The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) revealed the program for its 42nd edition, which will take place from April 29 to May 3, 2026.
The festival will kick off with Lucky Lu, directed by Lloyd Lee Choi, along with a showcase of the Pacific Cinewaves Shorts Program celebrating Pacific Islander stories and storytellers emerging from the Kingdom of Hawai’i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Cook Islands, Tahiti (French Polynesia), Guåhan (Guam), Samoa, and throughout the Pacific region.
Opening day will also feature the LA premiere of the documentary Before the Moon Falls by Kimberlee Bassford, an intimate portrait of acclaimed Samoan writer Sia Figiel, and Honeyjoon directed by Lilian T. Mehrel, which tells a surprisingly sexy, darkly funny, emotional rollercoaster… about a mother-daughter trip, life, loss, and flirting.
Other highlights include award-winning director Eugene Yi’s The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas, a documentary film which poses the question “What does it mean to be AAPI?” featuring stars and AAPI celebrities including Sandra Oh, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Kumail Nanjiani, Amanda Nguyen, Connie Chung and more; The Furious by Kenji Tanigaki, featuring Chinese actor Xie Miao (The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father Is a Hero) and Indonesian action star Joe Taslim ( The Raid I and II, Fast and Furious 6 and the upcoming Mortal Kombat II) as a sneak preview presentation before its summer theatrical release; the 40th Anniversary screening of Karate Kid II (1986); West Coast Premiere of 10s Across the Borders by Sze-Wei Chan; The Los Angeles Premieres of Toitu Visual Sovereignty by Chelsea Winstanley; Pinch by Uttera Singh; Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon by Khoa Ha & Victor Velle; World Premieres of The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook by Valerie So and Hoop Like This by Shubhangi Shekhar.
“This year, in the face of relentless, unprecedented news, each day can feel like a surreal dystopia,” expresses Angela Park, LAAPFF Senior Programmer. “It’s no wonder that fiction films reflect the world we inhabit, while documentary films hold a looking glass to the other side of our world. Stories like Lucky Lu, Diamonds in the Sand, and 1001 Frames render visible the quiet loneliness and everyday struggles we carry, struggles that can shift in an instant through moments of peace, revelation, or even disenchantment. Concurrently, documentaries such as Before the Moon Falls, Always, and Y Van: The Lost Sounds of Saigon remind us that the real and the surreal coexist, often appearing as poetic and lyrical as any work of fiction. In this upside-down world, these films offer a simple but vital truth: even in the darkest times, there is beauty in the journey. And through their work, these filmmakers show us that the journey will go on.”
“With over 900 films submitted, including features and shorts, this year has proven to be a stellar collection of films from our artists from across the globe, bringing personal and inspiring intimate stories of culture, family, and history,” shares LAAPFF Senior Programmer Kirby Peñafiel. “One of the most compelling standouts is the documentary Toitū Visual Sovereignty by Chelsea Winstanley about the inner workings of creating and organizing the daunting and intricate Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition – the largest since 1989. The film’s navigation of the institutional roadmap is extremely powerful in how it questions agency in the delicate process of art and culture curation.”
“Adding to the stories of celebrating culture and chosen family, the festival offers up the Los Angeles premiere of the Busan Film Festival standout – 10s Across the Borders by Sze-Wei Chan, presenting the world of “ballroom” communities in Asia. The performances, personalities, and their tributes to the New York ballroom origins provide a haven of joy, reminding us of the power and importance of community.”
“Expanding on the theme of community, Hoop Like This from Shubhangi Shekhar takes on the journey of South Asian basketball players from around the world as they join forces to compete and showcase their passion for the sport. And that same spirit of collective action is at the heart of The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook. Returning filmmaker Valerie Soe’s heartwarming feature about a group of mostly BIPOC women sewists who created thousands of masks for the community, first responders, and everyone else during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Aunties sew masks for farmworkers, day laborers, unhoused people, refugee and immigrant groups, First Nations tribes, recently incarcerated people, Black Lives Matter demonstrators, and others in need in the US. Each of these films is a great reminder of the collective power and what we can accomplish when we help one another,” adds Kirby.
The 42nd LAAPFF program highlights
Opening Night Lineup
LUCKY LU (2025) by Lloyd Lee Choi
Pacific Cinewaves Shorts Program celebrating stories and storytellers emerging from the Kingdom of Hawai’i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Cook Islands, Tahiti (French Polynesia), Guåhan (Guam), Samoa, and throughout the Pacific region.
BEFORE THE MOON FALLS (2025) by Kimberlee Bassford
HONEYJOON (2025) directed by Lilian T. Mehrel
Centerpiece Weekend
THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS (2026) by award-winning director, Eugene Yi, in partnership with HBO Docs / Warner Bros. Discovery, featuring Sandra Oh, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Kumail Nanjiani, Amanda Nguyen, Connie Chung, and more
A special screening of THE FURIOUS (2026) by Kenji Tanigaki in partnership with Lionsgate featuring Chinese actor Xie Miao (The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father Is a Hero) and Indonesian star Joe Taslim (The Raid films, Fast and Furious 6, and the upcoming Mortal Kombat II).
The West Coast Premiere of 10s ACROSS THE BORDERS (2025) by Sze-Wei Cha presents a pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating the region’s underground ballroom culture based in Asia
TOITŪ: VISUAL SOVEREIGNTY, the debut directorial feature from Academy Award-nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley, will have its Los Angeles premiere.
PINCH (2025) by Uttera Singh follows a woman’s battles of harassment and hush-hush hypocrisy in a world that punishes truth.
Y VÂN: THE LOST SOUNDS OF SAIGON (2025) by Khoa Ha & Victor Velle tells the epic story of Y Vân, a legendary Vietnamese composer, and his granddaughter Khoa as she journeys to uncover and preserve his lost music. This is a DOC-NYC favorite.
Additional Festival Specialties
40th Anniversary Screening of KARATE KID II (1986) in partnership with Angry Asian Man 25th Anniversary.
Industry panels hosted by MPEG and SAG-AFTRA featuring in-depth conversations with insider experts.
In Memoriam: Two Legends
Christine Choy Program Special presentation honoring Christine Choy – the late Asian American, Academy Award-nominated director and dedicated educator whose work and outspoken advocacy paved the way for Asian American and BIPOC art and expression.
World Premiere EDMUND SOOHOO: THE HEART OF CHINATOWN World premiere screening of the heartfelt documentary tributing the late Edmund Soohoo – a beloved longtime community leader from LA’s Chinatown, directed by Walt Louie.
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