The 24th edition of New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) running July 11–27, 2025, unveiled the lineup of films. This year’s theme is “Cinema as Disruption” spotlighting films that challenge, provoke, and reimagine.
The festival opens with the world premiere of Informant, a riotous Korean action-comedy that sets the tone for a radically inclusive lineup. Director Kim Seok will attend the premiere alongside actor Heo Sung-tae, known for his role in Squid Game.
“This year’s lineup dares to confront, question, and dream—exactly what cinema should do,” says Samuel Jamier, NYAFF Executive Director.
This year’s festival celebrates cinema legends and rising auteurs. Lisa Lu, the star of The Joy Luck Club and Crazy Rich Asians, will be honored with two awards – the Trailblazer Award and the Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award, marking the first time in the festival’s history that both distinctions will be conferred upon a single individual.
Star Asia Award recipient Ekin Cheng premieres Last Song for You, while Japanese director Toshiaki Toyoda headlines NYAFF’s first-ever mid-career retrospective, appearing in person for the North American premiere of Transcending Dimensions.
The 2025 Uncaged Award nominees are:
Time to Be Strong (힘을 낼 시간) – Namkoong Sun, South Korea (Jeonju 2024 Grand Prize)
Green Wave (前程似锦) – Xu Lei, China (Pingyao Jury Award)
Family Matters (我家的事) – Pan Ke-yin, Taiwan (Osaka Asian Film Fest – joint Best Actor ensemble)
Montages of a Modern Motherhood (虎毒不) – Oliver Chan Siu-kuen, Hong Kong (North American Premiere)
Deep in the Mountain (如意饭店) – Li Yongyi, China (directorial debut of award‑winning editor)
Jinsei – Ryuya Suzuki, Japan (Solo‑animated feature, Annecy competitor)
Travesty – Baatar Batsukh, Mongolia (Busan world premiere)
Skin of Youth (Ồn Ào Tuổi Trẻ) – Ash Mayfair, Vietnam/Singapore (North American Premiere)
The festival takes place in Manhattan across four NYC venues – Film at Lincoln Center, SVA Theatre, LOOK Cinemas W57, and the Korean Cultural Center NY.
New York Asian Film Festival 2025 Full Lineup
Films marked with ** will screen at Film at Lincoln Center.
FEATURES
BHUTAN
**I, the Song | dir. Dechen Roder, Bhutan/Norway/Italy/France, 2024 | East Coast Premiere
CHINA
**Bel Ami | dir. Geng Jun, China, 2024 | North American Premiere
Deep In The Mountain | dir. Li Yongyi, China, 2025 | North American Premiere
Girls On Wire | dir. Vivian Qu, China, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Green Wave | dir. Xu Lei, China, 2024 | North American Premiere
Legend Of The Sealed Book – 4K Restoration | dir. Wang Shuchen, China, 1983 | North American Premiere
**A Man and a Woman | dir. Guan Hu, China, 2024 | International Premiere
The Monkey King – Uproar In Heaven – 4K Restoration | dir. Wan Laiming, Tang Cheng, China, 1963 | North American Premiere
**My Friend An Delie | dir. Dong Zijian, China, 2024 | New York Premiere
A Story About Fire | dir. Li Wenyu, China, 2025 | North American Premiere
**To Kill a Mongolian Horse | dir. Xiaoxuan Jiang, China, 2024 | New York Premiere
HONG KONG (presented with the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York)
**Behind the Shadows | dir. Jonathan Li, Chou Man-Yu, Hong Kong, 2024 | North American Premiere
The Last Dance – Extended Version | dir. Anselm Chan, Hong Kong, 2024 | New York Premiere
**Last Song for You | dir. Jill Leung, Hong Kong, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Montages of a Modern Motherhood | dir. Oliver Chan Siu-kuen, Hong Kong, 2024 | North American Premiere
Papa | dir. Philip Yung, Hong Kong , 2024 | Special Screening
**Possession Street | dir. Jack Lai, Hong Kong 2024 | North American Premiere
**Smashing Frank | dir. Trevor Choi, Hong Kong, 2024 | U.S. Premiere
**Valley of the Shadow of Death | dir. Jeffrey Lam Sen, Antonio Tam, Hong Kong, 2024 | North American Premiere
**The Way We Talk | dir. Adam Wong, Hong Kong, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Young and Dangerous | dir. Andrew Lau, Hong Kong, 1996, 35mm | Special Screening
INDONESIA
Gowok: Javanese Kamasutra | dir. Hanung Bramantyo, Indonesia, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Perang Kota This City Is a Battlefield | dir. Mouly Surya, Indonesia/Singapore/Netherlands/France/Norway/Philippines/Cambodia, 2024 | North American Premiere
JAPAN
9 Souls | dir. Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan, 2003 | Special Screening
Babanba Banban Vampire | dir. Shinji Hamasaki, Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Blue Spring | dir. Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan, 2002 | Special Screening
**Dollhouse | dir. Shinobu Yaguchi, Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Hanging Garden | dir. Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan, 2005 | Special Screening
**How Dare You? | dir. Mipo O, Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Jinsei | dir. Ryuya Suzuki, Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Missing Child Videotape | dir. Ryota Kondo, Japan, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Ravens | dir. Mark Gill, Japan, France, Spain, Belgium, 2024 | East Coast Premiere
Samurai Fury | dir. Yu Irie, Japan, 2025 | U.S. Premiere
**Transcending Dimensions | dir. Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
MALAYSIA
**Pavane for an Infant | dir. Chong Keat Aun, Malaysia, Hong Kong, 2024 | North American Premiere
MONGOLIA
Travesty | dir. Batsukh Baatar, Mongolia, 2024 | North American Premiere
MYANMAR
**MA – Cry of Silence | dir. The Maw Naing, Myanmar/South Korea/Singapore/France/Norway/Qatar, 2024 | North American Premiere
PHILIPPINES
Flower Girl (Closing Night Film) | dir. Fatrick Tabada, Philippines, 2025 | International Premiere
**The Hearing | dir. Lawrence Fajardo, Philippines, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Lilim | dir. Mikhail Red, Philippines, 2025 | North American Premiere
Sunshine | dir. Antoinette Jadaone, Philippines, 2024 | New York Premiere
SOUTH KOREA (Co-presented with Korean Cultural Center New York)
Commitment | dir. Park Hong-soo, South Korea, 2013 | Special Screening
**Forbidden Fairytale | dir. Lee Jong-suk, South Korea, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Fragment | dir. Kim Sung-yoon, South Korea, 2024 | U.S. Premiere
The Front Line | Jang Hoon, South Korea, 2011 | Special Screening
**A Girl with Closed Eyes | dir. Chun Sun-young, South Korea, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Hear Me: Our Summer | dir. Jo Seon-ho, South Korea, 2024 | North American Premiere
Hidden Face | dir. Kim Dae-woo, South Korea, 2024 | North American Premiere
Horoomon | dir. Lee Il-ha, South Korea, 2025 | International Premiere
**Informant (Opening Night Film) | dir. Kim Seok, South Korea, 2024 | World Premiere
Method Acting | dir. Lee Ki-hyuk, South Korea, 2024 | International Premiere
The Old Woman with the Knife | dir. Min Kyu-dong, South Korea, 2024 | New York Premiere
Omniscient Reader: The Prophet | dir. Kim Byong-woo, South Korea, 2025 | North American Premiere
**The Secret House | dir. Park Sang-min, South Korea, 2025 | North American Premiere
Somebody | dir. Lee Jung-chan, Kim Yeo-jung, South Korea, 2024 | New York Premiere
The Suspect | dir. Won Shin-yun, South Korea, 2013 | Special Screening
Swing Kids | dir. Kang Hyeong-cheol, South Korea, 2018 | Special Screening
Time To Be Strong | dir. Namkoong Sun, South Korea, 2024 | North American Premiere
TAIWAN (presented with the support of Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York)
Daughter’s Daughter | dir. Huang Xi, Taiwan, 2024 | U.S. Premiere
The Embers | dir. Chung Mong-hong, Taiwan, 2024 | East Coast Premiere
Family Matters | dir. Pan Ke-yin, Taiwan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Gorgeous 2K Restoration | dir. Chang Mei-chun, Taiwan, 1985 | International Premiere
Islanders Ep. 1, 2 (Series) | dir. Ler Jiyuan, Tsai Pao-chang, Taiwan, 2025 | International Premiere (Series)
**Lovesick | dir. Hsu Fu-hsiang, Taiwan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Organ Child | dir. Chieh Shueh Bin, Taiwan, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Unexpected Courage | dir. Shawn Yu, Taiwan, 2025 | International Premiere
THAILAND (presented with the support of Thailand Creative Culture Agency – THACCA)
404 Run Run | dir. Seua Pichaya Jarasboonpracha, Thailand, 2024 | North American Premiere
**Attack 13 | dir. Taweewat Wantha, Thailand, 2025 | International Premiere
**Flat Girls | dir. Jirassaya Wongsutin, Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
Panor | dir. Putipong Saisikaew, Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
**The Red Envelope | dir. Chayanop Boonprakob, Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Shutter (4K restoration) | dir. Parkpoom Wongpoom, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Thailand, 2004 | North American Premiere
**The Stone | dir. Pae Arak Amornsupasiri, Wutthipong Sukkhanintr, Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
U.S.
**1 Girl Infinite | dir. Lilly Hu, U.S., 2024 | North American Premiere
Earl | dir. Ty Kim, United States, 2024 | East Coast Premiere
**Lisa Lu Plays Herself | dir. Chen Mei-Juin, U.S., 2025 | World Premiere
Queerpanorama | dir. Jun Li, United States, Hong Kong, 2024 | New York Premiere
VIETNAM
**Skin of Youth | dir. Ash Mayfair, Vietnam, 2025 | North American Premiere
SHORT FILMS BY PROGRAM
Preceding feature Skin of Youth:
Colors of the Sky’s End | dir. Catherine T. Nguyen, Vietnam, 2025 | World Premiere
Toshiaki Toyoda’s Go Seppuku Yourselves & Other Tales
Wolf’s Calling | dir. Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan, 2019 | Special Screening
The Day OF Destruction | dir. Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan, 2020 | Special Screening
Go Seppuku Yourselves | dir. Toshiaki Toyoda, Japan, 2019 | Special Screening
**Shorts Program 1: The Kids We Were
Better Life | dir. Jessica Liu, United States, 2025 | World Premiere
The Black Dog | dir. Ling Yang, Taiwan, 2024 | North American Premiere
Hippopotami | dir. Lin Jianjie, China, Hong Kong, 2025 | New York Premiere
Searching for Sol | dir. Jaime Morades, Philippines, 2024 | International Premiere
Ikigai | dir. Ramazan Nanayev, United States, 2024 | World Premiere
Shorts Program 2: Uncharted Adversity
Damp | dir. Etsen Chen, Taiwan, 2025 | World Premiere
Dipolar Bipolar | dir. Quankai Li, Japan, 2025 | International Premiere
Little Rebels Cinema Club | dir. Khozy Rizal, Indonesia, 2024 | New York Premiere
Red Pocket | dir. Austin Chen, United States, 2025 | World Premiere
Rooftop Lempicka | dir. Hang Luong Nguyen, Vietnam, 2024 | New York Premiere
Sammi Who Can Detach His Body Parts | dir. Rein Maychaelson, Indonesia, 2025 | North American Premiere
Washhh | dir. Mikey Lai, Malaysia, 2024 | New York Premiere
**Shorts Program 3: Stories From Her
Good-Mourning | dir. Nina Tsuji, Japan, 2025 | International Premiere
Inspired By Lip Balm | dir. Chien Li-ying, Taiwan, 2025 | North American Premiere
The River Runs Still | dir. Mai Huyen Chi, Vietnam, 2024 | World Premiere
Stills Moving | dir. Kevin Tsung-Hsuan Yeh, Taiwan, 2024
Three | dir. Amie Song, United States, 2024
Shorts Program 4: Portraits Of Tomorrow
The Boy From Outer Space | dir. Kim Sung-ho, South Korea, 2024
Color, Color, Color! | dir. Kim Sejin, South Korea, 2025 | World Premiere
Everybody Loves Everybody | dir. Lee Dohee, South Korea, 2025 | International Premiere
Finding The Rainbow | dir. Yang Hwanga, South Korea, 2024 | World Premiere
The Good Student | dir. Park Hobeom, South Korea, 2024 | World Premiere
The Rainbow Backpack Club | dir. Sul Heeone, South Korea, 2024 | International Premiere