Official Selections: 2nd-8th LA Asian Film Festivals
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film
Leftovers
Los Angeles Premiere
Description/storyline of your film: After taking over his family's Chinatown restaurant, Steven and his pet fish must find a way to survive as a global pandemic sweeps New York City.
Director: Law Chen
Producer: Jon Hsu and Law Chen
Writer: Law Chen
Cast: Rich Liu, Joe Chan, Geoff Lee, Chriss McGinn, Brett Aresco
Cinematographer: Tinx Chan
Editor: Law Chen
Short of the Week
Seattle Asian American Film Festival
DisOrient Asian American Film Festival
Website: thelawchen.com
Instagram: thelawchen
Mansanas
USA Premiere
An optimistic Filipina woman who has just immigrated to Canada is excited to try an apple for the first time. Similar to her experiences as a new immigrant, the apple isn't what she expected.
Director: Erin Hembrador
Producer: Erin Hembrador
Writer: Erin Hembrador
Cast: Sheila Lotuaco, Katty Sayapheth, Kristian Cahatol
Cinematographer: Quan Luong
Editor: Sara Bulloch
The story for Mansanas (Apple in Tagalog) was inspired by my Dad's first experience trying an Apple after immigrating to Canada from the Philippines. My Dad grew up on a farm and only ate fruits such as mangoes, papayas, jackfruit etc, so when he moved to Canada he was excited to finally try an apple. Unfortunately the apple didn't live up to his expectations and he preferred the fruits he grew up with. My Dad's story resonated with me and I thought about how this underwhelming feeling about an apple could be a reflection of how immigrants feel when they move to a different Country. At first there is a feeling of excitement, hope and opportunity, but eventually individuals may long for the home they left behind.
Microwave Coven
Short
After buying a microwave from a peculiar woman, two college roommates discover their new appliance is not quite what it seems.
Director: Josh Almario
Producer: Rielly Alexander, Leon Sheen
Writer: Rielly Alexander, Jordan Campbell
Cast: Rielly Alexander, Leon Sheen, Brooke Hutton, Gabe Merritt
Cinematographer: Josh Almario
Editor: Peter McGarry
- Oregon Short Film Festival Best Dark Comedy award winner
- Canada Shorts Film Festival Award of Excellence
Instagram: @riellyalexander, @leonsheen
Nanakorobi (Seven Falls)
Nanakorobi (Seven Falls) is a story about a young girl in Hokkaido who overcomes seven trials to save an orphan during a snowstorm. The film’s title is from a famous Japanese proverb: "Nana korobi, Ya oki," which means "seven times you may fall, but get up the eighth.” The story and original score were created by composer Glenna Burmer, with animation by artistic director Gaby Breiter and the team at Deep Sky Studios in Portland, Oregon. The animation style reflects sumi brush strokes, as a tribute to Glenna Burmer’s mother Nobu Kamimura, who was a sumi-e artist.
Director: Glenna Burmer and Gaby Breiter
Producer: Glenna Burmer
Writer: Glenna Burmer
Animators: Gaby Breiter and Deep Sky Studios
Composer: Glenna Burmer
Nanakorobi has won multiple 2021 international film festival awards for best animated short, best original score, and best Seattle filmmaker.
Long Night's Search for the Day
A young Chinese woman navigates her place in the world after a hospital refuses to give her further treatment which would damage her hymen.
Director: Dai Leyi
Producer: Achim Mendoza
Writer: Dai Leyi
Cast: Tian Yi, Claire Yi, Zong Jingtian, Dai Pei, Qian Jianxing
Cinematographer: Justin Chor Yu Liu
Editor: Achim Mendoza
Maron Doll
One night, after 30 years apart, a daughter returns to her lonely mother. With a bitter history between them, the two struggle to mend their broken bond ridden in a tragic circumstance. “Maron Doll” explores a difficult relationship and how we can rebuild bridges we thought were long since burned.
Director: Soo Chyun, Yoo Seok Jong
Producer: Jonathan Maas, Christian Chyun
Writer: Soo Chyun
Cast: Lara Helena, Michelle West, Crystal Porter Bazemore, Azra Kearns
Cinematographer: Yoo Seok Jong
Editor: Daniel J. Pico
Winner, Best First Time Filmmaker – Venice Shorts
Winner, Best Drama Short – IndieX Film Fest
Winner, Best Original Story – Los Angeles Film Awards
Winner, Special Jury Award – Los Angeles Film Awards
Finalist, Best Picture – Los Angeles Film Awards
Finalist, Best Screenplay – Los Angeles Film Awards
Nominee, Best Drama Short – Indie Short Fest
Official Selection, Best First Time Director (Female) – Independent Shorts Awards
Official Selection, Best Drama Short – Independent Shorts Awards
Official Selection, Best Child/Young Actress – Independent Shorts Awards
Official Selection, Narrative Short (Live-Action) – Flick Fair Film Festival
Official Selection, Best Narrative Short – LA Independent Women Film Awards
Official Selection, Short Film – Los Angeles Asian Film Festival
Website: http://ezekiel.la/
Instagram: @ezekiel_company/
Facebook: facebook.com/EzekielDramaMinistry/
MeiHouWang
Animated Short
Sun brings his love for the legendary Monkey King to his first day of preschool but is met with ridicule from a trio of classmates. Facing this rejection, he transforms into the Monkey King and challenges them to a battle in order to prove the power of his hero. The trio accepts, channeling strength from their own heroes, and havoc breaks loose.
Director: Justin Ni
Producer: Justin Ni
Writer: Justin Ni
Cast: N/A
Animator: Justin Ni
Editor: Justin Ni
Background Artist: Leah Hong
Animation Cleanup/Color: Alyssa Huang
Music: Michael Van Bodegom Smith
Additional Music: Dylan Harper
Sound Designer: Logan Hughes
Website: jniart.weebly.com
Instagram: @justin.ni
Mum and Me
USA Premiere
Short
When his lies unravel, Navdip is forced to choose between eternal adolescence and embarking on adulthood.
NAVDIP, late 30’s, has never managed to move out of his parent’s house. Mum expects him to fill the void of her emotionally absent husband. Both are frustrated and inevitably lash out at each other.
Ashamed of his situation, Navdip tells his new love interest that he lives an independent and successful life.
When his lies start to unravel, Navdip is forced to choose between eternal adolescence and embarking on adulthood.
Director: Maninderpal Sahota
Producer: Rami Pantoja
Writer: Maninderpal Sahota Cast: Sudha Bhuchar, Waleed Akhtar
Cinematographer (if applicable): Taina Galis
Editor: Taina Galis
News From Fukushima: Meditation on an Under-Reported Catastrophe by a Poet
Los Angeles Premiere
A performance of poetry, dance, theater, video and music to tell the story of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, juxtaposed with the story of friendship between two women.
Director: Yoshiaki Tago
Producer: Yuri Kageyama
Writer: Yuri Kageyama
Cast: Takemi Kitamura, Monisha Shiva, Shigeko Sara Suga, Stomu Takeishi, Isaku Kageyama, Kouzan Kikuchi, Joe Small.
Cinematographer: Yoshiaki Tago, Kate McKinley
Editor: Eri Muraki
Official Selection LA Asian Film Festival 2021.
Official Selection Jade Jaguar Cinema Festival in Brazil August 2021.
Official Selection Universe Multicultural Film Festival August 2021.
Award of Excellence Writer/Script Docu-Drama Feature Official Selection WRPN Women's International Film Festival Spring 2021.
Finalist Official Selection New Year Film Festival February 2021.
Finalist Official Selection Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival February 2021.
Honorable Mention Official Selection London International Monthly Film Festival February 2021.
Best Ecology Documentary Official Selection Best Film Awards January 2021.
Official Selection Finalist Beyond the Curve International Film Festival January 2021.
Semi-Finalist Official Selection Jelly Film Festival January 2021.
Official Selection Vancouver Independent Film Festival January 2021.
Official Selection Toronto International Women Film Festival January 2021.
Best Documentary Official Selection Rome International Movie Awards January 2021.
Finalist Official Selection Flixze Film Festival Jan. 2021.
Official Selection Kalakari Film Festival May 2021.
Grand Festival Award - Cine Dance Poem Berkeley Video & Film Festival November 2019.
Best Documentary Feature Winner Royal Wolf Film Awards December 2020.
Nominated Best Documentary BIMIFF - Brazil International Monthly Independent Film Festival November 2020.
Best Documentary Feature Madras Independent Film Festival October 2020 Edition.
Best Experimental Documentary Sicily Independent Film Awards August 2020.
Finalist Official Selection Montreal Independent Film Festival September 2020.
Official Selection Motion Pictures International Film Festival November 2020.
Official Selection Silent River Film Festival in California August 2020.
Official Selection Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival June 2020.
Select Showcase Official Selection at the Guam International Film Festival (2019~2020), airing on PBS Guam June 2020.
Official Selection ARTS X SDGS film festival New York April 2020.
Official Selection 2020 Oniros Film Awards.
Finalist Best Asian Feature Film at the New Vision International Film Festival in Amsterdam September 2019.
Website: yurikageyama.com/meditation
Twitter: @yurikageyama
Ma
Los Angeles Premiere
Short
A Japanese American family finds balance in an incarceration camp during World War II.
Director: Terre Nguyen
Producer: Chris Debo
Writer: Galen Hogan-Barden
Cast: Akiko Fujiwara, Takaaki Hirakawa, Ian Noh, Wain Richardson
Cinematographer: Joseph Puccio
Editor: Danielle Phan
The film is a student project for VCUarts (Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts)
Director's Instagram: @terre_nguyen
Magic Kingdom 夢樂園
West Coast Premiere
Director: Nelson Ng Chak-Hei
Producer: Hillary Tzeng
Writer: Nicholas Shay, Nelson Ng Chak-Hei
Story by: Pauline Siu McNaughton
Cast: Paul Kwo, Trevis Zhang, Jim Lau, Leann Lei
Cinematographer: Taylor McIntosh
Editor: Nelson Ng Chak-Hei, Emmy Leung
Composer: Olivier Cong
Production Designer: Alexah Acuña
Executive Producers: Pauline Siu McNaughton, Nicholas Shay
Social Media: IG @magic.kingdom.short.film
Match Point
Short Student Film
Raj Sharma and Thao Luong are two first-generation Australians who cross paths at the annual badminton competition. As they play out an intense battle, their hardship and journey to this path are revealed, asking the question, what will win: passion or desperation? For Raj winning this competition means convincing his mother his worth in the world of badminton. For Thao it’s all about the prize money that will help save his mother’s life.
Director: Alisha Mehra
Producer: Maxine Zanoni
Writer: Lela Turner
Cast: Kaivu Suvarna, Andrew Dang, Justin Moore, Arpita Sajula, Sasha Leong, Mai Dang, Michelle Pak, Beverley Sheppard.
Cinematographer: Ana Culanic
Editor: Emily Reeve
Proudly sponsored by Badminton Victoria and Yonex.
- Winner of Best Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year (2022) at Byron Bay International Film Festival
- Winner of Best Student Short Film (2022) at Global Indian Film Festival
- Shortlisted for the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards (2023)
Instagram: @matchpoint_shortfilm
Mestizo Love
Los Angeles Premiere
Short Documentary
A real-life rom-com of two interracial couples exploring love, experience, and culture in one big family.
Director: Solia Reyes
Producer: Reel Voices (Frank Howley and Moriah Hayes)
Writer: Solia Reyes
Cast: Christopher Reyes, Cindy Lin, Jane Lin, May Lin, Vicente Cortes
Name Crew: Tiny Toones
Los Angeles Premiere
Tuy “KK” Sobil was a Cambodian refugee born in a refugee camp in Thailand when his family escaped the Pol Pot Regime. He emigrated to Long Beach and grew up in the projects, eventually succumbing to gang life. At 19, he was arrested and deported to Cambodia. He saw that kids there had it much worse than he did growing up, living on the streets and doing drugs, and decided to help give them a better chance than he had by starting a hip hop and breakdancing school called Tiny Toones.
Director: Arestia Rosenberg
Producer: Daniel Junge, Jay Heyman, Todd Brown, Arestia Rosenberg
Cast: Tuy "KK" Sobil, Chhoeung "Shhort" Reuth, Sorn "Slick" Sochea, Sarom "Jacky" Sara, Sotheara Sreng, Sophoun Sreng
Cinematographer: Piseth Dos
Editor: Eric P. Gulliver
NAME CREW: TINY TOONES had its world premiere at the Cambodia International Film Festival in March of 2020. Since then, it's been selected for the LA Asian Film Festival, Woods Hole Film Festival, DC Shorts, and received two Awards of Excellence at the Best Shorts Competition.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/384032235
Filmmaker's website: arestiarosenberg.com/
Nice Chinese Girls Don't: Kitty Tsui
In Nice Chinese Girls Don’t: Kitty Tsui recounts her emergence as a poet, artist, activist, writer, and bodybuilder in the early days of the Women’s Liberation Movement in San Francisco. She narrates her experience of arriving to the States as an immigrant from Hong Kong by way of her own original poetry and stories. Tsui wrote the groundbreaking Words of a Woman Who Breathes Fire, the first book written by an Asian American lesbian. She is considered by many to be one of the foremothers of the API, Asian Pacific Islander, lesbian feminist movement.
Director: Jennifer Abod
Producer: Jennifer Abod
Writer: Jennifer Abod
Cast: Kitty Tsui
Cinematographer: Aubree Bernier-Clarke
Editors: Danielle Elliott, Jennifer Abod
Nice Chinese Girls Don't: Kitty Tsui won Best Documentary at both Some Prefer Cake Lesbian Film Festival and Cinema Systers Film Festival, as well as Best of Festival, the Golden Cat Award and Audience Award at the Senior Movie Film Festival in Poland.
Facebook: fb.com/kittytsuifilm
No Updates Till Tomorrow
Los Angeles Premiere
Short
When a lonely programmer's android girlfriend starts to break down, he struggles to repair her but uncovers something disturbing.
Written and Directed by: Gerard Dy
Cast: Justin Vancho, Faye Nightingale
Cinematographer: Alan Chung
Composer: Jamie Pangan
Editor: Cynthia Lau
Although unintentional, through references, we became a cast and crew of all people of color.
Instagram: @rockowl
Twitter: @rockowlm