48th Asian American International Film Festival: Infidelity, Identity, & Adventure

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Thursday, 31 July 2025 10:40

Written by Brad Balfour

Now in its 48th edition, the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) brings bold and exciting voices from across the Asian diaspora to theaters in NYC from July 31st to August 10th. From medical dramas, to family stories, to classic super heroes, the AAIFF features an exciting mix of stories with documentaries, shorts, features, and special screenings.

Derided for decades as one of the lesser superhero movies, Albert Pyun’s (Cyborg) director's cut of his 1990 Captain America film has been uncovered so his true vision can be shown to the world. Mistress Dispeller is a documentary that follows a real, unfolding case of infidelity as Teacher Wang, the titular Mistress Dispeller whose job it is to repair marriages, attempts to bring a couple back from the edge of crisis. Their story shifts our sympathies between husband, wife, and mistress to explore the ways emotion, pragmatism, and cultural norms collide to shape romantic relationships in contemporary China. Moloka’i Bound, directed by Alika Tengan, is the closing film of the festival and follows Kainoa De Silva, a wayward Hawaiian man, who is on parole and committed to reconnecting with his family. Most important to Kainoa is rebuilding his relationship with his adolescent son, Jonathan, after years of being incarcerated. But acclimating to a normal life in Hawai’i is harder than it seems and Kainoa tends to do all the wrong things for the right reasons. In trying to prove himself worthy of his family and his native heritage, Kainoa’s journey is a story of both reconciliation and redemption. Following the screening will be a reception at Downtown Social (149 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003). 

The festival also includes panels and workshops on screenwriting, navigating mental health in creative fields, documentary distribution, and more.

Established in 1978 by Asian CineVision, the Asian American International Film Festival is the nation’s first and longest running festival of its kind and the premier showcase for the best independent Asian, Asian diaspora and Pacific Islander cinema. AAIFF is committed to film and media as a tool for social change and to supporting diversity and inclusion in the media arts.

To learn more, go to: https://www.aaiff.org/

Asian American International Film Festival
July 31 - August 10, 2025

Various Venues in NYC

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