The 25th edition of New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF, July 10-26) has added more than 40 films in its second programming wave and announced honourees including Joseph Chang for the Screen International Star Asia Award.
Taiwanese actor Chang’s credits roster includes Eternal Summer and Soul Mat and he attends the festival with his latest feature Deep Quiet Room, winner of the Fei Mu Award for best film at the 2025 Pingyao International Film Festival’s Hidden Dragons section,
South Korean star Gianna Jun will receive the Extraordinary Star Asia Award and be on hand to attend the North American premiere of Yeon Sang-ho’s previously announced festival opener and recent Cannes hit Colony. The festival will present the new 4K restoration of Jun’s breakout feature My Sassy Girl in her honour. Hong Kong actor, director, and producer Daniel Wu will collect the Best from the East Award and stars in festival selection and Hong Kong thriller Cold War 1994.
The latest wave of titles showcases compelling voices from contemporary Asian cinema led by the world premiere of Petong Sakulchai and Ariel Feng’s Thai thriller Somone Special, Hong Kong director Mak Tin Shu’s feature directorial debut and dark comedy Dog Day Evening, and Takashi Minamoto’s Japanese drama Samurai Vengeance.
The 25th anniversary edition brings the first Spotlight on Vietnam featuring world premiere of Ham Tran’s horror Red Thread and the international premiere of Võ Thạch Thảo’s family drama Mr. Hero.
Sidebars include Queer Unbound featuring five LGBTQ+ films including Park Joon-ho’s South Korean drama 3670; 11 selections in Horrorscope, among them Taweewat Wantha’s Thai possession horror Tha Rae: The Exorcist; 25th Anniversary Rediscoveries showcasing the restoration of Hong Kong satire You Shoot, I Shoot with dir Pang Ho-cheung in attendance, and Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer; and the Beyond Borders expansion central and south Asia with Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s Berlinale Critics’ Week selection Turgaud and Pankaj Borah’s Indian drama River Tales.
NYAFF also announced nominees in the Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film Competition dedicated to bold new voices and filmmakers pushing cinema in unexpected directions. This year’s eight nominees are:
- A Dance With Rainbows (Taiwan), dir. Lee Yi-shan
- Deep Quiet Room (Taiwan), dir. Shen Ko-shang
- Fujiko (Japan), dir. Taichi Kimura
- Girlfriends (Macao-Taiwan-HK-Thai), dir. Tracy Choi,
- Hallan (S Korea), dir. Ha Myung-mi
- Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts (China), dir. Wang Tong
- Dog Day Evening (HK), dir. Mak Tin Shu
- Turgaud (Kazak), dir. Adilkhan Yerzhanov.
As of June 17 NYAFF had announced 69 features. The schedule is subject to change. Screenings will take place across five New York venues: Film at Lincoln Center, SVA Theatre, IFC Center, Anthology Film Archives, and the Korean Cultural Center New York.
NYAFF second wave
* denotes a previously-announced selection.
China
- Crossing A Dawn*, dir. Zhao Badou
- Take Off*, dir. Peng Fei
- The Dumpling Queen*, dir. Andrew Lau
- Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts, dir. Wang Tong
Hong Kong
- Afterpiece*, dir. Keane T.K. Wong
- Bird Of Paradise*, dir. Joey Wu
- Cold War 1994*, dir. Longman Leung
- Cyclone*, dir. Philip Yung
- Dog Day Evening, dir. Mak Tin Shu
- Fat Choi Spirit*, dirs. Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai
- Gamer Girls*, dirs. Veronica Bassetto, Sophie Yang
- InitialD* (20th Anniversary 4K), dirs. Andrew Lau, Alan Mak
- Night King* (director’s cut), dir. Jack Ng
- Shaolin Soccer, dir. Stephen Chow
- The Dating Menu*, dirs. Amos Why, Frankie Chung
- The Storm Riders*, dir. Andrew Lau
- Unidentified Murder, dirs. Kwok Ka-hei, Jack Lee
- You Shoot, I Shoot*, dir. Pang Ho-cheung
- We’re Nothing at All, dir. Herman Yau
India
River Tales, dir. Pankaj Borah
Indonesia
Sleep No More, dir. Edwin
Japan
- All Greens*, dir. Takashi Koyama
- Fujiko, dir. Taichi Kimura
- Higuma!! The Killer Bear*, dir. Eisuke Naito
- Ichi The Killer*, dir. Takashi Miike
- Kinki*, dir. Koji Shiraishi
- Magical Secret Tour*, dir. Chihiro Amano
- Samurai Vengeance, dir. Takashi Minamoto
- Street Kingdom*, dir. Tomorowo Taguchi
- The Brightest Sun, dir. Tetsuya Nakashima
- Unchained*, dir. Keisuke Yoshida
Kazakhstan
- Turgaud, dir. Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Macau / Taiwan / Hong Kong / Thailand
- Girlfriends, dir. Tracy Choi
Philippines
- 10s Across The Borders*, dir. Chan Sze-Wei
- Filipiñana*, dir. Rafael Manuel
- Manila’s Finest*, dir. Raymond Red
South Korea
- 3670*, dir. Park Joon-ho
- Colony*, dir. Yeon Sang-ho
Opening night - Frosted Window*, dir. Kim Jong-kwan
- Funky Freaky Freaks,* dir. Han Chang-lok
- Journey There*, dir. Kim Jin-yu
- Lovely Death*, dir. Lee Won-suk
- My Sassy Girl *(4K restoration), dir. Kwak Jae-yong
- Peninsula*, dir. Yeon Sang-ho
- Seoul Station*, dir. Yeon Sang-ho
- The Chaser*, dir. Na Hong-jin
- The King’s Warden*, dir. Chang Hang-jun
- Train To Busan* (10th anniversary 4K), dir. Yeon Sang-ho
- Hallan*, dir. Ha Myung-mi
- My Name*, dir. Chung Ji-young
Taiwan
- A Dance With Rainbows*, dir. Lee Yi-shan
- Deep Quiet Room*, dir. Shen Ko-Shang
- I Blew Out The Candles Before Making A Wish*, dir. Chao Koi Wang
- Kiss Me My Ghost Friend*, dir. Chen Ta-pu
- Kung Fu*, dir. Giddens Ko
- Last Night In Taipei*, dir. Kuo Cheng-chui
Thailand
- 4 Tigers*, dir. Kongkiat Komesiri
- Gohan*, dirs. Chayanop Boonprakob, Baz Poonpiriya, Atta Hemwadee
- Human Resource*, dir. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
- Mon-Rak Transistor, dir. Pen-ek Ratanaruang
- Someone Special, dirs. Petong Sakulchai, Ariel Feng
- Tha Rae: The Exorcist*, dir. Taweewat Wantha
- The Undertaker 2*, dir. Thiti Srinuan
Vietnam
- A Life In Cinema*, dir. Tony Bui
- Ky Nam Inn*, dir. Leon Le
- Red Thread, dir. Ham Tran
- Mr. Hero, dir. Võ Thạch Thảo
Diaspora
- Jet Lag In Summer, dir. Yan Kunao
- Montreal, My Beautiful, dir. Xiaodan He.
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