New York Asian Film Festival Returns With Hybrid Event

The New York Asian Film Foundation and Films at Lincoln Center will not screen the 2021 version from August 6-22 at the FLC, starting with a screening of Ryoo Seung-wan’s film “Escape From Mogadishu” to act.

In total, 60 films will be shown live and virtually to audiences, with the earliest and second screenings by directors for the feature film competition: “Anima” (Cao Jinling, China), “” City of Lost Things” (Yee Chih-yen, Taiwan), “Cigarette Roll” (Chan Kin Long, Hong Kong), “Chung” (Oudai Kojima, Japan), “Ten Months” (Namkoong Sun, Korea Quoc) and “Tiong Bahru Social Club” (Tan Bee Thiam, Singapore).

Hong Kong New Wave Director Ann Hui will receive Diversity Asia Star Lifetime Achievement Award, and the festival will screen her film “The Story of Vietnamese Woo” and Man Lim Chung’s photo on Hui, “Keep Rolling”.

The festival will feature an Asian American Spotlight section, which will feature films including Aimee Long’s “A Shot Through the Wall”. The film crew will be present at the festival.

“Sensei, will you sit next to me?” Starring Tasuku Emoto and Haru Kuroki; “Rising Shaolin: The Protector” by Stanley Tong, with Wang Baoqiang; “Snowball” by Lee Woo-jung, starring Bang Min-a from K-Pop girl group Girl’s Day; and Min Kyu-dong’s “The Prayer” as well as Fruit Chan’s “Coffin Houses” are among the other highlights of the festival.

Also, to mark the 20th anniversary of “Dragon Inn,” AKA “Dragon Gate,” directed by Raymond Lee, the film will screen at Damrosch Park.

The full list follows:

OPEN MOVIE

Escape from Mogadishu | dir. Ryoo Seung-wan, South Korea 2021 | International premiere. Direct only

20th SPECIAL CLASSIC SCREEN AT DAMROSCH PARK

Dragon Inn AKA New Dragon Gate Inn | dir. Raymond Lee, Hong Kong 1992 | Direct only

TRIANGLE DISPLAY ANN HUI

Woo Viet’s Story | dir. Ann Hui, Hong Kong 1981 | Film screening for the 40th anniversary. Direct only

AWESOME AWARDS FOR BEST MOVIE

The No Practice section will capture the attention of first- or second-time directors and celebrate their passion, vision, and willingness to take risks.

Anima | dir. Cao Jinling, China in 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

City of Lost Things | dir. Yee Chih-yen, Taiwan 2020 | North American premiere. Direct only

Hand-rolled cigarettes | dir. Chan Kin Long, Hong Kong 2021 | North American premiere. Live & Virtual

Enterprise | Kojima Oudai, Japan in 2021 | International premiere. Live & Virtual

Ten months | Namkoong Sun, 2020 | International premiere. Direct only

Tiong Bahru Social Club | dir. Tan Bee Thiam, Singapore 2020 | US premiere. Live & Virtual

CONTACT US ASIA

Americas | dir. Iman K. Zawahry, USA in 2021 | Direct only

A Shot Through the Wall | dir. Aimee Long, USA 2021 | Direct only

Snakehead fish | dir. Evan Jackson Leong, USA in 2021 | Direct only

Shorts Showcase, 10 movies | Live and virtual

CROWD PLEASERS

The film has wide appeal and a title to suit all tastes

All you need is love | dir. Vincent Kok, Hong Kong 2021 | North American premiere. Virtual only

Breakthrough Brothers | dir. Mak Ho Pong, Hong Kong 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

The Con-Heartist | dir. Mez Tharatorn, Thailand 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

From today, it’s my turn!! | dir. Yuichi Fukuda, Japan 2020 | US premiere. Virtual only

Hold Me Back | dir. Akiko Ohku, Japan 2020 | US premiere. Virtual only

Jigoku-no-hanazono: Office Royale | dir. Kazuki Seki, Japan in 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

My Valentine’s Absence | dir. Chen Yu-hsun, Taiwan 2020 | New York premiere. Virtual only

A second championship | dir. Chiu Sin-Hang, Hong Kong 2020 | New York premiere. Virtual only

Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro | dir. Ken Ninomiya, Japan 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

Zero to Hero | dir. Wan Chi-Man, Hong Kong 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

THE MASTERS GENERATION

Innovative new work that adjusts and changes genre conventions

Coffin House | dir. Fruit Chan, Hong Kong 2021 | North American premiere

Fables: The Killer Without Grief | dir. Kan Eguchi, Japan in 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

Last of The Wolves | dir. Kazuya Shiraishi, Japan in 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

Limbo | dir. Soi Cheang, Hong Kong, 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

Midnight | dir. Kwon Oh-seung, South Korea 2021 | International premiere. Virtual only

Prayer | dir. Min Kyu-dong, South Korea 2021 | International premiere. Virtual only

Shaolin Monk: Guardian | dir. Stanley Tong, China, Hong Kong 2021 | International premiere. Virtual only

Baby, you won’t believe it | dir. Yernar Nurgaliyev, Kazakhstan 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

NEXT / NOW

Highlight emerging vocals and promising works from potential directors

Here and there | dir. JP Habac, Philippines 2021 | North American premiere. Live & Virtual

Continue rolling | dir. Man Lim Chung, Hong Kong 2020 | New York premiere. Virtual only

Money Has Four Legs | Maung Sun, Myanmar 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

Old Town Girls | dir. Shen Yu, China 2020 | North American premiere. Direct only

Shadow | dir. Glenn Chan, Hong Kong 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

Snowball | dir. Lee Woo-jung, South Korea 2021 | International premiere. Direct only

Time | dir. Ricky Ko, Hong Kong 2021 | North American premiere. Virtual only

AFTER THE BORDER

The film tells stories about characters confronting different cultures

Asian Angel | dir. Yuya Ishii, Japan in 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

Fighter | dir. Jéro Yun, South Korea 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

Nasi Lemak 1.0 | dir. Namewee, Malaysia in 2021 | International premiere. TBD

A Song for You | dir. Dukar Tserang, China 2020 | North American premiere. Direct only

FRONTLINES

The film is based on the lives of people in marginalized communities, with stories about pressing issues.

Babi | dir. Namewee, Malaysia 2020 | North American premiere. TBD

Balance | dir. Yujiro Harumoto, Japan 2020 | North American premiere. Direct only

I Don’t Fire Myself | dir. Lee Tae-Gyeom, South Korea 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

Ninja Girls | dir. Yu Irie, Japan in 2021 | World Premiere. Direct only

The Forest of Silence | dir. Ko Chen-nien, Taiwan 2020 | New York premiere. Virtual only

Three sisters | dir. Lee Seung-won, South Korea 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

Hard to come out | dir. Xu Hui-jing, China 2020 | North American premiere. Virtual only

The Way We Keep Dancing | dir. Adam Wong, Hong Kong 2020 | New York premiere. Virtual only

STANDARD

Special movies, regardless of their release status

Blue | dir. Keisuke Yoshida, Japan in 2021 | US premiere. Virtual only

Fish Book | dir. Lee Joon-ik, South Korea 2021 | International premiere. Direct only

A leg | dir. Chang Yao-sheng, Taiwan 2020 | Premiere of the American Continent. Live & Virtual

Samjin Company English Class | dir. Lee Jong-pil, South Korea 2020 | New York premiere. Live & Virtual

Under the open sky | dir. Miwa Nishikawa, Japan 2020 | New York premiere. Direct only

VANGUARDS

Original movies that break free from formal and/or narrative conventions

As We Like It | dir. Muni Wei, Chen Hung-i, Taiwan 2021 | Premiere East Coast. Virtual only

Barbarian Invasion | dir. Tan Chui Mui, Malaysia 2021 | North American premiere. Direct only

Garbage head | dir. Takahide Hori, Japan in 2021 | US premiere. Direct only

Over the Town | dir. Rikiya Imaizumi, Japan 2020 | US premiere. Virtual only

Sensei, Can you sit next to me? | dir. Takahiro Horie, Japan in 2021 | World Premiere. Direct only

Zokki | dir. Naoto Takenaka, Takayuki Yamada, Takumi Saitoh, Japan 2021 | North American premiere. Virtual only