Short
West Coast Premiere

When a despondent girl tells her emotionally absent father about her intentions to move away from Hong Kong, conflicting feelings and internalized emotions from her upbringing boil to the surface.

Director: Christopher Li
Producer: Christopher Li
Writer: Christopher Li
Cast: Kristie Lam, Steven O'Ty
Cinematographer: Dajiana Huang
Editor: Haruka Gerald

Website: christopherlicine.com

Instagram: instagram.com/cine.chris

Short

When a rebellious Taiwanese-American teenager refuses to break up with her white boyfriend, tensions with her traditional parents erupt.

Director: Jason Chan
Producer: Apple Chang
Writer: Jason Chan            
Cast: Ruth Weng, Fan-Chin Lao, Teng-Ko Weng, Thomas Masin
Cinematographer: Thomas Wang
Editor: Jason Chan

Short

A gifted teenager faces the loyalty of his friends and the impact on his future after a violent confrontation spirals out of control.

Director / Producer / Writer: Thiloshon Nagarajah            
Cast: Luke Swanson, Brando Antoine Fuqua, Santiago Acebras, Rocco Wu
Cinematographer: Daeil Kim
Editor: Thiloshon Nagarajah

"Cuffed" is the coming-of-age journey of Mike, and an altercation and its aftermath act as the catalyst for his self-discovery, pushing him to embrace his true identity. In presenting this narrative, the director challenges viewers to confront their own biases. Does our ingrained racial bias lead us to associate individuals with stereotypical traits? By leaving the altercation ambiguous and open-ended, the film invites viewers to question whether they instinctively believe Mike is at fault, highlighting the influence of racial bias.

Website: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36270670 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuffed.film/

Short
World Premiere

Ming returns to his childhood hometown, haunted by guilt over his grandmother's death. At his old house, he experiences supernatural encounters and the ghost of his grandmother reassures him that her death was not his fault. Realizing her spirit protected him from a train crash, Ming finds peace and honors her memory.

Director: Kexin Tang
Producer: Kexin Tang
Writer: Kexin Tang
Cast: Jingbei "Sebastian" Bai, Lee Chen - Norman
Cinematographer: Bin Luo
Editor: Leading Digital Post

Website: https://www.shortfilmgrandma.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandma_shortfilm

Short

Kumar Kumar is alone on his birthday. His social feed is dead. Maybe he should be too? But then, the computer dings.

Kumar is an immigrant of color, a stranger in a new land, often unwelcome, who craves human connection. This story is about loneliness and mental health in the social media age.

Director: Kiran Koshy
Producers: Matt League, Kiran Koshy, Joshua Hess, Parvesh Cheena, Steve Wi
Writer: Matt League             
Cast: Parvesh Cheena, Brittany Wilhelm
Cinematographer: Joshua Hess
Editor: Adam Henderson

International South Asian Film Festival, Canada - Winner, Best North American Short
LA Comedy Film Festival - Official Selection
Monte Carlo Comedy Film festival - Official Selection (Only US entry in the final selection of 11 shorts)
DisOrient Asian American Film Festival, Oregon, Bend, Oregon - Official Selection
South Asian Film Festival Of Montreal - Official Selection
Dublin Comedy Festival - Official Selection
Humor En Corto, Spain - Official Selection
Kinsale Sharks Awards, Ireland - Shortlist for Acting
POFF Dark Nights, Estonia - Official Selection
Berlin Commercial Film Festival, Germany - Raw Selection

Website: https://kumarkumarfilm.com/
Instagram: @kumarkumarfilm

Short
Los Angeles Premiere

The story follows a young Chinese immigrant girl who seeks to connect with her late mother by studying for college in China. Throughout her journey, she realizes that she can connect with her deceased mother through her father and younger siblings, understanding that they are not disturbing her; rather, they are supporting her in unexpected ways.

A film dedicated to and inspired by my wonderful siblings. I love and miss you guys so much! 

Director: Helen Liu (荷花)
Writer: Helen Liu（荷花）
Producer: Victoria Galan            
Cast: NANA, Achsah Mimi Xu, Ethan Dai, Simon Xu
Cinematographer: Natasha Salvador
Editor: Jedidiah Cheng

Official Selection - Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival  
Official Selection – Italy TimeLine Film Festival

Instagram:@onelasttime.film, @helenhehua

Short Documentary

Focusing on the cultural obligations and traditions of caregiving in the South Asian community, this short documentary explores the perspectives of three separate South Asian families who have become caregivers for one or more of their elders.

Director: Reshma Dordi
Producer: Brenna Martinez, Ayushi Chhabra
Writer: Reshma Dordi, Brenna Martinez, Ayushi Chhabra           
Cinematographer: Cory Ford
Editor: Cory Ford

Best Documentary Short Film Award - South Asian International Film Festival Florida

Website: www.pearlinc.co

Documentary
West Coast Premiere

A hidden ritual. A sacred promise. A cornfield transformed.

In 1980, His Holiness the Dalai Lama received a humble request from a simple monk in America: to perform the Kalachakra initiation—a powerful tantric ritual never before held outside of India or Tibet—in the heart of rural Wisconsin.

What followed was nothing short of miraculous. In just a few months, the monk's devoted students overcame local resistance, built a temple from the ground up, and transformed a Midwestern cornfield into a site of ancient wisdom and spiritual awakening, attracting over 1000 spiritual seekers from around the world.

Captured on film then locked away in Smithsonian vaults for over 40 years, this long-lost footage resurfaces to reveal a story of devotion, transformation, and a moment when time, space, and tradition converged in the unlikeliest of places.

The Dalai Lama’s Gift is a cinematic meditation on faith, legacy, and the power of one sacred encounter to ripple across generations.

Director: Ed Bastian
Producer: Ed Bastian, Jennifer Beman, Sherpa Tulku, Catherine Wyler
Writer: Jennifer Beman             
Cast: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Lhundub Sopa
Cinematographer: Mark Sammels, Jim Whitney, Paul Lynch, Frederick Taylor
Editor: Jennifer Beman

Website: https://www.dalailamagift.org/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/DalaiLamasGift/

Short
Los Angeles Premiere

A woman reveals secrets to her sister's fiancé in this offbeat comedy about therapy, relationships, and being too smart for your own good

Director: Eshaana Sheth
Producer: Riley Bathauer, Katie Basu, Eshaana Sheth
Production Company: Stereogram Films
Writer: Eshaana Sheth             
Cast: Eshaana Sheth, Jasper Ross
Cinematographer: Riley Bathauer
Editor: Riley Bathauer

Director's Statement by Eshaana Sheth: The Fishbowl marks my return to filmmaking since getting diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing ongoing treatments. It is also the first time in which I am both directing and acting. On the surface, The Fishbowl is a simple, spunky short. Upon further examination, it explores topical themes such as healthcare and pop psychology through the lens of family dynamics.
eshaana.com
Instagram

Website: https://www.stereogramfilms.com/

Short Film

Amidst the mournful drive to a funeral, Maya wrestles with the burden of grief and the weight of guilt, while her partner senses an unspoken distance growing between them. Within the shadows of uncertainty, they’re forced to confront what remains unsaid.

Director: Matty Peacock
Producer: Jordan Vernes, Noa Fisher, Matty Peacock
Writer:  Matty Peacock, Taylor Koekkoek            
Cast: Noa Fisher, Eli Brown, Deb Never
Cinematographer: Zachary Shea
Editor: Jennifer Chung

Instagram: @truthaboutengines