Oct 15—25, 2026
Boston Asian AmericanFilm Festival
New England's Largest Asian American Film Festival
The Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF is a co-production of Asian American Resource Workshop and ArtsEmerson.
Info
Venue
Bright Family Screening Room
559 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
OCT 15–OCT 25
Dates
Oct 15, 2026 - Oct 25, 2026
Special Offers
BAAFF Full Festival Pass
See every film in the Boston Asian American Film Festival for under $150!
Select at least one ticket to all eleven films in the Boston Asian American Film Festival and Save 12% on your order. Offer applies on Standard Tickets only.
BAAFF Shorts Pass
See all four Shorts Blocks for only $54!
Select at least one ticket each to all four Shorts Blocks in the Boston Asian American Film Festival and Save 10% on your order. Offer applies on Standard Tickets only. Includes the following films:
After Dark Shorts BlockIn Transit Shorts BlockDrawing Lines Shorts BlockFamilies Forged & Found
Details
$15 - $25 per film
Oct. 15 - Coolidge Corner Theater
Oct. 17-19 - Emerson Paramount Center: BFSR
Oct. 24 - 25 Emerson Paramount Center: BFSR
For shorts descriptions, additional filmmaker or Opening Night information, visit baaff.org
Director Bio:
Benito Bautista is a San Diego based Filipino filmmaker drawn to stories rooted in his community and the social issues that shape their lives. His work often highlights overlooked voices and cultural traditions, as seen in Harana: The Search for the Lost Art of Serenade, which won the Gawad Urian Award (Filipino Film Critics Award) for Best Documentary film, the Asian Network for Documentary Award at the Busan International Film Festival, and Audience Awards, including at CAAMFest and the Hawaii International Film Festival. His feature narrative BOUNDARY, which explores themes of corruption and socio-economic inequality, was honored with the NETPAC Award at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
Ramona S. Diaz is a Peabody, Gotham, IDA, Emmy award-winning, Gawad Urian (Philippine Critics), PGA and Independent Spirit award-nominated Filipino American filmmaker. Her films have been screened and won awards at Sundance, Berlin, Busan, Tribeca, SXSW, IDFA, HotDocs, and other top-tier film festivals. Ramona’s independently produced films—IMELDA (2004), The Learning (2011), Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey (2012), Motherland (2017), and A Thousand Cuts (2020)—have been nationally broadcast on PBS, Arte, and the BBC, amongst others. In 2023, A Thousand Cuts was honored at the 2023 Ani ng Dangal ceremony held in Malacañang Palace in the Philippines. Her latest film, And So It Begins, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was recently selected as the Philippines’ entry to the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.
Brampton born and Jersey raised, Jaskaran Singh has written, directed, and produced multiple films exploring the space between identity and inclusion, all while cementing South Asian voices prominently on screen. His shorts include: A TURBAN & A BEARD, a docu-drama highlighting Sikh hate crimes in America in the two decades since 9/11; ME|HER, a romantic dramedy about two friends reconciling their feelings after ten years; and COPELESS, a psychological drama about generational trauma, guilt, and grief. Jaskaran’s feature JERSEY BOY, a coming-of-age drama about a Sikh boy struggling to hold onto his identity in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, was a Quarterfinalist in The Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting 2022, made The CAPE List 2021 (curated by The Black List), and won the 2020 Whistler Film Festival’s Power Pitch. Having wrapped production in 2023, it hits the festival circuit in 2026.
Luka Yuanyuan Yang is a visual artist and filmmaker who weaves documentary and archival materials into diverse mediums like film, photography, artist books, installations, and performances. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, as well as the New Orleans Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Camden International Film Festival, Asian American International Film Festival, and Women Make Waves. Her first feature film “Chinatown Cha-Cha” has received support from The Gotham, Doc Edge, Pingyao International Film Festival, Beijing International Film Festival, CNEX, Shanyi International Women’s Film Festival, and Aranya Waves Film Festival. Luka’s artwork was collected by KADIST Foundation. She has received support from institutions such as Asian Cultural Council and Asymmetry Art Foundation. She has also earned numerous international accolades, including BVLGARI Avrora Award (2023); Art Power 100 (2019); Huayu Youth Award (2016); Rencontres d’Arles The Arthor Book Award (2015); Magenta Foundation (2013); and the Three Shadows Tierney Fellowship (2012).
Khoa Ha is a multifaceted artist whose creative journey spans continents, cultures and disciplines. Born and raised in Vietnam, she embarked on a transformative chapter by moving to California with her family in 2011, carving out homes in both Saigon and Los Angeles. Drawing from her rich heritage and experiences, Khoa’s career flourished in the Los Angeles, where she honed her graphic design and art director skills at top agencies before founding her own creative agency. As a director, she leads impactful projects and campaigns, recognized by prestigious awards, weaving her unique perspective as an immigrant and artist into each compelling narrative and project.
Vietnamese-born director PHUONG MAI NGUYEN graduated from Gobelins and La Poudrière. She co-directed the adaptation of Pénélope Bagieu’s graphic novel Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World into a 30-episode animated series broadcast on France Télévisions in 2019. She regularly collaborates with other directors on storyboarding and visual development for animated films and series. She has directed several short films, including My Home, which was pre-selected for the César Awards and shortlisted for the Oscars in 2016. In Waves is her first feature film.
Xiaodan He, a Montreal based Chinese-Canadien filmmaker, studied film production at the Beijing Film Academy of China. In 2002, she immigrated to Canada. In 2013, she founded Red Dawn Productions, five feature projects, fiction and documentary, were financed by the institutions for their development or production. Xiaodan’s main work include The Dance of the Star (fiction, 80 min), Cairo Calling (fiction, 9 min), The Fall of Womenland (documentary, 48 min), A Touch of Spring (feature , 82 min) and My Father’s Journey (documentary, 78 min). Xiaodan is the first Chinese immigrante director who has received grants from Quebec and from Canada for a feature film.
