For the first time, our festival will feature a juried competition, with 16 films competing for the Grand Jury Feature Film Award, the Best Short Film Award, and the Francis Kwong Memorial Award recognizing an emerging director.

Schedule:

Saturday, March 22, 2025

5:00 p.m - 8:30 p.m: Asian Pop-Up Cinema Shorts Series #1: Pan-Asian Perspectives
Discover the future of Asian cinema in this dynamic selection of short films from up-and-coming filmmakers! Featuring bold and thought-provoking works from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Iran, and South Korea, this program highlights fresh storytelling, innovative visual styles, and compelling perspectives.

Total program runtime: 121 minutes

Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites
Cambodia, Drama, Comedy, 2025, 19 minutes
In Khmer with English subtitles
Director: Chheangkea
During the Qingming festival, Grandma Nai's afterlife is disrupted by her bickering relatives’ grave-sweeping visit. When she overhears plans to pressure her grandson into an arranged marriage, she takes matters into her own ghostly hands. Following the family to a matchmaking karaoke dinner, she discovers his true affections lie not with his intended bride, but with her charming older brother.

A Summer's End Poem
China / Switzerland, Coming-of-age, Drama, 2024, 15 minutes
In Minnan with English subtitles
Director: Lam Can-zhao
In a small village near Chaozhou, a country boy dreams of a city hairstyle. As the last day of the summer holidays approaches, he finally gathers his savings and adventures to fulfill his goal… But reality falls short of his expectations, and his simple journey becomes a charming tale of growing up and embracing life's unpredictability.

Sunflower Shadows
Iran, Drama, Experimental, 2024, 13 minutes
In Persian with English subtitles
Director: Roya Zanbagh
Teenage Pooya, living alone with his mother, finds himself caught in a quiet struggle between her and Tala, the young painter next door. As tensions rise, he must navigate the complexities of family and independence in this stunning cinematic poem.

Wanna Die Wanna Kill
South Korea, Drama / Thriller, 2024, 22 minutes
In Korean with English subtitles
Director: Jaehee Jeong
After relentless bullying at school, a teenage girl named Chae-yeon checks into a hotel suite, planning a joint suicide with strangers she met online. As they debate their final moments, an unexpected suggestion shifts the night in a direction none of them saw coming.

Mount Davis: From Citadel to Campus
Hong Kong, Documentary, 2021, 52 minutes
In Cantonese with English subtitles
Director: Candy Chan
Once a military outpost, Mount Davis has been transformed into a vibrant learning center: the University of Chicago’s Hong Kong campus, designed to promote public education about cultural heritage. But beneath its modern facade lies a history of conflict and resilience. In this fascinating documentary, former detainees from the 1967 riots share haunting memories of their imprisonment, while historians and architects work to preserve the site's legacy.

8:00 p.m - 9:45 p.m: Yukiko a.k.a
An elementary school teacher finds her voice by turning to hip-hop

North American Premiere
Japan, Drama, 2024, 98 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles

Director: Naoya Kusaba
Screenwriter: Ayako Suzuki
Starring: Rio Yamashita, Hina Higuchi, Fusako Urabe, Daichi Watanabe
Yukiko, a timid 29-year-old elementary school teacher, struggles with student communication and personal insecurities. However, when she begins to dabble in hip-hop, she finds confidence and begins to discover the things that truly define her. It’s easy to pick up a hobby, but finding the things that define your life is another matter altogether. Rather than depicting another musical genius who miraculously achieves excellence, Naoya Kusaba’s indie drama follows a character who embraces her flaws and limitations in art while using it to find a voice of her own. The result is a heartwarming and grounded feel-good film.

Saturday, March 29, 2025

7:30 p.m - 8:30 p.m: Stranger Eyes
An award-nominated thriller that explores the terror of scopophilia in the digital age  

Singapore, Taiwan, France, U.S.A., Thriller, 2024, 125 minutes  
In Mandarin w/ English Subtitles  
Director/Screenwriter: Yeo Siew Hua  
Starring: Wu Chien-ho, Lee Kang-sheng, Anicca Panna, Vera Chen, Pete Teo  
Film Source: Film Movement
After the mysterious disappearance of their baby daughter, a married couple begin to receive strange videos of their daily life. The police set up surveillance around their home to catch the voyeur, but the family start to crumble as secrets unravel under the scrutiny of eyes. In the age of TikTok and YouTube, we’ve become used to looking at others through our screens, but we seldom think about what it feels like to be constantly seen. Yeo Siew Hua explores modern scopophilia in an age of constant surveillance with this Golden Horse-nominated thriller about paranoia and fetishism.   

Saturday, April 5, 2025

2:00 p.m - 3:30 p.m: A Samurai in Time
A time-traveling samurai finds his calling as an actor in the Japanese sleeper hit of 2024

Midwest Premiere
Japan, Fantasy Comedy, 2024, 74 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Junichi Yasuda
Starring: Makiya Yamaguchi, Norimasa Fuke, Yuno Sakura, Rantaro Mine, Ken Shonozaki
Film Source: Third Window Films
Director Junichi Yasuda and actress Yuno Sakura are scheduled to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
In the Edo period, a samurai is struck by lightning and transported to the present day. Thanks to his “authentic” outfit and speaking style, the samurai ends up finding his calling as a “kiraeyaku,” a swordsman in the samurai genre whose job is to get killed on-screen. A tribute to Seizo Fukumoto, the late samurai genre actor who died more than 50,000 times on-screen, Junichi Yasuda’s high-concept comedy is a refreshing twist on both the time-traveling and the samurai genres. The self-funded film opened on one screen and slowly grew in popularity on word-of-mouth, becoming the sleeper hit of 2024.

Sunday, April 6, 2025

2:00 p.m - 3:00 p.m: Yen and Ai-Lee
Yen & Ai-Lee
A woman is caught between a traumatic past and an uncertain future in this enthralling mother-daughter drama
Midwest Premiere
Taiwan, Drama, 2024, 107 minutes
In Mandarin w/ Chinese and English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Tom Shu-Yu Lin
Starring: Kimi Hsia, Yang Kuei-Mei, Sam Tseng, Kipin Ng
Film Source: Lights On Films
Director/Writer Tom Shu-Yu Lin and actress Kimi Hsia are scheduled to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Yen returns to her village after serving eight years in prison for killing her abusive father. However, Yen learns that her mother is dating yet another abusive man. Will Yen finally take agency of her life, or will she forever be dragged down by the burdens of family. Tom Shu-yu Lin navigates the love-and-hate nature of mother-daughter relationships with this compelling drama about the desire for reinvention and the trauma of abuse. Intricately constructed and beautifully shot in black-and-white, the film also features terrific performances by Lin’s wife and muse Kimi Hsia and screen legend Yang Kuei-mei.

3:00 p.m - 5:00 p.m: Concerning My Daughter
An honest and sincere drama about mothers, daughters, lovers and caregivers
U.S. PREMIERE
S. Korea, Drama, 2024, 106 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Lee Mi-rang
Starring: Oh Min-ae, Heo jin, Lim Se-mi, Ha Yoon-kyung
Film Source: M-Line Distribution
Director Lee Mi-rang and actress Oh Min-ae are scheduled in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
After she is evicted from her apartment and fired from her job, lesbian professor Green is forced to move back in with her mother with her lover in tow. Meanwhile, Green’s mother devotes her energy into her elderly home caregiver job, helping a resident who has lost her savings. While the disapproving parent has always played a significant role in LGBTQ stories, writer-director Lee Mi-rang takes a nuanced approach to the subject. Lee’s moving script and Oh Min-ae’s empathetic performance offer a possibility that understanding and compassion are possible in a society that lacks support for diversity and marginalized people.    

7:00 p.m - 8:15 p.m: Silent City Driver
An enigmatic hearse driver seeks revenge in a city plagued by corruption and hate
Mongolia, Drama, 2024, 138 minutes
In Mongolian w/ English Subtitles
Director: Sengedorj Janchivdorj
Screenwriters: Sengedorj Janchivdorj, Nomuunzul Turmunkh
Starring: Tuvshinbayar Amartuvshin, Narantsetseg Ganbaatar, Bat-Erdene Munkhbat  
Film Source: Nomadia Pictures
Director Sengedorj Janchivdorj, actor Tuvshinbayar Amartuvshin and cinematographer Enkhbayar Enkhtur are scheduled to appear in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
After surviving 14 brutal years in prison, Myagmar lives in isolation with only his stray dogs as his companions. His life is changed for the better when he finds a job as a hearse driver, but an incident forces him to revert to his violent ways.  Sengedorj Janchivdorj’s follow-up to his breakout film The Sales Girl is a unique vision of Ulaanbaatar’s underbelly. Compelling and deliberately paced, this study of an outcast pushed to the edge by his society’s plagues also features striking visuals that must be seen on the big screen. Grand Prix, 2024 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.  

Thursday, April 10, 2025

7:30 p.m - 9:30 p.m: A Long Shot
A hard-boiled crime drama that looks at the price of breakneck economic reform in China  
Midwest Premiere
China, Drama, 2023, 117 minutes  
In Mandarin w/ English Subtitles
Director: Gao Peng  
Screenwriters: Gao Peng, Wang Ang, Wang Wen, Fang Chang  
Starring: Zu Feng, Qin Hailu, Zhou Zhengjie, Shao Bing, Feng Lei  
Film Source: Parallax/Midnight Blurs Films
After losing his hearing, former sharpshooter Gu Xuebing takes a job as a security guard at a factory. When he catches his neighbor’s son stealing scrap metal, Xuebing takes the young man under his wing. However, as poverty rears its ugly head in the industrial town, it’s hard to resist turning to crime. Capturing the desperation of those who were left behind by China’s rapid economic reforms, Gao Peng’s slick directorial debut brilliantly combines a hard-boiled crime drama with social commentary. The engrossing film shows a pressure cooker society that, like Xuebing’s homemade gun, can go off at any time.  

Friday, April 11, 2025

7:30 p.m - 9:15 p.m: Teki Cometh
A retired professor faces an invisible enemy in one of the most acclaimed Japanese films of 2024
North American Premiere
Japan, Drama, 2024, 108 minutes
In Japanese w/ English Subtitles
Director/Screenwriter: Daihachi Yoshida
Starring: Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kumo Takiuchi, Asuka Kurosawa, Yumi Kawak
Film Source: Happinet Phantom  
Gisuke is a widowed retired college professor who lives alone and occasionally receive visits from his students. One day, he finds a post on the internet about an approaching enemy. The more he sees it, the more he feels an ominous feeling growing inside. Director Daihachi Yoshida successfully turns what many believe to be an “unfilmable” novel into a compelling character study about paranoia and aging that is eerily dreamy, multi-layered and beautifully cinematic. This widely acclaimed drama won an unprecedented three prizes at the Tokyo International Film Festival – the Grand Prix, Best Director and Best Actor.  

8:30 p.m - 9:30 p.m: Crocodile Tears (Air Mata Buaya)
Nature’s ferocity is no match for a mother’s scorn in this tense and atmospheric drama  
Indonesia, France, Singapore, Germany, Drama, 2024, 99 minutes   
In Indonesian w/ English Subtitles   
Director/Screenwriter: Tumpal Tampubolon
Starring: Marissa Anita, Yusuf Mahardika, Zulfa Maharani
Film Source: Cercamon
Johan lives alone with his mother in voluntary exile on a crocodile farm, with only a white crocodile as their confidant. Their life is disrupted when Johan falls for a girl in town, threatening their lives’ delicate balance. In Asia, it’s normal for children to live with their parents well into their adulthood. While most parents look forward to becoming an empty-nester, Tumpal Tampubolon asks what happens when a parent takes extreme measures to keep their child around in this chilling and peculiar mother-son drama. Like the family crocodile, this matriarch will bite when you least expect it.   

Saturday, April 12, 2025

3:00 p.m - 5:30 p.m: Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Shorts Series #2 - Asian American Perspectives
This new program showcases unique perspectives and a nuanced exploration of Asian experiences across North America.

In the spirit of greater representation and celebrating the diverse voices of Asian storytellers, Asian Pop-Up Cinema is proud to expand its selection to include films from Asian American and Asian Canadian filmmakers! This new program showcases unique perspectives and a nuanced exploration of Asian experiences across North America.

Total program runtime: 106 minutes

Tantrum
Canada, Drama, 2023, 15 minutes
In Korean with English subtitles
Director: Soomin Choi
Determined and full of life, 7-year-old Moa is excited about her upcoming choir competition, but her joy fades quickly when she realizes her mother has forgotten all about it. Desperate to be seen and heard, Moa resorts to bold and unexpected measures to win back her attention. Will her efforts bring them closer together or push them further apart?

Under the Kasaya
Canada, Drama, 2024, 15 minutes
In Chinese with English subtitles
Director: Jennifer Fan Jiang
Fourteen-year-old Jean has always been taught that truth leads to liberation—but after an unsettling encounter with her Buddhist mentor, she is confronted with a devastating choice: carry the weight of a painful secret, or confess to her deeply devout mother. Inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience, this deeply personal story explores the weight of unspoken truths and the courage it takes to break the silence.

The Little Shopping Trolley
Canada, Drama, 2024, 18 minutes
In French and Vietnamese with English subtitles
Director: Laurence Ly
Struggling to make ends meet in Montreal, a Vietnamese mother of three faces an unexpected battle at the grocery store. Denied the right to buy 12 discount laundry detergents, she must find a way to outmaneuver the system to claim what should be hers. This heartfelt tale of capitalism, family, and resilience offers an earnest look at the immigrant experience, all wrapped in an unconventional Christmas story.

Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America
United States, Documentary, 2024, 58 minutes
In English
Directors: Jon Osaki, Josh Chuck – Intro & Q&A by director Jon Osaki
This thoughtful documentary explores the role of Ethnic Studies in redefining narratives and empowering Asian American communities. From its origins at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State to present-day movements, it amplifies the voices of activists, educators, and youth who advocate for expanding education to challenge harmful stereotypes, combat anti-Asian hate, and empower future generations.

5:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m: The Uniform
A celebration of young female friendship and living free of labels
North American Premiere
Taiwan, Youth Drama, 2024, 109 minutes
In Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Chuang Ching-Shen
Screenwriters: Hsu Hui-Fang, Wang Li-Wen
Starring: Chen Yan-fei, Chloe Xiang, Chiu Yi-tai, Chi Chin
Film Source: Sanling Chang
Director Chuang Ching-Shen, producer Tang Tsai-Yang and actress Chen Yan-fei are scheduled to appear in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Additionally, Chen Yan-fei will will receive the APUC Bright Star Award.
The year is 1997. Ai is forced to enroll in the night school of an elite girls’ high school, but night students are often inferior by their day school counterparts. Nevertheless, Ai becomes close friends with her day school desk-mate, Min. Chuang Ching-Shen’s coming-of-age drama explores the obsession with elitism and privilege in an education system riddled with inequalities while portraying a friendship between girls whose camaraderie transcend class. In addition to featuring two of Taiwan’s best up-and-coming young actresses in outstanding performances, Chi Chin also shines as a Ai’s single mother.  

6:30 p.m - 8:15 p.m: Love Lies
An online romance scam changes two strangers’ lives in this Hong Kong sleeper hit   
Hong Kong, Comedy-Drama, 2024, 116 minutes  
In Cantonese w/ Chinese and English Subtitles  
Director: Ho Miu-ki  
Screenwriters: Ho Miu-ki, Chan Hing-kei  
Starring: Sandra Ng, Michael Cheung, Stephy Tang, Chan Fai-hung  
Film Source: One Cool Films  
Director Ho Miu-ki and producer Chan Hing Ka are scheduled to appear in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Widowed doctor Veronica falls for a French engineer named “Alain” on a dating app. However, what she doesn’t know is that “Alain” is actually a young man who works for an online romance scamming ring. But when “Alain” begins to feel sorry for Veronica, an unlikely connection starts to form. Screenwriter Ho Miu-ki’s exploration of bonds forged in deception looks at online dating scams with empathy for both sides of the crime. With a splendid award-nominated performance by Sandra Ng and a charismatic turn by pop star Micheal Cheung, the film touches on loneliness and emotional trauma with poignancy.  

7:30 p.m - 8:30 p.m: The Land of Morning Calm
An angry exposé of prejudice and xenophobia in modern Korea
S. Korea, Drama, 2024, 114 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
U. S. Premiere
Director/Screenwriter: Park Ri-woong
Starring: Yoon Joo-sang, Yang Hee-kyung, Khazsak, Park Jong-hwan
Film Source: Hive Filmworks
Director Park Ri-woong is scheduled to attend in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
To escape his life, a young fisherman fakes his disappearance. His boss, a cranky boat captain, reluctantly plays along so that the fisherman’s Vietnamese wife can receive the insurance payout. However, racism rears its ugly head as the investigation progresses. Winner of the New Currents Award at Busan International Film Festival, Park Ri-woong’s follow-up to the acclaimed Girl with a Bulldozer is another angry indictment of the woes plaguing Korean society. At the center of this riveting story of small-town xenophobia is a captivating performance by Yoon Joo-sang as the furious boat captain who surprisingly become the story’s moral compass. 

Date: March 22 - April 12, 2025

Location:

Amc Newcity 14
1500 N Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60610

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