New York Asian Film Festival 2022

Fire on the Plain

New York Premiere | Q&A with Zhang Ji

When Detective Shu investigates a serial murder cold case in which cab drivers were targeted, he reunites with his long-lost childhood friend Fei and is pulled dramatically into dark layers of memory.

Manchurian Tiger

US Premiere

Xu Dong has to send his beloved dog away when his wife Meiling's due date approaches.

One and Four

North American Premiere

One and Four is a wintry western that stares unblinkingly at the likes of Cui Siwei’s recent snow-capped masterpiece Savage, and The Hateful Eight, for the intensity of its plot, poised between the ecological fable and the metaphysical thriller.

Ripples of Life

New York Premiere

A crew arrives in a small town in southern China for pre-production on a film titled Ripples of Life. Initially, the story is based on the premise that life is dull and nothing ever happens in towns like this.

Virgin Blue

New York Premiere

This marvelous, enigmatic, sentimental story takes viewers to a secret spot by the pond, where the boundary between dreams and reality is gently blurred. Screens with Tang Yi's All the Crows in the World.

Chilli Laugh Story

International Premiere

The leads' non-stop slapstick shenanigans spice up the classic Chinese New Year comedy formula, producing a brilliant blend of wacky characters and family team-building that is as scrumptiously mouth-watering as the spicy condiment itself.

Dream Home

Introduction by Josie Ho

Josie Ho pushes the envelope with this unforgettable performance as a tenacious young woman who will stop at nothing to buy a beautiful home with a view.

Far Far Away

North American Premiere

Hau is a 28-year-old IT super-geek who’s got everything he needs in life except a love interest.

Finding Bliss: Fire and Ice – The Director’s Cut

North American Premiere | Q&A with Josie Ho and Kim Chan

Surprised to discover that Hong Kong ranks a low 74 on the World Happiness Index, creative powerhouse Josie Ho (Dream Home) decides to do something about it.

Full Strike

Tribute to Josie Ho | Introduction by Josie Ho

Josie Ho shines as “Beast” Ng, a tough-as-nails badminton pro who, after a violent on-court outburst, falls hard from grace.

Free Outdoor Screening: Happy Together

Free Outdoor Screening at Lincoln Center's Hearst Plaza on July 16

One of the most searing romances of the '90s, Wong’s raw, lushly stylized portrayal of a relationship in breakdown stars Tony Leung & Leslie Cheung as a couple traveling in Argentina.

Legendary in Action!

North American Premiere

A down-on-his-luck director finally gets the chance to shoot his dream project, a remake of his favorite childhood wuxia story.

Mama’s Affair

New York Premiere

Mei-fung (veteran Teresa Mo) is a former talent manager and now single mother, who discovers a potential star and reignites her career.

We Are Family

World Premiere

A meta-comedy led by a particularly inspired ensemble cast, with Eric Tsang (NYAFF 2017 Lifetime Achievement honoree) starring as the most smiley would-be actor you’ve ever seen.

Angry Son

North American Premiere | Q&A with Kasho Iizuka

A gay, biracial high schooler who was raised by his feisty Filipina bar hostess mom in Japan’s conservative countryside, 18-year-old Jungo has quite a few reasons to live up to the film’s title.

Grown-ups

International Premiere

This sharply observed dissection of a volatile relationship between two college students may have some viewers gasping for air, but there’s no denying that playwright Takuya Kato’s film debut lives up to the ambitions of its rigorous formalism.

Intimate Stranger

North American Premiere | Q&A with Mayu Nakamura

A cultural milestone in Japan, Intimate Stranger is a disturbing psychological chiller about a single mother’s search for her missing son.

Lesson in Murder

North American Premiere

NYAFF mainstay Kazuya Shiraishi (Last of the Wolves, NYAFF 2021) returns with his most elegant, restrained work yet, but with plenty of gore in this seductive thriller about a diabolical serial killer who from death row contacts a young law student for help.

Offbeat Cops

World Premiere | Q&A with Hiroshi Abe (recipient of the Screen International Star Asia Award) and Eiji Uchida

The Naked Director helmer Eiji Uchida may be best known for his hard-R films, but he shines brightly with Offbeat Cops, which is both a tender comedic caper and a chronicle of failure and second chances.

Ox-Head Village

North American Premiere | Q&A with Takashi Shimizu, recipient of the Screen International Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award

Three high school girls go missing after a prank gone wrong in J-horror grandmaster Takeshi Shimizu’s final “village” film, taking his gonzo macabre mash-up of folk horror, urban legends, found footage and supernatural terror to the ultimate level.

Ribbon

East Coast Premiere

In this exceptionally engaging coming-of-age dramedy, Non (star of Hold Me Back, NYAFF 2021) plays Itsuka, an art student who’s finishing up her graduation project when her college is closed down due to Covid.

Shin Ultraman

U.S. Premiere | Q&A with Shinji Higuchi and Tomoya Nishino on July 23

Japan's most successful tokusatsu-vs.-kaiju series of all time gets a shiny new reimagining from creative titans Hideaki Anno (writer-producer) and Shinji Higuchi (director), the dynamic duo behind Shin Godzilla.

Imaginur

World Premiere | Free Q&A with director Nik Amir Mustapha on July 24

A man’s quotidian world is suddenly disrupted by strange events when he takes his aging father to the hospital for a check-up. A charitable woman hands him a calling card to the future; a hostile ex unleashes public humiliation; a new love interest suddenly whisks him off his feet.

The Sales Girl

North American Premiere | Q&A with Janchivdorj Sengedorj

When college coed Saruul takes a temporary job as a clerk in a sex shop, her awakening begins—but it’s not what you think.

Big Night!

New York Premiere | Q&A with Jun Robles Lana and Christian Bables

Dharna, a gay hairdresser and model citizen beloved by his community, learns that his name has been added to a government watchlist, which falsely claims he is a drug addict.

#LookAtMe

World Premiere | Q&A with Ken Kwek, Yao, Pam Oei

In a tour-de-force performance, yao (fka Thomas Pang of Tiong Bahru Social Club, NYAFF 2021 selection) plays renegade vlogger Sean and his gay identical twin, Ricky, supercharging this exhilarating, damning, and morally essential fable about social media celebrity, cancel culture, and the erosion of human rights.

Hot Blooded

U.S. Premiere

Imbued with gritty realism as well as fantastic cinematic panache, Hot Blooded exposes human beings at their most base and despicable—even those who believe in honor among thieves.

I Am More

North American Premiere | Q&A with More Ji-min and Lee Il-ha

Mo Ji-min, the impossibly glamorous headliner More at Club Trans for the past two decades, is one of Itaewon’s most popular drag queens.

Next Door

U.S. Premiere | Q&A with Yeom Ji-ho

In a tour-de-force performance, Oh Dong-min plays a young man (and impromptu rapper) who’s studying for the police exam when a series of unexpected events deliver a real-life crime-fighting test.

Perhaps Love

North American Premiere | Q&A with Ryu Seung-ryong and Cho Eun-ji

A joyous blend of hilarity and compassion, actress Cho Eun-ji’s directorial debut presents love in all its possible permutations.

Stellar: A Magical Ride

International Premiere | Q&A with Kwon Soo-kyung | All proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society

Young Bae is an average high-end automobile broker, working on the deal of a lifetime: an imported supercar.

The Girl on a Bulldozer

New York Premiere | Q&A with Kim Hye-yoon (recipient of the Screen International Rising Star Asia Award) and Park Ri-woong

The other girl with the dragon tattoo is Korean, and her name is Kim Hye-yoon—here she delivers a breathtaking, star-making turn as the eponymous girl who takes no guff from anyone.

The Killer

Special Screening | Q&A with Jang Hyuk (recipient of the Daniel A. Craft Award For Excellence In Action Cinema) and Choi Jae-hun

This explosive compound of Asian action cinema tropes and triumphs is a balls-to-the-wall thrill ride of suspenseful combat bravado and then some.

The Swordsman

After being blinded in a coup against the king, Joseon’s greatest swordsman goes into hiding, far removed from his city’s anguish. But when traffickers kidnap his daughter, he has no choice but to unsheathe his sword once more.

Life for Sale

International Premiere | Q&A with Tom Teng

With each audacious exploit, this absurdist noir comedy grows increasingly extravagant, gruesome, even heart-stopping, but never ceases to surprise.

Mama Boy

North American Premiere

Taiwanese American director Arvin Chen returns to the silver screen almost 10 years after Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

My Best Friend’s Breakfast

North American Premiere

Gawky, food-obsessed high school girl Weixin (Moon Lee) inadvertently leads handsome BMOC Youquan (singer-songwriter Eric Chou) to think her beautiful best friend has a crush on him.

Terrorizers

New York Premiere

A delusional young man (Austin Lin of iWeirDO, NYAFF 2020) suddenly attacks a couple in public with a ninja sword.

The Funeral

International Premiere

Single mother Chun Hua works two jobs, struggling to survive the hustle of Taipei while facing a personal crisis.

Fast & Feel Love

Opening Night | International Premiere | Q&A with Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Nat Kitcharit & Urassaya Sperbund

Thirty-year-old Kao is the world’s fastest sport stacker, thanks in large part to his self-sacrificing girlfriend, Jay (NYAFF 2022 Screen International Rising Star Urassaya Sperbund), who allows him to practice nonstop.

Dealing With Dad

East Coast Premiere | Q&A with Tom Huang and Hayden Szeto

Successful go-getter Margaret heads back home when her irascible father takes to his bed, suffering from debilitating depression.

Bright Futures: The NYAFF Narrative Shorts Showcase

Superlative short works by emerging filmmakers.

NYAFF Talk with Josie Ho

A discussion with Josie Ho on her powerhouse films Dream Home, Full Strike, and her new inspiring musical documentary, Finding Bliss: Fire and Ice - The Director’s Cut, and learn more about her vibrant career in music and film.

Takashi Shimizu Masterclass: Planting the Seeds of Horror in Global Soil

In this masterclass, Shimizu will discuss horror-film elements that emanate from Japanese culture, but also appeal to global audiences, as well as the role of horror cinema in public discourse.

Asian American Filmmaker Forum: Masterclass with Dennis Liu

The creator of the Netflix series Raising Dion will share invaluable insights into the creative process, from production to distribution, gleaned during his two-plus decades of experience in the industry.

NYAFF Talk: Nik Amir Mustapha

Free and open to the public!

Join Imaginur director Nik Amir Mustapha for an in-depth talk about his boundary-defying, provocative new film. New York based Malaysian Director and Cinematographer Isabella Tan will moderate the discussion.

Asian American Filmmaker Forum: Masterclass with Doris Yeung

Director and founder of Netherland’s CinemAsia Film Festival Doris Yeung will teach techniques on guerilla filmmaking-exploring ways to make the most out of limited resources, the importance of owning the Asian Diaspora narrative, and how to get your independent film project off the ground.

Asian American Filmmaker Forum: Panel Talk

Navigating the film industry as independent creators and Asian Americans.

NYAFF will host an illuminating conversation with key Asian American film industry professionals. Dennis Liu (creator, “Raising Dion”), Brian Yang (producer, Dealing with Dad, Snakehead), Doris Yeung (director, producer, founder…

NYAFF Talk Panel: Celebrating Asian LGBTQ+ Cinema

NYAFF will host a discussion celebrating the impact LGBTQ+ Cinema has had and continue to have worldwide and discuss the challenges filmmakers face to produce LGBTQ+ content and representation of Asian queer identities in film.

NYAFF Opening Night Market

Fast & Feel Love + Night Market ticket required | July 15 after the International Premiere of Fast & Feel Love

NYAFF is thrilled to celebrate the opening of the 20th-anniversary edition with the traditional Night Market soiree featuring food, music, a live music performance, and a music video premiere.

Matsuri to Midnight

Free for NYAFF pass and ticket holders | July 21 at 6:30pm - 12am

Join us for a night celebrating Japanese culture and food. Featuring the Japanese films Ribbon, Intimate Stranger, and Lesson in Murder, delicious Takoyaki made by long-time NYAFF sponsor Karlsballs after the screening of Ribbon and a live performance by Soh Daiko after the screening of Intimate Stranger.