Shorts Program: The Kids We Were
New York Asian Film Festival 2025
July 11 - 24, 2025
This program of short films includes Lin Jianjie’s Hippopotami, Ling Yang’s The Black Dog, Jessica Liu’s Better Life, Jaime Morados’s Searching for Sol, and Ramazan Nanayev’s Ikigai.
Hippopotami
Hippopotami
Lin Jianjie (JJ), 2025, China/Hong Kong, 13m
Mandarin with English subtitles
New York Premiere
In the suburbs of a northern Chinese city undergoing urbanization, a quirky girl who wants to see animals in the zoo is taken for a ride that will forever change her perspective on life.
The Black Dog. © Black Square Ltd. All rights reserved.
The Black Dog
Ling Yang, 2024, Taiwan, 20m
Mandarin with English subtitles
North American Premiere
A father on the verge of losing his wife is overheard by his young daughter as he makes peculiar sounds during a nightmare. He suppresses his emotions, attempting to free himself from the grip of fear.
Better Life
Better Life
Jessica Liu, 2025, U.S., 11m
English and Mandarin with English Subtitles
World Premiere
When a groundbreaking medical procedure promises to turn slackers into overachievers, an aging Chinese father sees it as his last chance to achieve the American Dream—through his unemployed adult daughter.
Searching for Sol
Searching for Sol
Jaime Morados, 2024, Philippines, 18m
North American Premiere
Joaquin and Ara are grieving the death of their mother. But when their father, Papa Sol, goes missing with her urn, they try to solve the puzzle of where he could’ve gone with her.
Ikigai
Ikigai
Ramazan Nanayev, 2024, U.S., 11m
World Premiere
After his young friend Sophie is sexually assaulted, sushi master Mr. Gichi seeks revenge, challenging his sense of justice in the process.
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