Los Angeles, CA, November ___, 2026 – The Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) today unveiled the first special programs for its 12th edition, bringing an even richer mix of stories and perspectives to a lineup of more than 70 feature films and shorts. Returning for 2026 are Asian Vision, a juried competition of impressive but underrecognized features, and the Focus On series, which spotlights the best in contemporary cinema from select nations and autonomous regions.

At the same time, the festival announced the eight films that will compete for this year’s Best Short Film Award as part of AWFF’s Short Film Program. Among the titles announced today are several that have qualified for consideration for Best Live Action Short Film at the 99th Academy Awards®. The festival also introduced the members of its Short Film Jury, who will select the winner of the Best Short Film Award.

Running November 12 – 19, 2026, at the Culver Theater in Culver City, CA, the 12^th annual AWFF will present Oscar® contenders, festival favorites and exciting new voices from more than 33 nations throughout Asia. Showtimes and tickets are available at asianworldfilmfest.org.

“Asian Vision celebrates the numerous outstanding films from across Asia that deserve to be seen, appreciated and judged on their own merit,” said Georges N. Chamchoum, AWFF Executive Director. “It is a sidebar that is very near to my heart, just like our Focus On program, which presents work from both major filmmaking hubs and countries with very limited industries such as Myanmar. Together, these programs and our Short Film Program give audiences a fuller appreciation of the breadth of Asian cinema.”

Asian Vision

Now in its third consecutive year, the Asian Vision competition will showcase a curated selection of seven standout films that have been overlooked by other festival competitions. The top film will be honored with the Asian Vision Award.

Asian Vision will present two North American premieres—the neo-Western “No Good in Sight: A Story” (Kazakhstan), the debut film from director Alibi Mukushev, and the bittersweet Tibetan drama “Released” (China), directed by Khabu, who will participate in a Q&A following the screening.

The lineup includes the family portrait “Dear You” (China), directed by Hongchun Lan. Made for approximately $2 million, the film captivated audiences throughout China and Southeast Asia, earning more than $285 million at the mainland box office alone.

Filling out the program are the unflinching social drama “Kurak” (Kyrgyzstan), directed by Emil Atageldijev and Erke Dzhumakmatova; the music-driven romance “I Wanna be Your Lobster” (Myanmar), directed by Pyae Zaw Phyo; the gritty action drama “Bluefish” (South Korea), directed by Lee Sang-hoon; and the psychological drama “Fear” (Yakutia), directed by Apollinariia Degtiareva.

 

Focus On Series

This year, there will be seven Focus On programs celebrating the vibrant cinema of China, Japan, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea and Taiwan, as well as a selection of member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an intergovernmental forum.

Focus On China will include China’s official submission for Best International Feature Film, the box office hit “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East.” The film’s director, Wen Muye, along with the Chinese Consul General H.E. Guo Shaochun, will introduce and attend the screening.

The program will also feature the U.S. premiere of “The Road Not Taken,” from one of Hong Kong’s most prolific and successful filmmakers, Peter Ho-Sun Chan. The heartfelt drama will screen at AWFF’s Closing Night Gala.

Focus On Palestine will present seven noteworthy documentaries, including two official submissions for Best International Feature Film: Ahmed Hassouna’s harrowing “Citizen Osama” from Palestine and Nicolas Wadimoff’s “Who is still alive,” from Switzerland.

Two documentaries examine the civilian toll of the war in Gaza: “American Doctor,” directed by Poh Si Teng, and “NAZA,” from Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Maiken Baird’s “Edward Said: Between Worlds” and Colette Ghunim’s “Traces of Home” explore how exile and displacement shape a life. The program also includes “Who Killed Alex Odeh?” from directors Jason Osder and William Lafi Youmans.

Focus On Taiwan will spotlight four award-winning films: one feature and three shorts. The feature, Chen Yu-hsun’s “A Foggy Tale,” won four Golden Horse Awards and is Taiwan’s official entry for Best International Feature Film. Chen will join producers Yeh Ju-feng and Lee Lieh for a live Q&A following the screening. The program’s three shorts qualified for Academy Award consideration, each in a different category—one in animation, one in live action and one in documentary. Joe Hsieh’s “Praying Mantis” comes to the festival after winning both the Golden Horse Award for Best Animated Short Film and the Grand Prize for Short Animation at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. On the live-action side, Huang Sheng Chun’s “The Brave Swing” won the Best International Fiction Award at the Odense International Film Festival. Hsieh and Huang will each join audiences for a Q&A after their film screens.

Rounding out the program is Hsu Hui-ju’s “Fragments of Herstory,” winner of the Golden Horse Award for Best Documentary Short Film.

Focus On Taiwan is presented in collaboration with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles.

Focus On Japan will include the country’s critically acclaimed official entry for Best International Feature Film, “All of a Sudden,” directed by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi, along with the U.S. premiere of Yusuke Hirota’s “Chimney Town: Frozen in Time,” an official selection at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Focus On Kyrgyzstan will include the North American premiere of “Kassandra,” directed by Bekzat Pirmatov, and Sean McDonnell’s documentary “Beyond the Silk Road.”

Focus On Korea will feature Lee Chang-dong’s much-lauded “Possible Love,” which won three awards at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, including the Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize. The program will also present the North American premiere of Kim Hyung-hyup’s Korean box office hit “Choir of God.”

Focus On ASEAN will bring together films from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore in a program curated and presented by Joanne Goh and the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest). Among the highlights are two North American premieres: “Phra Ruang: Rise of the Empire” (Thailand), directed by Chartchai Ketnust and “The Sandbox” (Singapore), directed by James Thoo. “Tears in Kuala Lumpur” (Malaysia), directed by Ridhwan Saidi, will be making its U.S. premiere.

Short Film Competition

Eight short films that have garnered attention and accolades at festivals worldwide will screen in the Short Film Competition, and among them are three that qualified for consideration for Best Live Action Short Film. They are “Vital” (Canada, Iran, Turkey), directed by Amir Zargara, who won 2026 Humanitas Prize for Short Film along with co-writer Gabe Berry; “Nava,” which won First Prize for Narrative Short at the Athens International Film + Video Festival; and “Baadarane,” which won Best Fiction Film in the international short film competition at the 2025 Baku International Film Festival. The competition lineup and jury are listed below. The full Short Film Program is available on the festival website.

Short Film Competition Lineup

• “Vital” / Canada, Iran, Turkey / Amir Zargara, dir.
• “Child of the Rouge” / Cambodia, U.S. / Taz F. Stark, dir.
• “See You Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow” / China, U.S. / Desdemona Chiang, dir.
• “Outgrowth” / China, U.S. / Sasha Das, dir.
• “Nava” / Iran / Dena Rassam, dir.
• “Touch” / Iran / Mohammad Davoodi Kia, dir.
• “Baadarane” / Lebanon / Samah El Kadi, dir.
• “The Last Glance” / Pakistan / Kamran Faiq, dir.

Short Film Jury

• Celine Zen (Jury President), film producer (French-Chinese)
• Chananun Chotrungroj, director of photography (U.S.)
• Daeil Kim, filmmaker (South Korean)
• Aizhan Lighg, actress (Kazakhstani, Los Angeles-based)

Asian World Film Festival Sponsors

Deadline; Pechanga Resort Casino; Emporium Thai; Jackson Market; Paradise Dynasty (Los Angeles and Orange County); WDA Entertainment, Los Angeles

About Asian World Film Festival

Founded in 2015 by Kyrgyz public figure Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, the Asian World Film Festival celebrates cinematic excellence rooted in culture, storytelling and global collaboration. The festival brings the best of Asian cinema to Los Angeles and strengthens creative exchange between East and West. AWFF screens feature films from across Asia — from Japan to Turkey, from Russia to India and Southeast Asia. Renowned as an awards-season launchpad, AWFF is the only Los Angeles–based festival presenting most Asian submissions for the Academy Award® for Best International Feature Film and the Golden Globe® Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language categories. AWFF is produced by the nonprofit organization Aitysh USA.

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