(AUSTIN, TEXAS – June 3, 2025; source: Juice Consulting) – The official film lineup and full programming for the 17th annual Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) has been announced and can be found below, and on the AAAFF website here. This exciting exploration of Asian Diasporic, Asian American, International and Texan filmmakers will be held at the AFS Cinema (located at 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752) June 25 – 29. Festival badges and single-screening tickets are available for purchase now on the AAAFF website.
“Our lineup this year has a tremendously strong showing from local Asian American filmmakers and a testament to the strength of our film creatives community in Austin,” said AAAFF Executive Director Hanna Huang. “In the selected films this year, we see so many stories of rebellion. It comes as stories on screen about rebelling against perceptions about how we should act, look, and be.”
Special events of note for this year’s programming include the Badgeholder Opening Night Party on Wednesday, June 25 at DAM-A Korean BBQ, and a Texas Shorts Reception in the AFS Cinema lobby following the local filmmakers block on Thursday, June 26.
AAAFF is also set to host their annual Red Carpet Event ahead of this year’s centerpiece film, “Chinatown Cha-Cha” by Luka Yuanyuan Yang, on Friday, June 27, starting at 6:30 p.m. The carpet will feature several filmmakers from this year’s lineup, actors and members of the AAAFF team; more details to be announced soon. Following the Red Carpet and screening that same evening, there will be a Centerpiece Party at St. John Studios. The event is open to all badgeholders and centerpiece film attendees, entry is $10 at the door for the public. See below for more details on the full programming for this year’s Austin Asian American Film Festival.
Wednesday, June 25
Welcome Remarks & Intro
6:30 p.m.
“Together Days” by Isabella Tan
6:45 – 7:08 p.m.
Country of Origin: Malaysia
Language: English and Malay with English Subtitles
“All That We Love” by Yen Tan
7:08 – 8:38 p.m.
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
Opening Night film; Q&A to follow with director Yen Tan
Badgeholder Opening Night Afterparty
9:30 – 11:30 p.m. @DAM-A Korean BBQ
Address: 713 E Huntland Dr, Austin, TX 78752
Thursday, June 26:
Texas Shorts Showcase:
5:30 – 6:40 p.m.
“Still Drawing” by Yuta Yamaguchi
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
“Patsy” by John Valley
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
“Rooftop Lempicka” by Hang Luong Nguyen
Country of Origin: Vietnam
Language: Vietnamese with English Subtitles
“Newbies” by Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence & Megan Trufant Tillman
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
“An Ongoing List of Things Found in the Library Book Drop, Usually Being Used as Bookmarks” by Kayla Abuda Galang
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
Live Q&A with Texas Filmmakers to follow
Texas Shorts Reception
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
“Paying For It” by Sook-Yin Lee
8:10 – 10:00 p.m.
Country of Origin: Canada
Language: English
Live Q&A to follow with director Sook-Yin Lee
Friday, June 27:
“Night and Fog in Kurdistan” by Shilan Saadi
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Country of Origin: Iran, Belgium, Canada, Georgia, Turkey
Language: Kurdish and Turkish with English Subtitles
AAAFF Red Carpet Event
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
“Chinatown Cha-Cha” by Luka Yuanyuan Yang
7:45 – 9:15 p.m.
Country of Origin: China
Language: English
Centerpiece Film; Live Q&A to follow with director Luka Yuanyuan Yang
Afterparty
9:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. @St. John Studios
Address: 705 W. St. Johns Ave Austin, TX 78752
Saturday, June 28:
Morning Matcha & Chai by Central Matcha
10:30 a.m.
**Limited availability, Badgeholders prioritized
Shorts Block:
11:00 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
“Almost Certainly False” by Cansu Baydar
Country of Origin: Turkey
Language: Turkish and Arabic with English Subtitles
“Have I Swallowed Your Dreams” by Clara Chan
Country of Origin: Canada
Language: English
“Suo Jiang” by Chien Yu Lin
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Language: Mandarin with English Subtitles
“The Last Day” by Farzad Samimi
Country of Origin: Iran
Language: Persian with English Subtitles
“29 Hour Famine” by Etzu Shaw
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
“Vox Humana” by Don Josephus Raphael Ebblahan
Country of Origin: Philippines, Singapore, USA
Language: Filipino with English Subtitles
“Gloria” by Kim Blanck
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
Live Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance
“Your Touch Makes Others Invisible” by Rajee Samarasinghe
1:45 – 3:00 p.m
Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Language: Tamil with English Subtitles
Live Q&A to follow with Rajee Samarasinghe
Onigiri Break by Asahi Imports
3:00 p.m. – Enjoy a Japanese rice ball from local shop Asahi Imports!
**Limited availability, Badgeholders prioritized
“Third Act” by Tadashi Nakamura
3:45 – 5:20 p.m.
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
Live Q&A to follow with Tadashi Nakamura
“Standing Above The Clouds” by Jalena Keane-Lee
6:10 – 7:40 p.m.
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
Live Q&A to follow with Jalena Keane-Lee
“Trio Hall” by Su Hui-yu
8:30 – 10 p.m.
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Language: Mandarin with English Subtitles
Sunday, June 29:
“Made in Ethiopia” by Max Duncan & Xinyan Yu
11:30 a.m. – 1:02 p.m.
Country of Origin: USA
Language: Amharic, English, and Oromo with English Subtitles
Live Q&A to follow with Xinyan Yu
Documentary Shorts Block:
1:50 – 3:33 p.m.
“The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing” by Theo Panagopoulos
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Language: English
“Home and Away” by Rachata Thongruay
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Language: Thai with English Subtitles
“We Were the Scenery” by Christopher Radcliff
Country of Origin: USA
Language: Vietnamese with English Subtitles
“Welcome Home Freckles” by Huiju Park
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Language: Korean with English Subtitles
“Amma’s Pride” by Shiva Krish
Country of Origin: India
Language: Tamil with English Subtitles
Live Q&A to follow with filmmakers in attendance
“Sabar Bonda” (Cactus Pears) by Rohan Kanawade
4:20 – 6:15 p.m.
Country of Origin: India
Language: Marathi with English Subtitles
“Waterdrop” by Jongyong Choi
6:40 – 8:29 p.m.
Country of Origin: South Korea
Language: Korean with English Subtitles
“Sunshine” by Antoinette Jadaone
8:55 – 10:29 p.m.
Country of Origin: Philippines
Language: Filipino with English Subtitles
Closing Night Film
Closing Night Party
10:30 p.m. – Location TBA
**Open to all film festival attendees
ABOUT AAAFF:
Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) produces programs that tell Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) stories through film, educates about AANHPI issues, and builds community through partnerships with creatives and other organizations. AAAFF is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. More information can be found at www.aaafilmfest.org.
