The 22nd New York Asian Film Festival was held in New York on 14 July with North American premiere of South Korean film Killing Romance by Lee Won-suk, who attended the screening in person. In the 22nd edition seventy eight titles were screened in person. The lineup included eight world premieres, nine international premieres, thirty-two North American premieres, three U.S. premieres, and sixteen East Coast/New York premieres. Films from various genres from Hong Kong, Japan, China, South Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and the United States were screened.
In Star Asia Awards category, Asian stars were honoured with various awards such as: Louis Koo a Hong Kong actor, singer and film producer with Extraordinary Star Asia Award; Junji Sakamoto, a Japanese film director, with Screen International Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award; Ryohei Suzuki, a Japanese actor, with Screen International Rising Star Asia Award; and Lee Hanee a South Korean actress, model, classical musician, with Best from the East Award.
The festival was closed on 30 July with Anthony Stacchi's animated Netflix film The Monkey King. It is the first time the festival has partnered with Netflix for the world premiere of a film, which was held before the August 18 worldwide release on Netflix. Malaysian film Abang Adik by Jin Ong won the Uncaged Award for best feature film. It is a directorial debut feature of Jin Ong and follows two orphaned brothers whose bond is tested after a brutal accident. The Audience Award was awarded to Taiwanese film Marry My Dead Body, a LGBTQ+ story from director Cheng Wei-hao. In his closing speech the NYAFF Executive Director and President of the New York Asian Film Foundation Samuel Jamier said, "2023 marked a giant leap forward for the festival, in terms of audience size (with a 35% increase in attendance, and the largest number of sold out screenings), numbers of films and guest filmmakers and actors (over 100 guests from Asia), a major partnership with Netflix and a whole new, expanded pool of donors."
Jury Po-Chih Leong: British-Chinese film director. He has worked in England, Hong Kong, and the United States. Rebecca Choi: VP, Narrative Film at Archer Gray, a media company in New York City, New York. Anna Isabella Matutina: A filmmaker, documentarian and editor based in the Philippines. Chieko Murata: Co-producer at The Japan Broadcasting Corporation, (NHK) Donsaron Kovitvanitcha: A film writer, critic, journalist and independent film producer based in Thailand. Ko Mori: A film producer and the founding CEO of Los Angeles-based Eleven Arts Studio. Lauren Yee: An American playwright, screenwriter and TV writer whose many acclaimed plays include Cambodian Rock Band and The Great Leap (2018).
Screening venues Film at Lincoln Center Barrymore Film Center, Fort Lee, New Jersey
Films showcase
Year Title Original Title Country Director Premiere StatusOpening film 2023 Killing Romance 킬링 로맨스 South Korea Lee Won-suk North American PremiereBeyond Borders 2022 Mountain Woman 山女 Japan Takeshi Fukunaga North American Premiere 2022 The Sunny Side of the Street 白日青春 Hong Kong Lau Kok-rui New York Premiere 2022 A Tour Guide 믿을 수 있는 사람 South Korea Kwak Eun-mi North American PremiereCenterpiece Presentation 2023 Dream 드림 South Korea Lee Byeong-heon International PremiereChina On the Move 2023 Art College 1994 艺术学院 China Liu Jian North American Premiere 2022 The Cord of Life 脐带 China Qiao Sixue New York Premiere 2020 Empty Nest 空巢 China Zhang Wei New York Premiere 2014 Factory Boss 打工老板 China Zhang Wei Special Screening 2023 Flaming Cloud 三贵情史 China Liu Siyi World Premiere 2023 Redemption with Life 兄弟 China Zhang Wei World Premiere 2018 The Rib (Director's Cut) 肋骨 China Zhang Wei Special Screening 2022 A Woman 孔秀 China Wang Chao North American PremiereClosing film 2023The Monkey King United States Anthony Stacchi World PremiereCrowd Pleasers 2023 Bear Man 웅남이 South Korea Park Sung-kwang North American Premiere 2022 Gaga 웅남이 Taiwan Laha Mebow East Coast Premiere 2022 I Love You, Beksman Mahal Kita, Beksman Philippines Percival Intalan North American Premiere 2022 Marry My Dead Body 關於我和鬼變成家人的那件事 Taiwan Cheng Wei-hao East Coast Premiere 2023 Rebound 리바운드 South Korea Jang Hang-jun New York PremiereDiasporic Discoveries 2023A-Town Boyz USA Eunice Lau World Premiere 2023The Effects of Lying United Kingdom Isher Sahota North American Premiere 2023Shaky Shivers USA Sung Kang East Coast PremiereFrontlines 202212 Weeks Philippines Anna Isabelle Matutina Estein International Premiere 2022 December 赦し Japan Anshul Chauhan North American Premiere 2023 Eye of the Storm 疫起 Taiwan Lin Chun-Yang International Premiere 2022 Glorious Ashes Tro Tàn Rực Rỡ Vietnam Bui Thac Chuyên North American Premiere 2023 In Broad Daylight 白日之下 Hong Kong Lawrence Kan North American Premiere 2023 Vital Signs 送院途中 Hong Kong Cheuk Wan-chi North American PremiereGenre Masters 2023 #Manhole #マンホール Japan Kazuyoshi Kumakiri East Coast Premiere 2022 Geylang 芽籠 Singapore Boi Kwong North American Premiere 2023 Kitty the Killer อีหนูอันตราย Thailand Lee Thongkham International Premiere 2023 Mad Fate 命案 Hong Kong Cheang Pou-soi North American Premiere 2023 Miss Shampoo 請問，還有哪裡需要加強 Taiwan Giddens Ko North American Premiere 2023 The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell 掃毒3人在天涯 Hong Kong Herman Yau North American PremiereNarrative Shorts Showcase - Animation2022What We Leave BehindSouth KoreaKang Nam-jinInternational Premiere 2022Borderline South Korea Kong Son-hee World Premiere 2023 Confusion of the Afternoon 午後的迷茫 Taiwan Yung-Chieh Lee East Coast Premiere 2023 Goose Mountain 鹅鹅鹅 China Hu Rui, Chen Liaoyu 2022Handwritten USA Jaime Sunwoo New York Premiere 2023 Hidari HIDARI Japan Iku Ogawa, Masashi Kawamura Narrative Shorts Showcase - Live Action 2022 All Your Fault, PD 피디님이 책임지세요 South Korea Kim Sun-yeun North American Premiere 2022 Fix Anything Vietnam Lê Lâm Viên North American Premiere 2022 Infant (Perzent) Kyrgyzstan Karash Zhanyshov U. S. Premiere 2023 Kumbang (Bugs) Malaysia Gwai Lou World Premiere 2023 Neo Portraits Japan Gazebo International Premiere 2023 Pufferfish Iran Mohamad Kamal Alavi World Premiere 2022 Resellers 대리구매 South Korea Lee Seung-ju International Premiere 2023 A Roadside Banquet 鸡毛掸子 United States, China Peiqi Peng East Coast Premiere 2023 Sweet Refuge United States Maryam Mir East Coast Premiere 2022 Will You Look At Me 当我望向你的时候 China Shuli Huang Next/Now 2022 Bad Education 黑的教育 Taiwan Kai Ko North American Premiere 2022 The Cord of Life 脐带 China Qiao Sixue New York Premiere 2023 Extreme Festival 익스트림 페스티벌 South Korea Kim Hong-ki International Premiere 2022 Hail to Hell 지옥만세 South Korea Lim Oh-jeong North American Premiere 2022 A Light Never Goes Out 燈火闌珊 Hong Kong Anastasia Tsang U.S. Premiere 2022 Mayhem Girls メイヘムガールズ Shinichi Fujita Japan International Premiere 2023 You & Me & Me เธอกับฉันกับฉัน Thailand Wanweaw and Weawwan Hongvivatana North American PremiereStandouts 2023 Art College 1994 艺术学院 China Liu Jian North American Premiere 2023 Egoist エゴイスト Japan Daishi Matsunaga, Daishi Matsunaga New York Premiere 2022 A Hundred Flowers 百花 Japan Genki Kawamura New York Premiere 2022 Motherhood 母性 Japan Ryuichi Hiroki U.S. Premiere 2023 Phantom 유령 South Korea Lee Hae-young North American Premiere 2022 A Woman 孔秀 China Wang Chao North American PremiereVanguards 2023 Everyphone Everywhere 全個世界都有電話 Hong Kong Amos Why North American Premiere 2022 In Her Room ひとりぼっちじゃない Japan Chihiro Ito North American Premiere 1982 Nomad (Director's Cut) 烈火青春（導演版） Hong Kong Patrick Tam East Coast Premiere 2023 Okiku and the World せかいのおきく Japan Junji Sakamoto North American Premiere 2023 Where Is The Lie? Marupok AF Philippines Quark Henares North American Premiere
Films by country or region Source:
Year Title Original Title Director Premiere statusHong Kong Panorama 2023 Back Home 七月返歸 Nate Ki World Premiere 2023 Everyphone Everywhere 全個世界都有電話 Amos Why North American Premiere 2023 In Broad Daylight 白日之下 Lawrence Kan North American Premiere 2022 A Light Never Goes Out 燈火闌珊 Anastasia Tsang U.S. Premiere 2023 Mad Fate 命案 Cheang Pou-soi North American Premiere 1982 Nomad (Director's Cut) 烈火青春（導演版） Patrick Tam East Coast Premiere 2022 The Sunny Side of the Street 白日青春 Lau Kok-rui New York Premiere 2023 The White Storm 3: Heaven or Hell 掃毒3人在天涯 Herman Yau North American Premiere 2023 Vital Signs 送院途中 Cheuk Wan-chi North American PremiereNew Cinema from Japan 2023 #Manhole #マンホール Kazuyoshi Kumakiri East Coast Premiere 2022 December 赦し Anshul Chauhan North American Premiere 2023 Egoist エゴイスト Daishi Matsunaga, Daishi Matsunaga New York Premiere 2023 Home Sweet Home スイート・マイホーム Takumi Saitoh North American Premiere 2022 A Hundred Flowers 百花 Genki Kawamura New York Premiere 2022 In Her Room ひとりぼっちじゃない Chihiro Ito North American Premiere 2022 Mayhem Girls メイヘムガールズ Shinichi Fujita International Premiere 2022 Motherhood 母性 Ryuichi Hiroki U.S. Premiere 2022 Mountain Woman 山女 Takeshi Fukunaga North American Premiere 2023 Okiku and the World せかいのおきく Junji Sakamoto North American PremiereSouth Korea at the Forefront 2023 Bear Man 웅남이 Park Sung-kwang North American Premiere 2023 Dream 드림 Lee Byeong-heon International Premiere 2023 Extreme Festival 익스트림 페스티벌 Kim Hong-ki International Premiere 2022 Greenhouse 비닐하우스 Lee Sol-hui North American Premiere 2022 Hail to Hell 지옥만세 Lim Oh-jeong North American Premiere 2006 The Host 괴물 Bong Joon Ho Special Screening 2023 Killing Romance 킬링 로맨스 Lee Won-suk North American Premiere 2023 Phantom 유령 Lee Hae-young North American Premiere 2023 Rebound 리바운드 Jang Hang-jun New York Premiere 2022 A Tour Guide 믿을 수 있는 사람 Kwak Eun-mi North American PremiereTaiwan Transcendent 2022 The Abandoned 查無此心 Tseng Ying-ting North American Premiere 2022 Bad Education 黑的教育 Kai Ko North American Premiere 2023 Eye of the Storm 疫起 Lin Chun-Yang International Premiere 2022 Gaga 웅남이 Laha Mebow East Coast Premiere 2022 Marry My Dead Body 關於我和鬼變成家人的那件事 Cheng Wei-hao East Coast Premiere 2023 Miss Shampoo 請問，還有哪裡需要加強 Giddens Ko North American Premiere Year Title Original Title Country Director Premiere statusSoutheast Asia On the Rise 202212 Weeks Philippines Anna Isabelle Matutina Estein International Premiere 2023 Abang Adik 富都青年 Malaysia Jin Ong North American Premiere 2023 Faces of Anne แอน Thailand Rasiguet Sookkarn, Kongdej Jaturanrasmee North American Premiere 2022 Geylang 芽籠 Singapore Boi Kwong North American Premiere 2022 Glorious Ashes Tro Tàn Rực Rỡ Vietnam Bui Thac Chuyên North American Premiere 2022 I Love You, Beksman Mahal Kita, Beksman Philippines Percival Intalan North American Premiere 2023 Kitty the Killer อีหนูอันตราย Thailand Lee Thongkham International Premiere 2023 Where Is the Lie? Marupok AF Philippines Quark Henares North American Premiere 2023 You & Me & Me เธอกับฉันกับฉัน Thailand Wanweaw and Weawwan Hongvivatana North American Premiere
Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film Competition Source:
Highlighted title indicates the Uncaged Award for best feature film winner.
Year Title Original Title Country Director Premiere StatusThe Uncaged Award nominees 2022 The Abandoned 查無此心 Taiwan Tseng Ying-ting North American Premiere 2023 Abang Adik 富都青年 Malaysia Jin Ong North American Premiere 2023 Back Home 七月返歸 Hong Kong Nate Ki World Premiere 2023 Faces of Anne แอน Thailand Rasiguet Sookkarn, Kongdej Jaturanrasmee North American Premiere 2023 Flaming Cloud 三贵情史 China Liu Siyi World Premiere 2022 Greenhouse 비닐하우스 South Korea Lee Sol-hui North American Premiere 2023 Home Sweet Home スイート・マイホーム Japan Takumi Saitoh North American Premiere 2022 Mountain Onion Gornyi Luk Kazakhstan Eldar Shibanov North American Premiere 2023 Redemption with Life 兄弟 China Zhang Wei World Premiere
Awards and winners
Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film