Part of the 41st Asian American International Film Festival
Presented by Asian CineVision in association with Asia Society

The LGBTQIA+ experience for Asians and Asian-Americans often feels hidden and unheard. These films showcase just a small portion of the many different stories and identities within the Asian queer community.

RANI
Dir. Hammad Rizvi. Pakistan, U.S. 14 mins. 
A Pakistani transgender woman sets out to take care of an abandoned child.

DETOUR
Dir. Man Dik Sum. Germany, Hong Kong. 10 mins. 
As Hong Kong increasingly loses its sovereignty under China’s control, Momo leaves home for Berlin, hoping to finally breathe the air of freedom. But life doesn't look like what he imagined — instead of advancing his fashion career or finding love, he ends up working and living in a Chinese supermarket. Momo soon finds himself straying even further, going on an uncanny journey with other outcasts in the city of Berlin.

THE WIVES
Dir. Runze Yu. China. 31 mins. 
In China — where the family unit is highly valued — over 80 percent of the approximately 20 million gay men marry straight women to carry on the family name, and to escape social discrimination and parental pressure. The Wives is an intimate portrait of three Chinese women in this situation: Xiaonian is trying to get a divorce, Wang is stuck in her marriage because of her two children, and Delan becomes a gay rights advocate after her husband comes out.

LIONS IN WAITING 
Dir. Jason Karman. Canada. 17 mins. 
The newest member of a minor league hockey team, Ray, experiences hazing by his teammates as he struggles to fit in both on and off the ice. Ray will have to find the courage to accept himself first — and maybe even inspire a fellow teammate.

AFTEREARTH 
Dir. Jess X Snow. U.S. 13 mins. 
As rising sea levels threaten the loss of their motherland in Hawaii, The Philippines, China, and North America, four women fight to preserve volcanos, oceans, land, and air for future generations. In a deeply immersive artistic experience, they channel their mothers and ancestors in song, dance, and poetry, and take a bold and ultimate stand against the corruption of the elements and natural resources by humankind.

UNINVITED
Dir. Seung Yeob Lee. South Korea. 20 mins. 
When Jungho’s mom suddenly shows up at the Seoul apartment he shares with his boyfriend, he must hide all evidence of his homosexuality — but she’s far more perceptive than he could have anticipated.

For tickets and more information, click here

The 41st Asian American International Film Festival runs from July 25 to August 4 with screenings at Asia Society and Cinema Village East.

Click here for a complete Festival schedule and tickets.

The Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) premiered in the summer of 1978 in New York City answering a growing need for social understanding, cultural diversity in American life, and independent cinema. AAIFF is the first festival in the U.S. to showcase film and video work by artists of the Asian Diaspora. Forty years later, the AAIFF has grown to include films and video from more than 30 countries, a variety of topical panels and workshops, industry mixers, staged readings, exclusive interviews, receptions and more.