Asian World Film Festival Announces Focus on China Program, Featuring Two New Chinese-Language Films, Welcome to Long River Restaurant and The Road Not Taken
LAPost/Culver City, CA (November 8, 2026) — The 12th annual Asian World Film Festival (AWFF), scheduled for November 12–19 at the Culver Theater in Culver City, California, has announced its special Focus on China program, highlighting the diversity of contemporary Chinese cinema. Two featured titles are Welcome to Long River Restaurant (Once Upon a Time in the Middle East), China’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards® in the Best International Feature Film category, and The Road Not Taken, directed by renowned Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Ho-sun Chan.
Directed by Wen Muye, Welcome to Long River Restaurant is China’s official submission for the 99th Academy Awards® for Best International Feature Film. As part of the festival’s Focus on China program, Wen Muye will attend the festival in person to introduce the film at its screening and participate in related events.
Photo provided by: AWFF
Another featured title, The Road Not Taken, directed by acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Ho-sun Chan, will make its U.S. premiere on the festival’s Closing Night. The film has been selected as this year’s closing film. Chan is one of the most influential filmmakers in Hong Kong cinema, and the U.S. premiere of his latest work adds another significant title to this year’s Chinese-language film program.
Focus on China is one of seven national and regional showcases featured in this year’s Focus On series. The other programs will spotlight cinema from Japan, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), presenting diverse filmmaking traditions and cultural perspectives from across Asia.
Beyond Focus on China, this year’s festival will also present seven films in its Asian Vision competition, a curated program highlighting notable films from across Asia that have received limited recognition in other festival competitions. Two Chinese productions have been selected: Dear You and The Black Horse (Released).
Directed by Hongchun Lan, Dear You is a family drama. The Black Horse, directed by Khabu, is a Tibetan-themed drama that will make its North American premiere at the festival. The director is also expected to attend a post-screening Q&A.
The 12th Asian World Film Festival will screen more than 70 feature films and shorts representing over 33 countries and regions across Asia, including 27 official submissions for the Academy Award® for Best International Feature Film. The festival will also host a Short Film Competition featuring eight selected films, several of which have qualified for consideration in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 99th Academy Awards®.
Founded in 2015 by Kyrgyz filmmaker Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, the Asian World Film Festival brings outstanding Asian cinema to Los Angeles and promotes cultural exchange between East and West. The festival is produced by the nonprofit organization Aitysh USA.
The 12th Asian World Film Festival will take place November 12–19, 2026, at the Culver Theater in Culver City, California. Screening schedules and tickets are available at http://asianworldfilmfest.org.
By: Richard Ren/LAPost
