The 24th New York Asian Film Festival opened in New York City on July 11, 2025 with South Korean film Informant by Kim Suk. This year’s theme is "Cinema as Disruption", reflecting a focus on bold, boundary-pushing storytelling. The festival presented over 100 films screened in person, featuring a diverse selection of both contemporary works and classic titles from across Asia and beyond. The programme includes more than 75 premieres, comprising eight world premieres, 41 North American premieres, and five United States premieres. Highlights include 19 Southeast Asian films representing six countries, along with 17 directorial debuts of which nearly half are by women filmmakers.
The festival closed on July 27, 2025 with 2025 Filipino Comedy film Flower Girl by Fatrick Tabada. A Taiwanese drama film Family Matters by Pan Ke-Yin, won the Uncaged Award for best feature film. The film centers on 18-year-old Spring, who discovers that she was adopted and begins to uncover the secrets of her working-class family.
Jury Jury for Uncaged award is composed of: Uncaged award Masumi: Japanese-American actress and former singer-songwriter. Tzi Ma: a Hong Kong-American veteran actor Michael J. Werner: Hong Kong-based producer and consultant Yao: a Malaysian actor based in the United States Banjong Pisanthanakun: a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter
Shorts jury
Patrick Chen – a Chinese-American director. Aimee Long – Director and producer, raised in Paris, Beijing, and San Francisco. Bradley Tangonan – Hawai’i Born Filipino-American Kirsten Tan – a Singaporean film director and screenwriter. Joey Carranza – a New York City-based community builder and festival director.
Screening venues Film at Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater SVA Theatre Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 144 West 65th Street LOOK Cinemas W57 Korean Cultural Center New York
Films showcase
Year Title Original Title Country Director Premiere StatusOpening film 2024 Informant 정보원 South Korea Kim Suk World PremiereBeyond Borders 2024 I, the Song 分身的獻曲 Bhutan Dechen Roder East Coast Premiere 2024 Travesty Juhtumi lahendamine Mongolia Batsukh Baatar North American PremiereCenterpiece Presentation 2024 The Embers 餘燼 Taiwan Chung Mong-hong East Coast PremiereClosing film 2025 Flower Girl Philippines Fatrick Tabada International PremiereChina Currents 2024 Bel Ami 漂亮朋友 China, France, Denmark, Qatar Geng Jun North American Premiere 2025 Deep in the Mountains 如意饭店 China Li Yongyi North American Premiere 2025 Girls on Wire 想飞的女孩 China Vivian Qu North American Premiere 2024 Green Wave 前程似锦 China Xu Lei North American Premiere 2024 A Man and a Woman 一个男人和一个女人 China Guan Hu International Premiere 2024 My Friend An Delie 我的朋友安德烈 China Dong Zijian New York Premiere 2024 To Kill a Mongolian Horse一匹白马的热梦 Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, United States Jiang Xiaoxuan New York PremiereDiasporic Discoveries 20241 Girl Infinite United States Lilly Hu New York Premiere 2024Earl. United States Ty Kim East Coast Premiere 2025Lisa Lu Plays Herself United States Chen Mei-Juin World PremiereFilmmaker in Focus: Toshiaki Toyoda 2003 9 Souls ナイン・ソウルズJapanToshiaki ToyodaSpecial Screening 2002 Blue Spring 青い春 2005 Hanging Garden 空中庭園 2021 Toshiaki Toyoda's Go Seppuku Yourselves & Other Tales Short films 2025 Transcending Dimensions 次元を超える North American PremiereHorrorscope 2024 404 Run Run 404 สุขีนิรันดร์..RUN RUN Thailand Seua Pichaya Jarasboonpracha North American Premiere 2025 Dollhouse ドールハウス Japan Shinobu Yaguchi North American Premiere 2025Lilim Philippines Mikhail Red North American Premiere 2024 Missing Child Videotape ミッシング・チャイルド・ビデオテープ Japan Ryota Kondo North American Premiere 2025 Panor Panor: Tà Thuật Huyết Ngãi Thailand Putipong Saisikaew North American Premiere 2024 Possession Street 邪Mall Hong Kong Jack Lai North American Premiere 2025 The Secret House 시크릿 하우스 South Korea Park Sang-min North American Premiere 2004 Shutter ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ Thailand Parkpoom Wongpoom, Banjong Pisanthanakun North American PremiereNYAFF Rediscoveries 1985 Gorgeous (2K Restoration) 人圖（2K數位修復 Taiwan Chang Mei-chun International Premiere 1983 Legend of the Sealed Book 4K restoration 天书奇谭 China Wang Shuchen North American Premiere 1963 The Monkey King – Uproar In Heaven 4K restoration 大闹天宫 China Wan Laiming, Tang Cheng North American Premiere 2004 Shutter 4K restoration ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ Thailand Parkpoom Wongpoom, Banjong Pisanthanakun North American PremiereNorth Korean Cool 2013 Commitment 동창생 South Korea Park Hong-soo Special Screening 2011 The Front Line 고지전 South Korea Jang Hoon Special Screening 2013 The Suspect 용의자 South Korea Won Shin-yun Special Screening 2018 Swing Kids 스윙키즈 South Korea Kang Hyeong-cheol Special ScreeningPrime Picks 2025 The Old Woman with the Knife 파과 South Korea Min Kyu-dong New York Premiere 2024 Papa 爸爸 Hong Kong Philip Yung Special ScreeningQueer Unbound 20241 Girl Infinite United States Lilly Hu New York Premiere 2024 Bel Ami 漂亮朋友 China, France, Denmark, Qatar Geng Jun North American Premiere 2024 Daughter's Daughter 女兒的女兒 Taiwan Huang Xi United States Premiere 2025 Flower Girl Philippines Fatrick Tabada International Premiere 2025 Islanders Ep. 1-2 親密之海 Taiwan Ler Jiyuan, Tsai Pao-chang International Premiere 2025 Queerpanorama 眾生相 United States, Hong Kong, China Jun Li New York Premiere 2025 The Red Envelope ซองแดงแต่งผี Thailand Chayanop Boonprakob North American Premiere 2025 Skin of Youth その花は夜に咲く Vietnam, Singapore Ash Mayfair North American Premiere
Uncaged Competition – For Best Feature Film
Eight films competed for Uncaged award.
Year Title Original Title Country Director Premiere StatusThe Uncaged Award nominees 2025 Deep in the Mountains 如意饭店 China Li Yongyi North American Premiere 2025 Family Matters 我家的事 Taiwan Pan Ke-Yin North American Premiere 2024 Green Wave 前程似锦 China Xu Lei North American Premiere 2025 Jinsei 人生 Japan Ryuya Suzuki North American Premiere 2024 Montages of a Modern Motherhood 虎毒不 Hong Kong Oliver Chan North American Premiere 2025 Skin of Youth Ồn ào tuổi trẻ (その花は夜に咲く) Vietnam, Singapore Ash Mayfair North American Premiere 2024 Time to Be Strong 힘을 낼 시간 South Korea Namkoong Sun North American Premiere 2024 Travesty Juhtumi lahendamine Mongolia Batsukh Baatar North American Premiere
Films by country or region Source:
Year Title Original Title Director Premiere statusBhutan 2024 I, the Song 分身的獻曲 Dechen Roder East Coast PremiereHong Kong Panorama 2025 Behind the Shadows 私家偵探 Jonathan Li, Chou Man-Yu North American Premiere 2025 Last Song for You 久別重逢 Jill Leung North American Premiere 2024 Montages of a Modern Motherhood 虎毒不 Oliver Chan North American Premiere 2024 Papa 爸爸 Philip Yung Special Screening 2024 Possession Street 邪Mall Jack Lai North American Premiere 2024 Smashing Frank 搗破法蘭克 Trevor Choi U.S. Premiere 2024 Valley of the Shadow of Death 不赦之罪 Jeffrey Lam Sen, Antonio Tam North American Premiere 2024 The Way We Talk 看我今天怎麼說 Adam Wong North American Premiere 1996 Young and Dangerous 古惑仔之人在江湖 Andrew Lau Special ScreeningIndonesia 2025 Gowok: Javanese Kamasutra Gowok: Kamasutra Jawa Hanung Bramantyo North American Premiere 2025 This City Is a Battlefield Perang Kota Mouly Surya North American PremiereJapanorama 2003 9 Souls ナイン・ソウルズ Toshiaki Toyoda Special Screening 2025 Babanba Banban Vampire ババンババンバンバンパイア Shinji Hamasaki North American Premiere 2002 Blue Spring 青い春 Toshiaki Toyoda Special Screening 2025 Dollhouse ドールハウス Shinobu Yaguchi North American Premiere 2005 Hanging Garden 空中庭園 Toshiaki Toyoda Special Screening 2025 How Dare You? ふつうの子ども Mipo O North American Premiere 2024 Missing Child Videotape ミッシング・チャイルド・ビデオテープ Ryota Kondo North American Premiere 2024 Ravens レイブンズ Mark Gill East Coast Premiere 2025 Samurai Fury (Muromachi Outsiders) 室町無頼 Yu Irie United States Premiere 2021 Toshiaki Toyoda's Go Seppuku Yourselves & Other Tales Short films Toshiaki Toyoda Special Screening 2025 Transcending Dimensions 次元を超える Toshiaki Toyoda North American PremiereKorean Horizons 2024 Forbidden Fairytale 동화지만 청불입니다 Lee Jong-suk North American Premiere 2024 Fragment 파편 Kim Sung-yoon United States Premiere 2024 A Girl with Closed Eyes 영화포스터 폭로: 눈을 감은 아이 Chun Sun-young North American Premiere 2024 Hear Me: Our Summer 청설 Jo Seon-ho North American Premiere 2024 Hidden Face 히든페이스 Kim Dae-woo North American Premiere 2025 Horoomon 호루몽 Lee Il-ha North American Premiere 2024 Informant 정보원 Kim Suk World Premiere 2024 Method Acting 메소드연기 Lee Ki-hyuk International Premiere 2025 Omniscient Reader: The Prophet 전지적 독자 시점 Kim Byung-woo North American Premiere 2025 The Secret House 시크릿 하우스 Park Sang-min North American Premiere 2024 Somebody 침범 Lee Jung-chan, Kim Yeo-jung New York Premiere 2024 Time to Be Strong 힘을 낼 시간 Namkoong Sun North American PremiereMalaysia 2024 Pavane for an Infant 搖籃凡世 Chong Keat Aun North American PremiereMyanmar 2024 MA – Cry of Silence 拒絕沉默的女孩 The Maw Naing North American PremierePhilippines 2024The Hearing Lawrence Fajardo North American Premiere 2025Lilim Mikhail Red North American Premiere 2024Sunshine Antoinette Jadaone New York Premiere Taiwan Uncut 2024 Daughter's Daughter 女兒的女兒 Huang Xi United States Premiere 2024 The Embers 餘燼 Chung Mong-hong East Coast Premiere 2025 Family Matters 我家的事 Pan Ke-Yin North American Premiere 1985 Gorgeous (2K Restoration) 人圖（2K數位修復 Chang Mei-chun International Premiere 2025 Islanders Ep. 1-2 親密之海 Ler Jiyuan, Tsai Pao-chang International Premiere 2025 Lovesick 有病才會喜歡你 Hsu Fu-Hsiang North American Premiere 2024 Organ Child 器子 Chieh Shueh Bin North American Premiere 2025 Unexpected Courage 我意外的勇氣 Shawn Yu International PremiereThailand (Thai Visions) 2024 404 Run Run 404 สุขีนิรันดร์..RUN RUN Seua Pichaya Jarasboonpracha North American Premiere 2024 Attack 13 วิญญาณเลขที่ 13 Taweewat Wantha International Premiere 2024 Flat Girls แฟลตเกิร์ล ชั้นห่างระหว่าง เ ร า Jirassaya Wongsutin North American Premiere 2025 Panor Panor: Tà Thuật Huyết Ngãi Putipong Saisikaew North American Premiere 2025 The Red Envelope ซองแดงแต่งผี Chayanop Boonprakob North American Premiere 2004 Shutter ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ Parkpoom Wongpoom, Banjong Pisanthanakun North American Premiere 2025 The Stone Buôn Thần Bán Thánh Arak Amornsupasiri, Vuthipong Sukhanindr North American PremiereUnited States 20241 Girl Infinite Lilly Hu North American Premiere 2025Lisa Lu Plays Herself Chen Mei-Juin World Premiere
Southeast Asian Frontiers Year Title Original Title Country Director Premiere statusSoutheast Asian Frontiers 2025 Flower Girl Philippines Fatrick Tabada International Premiere 2025 Gowok: Javanese Kamasutra Gowok: Kamasutra Jawa Indonesia Hanung Bramantyo North American Premiere 2024The Hearing Philippines Lawrence Fajardo North American Premiere 2025Lilim Philippines Mikhail Red North American Premiere 2024 MA – Cry of Silence 拒絕沉默的女孩 Germany, Myanmar, Qatar, France, Italy, South Korea, Norway, Singapore The Maw Naing North American Premiere 2024 Pavane for an Infant 搖籃凡世 Malaysia Chong Keat Aun North American Premiere 2025 This City Is a Battlefield Perang Kota Indonesia Mouly Surya North American Premiere 2025 Skin of Youth その花は夜に咲く Vietnam, Singapore Ash Mayfair North American Premiere 2024Sunshine Philippines Antoinette Jadaone New York Premiere
Shorts Program Shorts Program 1: The Kids We Were Year Title Original Title Country Director Premiere status 2025 Better Life United States Jessica Liu World Premiere 2024 The Black Dog黑犬 Taiwan Yang Ling North American Premiere 2025 HippopotamiHe Ma Hong Kong, China Lin Jianjie New York Premiere 2024Ikigai United States Ramazan Nanayev World Premiere 2024Searching for Sol Philippines Jaime Morades International Premiere
Shorts Program 2: Uncharted Adversity