A little over a week ago, the New York Asian Film Festival announced the first wave initial highlights for the upcoming 25th edition. As promised, the second wave is now up and running, adding to the roster with this year’s Uncaged Awards selections, as well as actors Jun Ji-hyun (Colony) and Daniel Wu (Cold War 1994) to the names of this year’s honorees.
A total of 69 feature films in addition to the shortfilm entries to be screened across several venues – mostly at Film At Lincoln Center – can be found in Wednesday’s announcement below along with this year’s festival poster. Check out all that and more as you scroll down and for all else, click here, here and here to get in on all things NYAFF!
New York, NY (June 17, 2026) – The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) and Film at Lincoln Center today unveil the second wave of programming for its landmark 25th edition, adding more than 40 films to an already wide-ranging lineup, with very special final titles still to come. Running from July 10 to July 26 across five New York venues, including Film at Lincoln Center, SVA Theatre, IFC Center, Anthology Film Archives, and the Korean Cultural Center New York, NYAFF 2026 marks a major milestone for North America’s leading festival of Asian cinema.
Since 2002, NYAFF has grown from a grassroots festival built by passionate fans of Asian cinema into an essential platform for Asian film culture in North America. Over the past 25 years, the festival has introduced audiences to filmmakers who would go on to become some of the industry’s most celebrated voices, while continuing to spotlight new talent and exciting discoveries from across the continent. The 25th edition celebrates a quarter century of NYAFF’s continued mission to bring Asian cinema and its artists to New York audiences with some spectacular announcements.
Following last week’s first wave announcement, this second reveal brings together the festival’s signature Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film competition, a new slate of feature titles from across the region, and an expanded roster of award honorees led by some of the biggest names in Asian cinema.
Korean icon Gianna Jun, whose star-making turns in film and television have made her one of Asia’s most beloved performers, will receive the Extraordinary Star Asia Award. Hong Kong actor, director, and producer Daniel Wu, a defining presence in Asian cinema whose influence extends across both Eastern and Western screens, will be honored with the Best from the East Award.
Gianna Jun will be on hand for the North American premiere of director Yeon Sang-ho’s Korean box-office hit and opening night film Colony. One of Asia’s most beloved and influential stars, Jun has captivated audiences for more than two decades through iconic roles in My Sassy Girl, The Thieves, and My Love from the Star. In celebration of her award, NYAFF will also present a new 4K restoration of the romantic-comedy classic My Sassy Girl, the film that launched Jun to international stardom and remains one of the most beloved Korean films of all time.
Hong Kong actor, director, and producer Daniel Wu will be honored with the Best from the East Award. One of the defining stars of modern Hong Kong cinema, Wu rose to prominence through acclaimed films including Gen-X Cops, New Police Story, and Protégé, building a career that has spanned action blockbusters, crime dramas, and beloved series such as Into the Badlands and American Born Chinese. At NYAFF, Wu returns to Hong Kong cinema after a six-year absence with Cold War 1994, one of the most ambitious and expensive Hong Kong productions in recent memory.
Joining them is Taiwanese actor Joseph Chang, recipient of the Screen International Star Asia Award. Known for acclaimed performances in films including Eternal Summer and Soul Mate, Chang has spent two decades building a career that has made him one of Taiwan’s most recognizable screen talents. He will attend NYAFF with his latest feature, Deep Quiet Room.
Additional festival guest highlights include Filipino actor, singer, and producer Piolo Pascual (Manila’s Finest) and Thai actors Prapamonton Eiamchan (Human Resources), Mario Maurer (4 Tigers), and James Jirayu Tangsrisuk (Tha Rae: The Exorcist).
The latest wave of titles showcases some exciting voices of contemporary Asian cinema. Hong Kong’s next generation of filmmakers takes center stage with two distinctive comedies. Celebrated screenwriter Mak Tin Shu makes his feature directorial debut with the acclaimed dark comedy Dog Day Evening, while directors Kwok Ka-hei and Jack Lee bring their cult hit Unidentified Murder to NYAFF. Japan is represented by the international premiere of the period drama Samurai Vengeance, starring Tasuku Emoto, alongside the award-winning drama Fujiko, an Uncaged Award nominee. And from Thailand, NYAFF will present the world premiere of the genre-bending thriller Someone Special.
South Korea is represented by the North American premiere of Frosted Window, director Kim Jong-kwan’s poignant anthology drama set in Seoul’s Seochon neighborhood, with the filmmaker in attendance, as well as the international premiere of Lee Won-suk’s vertical drama Lovely Death. From Taiwan comes the North American premiere of the romance Kiss Me My Ghost Friend and the U.S. premiere of Last Night in Taipei, a warm ensemble drama following a group of friends as they spend one unforgettable night wandering through the city together.
This year’s edition also introduces the festival’s first-ever Spotlight on Vietnam, alongside returning sidebar programs including Queer Unbound, Horrorscope, and the popular Secret Screening at Anthology Film Archives. In honor of NYAFF’s 25th anniversary, the festival will launch 25th Anniversary Rediscoveries, a special series revisiting classic, iconic, and cult favorites from 2001, the year NYAFF began.
The Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film Competition is NYAFF’s signature section dedicated to bold new voices and filmmakers pushing cinema in unexpected directions. This year’s eight nominees span the region and include emerging talents, acclaimed auteurs, and feature directorial debuts:
The 2026 Uncaged Award nominees are:
A Dance with Rainbows — dir. Lee Yi-shan, Taiwan
Deep Quiet Room — dir. Shen Ko-shang, Taiwan
Fujiko — dir. Taichi Kimura, Japan
Girlfriends — dir. Tracy Choi, Macao/Taiwan/Hong Kong/Thailand
Hallan — dir. Ha Myung-mi, South Korea
Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts — dir. Wang Tong, China
Dog Day Evening — dir. Mak Tin Shu, Hong Kong
Turgaud — dir. Adilkhan Yerzhanov, Kazakhstan
All competition directors are expected to attend for Q&As, and the winner will be announced at the festival’s Closing Night Awards Ceremony on July 26.
The festival is presented with major support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (HKETONY), The Ministry of Culture of Thailand and the Department of Cultural Promotion, Fundstrat Global Advisors, BitMine, Cathay Pacific, Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York, Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY), and Korean Film Council (KOFIC),whose partnership amplifies Asian cinema’s most vital voices.
Special Programming Spotlights:
Country in Focus: Vietnam: Featuring the world premiere of Red Thread directed by Ham Tran, the international premiere of hit film Mr. Hero, as well as Leon Le’s Ky Nam Inn, and A Life in Cinema, a world premiere cine-concert event helmed by Tony Bui.
Queer Unbound: Featuring five LGBTQ+ focused films, including Herman Yau’s We’re Nothing at All, 10s Across the Borders, 3670, and Joan Chen–starrer Montreal, My Beautiful.
NYAFF 25th Anniversary Rediscoveries: A series of classic, iconic, and cult titles from 2001, in celebration of 25 years of Asian cinema, including the restoration of cult Hong Kong film You Shoot I Shoot with dir Pang Ho-cheung in attendance, as well as Pen-ek Ratanaruang’s Thai classic Mon-Rak Transistor, the 4K restoration of My Sassy Girl, and the iconic Shaolin Soccer.
Horrorscope: Asia’s dark side, featuring 11 chilling films including the Thai possession horror Tha Rae: The Exorcist, Indonesian haunted factory thriller Sleep No More, and animals-run-amok slasher Higuma!! The Killer Bear.
Beyond Borders: Featuring two films expanding NYAFF’s scope across central and south Asia, with Berlinale Critic’s Week selection Turgaud from Kazakhstan, and River Tales from India.
Shorts Programs: This year’s shorts lineup features 26 films from across Asia, the AAPI community, and the Asian diaspora. Across four programs, including a dedicated showcase of Korean shorts, audiences will discover world, international, North American, and New York premieres from some of the most exciting new voices in cinema.
FULL LINEUP: 69 feature films, 26 short films, 49 screenings at Film at Lincoln Center
Please note the program is still subject to change.
Films marked with ** will screen at Film at Lincoln Center.
FEATURES
CHINA
Crossing a Dawn | dir. Zhao Badou | China, 2026 | New York Premiere
**Take Off | dir. Peng Fei | China, 2026 | North American Premiere
**The Dumpling Queen | dir. Andrew Lau | China, Hong Kong, 2025 | Special Screening
Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts | dir. Wang Tong | China, 2025 | North American Premiere
HONG KONG Panorama (presented by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York with support from award-winning airline, Cathay Pacific)
**Afterpiece | dir. Keane T.K. Wong | Hong Kong, 2026 | North American Premiere
**Bird of Paradise | dir. Joey Wu | Hong Kong, 2026 | International Premiere
**Cold War 1994 | dir. Longman Leung | Hong Kong, 2025 | Special Screening
**Cyclone | dir. Philip Yung | Hong Kong, 2026 | North American Premiere
Dog Day Evening | dir. Mak Tin Shu | Hong Kong, 2026 | North American Premiere
**Fat Choi Spirit | dir. Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai | Hong Kong, 2002 | Special Screening
**Gamer Girls | dir. Veronica Bassetto, Sophie Yang | Hong Kong, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Initial D (20th Anniversary 4K) | dir. Andrew Lau, Alan Mak | Hong Kong, 2005 | Special Screening
**Night King (Director’s Cut) | dir. Jack Ng | Hong Kong, 2026 | International Premiere
Shaolin Soccer | dir. Stephen Chow | Hong Kong, 2001 | Special Screening
**The Dating Menu | dir. Amos Why, Frankie Chung | Hong Kong/Taiwan, 2026 | International Premiere
**The Storm Riders | dir. Andrew Lau | Hong Kong, 1998 | Special Screening
Unidentified Murder | dir. Kwok Ka-hei, Jack Lee | Hong Kong, 2025 | U.S. Premiere
You Shoot, I Shoot | dir. Pang Ho-cheung | Hong Kong, 2001 | Special Screening
**We’re Nothing at All| dir. Herman Yau | Hong Kong, 2026 | U.S. Premiere
INDIA
River Tales | dir. Pankaj Borah | India, 2025 | International Premiere
INDONESIA
Sleep No More | dir. Edwin | Indonesia, 2026 | U.S. Premiere
JAPAN
**All Greens | dir. Takashi Koyama | Japan, 2026 | North American Premiere
Fujiko | dir. Taichi Kimura | Japan, 2026 | North American Premiere
**Higuma!! The Killer Bear | dir. Eisuke Naito | Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Ichi the Killer | dir. Takashi Miike | Japan, 2001 | Special Screening
**Kinki | dir. Koji Shiraishi | Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Magical Secret Tour | dir. Chihiro Amano | Japan, 2026 | North American Premiere
Samurai Vengeance | dir. Takashi Minamoto | Japan, 2026 | North American Premiere
**Street Kingdom | dir. Tomorowo Taguchi | Japan, 2026 | North American Premiere
**The Brightest Sun | dir. Tetsuya Nakashima | Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Unchained | dir. Keisuke Yoshida | Japan, 2025 | North American Premiere
KAZAKHSTAN
Turgaud | dir. Adilkhan Yerzhanov | Kazakhstan, 2026 | North American Premiere
MACAU/TAIWAN/HONG KONG/THAILAND
**Girlfriends | dir. Tracy Choi | Macau/Taiwan/Hong Kong/Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
PHILIPPINES
10s Across the Borders | dir. Chan Sze-Wei | Philippines/Singapore/Germany, 2025 | New York Premiere
**Filipiñana | dir. Rafael Manuel | Singapore/U.K./Philippines/France/Netherlands, 2026 | New York Premiere
Manila’s Finest | dir. Raymond Red | Philippines, 2025
SOUTH KOREA (co-presented with Korean Cultural Center New York and supported by Korean Film Council (KOFIC))
3670 | dir. Park Joon-ho | South Korea, 2025 | New York Premiere
**Colony | dir. Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea, 2026 | North American Premiere | OPENING NIGHT
Frosted Window | dir. Kim Jong-kwan | South Korea, 2026 | North American Premiere
Funky Freaky Freaks | dir. Han Chang-lok | South Korea, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Journey There | dir. Kim Jin-yu | South Korea, 2025 | North American Premiere
Lovely Death | dir. Lee Won-suk | South Korea, 2026 | International Premiere
My Sassy Girl (4K Restoration) | dir. Kwak Jae-yong | South Korea, 2001 | North American Premiere
Peninsula | dir. Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea, 2020 | Special Screening
Seoul Station | dir. Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea, 2016 | Special Screening
The Chaser | dir. Na Hong-jin | South Korea, 2008 | Special Screening
The King’s Warden | dir. Chang Hang-jun | South Korea, 2025 | Special Screening
**Train to Busan (10th Anniversary 4K) | dir. Yeon Sang-ho | South Korea, 2016 | Special Screening
**Hallan | dir. Ha Myung-mi | South Korea, 2025 | North American Premiere. Supported by Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation
**My Name | dir. Chung Ji-young | South Korea, 2026 | North American Premiere. Supported by Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation
TAIWAN(presented with the support of Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York)
**A Dance with Rainbows | dir. Lee Yi-shan | Taiwan, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Deep Quiet Room | dir. Shen Ko-Shang | Taiwan/Italy, 2026 | North American Premiere
I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish | dir. Chao Koi Wang, Hu Chin-Yen | Taiwan, 2026 | North American Premiere
**Kiss Me My Ghost Friend | dir. Chen Ta-pu | Taiwan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Kung Fu | dir. Giddens Ko | Taiwan, 2026 | U.S. Premiere
**Last Night in Taipei | dir. Kuo Cheng-chui | Taiwan/France, 2025 | U.S. Premiere
THAILAND(presented with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand and the Department of Cultural Promotion)
**4 Tigers | dir. Kongkiat Komesiri | Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
**Gohan | dir. Chayanop Boonprakob, Baz Poonpiriya, Atta Hemwadee| Thailand, 2026 | North American Premiere
Human Resource | dir. Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit | Thailand, 2026 | North American Premiere
Mon-Rak Transistor | dir. Pen-ek Ratanaruang | Thailand, 2001 | Special Screening
Someone Special | dir. Petong Sakulchai, Ariel Feng, 2026 | World Premiere
**Tha Rae: The Exorcist | dir. Taweewat Wantha | Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
**The Undertaker 2 | dir. Thiti Srinuan | Thailand, 2025 | North American Premiere
VIETNAM
**A Life in Cinema | dir. Tony Bui | Vietnam/U.S., 2026 | World Premiere
**Ky Nam Inn | dir. Leon Le | Vietnam, 2025 | New York Premiere
Red Thread | dir. Ham Tran | Vietnam, 2026 | World Premiere
**Mr. Hero | dir. Võ Thạch Thảo| Vietnam, 2026 |International Premiere
DIASPORA
**Jet Lag in Summer | dir. Yan Kunao | Hong Kong/U.S., 2025 | U.S. Premiere
**Montreal, My Beautiful | dir. Xiaodan He | Canada, 2025 | New York Premiere
SHORT FILMS BY PROGRAM
**Shorts Program 1: Spirited Away
Buah (Fruit) | dir. Jen Nee Lim | Singapore/Malaysia, 2025 | New York Premiere
Si Shui (Still Water) | dir. Yijian Shan | China/Japan/U.S., 2025 | U.S. Premiere
Flamingo in the Garden | dir. Xinhui Ma | U.S., 2025 | New York Premiere
Agapito | dir. Arvin Belarmino, Kyla Romero | Philippines, 2025 | New York Premiere
A Dream Like a Dream | dir. Linjie Sheng | China, 2026, China | North American Premiere
Cookie, Love | dir. Sari Arambulo | U.S./France, 2025
Cecilia Is Only Eight Years Old | dir. Soojeong Son | U.S., 2026 | World Premiere
**Shorts Program 2: Lost & Found
Apes | dir. Benny Wang | China, 2026 | North American Premiere
Paper Daughter | dir. Cami Kwan | U.S., 2025 | New York Premiere
Girl Talk | dir. Yating Hsu | Taiwan, 2026 | World Premiere
Buddha the Betrayer | dir. Ning Qian | China/Taiwan, 2025 | International Premiere
Where Belly Goes | dir. Daphne Zelle | U.S., 2025 | World Premiere
One Last Walk | dir. Diana Bang, Andrea Bang | Canada, 2025 | International Premiere
Autosave | dir. Imanuel Bolaman | Indonesia, 2025 | World Premiere
**Shorts Program 3: Pressure Points
Hyena | dir. Altay Ulan Yang | China/U.S., 2025 | New York Premiere
Our Child | dir. Anatole Sloan | Hong Kong/U.K., 2026 | World Premiere
No Place Like Home | dir. Shen Chieh Tsang | Taiwan, 2025 | North American Premiere
Correct Me If I’m Wrong | dir. Hao Zhou | Germany/U.S., 2025 | New York Premiere
Coffin Therapy | dir. Zéré Turlykhanova | Kazakhstan, 2025 | New York Premiere
The Housekeeper | dir. Surya Balakrishnan | India, 2025 | New York Premiere
Shorts Program 4: Korean Shorts
Let The Neon Lights Dance | dir. Suzanne Soo Hyun Kim | Australia/South Korea, 2024 | World Premiere
Undercurrent | dir. Ru-ri Lee | South Korea, 2025 | North American Premiere
The Newcomer | dir. Annette Cho | U.S., 2025
SPEEDY! | dir. Jiin Oh | U.S., 2025 | New York Premiere
Devils in the Bush| dir. Juliet Belisario | Canada, 2025 | U.S. Premiere
Broken Dawn | dir. Hao-Oh Park | South Korea, 2025 | New York Premiere