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shareFor the third year, films at this year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival are free for youth.
Many films at SDAFF are appropriate for younger audiences, and we encourage parents to explore the full program to see what their children may enjoy.
For elementary-aged children, check out our SHORTS FOR SHORTIES! program.
For youth middle school aged and above, the following films are recommended:
Thu, Nov 5
In Waves
Directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen
Amid the sun-filled surf culture of SoCal, two lovestruck teens face a tragic twist of fate but find strength in friends and the ocean.
7:00 pm
San Diego Natural History Museum
Fri, Nov 6
Eve and the Fire Horse
Directed by Julia Kwan
When Eve and Kareena lose their beloved grandmother, they turn to religion and folklore to grieve: Kareena is drawn to the strict rules of Christianity, Eve prefers to explore and blend all religions.
5:40 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony
Directed by Habiba Nosheen
In a place where girls and sport rarely mix, joy, ambition, and quiet rebellion take root as three teen girls carve out space for themselves, one somersault at a time.
6:20 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Sat, Nov 7
SHORTS ANIMATION: ENTROPIC TIDE
Like tides, our lives carry us across unfamiliar shores, through growing pains, tangled worlds, and the wonder and uncertainty of existence. Twelve shorts across diverse animated mediums trace these shifting currents—from displacement to belonging, from becoming to unraveling.
1:00 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Not a Hero
Directed by Rima Das
Exiled from city comforts to his ancestral village, Mivan meets his embittered aunt, befriends a horse and joins the local kids on wild adventures, discovering the beauty of life and a courage he never knew he had.
2:50 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Sun, Nov 8
REEL VOICES
Grief, fear, and loss can consume the mind, but these twelve filmmakers convert adversities into connection, humor, and strength. Come celebrate this year’s Reel Voices films, which reflect on love that survives through memory and the community that surrounds it.
12:00 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Beyond the Smiles: Yani Tseng
Directed by Frank W Chen
The historic and unparalleled rise, fall, and epic comeback of global golf icon Yani Tseng who returns to the golf course and embarks on a quest to explore her life’s purpose.
2:30 pm
AMC UTC 14
Mon, Nov 9
I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish
Directed by Chao Koi-Wang, Hu Chin-Yen
A broke man and a young girl with unusable casino chips form an unlikely alliance, hoping to outplay fate and win back their happiness.
5:30 pm
AMC UTC 14
Ideal and Weird Family
Directed by Kim Jihyun
Da-sun and Hee-soo, a lesbian couple, decide to divorce. As their two children struggle to choose which mother to live with, the family sets out on an unexpected trip together.
5:40 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Wed, Nov 11
Gohan
Directed by Atta Hemwadee, Baz Poonpiriya, Chayanop Boonprakob
For ten years, a stray dog roamed with nothing but a pure heart – a heart that carried him through an odyssey of love, loyalty, and the enduring bond between man and dog – a bond that will echo in our hearts forever.
5:00 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
TikTok Never Dies
Directed by Hao Wu
As TikTok faces a U.S. ban, three influencers take their fight to the Supreme Court, only to discover that their unexpected ally is Donald Trump, who first tried to kill the app in 2020.
7:50 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
You are the Film
Directed by Makoto Ueda
Madoka and Kazuma go and see a movie, only to discover the other person on the screen. They communciate through the screen and work hard to solve the problems that arise in each other's story.
8:00 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Thu, Nov 12
Hoop Like This
Directed by Shubhangi Shekhar
The 12 best Indian basketball players from around the world join forces to compete for $1 million on ESPN to show the world that brown ballers exist.
7:15 pm
Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts at UC San Diego
Gohan
Directed by Atta Hemwadee, Baz Poonpiriya, Chayanop Boonprakob
For ten years, a stray dog roamed with nothing but a pure heart – a heart that carried him through an odyssey of love, loyalty, and the enduring bond between man and dog – a bond that will echo in our hearts forever.
7:55 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Fri, Nov 13
Hoop Like This
Directed by Shubhangi Shekhar
The 12 best Indian basketball players from around the world join forces to compete for $1 million on ESPN to show the world that brown ballers exist.
7:55 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Sat, Nov 14
SHORTS for SHORTIES
The pressure is rising, the barometer is falling, come enjoy short films specially curated for our Super El Niños!
11:00 am
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Not a Hero
Directed by Rima Das
Exiled from city comforts to his ancestral village, Mivan meets his embittered aunt, befriends a horse and joins the local kids on wild adventures, discovering the beauty of life and a courage he never knew he had.
2:35 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
Ba’s Book
Directed by Ashley Da-Lê Duong
After a father writes a memoir in the form of letters to his daughter about his harrowing experiences of the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution, the daughter responds by making a film.
7:30 pm
UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley
