{"id":85070,"date":"2026-11-07T13:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T21:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=85070"},"modified":"2026-11-06T22:06:39","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T06:06:39","slug":"asian-world-film-festival-nov-12-19-announces-special-programs-short-film-competition-lineup-and-jury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=85070","title":{"rendered":"ASIAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL, NOV. 12 \u2013 19, ANNOUNCES SPECIAL PROGRAMS, SHORT FILM COMPETITION LINEUP AND JURY"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles, CA, November<\/strong> ___, 2026 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the festival announced the eight films that will compete for this year\u2019s Best Short Film Award as part of AWFF\u2019s 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\u00ae. The festival also introduced the members of its Short Film Jury, who will select the winner of the Best Short Film Award.<\/p>\n

Running November 12 \u2013 19, 2026, at the Culver Theater in Culver City, CA, the 12th<\/sup> annual AWFF will present Oscar\u00ae contenders, festival favorites and exciting new voices from more than 33 nations throughout Asia. Showtimes and tickets are available at asianworldfilmfest.org.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsian Vision celebrates the numerous outstanding films from across Asia that deserve to be seen, appreciated and judged on their own merit,\u201d said Georges N. Chamchoum, AWFF Executive Director. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asian Vision<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Asian Vision will present two North American premieres\u2014the neo-Western \u201cNo Good in Sight: A Story\u201d (Kazakhstan), the debut film from director Alibi Mukushev, and the bittersweet Tibetan drama \u201cReleased\u201d (China), directed by Khabu, who will participate in a Q&A following the screening.<\/p>\n

The lineup includes the family portrait \u201cDear You\u201d (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.<\/p>\n

Filling out the program are the unflinching social drama \u201cKurak\u201d (Kyrgyzstan), directed by Emil Atageldijev and Erke Dzhumakmatova; the music-driven romance \u201cI Wanna be Your Lobster\u201d (Myanmar), directed by Pyae Zaw Phyo; the gritty action drama \u201cBluefish\u201d (South Korea), directed by Lee Sang-hoon; and the psychological drama \u201cFear\u201d (Yakutia), directed by Apollinariia Degtiareva.<\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Focus On Series<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Focus On China<\/strong> will include China\u2019s official submission for Best International Feature Film, the box office hit \u201cOnce Upon a Time in the Middle East.\u201d The film\u2019s director, Wen Muye, along with the Chinese Consul General H.E. Guo Shaochun, will introduce and attend the screening.<\/p>\n

The program will also feature the U.S. premiere of \u201cThe Road Not Taken,\u201d from one of Hong Kong\u2019s most prolific and successful filmmakers, Peter Ho-Sun Chan. The heartfelt drama will screen at AWFF\u2019s Closing Night Gala.<\/p>\n

Focus On Palestine <\/strong>will present seven noteworthy documentaries, including two official submissions for Best International Feature Film: Ahmed Hassouna\u2019s harrowing \u201cCitizen Osama\u201d from Palestine and Nicolas Wadimoff\u2019s \u201cWho is still alive,\u201d from Switzerland.<\/p>\n

Two documentaries examine the civilian toll of the war in Gaza: \u201cAmerican Doctor,\u201d directed by Poh Si Teng, and \u201cNAZA,\u201d from Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Maiken Baird\u2019s \u201cEdward Said: Between Worlds\u201d and Colette Ghunim\u2019s \u201cTraces of Home\u201d explore how exile and displacement shape a life. The program also includes \u201cWho Killed Alex Odeh?\u201d from directors Jason Osder and William Lafi Youmans.<\/p>\n

Focus On Taiwan<\/strong> will spotlight four award-winning films: one feature and three shorts. The feature, Chen Yu-hsun\u2019s \u201cA Foggy Tale,\u201d won four Golden Horse Awards and is Taiwan\u2019s 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\u2019s three shorts qualified for Academy Award consideration, each in a different category\u2014one in animation, one in live action and one in documentary. Joe Hsieh\u2019s \u201cPraying Mantis\u201d 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\u2019s \u201cThe Brave Swing\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Rounding out the program is Hsu Hui-ju\u2019s \u201cFragments of Herstory,\u201d winner of the Golden Horse Award for Best Documentary Short Film.<\/p>\n

Focus On Taiwan is presented in collaboration with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Focus On<\/strong> Japan <\/strong>will include the country\u2019s critically acclaimed official entry for Best International Feature Film, \u201cAll of a Sudden,\u201d directed by Ry\u016bsuke Hamaguchi, along with the U.S. premiere of Yusuke Hirota\u2019s \u201cChimney Town: Frozen in Time,\u201d an official selection at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.<\/p>\n

Focus On Kyrgyzstan <\/strong>will include the North American premiere of \u201cKassandra,\u201d directed by Bekzat Pirmatov, and Sean McDonnell\u2019s documentary \u201cBeyond the Silk Road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Focus On Korea <\/strong>will feature Lee Chang-dong\u2019s much-lauded \u201cPossible Love,\u201d which won three awards at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, including the Silver Lion \u2013 Grand Jury Prize. The program will also present the North American premiere of Kim Hyung-hyup\u2019s Korean box office hit \u201cChoir of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Focus On ASEAN <\/strong>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: \u201cPhra Ruang: Rise of the Empire\u201d (Thailand), directed by Chartchai Ketnust and \u201cThe Sandbox\u201d (Singapore), directed by James Thoo. \u201cTears in Kuala Lumpur\u201d (Malaysia), directed by Ridhwan Saidi, will be making its U.S. premiere.<\/p>\n

Short Film Competition<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 \u201cVital\u201d (Canada, Iran, Turkey), directed by Amir Zargara, who won 2026 Humanitas Prize for Short Film along with co-writer Gabe Berry; \u201cNava,\u201d which won First Prize for Narrative Short at the Athens International Film + Video Festival; and \u201cBaadarane,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Short Film Competition Lineup<\/strong><\/p>\n