Official Selections: LA Asian Film Festival
Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film
The Door Refused
Short
USA Premiere
After an act of violence shatters her sense of safety, a young pregnant woman isolates herself from the world, until her father’s silent presence reopens wounds she cannot ignore. "The Door Refused" is a quiet study of trauma, tenderness, and the weight of unspoken love.
Director: Nguyen Thanh Thuy
Producer: Duong Hai Long
Writer: Phung Nhuong
Cast: Pham Thu Minh, Tran Tien
Cinematographer: Phuong Bong, Nong Ich Nam, Truong Hao Nhien
Editor: Nong Hoang Son, Nguyen Hong Van, Nguyen Thanh Thuy
Official Selection and Top 6 – Inspiring Vietnam 2025 Short Film Competition
Website: https://saucanhcua.my.canva.site/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saucanhcua.film/
The Stranger
Shorts Shorts
Eunhee struggles to care for her ill mother, Young-ja, who loves only her son and refuses to go to the hospital with her. This pattern has persisted throughout Eunhee's life. After Young-ja's death, Eunhee grapples with mixed emotions towards her mother. She gradually encounters her feelings as she talks with David, a cleaner from the ‘Grief Cleaning’ service. In the end, she finds herself mourning after discovering a note from her mother hidden behind a photo.
Director: Minseo Kwon
Producer: Adin Replogle
Writer: Minseo Kwon
Cast: Victoria Sheen, Seong Park, Angie Rhee
Cinematographer: Zhen Li
Editor: Adin Replogle
Selected and Screened in 11th Asian World Film Festival (screening for Focus on Korea), Chain NYC Film Festival, KAFFNY Infinite Cinema
Selected and Awarded in Independent Shorts Awards (August 2025): Best Actress (Silver Award), Best Student Female Director (Bronze), Best Student Short (Honorable Mention)
Instagram: @minseoannie / @mare.lalune
Threading the Needle
Short
Los Angeles Premiere
Twenty years after their adoption, two Chinese Americans attempt to reconcile their ethnicity with their experiences.
Director: AJ Johnson
Producer: AJ Johnson
Writer: AJ Johnson
Cast: AJ Johnson, Mia Nails
Cinematographer: AJ Johnson
Editor: AJ Johnson
What does it mean to be Asian American? For Chinese American adoptees, the answer is uncertain. The circumstances of adoption—severed lineage and a transracial upbringing—complicate identifying with either. Despite a growing presence of Asians in popular media, these depictions are incongruent with the experiences of adoptees, who often lack the same cultural traditions, language knowledge, or access to Asian community. Threading the Needle is a personal journey to establish belonging through confronting the strained relationship between heritage and upbringing. The film was completed as a senior year capstone project for the University of Central Florida's documentary production program.
Instagram: @adj.ohnson