A Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom. To attend, you must buy a ticket to the film SONNE.

In a moment of ordinary madness, three girlfriends decide to shoot a burqa music video. The short film Warsha plays before Sonne.

Asian Americans unite to free Chol Soo Lee, a Korean immigrant who was wrongly convicted of a gang murder, but once out, he self-destructs, threatening the movement's legacy and the man himself. *Filmmaker in attendance

What’s worse than graduating without a job, a boyfriend, or a sense of purpose? Not being able to graduate at all. Riley, an Asian-American girl, is a senior at an unidentified NYC college who is dealing with a yeast infection, a UTI, the fallout of a recent break-up, racial stigma from supposed friends, flailing romantic endeavors with uninterested men, and a future put on hold.

A young Chinese Canadian photographer is forced to reflect on her shifting identity when she discovers the work of Cindy Sherman. To attend you must purchase a ticket to the film TEHRANTO.

In Toronto lively music, intricate textiles and vibrant colours paint an unlikely story of love and family when Badi and Sharon, two young students with very different upbringings from a divided Iranian community, accidentally fall in love. *Filmmaker in attendance. The short film Fictions plays before Tehranto.

AAAFF presents our second short film program, SLICE OF LIFE. As part of our values of having films be accessible, this program is offered for a low ticket fee of $5 per person. Q&A with attending filmmakers will follow.

Kick off the last day of AAAFF 2022 with a Badgeholders Coffee Mixer at Barrett’s Coffee. This neighborhood gem was converted from an old liquor store and is our nod to Centerpiece film LIQUOR STORE DREAMS. Badgeholders can redeem 1 free beverage to fuel up before hitting the 11AM showing of Shorts Block 2: Slice of Life at AFS Cinema.

Ann Cruz is a lucid dreamer. Her dreams are the exact opposite of her mundane, routinary life. In one of her fabricated dreams, she meets a mysterious man who challenges her to make her dreams more adventurous. As she crosses paths with another lucid dreamer, she realizes her dreams are far more alive than her reality – making her question if it is worth staying in there or not.

Tracing back to the ‘92 LA Uprisings to the current day BLM movement, Liquor Store Dreams is an intimate portrait of two Korean American children of liquor store owners who set out to bridge generational divides with their immigrant parents in Los Angeles. *Filmmaker in attendance

Come dressed to impress at our Centerpiece Reception & Red Carpet before the film screening of LIQUOR STORE DREAMS. Light bites will be available. *Complimentary drink tickets for badge holders can be redeemed at Box Office with your badge.

Hidden Letters tells the story of two Chinese women trying to balance their lives as independent women in modern China while confronting the traditional identity that defines but also oppresses them.

Nevia No is a classically trained performer who runs Bodhitree Farm in Pemberton, New Jersey. Nevia struggles to maintain equilibrium on the farm and provide for her farmhands, mother and adult daughter, Euni. Euni is ambivalent about farming, but during the pandemic, she returns back home to help her mother. Nevia dreams that a season of farming will persuade her daughter to take over the family business, but Euni may have dreams of her own. To attend you must purchase a ticket to BORDERLANDS.

An intimate exploration of how everyday lives intertwine with borders in the Indian subcontinent. 'Borderlands' brings together six characters whose lives are defined by personal and political borders. The short film Seasons plays before Borderlands.

AAAFF presents our second short film program, SNAP SHOTS AROUND THE WORLD. As part of our values of having films be accessible, this program is offered for a low ticket fee of $5 per person. Q&A with attending filmmakers will follow.

The leading "clown" role in a renowned theater troupe passes on, and is welcomed into the Underworld. As he relives his vivid memories one last time before entering the afterlife, fifty years of art, struggle and love play out against the background of 20th-century China’s tumultuous history.

Over a series of photographs, Georgette Quan tells the story of her family's shrimping business, from the age of the Chinese Exclusion Act to its present-day status as a state park. To attend, please purchase a ticket to TERRIBLE CHILDREN.

The film poses the universal question—must we betray our family to grow up? The filmmaker’s Indian father gives her a letter, which he left unopened for 20 years. She pieces together her father’s history of trauma and renewal—of family violence, boyhood in a right-wing paramilitary group, Muslim-Hindu violence during Partition, and family banishment for marrying a Danish woman. *Filmmaker in attendance. The short film What Remains plays before TERRIBLE CHILDREN.

Drop on by Vivo’s outdoor patio just a few doors down from AFS Cinema to join AAAFF for a complimentary drink and nacho bar before you catch your first Friday film screening of TERRIBLE CHILDREN at 6:15pm.

*Badge holders who have not yet picked up their badge from the box office can attend. Check in with AAAFF staff for entrance to event.

Haunted by wet dreams on her newly bought mattress every night, "Chinese Girl" goes on a journey to cleanse herself of the spirits with help from her Chinese heritage. This film plays before DEALING WITH DAD. To attend, please buy a ticket to DEALING WITH DAD.

Advance Sale tickets for OPENING NIGHT’S DEALING WITH DAD are SOLD OUT! Limited rush tickets may be available at the venue 15 min before the screening. You will be asked to wait in the rush line while we ascertain the number of seats/tickets available to sell.

Margaret Chang is rocked from her perfect alpha-mom-corporate-manager life when she has to go back to her hometown to deal with her overbearing dad, Jialuo. *Filmmaker in attendance. The short film Big Trouble in Little America plays before Dealing With Dad.

*All Access Badge holders receive a complimentary drink & movie candy. Please redeem upon badge pickup at Box Office.