{"id":77197,"date":"2025-11-11T14:41:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T22:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=77197"},"modified":"2025-11-11T14:41:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T22:41:09","slug":"11th-asian-world-film-festival-opens-in-los-angeles-celebrating-new-asian-cinema-lucy-liu-lee-byung-hun-and-daniel-lee-honored-with-snow-leopard-awards-special-tribute-screening-for-lisa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=77197","title":{"rendered":"11th Asian World Film Festival Opens in Los Angeles \u2014 Celebrating New Asian Cinema; Lucy Liu, Lee Byung-hun, and Daniel Lee Honored with Snow Leopard Awards; Special Tribute Screening for Lisa Lu"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAPost \/ Los Angeles, November 11, 2025 \u2014 The 11th Asian World Film Festival (AWFF)<\/strong> kicked off in grand fashion at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles. Running from November 11 to 20, the ten-day cinematic celebration features 73 acclaimed films from over 30 Asian countries, including 23 official Oscar submissions for Best International Feature Film.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s festival is powered by Samsung\u2019s Cinema LED Onyx technology, with all films screened on the world\u2019s first DCI-certified LED cinema screen \u2014 delivering an unprecedented level of visual realism and immersive experience.<\/p>\n

AWFF Executive Director Georges N. Chamchoum<\/strong> remarked, \u201cThe creativity and diversity of Asian cinema continue to inspire. This year\u2019s lineup once again showcases the richness and power of Asian filmmaking on the global stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\ud83c\udf1f Honorees: Lucy Liu, Lee Byung-hun, Daniel Lee, Nina Ye, and Michael Jai White<\/h3>\n

Several major honors were announced at the festival:<\/p>\n

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  • \n

    Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement Award<\/strong> \u2014 presented to acclaimed Hong Kong director and screenwriter Daniel Lee<\/strong> (The Climbers<\/em>, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Snow Leopard Award for Outstanding Film Achievement (Actor)<\/strong> \u2014 awarded to Korean superstar Lee Byung-hun<\/strong> (No Other Choice<\/em>, KPop Demon Hunters<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Snow Leopard Award for Outstanding Film Achievement (Actress)<\/strong> \u2014 presented to Chinese-American actress Lucy Liu<\/strong> (Rosemead<\/em>, Kill Bill: Vol. 1<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Rising Star Award<\/strong> \u2014 given to Taiwanese child actress Nina Ye<\/strong> (The Girl with the Left Hand<\/em>, Dead Talents Society<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Bruce Lee Award<\/strong> \u2014 awarded to Hollywood action star and martial artist Michael Jai White<\/strong> (The Dark Knight<\/em>, Black Dynamite<\/em>).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \n

    \ud83c\udfac \u201cFocus On\u201d Section Showcases the Cinematic Voices of Four Nations<\/h3>\n

    This year\u2019s \u201cFocus On\u201d<\/strong> program spotlights the film cultures of Cambodia, Korea, Taiwan, and Kyrgyzstan<\/strong>, featuring a diverse selection of internationally recognized works, including:<\/p>\n

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      No Other Choice<\/em> (Korea, dir. Park Chan-wook)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      The Girl with the Left Hand<\/em> (Taiwan, dir. Chou Shih-ching)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Tenement<\/em> (Cambodia, dirs. Inrasothythep Neth & Sokyou Chea)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Black Red Yellow<\/em> (Kyrgyzstan, dir. Aktan Abdykalykov)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      From Island to Island<\/em> (Taiwan, dir. Liu Ke-hua, documentary)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      The short film section includes Taiwan\u2019s My Summer Side A<\/em> (dir. Wan Jian-hui) and Cambodia\u2019s Returning Gods<\/em> (dir. Yoshir\u014d Osaka) \u2014 both official Oscar submissions.<\/p>\n

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      \ud83c\udfa5 Special Tribute to Lisa Lu: Lisa Lu Plays Herself<\/em> and 98th Birthday Celebration<\/h3>\n

      As one of the festival\u2019s most anticipated events, a special screening of the documentary Lisa Lu Plays Herself<\/strong><\/em> will be held on November 20<\/strong> to honor the legendary Chinese-American actress Lisa Lu<\/strong>.
      Directed by Mei-juin Chen<\/strong>, the film weaves rare archival footage and interviews with renowned artists, portraying Lu\u2019s extraordinary artistic journey spanning nearly a century.<\/p>\n

      Following the screening, the festival will host a birthday celebration and tribute ceremony for Lisa Lu, who was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2025. The 98-year-old icon will attend in person to celebrate this remarkable milestone with audiences.<\/p>\n

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      \ud83e\udd4b \u201cMotion Arts Day\u201d Returns \u2014 Celebrating Action, Movement, and Cultural Fusion<\/h3>\n

      Continuing its annual tradition, Motion Arts Day<\/strong> will take place on November 16<\/strong> at downtown Culver City Plaza, showcasing martial arts, dance, acrobatics, and stunt performances \u2014 celebrating Asia\u2019s dynamic action and performance culture.
      Michael Jai White will be joined by actors and stunt coordinators Philip Tan<\/strong> (Inception<\/em>, Transformers<\/em>), Brandon H. Lee<\/strong> (Cobra Kai<\/em>, Shang-Chi<\/em>), and Lewis Tan<\/strong> (Mortal Kombat<\/em>, Deadpool & Wolverine<\/em>).<\/p>\n

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      \ud83d\udca1 Technology Meets Art: Samsung Onyx Forum<\/h3>\n

      For the first time, Samsung joins AWFF as an official partner and will host a special forum titled \u201cRedefining the Cinema Experience with Samsung Onyx\u201d<\/strong>, inviting global filmmakers to discuss the intersection of cutting-edge viewing technology and cinematic storytelling.<\/p>\n

      \n

      11th Asian World Film Festival (AWFF 2025)<\/strong>
      \ud83d\udcc5 Dates:<\/strong> November 11\u201320, 2025
      \ud83d\udccd Venue:<\/strong> Culver Theater, Culver City, Los Angeles
      \ud83c\udf9e\ufe0f Films:<\/strong> 73 titles from over 30 Asian countries, including 23 official Oscar submissions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      LAPost \/ Los Angeles, November 11,...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arts","category-ca-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=77197"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77198,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77197\/revisions\/77198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=77197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=77197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=77197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}