Place in Blue Directed by Seung eon Yi A hand-painted animation about a young girl’s search for her mother in different spaces: the home, the grocery…

Alice in Instagram

Film Alice in Instagram Directed by Khang Nguyen High school students explore the wonderland-like inspirations and tensions that social media has imparted on their social and…

All I Ever Wanted

Film All I Ever Wanted Directed by Erin Lau Rom-com obsessed Christine discovers her Prince Charming is not what she imagined him to be, in this queer…

All I Want is Everything

Film All I Want is Everything Directed by Alexandra Cuerdo Echoes of Justin Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow reverberate through this pulsing tale of an Asian baddie’s by-any-means-necessary approach…

All The things You Leave Behind

Film All The things You Leave Behind Directed by Chanasorn Chaikitiporn Using archival footage and declassified documents, filmmaker Chanasorn Chaikitiporn paints a dense, experimental portrait of American militarism’s dark…

Asian Cinema Club

Film Asian Cinema Club Directed by Hannah Marianetti, James Yu Ingeniously tongue-in-cheek and subversive, two friends make a documentary about a t-shirt business called Asian Cinema Club: a…

Bigger Is Better

Film Bigger Is Better Directed by Larry Tung A revealing look at the history, culture, and body politics of Asia’s bear subculture.

birthday song

Film birthday song Directed by Erica Sheu SDAFF alum Erica Sheu makes a film for her birthday; playfully printing and cutting, projecting and obscuring, she…

Blue Garden

Film Blue Garden Directed by Natalie Murao Recollections of her grandfather’s tomato garden uncover hidden histories in Natalie Murao’s hybrid doc-animation about intergenerational memories of…

Canker

Film Canker Directed by Lin Tu An influencer develops a gnarly canker sore, as the seductions of social media stardom fester on her open…

Chinatown 2050

Film Chinatown 2050 Directed by Linda Zhang, Maxim Gertler-Jaffe Possible futures abound in this speculative documentary envisioning five individual outlooks on Toronto’s Chinatown.

Crown.

Film Crown. Directed by Desta Chery Young Black women reflect on their relationships to and experiences with their natural hair, discussing everything from different…

Dear Corky

Film Dear Corky Directed by Curtis Chin Breathlessly showcasing the breadth of his decades-spanning oeuvre as an NYC street photographer, this documentary is a touching…

Declarations of Love

Film Declarations of Love Directed by Tiff Rekem Skin folds and clouds, wildfires and painful memories—these inescapable realities loom large over the Redlands, California house of…

Did it Hurt?

Film Did it Hurt? Directed by Nathan Carreon Lim Nathan Lim honors his Muay Thai coach Nattawat Jophromma (aka Ajarn Wat) with this portrait that serves as…

Donut Kid

Film Donut Kid Directed by Michelle Thach Donuts are more than a sweet treat: they are a source of livelihood and a means of survival…

Dust In The Wind

Film Dust In The Wind Directed by Zhishui Lin Striking and powerful images describe a woman's transformative confrontation with the cosmic cycles of life and death. When…

Esther & Sai

Film Esther & Sai Directed by Anaïsa Visser, Rosie Choo Pidcock The night before their first day of nursing school in Canada, Nigerian Esther and Chinese Singaporean Sai face…

Firecracker

Film Firecracker Directed by Caroline Guo On the night of their first anniversary, a young woman is confronted with a life-changing decision for the…

Further and Further Away

Film Further and Further Away Directed by Polen Ly Two indigenous Bunong siblings plan to move to the city in search of better opportunities. But first, haunted…

Futility Season

Film Futility Season Directed by Hoda Sobhani Two friends, Hoda and Neda, experience Iran’s Bloody November from distinctly removed places. Hoda has emigrated to the…

Generation Impact: The Scientist

Film Generation Impact: The Scientist Directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal In this inspiring portrait, young scientist Emily Tianshi heads her own garage research lab, using various household items…

Good Day

Film Good Day Directed by Zhang Zhi-teng A hapless father decides to go golfing during a typhoon—only his golf clubs are at the home of…

Hanging By a Wire

Film Hanging By a Wire Directed by Jansen Espares This introspective documentary explores expressions of love, but when its filmmaker's vision begins to fall apart, they find…

Hotter Up Close

Film Hotter Up Close Directed by Leland Montgomery On the eve of his 30th birthday, a gay slacker must overcome crippling insecurities in order to find…

I Love You, Your Kamo

Film I Love You, Your Kamo Directed by Isaac Kau A woman recounts the milestones of a love that spanned—and was at times separated by—the continents.

In Living Memory

Film In Living Memory Directed by Quyên Nguyen-Le Cathy’s Nails was shuttered during the pandemic. Weaving documentary, performance, installation, sculpture, and an awe-inspiring archive of home…

In Loving Memory (of Who We Used to Be)

Film In Loving Memory (of Who We Used to Be) Directed by Vicky Lee An offbeat multimedia scrapbook and ode to Asian American adolescence, chock full of home videos, old workbooks, and…

In the Beginning, Woman was the Sun

Film In the Beginning, Woman was the Sun Directed by Sylvia Schedelbauer A pulsing, flowering monument-in-light to Japanese sufragettes and feminists.

In the Big Yard Inside the Teeny-Weeny Pocket

Film In the Big Yard Inside the Teeny-Weeny Pocket Directed by Yoko Yuki Featuring cryptic, puzzle-in-a-puzzle lines like "the cabbage on the roof goes kaboom,” this hand-drawn, totally freewheeling animation is…

Incantation

Film Incantation Directed by Kalpana Subramanian A study of the collective and somatic, through audio-visual collisions of bodies of water, bodies underwater, and militaristic…

Inheritance

Film Inheritance Directed by Erin Lau A Hawaiian photographer with an intimate relationship to the lava flows is caught in a tourism economy that…

Instant Life

Film Instant Life Directed by Andrew Kim, Anja Dornieden, Juan David Gonzalez Monroy In 1945, a silent film is made; in 1981, it’s remade as three films with sound; in 2022,…

Into the Violet Belly

Film Into the Violet Belly Directed by Thuy-Han Nguyen-Chi The film’s narrator, facing challenges with her graduate project, recounts a tale of staggering adversity shared by her…

It’s Raining Frogs Outside

Film It’s Raining Frogs Outside Directed by Maria Estela Paiso A young woman returns home at the end of the world, where it’s raining frogs outside. She’s despondent,…

J&S Auto

Film J&S Auto Directed by Grace Jung A day-in-the-life chronicle turned life tale of Joe Iwama, a 99-year-old Japanese American internment survivor and owner of…

Laboratory NO.2

Film Laboratory NO.2 Directed by Aware Omer, Edris Abdi A veteran corpse handler working in the autopsy department of an Iranian university hospital approaches retirement, reflecting on…

Last Hawaiian Sugar

Film Last Hawaiian Sugar Directed by Déjà Cresencia Bernhardt This semi-autobiographical tale of a Samoan girl coming of age during the final days of commercial sugar production…

Like Father, Like

Film Like Father, Like Directed by Urvashi Pathania When a stern immigrant father catches his daughter kissing a girl, he makes a drastic choice.

Logging Linda Vista

Film Logging Linda Vista Directed by Césaire José Carroll-Domínguez A meditative time capsule of a documentary, exploring the physical and emotional landscape of an often overlooked San…

Lucky Fish

Film Lucky Fish Directed by Emily May Jampel Two teenage girls meet in the bathroom of a Chinese restaurant while having dinner with their families.

Lunchbox

Film Lunchbox Directed by Anne Hu Three recipes—zongzi, turnip cake, and hand cut noodles—release painful memories baked into beloved foods.

Maneki

Film Maneki Directed by Brandon Okumura When she asks out her crush, a cashier at a ramen restaurant must face the emotional and professional…

May We Know Our Own Strength

Film May We Know Our Own Strength Directed by Jih-E Peng Its title shifting in meaning, this film documents Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s similarly titled sculptural installation, exploring gender-based violence towards…

Mestizo Love

Film Mestizo Love Directed by Solia Y. Reyes A real-life rom-com of two interracial couples exploring love, experience, and culture in one big family.

Mink!

Film Mink! Directed by Ben Proudfoot History and policy come alive in MINK! Wendy Mink creates a portrait of her charming mother Patsy Takemoto…

Murder Tongue

Film Murder Tongue Directed by Ali Sohail Jaura The brutal oppression of Urdu speakers in 1990s Karachi is vividly dramatized in this heartfelt work of protest…

My Mother’s Daughter

Film My Mother’s Daughter Directed by Flo Singer Two estranged half-sisters—one born and raised in China, the other in the U.S.—meet for the very first time.

Next Gen

Film Next Gen Directed by Sophia Hernandez Teenage children of immigrants reflect on resilience as they balance embracing American culture and their respective family heritage.

Only the Moon Stands Still

Film Only the Moon Stands Still Directed by Johnson Cheng When their matriarch collapses, a mother and daughter navigate running the family ballroom—and chasing other dreams—in the absence…

Opera

Film Opera Directed by Janelle Feng A Peking Opera troupe arrives in Vancouver and gets ready to take the stage.

Parallel

Film Parallel Directed by Rosanna Lee The experience of belonging (and not belonging) is told through the eyes of a mixed race Chinese British…

Party Poster

Film Party Poster Directed by Rishi Chandna For the people of one suburb in Mumbai, to have your face plastered on a public banner is…

Persona

Film Persona Directed by Sujin Moon Anime, cuteness, and body horror converge in this unsettling unpeeling of the surfaces we inhabit.

Piece of Mind

Film Piece of Mind Directed by Daniel Alejandro Zasueta A young filmmaker reconnects with his father’s spirit through music and memories left behind. This reflective documentary embraces…

Pretend You’re There

Film Pretend You’re There Directed by Katie Colosimo Katie Colosimo recounts life’s simple pleasures in this brief, sweet meditation on positive thinking.

Priceless Pride

Film Priceless Pride Directed by Sophie Zeng An exploration of the commercialization of Pride today, asking whether it contributes to—or detracts from—support for the LGBTQ+…

Rebolusyon

Film Rebolusyon Directed by COZA San Diego’s AnakBayan Organization heads to the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles to protest against Philippine President…

Revolver

Film Revolver Directed by Crystal Z Campbell Ambiguous images mirror alternate modes of perception and create a litmus test for historical interpretation in this experimental…

Ridiculous Nurshad

Film Ridiculous Nurshad Directed by Ikram Nurmehmet A group of Uyghur friends debate a dubious opinion about COVID-19 over a hearty meal, as Emir Kusturica’s…

Rinna

Film Rinna Directed by Kyle Tianshi A piano teacher born in Odessa, Ukraine chronicles her journey as an American immigrant in a turbulent century.…

Same Old

Film Same Old Directed by Lloyd Lee Choi After discovering his bike has been stolen, an NYC delivery gig worker’s night is thrown into turmoil.

Sappukei

Film Sappukei Directed by Chun Wang, Hikky Chen Capturing reverberations, disorientations, and sculptures beyond time, a Japanese director wanders Saigon after losing her lead.

Selfhood

Film Selfhood Directed by Lily Tran A story about a young, Asian American Berkeley student who, throughout adolescence, used hard work and perseverance to…

Shallots & Garlic

Film Shallots & Garlic Directed by Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto Despite making Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, Nur’s family can’t see past her weight. What begins as a…

Sincerely Miné Okubo

Film Sincerely Miné Okubo Directed by Yuka Murakami Weaving together insights from Obuko’s nieces, archival photographs, and Okubo’s own artwork before, during, and after incarceration in…

Soft Sounds of Peeling Fruit

Film Soft Sounds of Peeling Fruit Directed by So Young Shelly Yo Hayoung is stuck between worlds. The sweet days with her rich boyfriend, the promises of the future she…

Souvenirs

Film Souvenirs Directed by Andrew Theodore Balasia A [friend/father/what-have-you]-for-hire navigates professional boundaries in this heady film about intimacy, time, and what it is we want…

Strangers

Film Strangers Directed by Rajee Samarasinghe When Rajee Samarasinghe’s mother was a child, she was sent away from her parents to live with other…

Sugar Glass Bottle

Film Sugar Glass Bottle Directed by Neo Sora In this stylish neo-noir set in a near-future Tokyo, two teenage boys planning a prank discover the hard…

Tehura

Film Tehura Directed by Wei Li Wei Li depicts the underside of paradise with a Gauguin-esque animation style. Through the story of a Tahitian…

The Acceptance Speech

Film The Acceptance Speech Directed by Kexin Yao Through a richly rhythmic stream of consciousness, an artist contemplates the narrative arc of an acceptance speech, while…

The Balcony

Film The Balcony Directed by Anya Martin A slice-of-life animation about connection and its absence, and just how close we can get to relative strangers.

The Blessing

Film The Blessing Directed by Ziyao Liu An international filmmaking student struggles to make a video for her mother’s wedding. Grief, stress, and loneliness deconstruct…

The Life I Know

Film The Life I Know Directed by Cami Kwan, Marie Jamora Getting old is hard, even when you’re a toddler. This stop motion plays with dimensionality and felt to…

The Making of Crime Scenes

Film The Making of Crime Scenes Directed by Hsu Che-Yu In 1984, KMT operative Wu Dun famously assassinated dissident writer Henry Liu in the Bay Area. Less known…

The Moon and the Tree

Film The Moon and the Tree Directed by Tsai Ming-liang Director Tsai Ming-liang captures moments with two Taiwanese artists: Lee Pei-jing, former pop star, now undergoing physical therapy,…

The Round Chessboard

Film The Round Chessboard Directed by Nobukazu Kawabata Filmed in one take, three friends—possibly out of this world—discuss flying to space.

The Song of Rain

Film The Song of Rain Directed by Tetsuichiro Tsuta Two men—one urban, the other rural—share life in a modernist Earthship in the Japanese countryside. Their survivalist routines:…

The Valorant Ones

Film The Valorant Ones Directed by Junobi Ree An experimental doc exploring the quiet feelings running through teen friendship, many homelands, storytelling, and loss.

The Voice Actress

Film The Voice Actress Directed by Anna J. Takayama Kingyo, a voice actress in Tokyo, bestows delightful and unearthly voices to cartoon characters. The world of voice…

The Wind Carries Us Home

Film The Wind Carries Us Home Directed by Udval Altangerel Featuring an immersive score and haunting, dreamlike images of the Gobi desert, Mongolian sisters—the filmmaker’s aunts—travel to their…

Unfamiliar Familiar

Film Unfamiliar Familiar Directed by Hae-Sup Sin Death forces a woman to fly to Korea during the pandemic, and in doing so she is confronted…

w(HO)

Film w(HO) Directed by Candace Ho In this offbeat, animated documentary, Candace Ho reflects, reclaims, and reckons with growing up with the last name…

What Rules The Invisible

Film What Rules The Invisible Directed by Tiffany Sia Tiffany Sia’s essay film mixes amateur travelogue footage of Hong Kong with family oral history to capture ghosts,…

Wild Rose

Film Wild Rose Directed by Hannsue Estranged from her family after coming out, a woman receives a visit from a teenage nephew who is…

Will You Look At Me

Film Will You Look At Me Directed by Shuli Huang A lushly shot exploration of time, about homophobia that stays and sticks and harms, about complicated histories and…

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