Austin Film Festival is Almost Here! Check out these Asian and AA/PI Films at AFF 2021

Austin Film Festival starts on October 21 and ends on October 28, and we wanted to give you a heads up about all the Asian and AA/PI films they will be screening! Take a look at badges and passes here, and check out what other awesome programming they have for their 28th edition.

The Austin Asian American Film Festival has partnered with the 28th Austin Film Festival to offer discounts for their Film Passes and Badges to screen over 200 films in-person, and over 50 films virtually. If you’re able to attend in person, make sure to check out the short film “Good News” by Osric Chau who was featured at our 2019 Austin Asian Film Festival as an actor in “Empty by Design” which was shot in the Philippines.

CLICK HERE to use promo code AAAFF5 for $5 off Film Pass at checkout!

Can’t attend in person? CLICK HERE to use promo code AAAFF10 for $10 off Virtual Badge at checkout!

Happy movie watching! 

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CICADA (South Korea, 122 min)

The story revolves around a master of the traditional funeral play called Jindo Dasiraegi. One day, his daughter returns home years after she left, saddled with debt. Their relationship remains uneasy as she is still in agony over the death of her mother in total disregard of her father, as his heart and soul were dedicated to performing Dasiraegi.

Writer/Director: Chung-ryoul LEE

Cast: Yang-hee LEE, Bo-bi JU, Yeon-woo SEO

Screening(s): Tuesday, October 26, 10:00 PM at Paramount Theatre

ONE SECOND (China, 104 min)

A movie fan in a remote farmland strikes a relationship with a homeless female vagabond.

Writer: Yimou Zhang, Jingzhi Zou

Cast: Yi Zhang, Haocun Liu, Wei Fan, Xiaochuan Li, Yan Li, Yunlong Liu

Screening(s):Wednesday, October 27, 10:30 PM at State Theatre

TORao (Japan, 102 min) 

While conducting research for a college project, Kayako befriends a lonely, retired detective who can’t stop pondering his unsolved case out loud, Torao. Taking an interest in the case, the two embark on a journey to solve the mystery of a small town.

Writer/Director: Kazuya Murayama

Cast: Torao Nishimura, Sakiko Kato, Ayano Ogata, Tomoya Kono, Masaaki Kono, Kazue Minami

Screening(s): Sunday, October 24, 6:00 PM at St. David’s and Wednesday, October 27, 8:00 PM at Galaxy Highland

GO TO KILL (South Korea, 95 min)

After her husband falls into a vegetative state, a woman does everything in her power to make ends meet - even if that means cutting off chickens’ heads or becoming a hitwoman.

Writer/Director: Nam Won Park 

Cast: Yun-sl Choi

Screening(s:) Saturday, October 23, 8:30PM at Galaxy Highland and Tuesday, October 26, 3:15PM at Galaxy Highland

KARMALINK (Cambodia, USA, 102 min)

In near-future Phnom Penh, a teenage boy teams up with a street-smart girl from his neighborhood to untangle the mystery of his past-life dreams. What begins as a hunt for a Buddhist treasure soon leads to greater discoveries that will either end in digital enlightenment or a total loss of identity.

Writer: Jake Wachtel, Christopher Larsen Director: Jake Wachtel

Cast: Leng Heng Prak, Srey Leak Chhith, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Rous Mony, Sveng Socheata

Screening(s:)Thursday, October 21, 10:45 PM at State Theatre

GOOD NEWS (Canada, 14 min) 

Happily married without kids and intent to focus on his career, Ryan struggles with the news of an unplanned pregnancy and his wife Nicole’s decision to keep it. When the doctor diagnoses his wife with cancer, it leaves Ryan wanting nothing more than to have a child with Nicole.

Writer/Director: Osric Chau

Screening(s:) Sunday, October 24, 7:00 PM  at Rollins Theatre and Tuesday, October 26, 4:30PM Rollins Theatre

ANGEL (Taiwan, 17 min)

After a girl goes back to a guy’s apartment on their first date, the romantic evening takes a horrific turn when an AI digital assistant reveals to the girl that the guy plans to murder her and provides evidence of his evil intentions.

Writer/director: Dicky Chalmers

Screening(s): Saturday, October 23, 7:15PM at Rollins Theatre and Tuesday, October 26, 11:00 PM at Rollins Theatre

FOILED (USA, 11 min)

Foiled is a family comedy about ten-year-old Dylan and his younger brother Cody who accidentally rip their best friend’s baseball card. They must fix it otherwise they'll lose their best friend and never get to play baseball again. 

Writer/Director: Hao-Wei Timothy Chang

Screening(s): Sunday, October 24, 12:15 PM  at Rollins Theatre Tuesday, October 26, 5:45 PM at Galaxy Highland

ATONEMENT (India, 132 min)

PANGHRUN (ATONEMENT) is a love story which takes place in this dark age, when women could do no more than honor their family name, fall in love with a person chosen for them by someone else, and remain faithful to him at any cost. Inspired by a short story by the renowned poet and author B B Borkar, PANGHRUN (ATONEMENT) is a tragic tale of love, compassion, and ultimate sacrifice one will make, to have a shot at redemption.

Writer/Director: Kazuya Murayama

Cast: Torao Nishimura, Sakiko Kato, Ayano Ogata, Tomoya Kono, Masaaki Kono and Kazue Minami

Screening(s): Sunday, October 24, 6:45 PM at Hideout Theatre and Monday, October 25, 1:00 PM at Galaxy Highland

STEREOTYPE (Republic of Korea, 16 min)

Beak A war has been settled down, but a conflict against each other is still escalating

Writer/Director: Nahyun Beak, Dahyun Beak

Screening(s): Sunday, October 24, 4:30 PM at Galaxy Highland and Monday, October 25, 8:15  PM  at Hideout Theatre

THERE YOU ARE  (USA, 6 min)

After her mother’s death, Su hopes to reconnect with her father during their traditional camping trip on his birthday, but when he cancels it, she is forced to deal with her unresolved grief.

Writers: Rui Huang, Rong Deng Director: Rui Huang

Screening(s): Sunday, October 24, 4:30 PM at Galaxy Highland and Monday, October 25, 8:15 PM at Hideout Theatre

THE ATOMIC SPAWN (USA, 14 min)

In 1952 while working in a nuclear test site, John discovered a small irradiated egg. As his boss uses John as a hasty human test subject in a fallout shelter, the egg hatches to reveal a mutated lizard that’s hungry and growing larger. Now John must work quickly to keep the atomic spawn from destroying his shelter while the threat of radioactive fallout looms outside.

Writer/Director: Arthur Veenema

Screening(s): Thursday, October 21, 10:15 PM CDT at Rollins Theatre and Thursday, October 28, 4:00 PM CDT at Rollins Theatre

WEATHER IS LOVELY (China, 14 min)

A cloud maker and a researcher in a weather observatory accidentally cross paths and end up joining forces to stop a water-thirst cloud monster.

Writer: Pohan Lee/Chun-Chien Lien Director: Chun-Chien Lien

Screening(s): Sunday, October 24, 12:15 PM at Rollins Theatre and Tuesday, October 26, 5:45 PM at Galaxy Highland