Raw and intimate, this documentary captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.

Journalist Maria Ressa risks her life and freedom as an outspoken critic of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

A father seeks to understand why his son is accused of terrorism, as they journey to repair their relationship after breaking each other's hearts.

A conservative Indo-Canadian family comes to terms with a devastating secret: three sisters were sexually abused by an older relative during their childhood years.

Asian American kids break stereotypes and discover their identities as they put on a national debut production of “Frozen Kids.”"

A Chinese American police officer kills an unarmed black man in a dark stairwell, igniting a complicated fight for accountability and justice.

A Chinese American family’s search for their roots leads them to Mississippi, where they stumble upon surprising revelations and uncover their racially complex history in America.

A Chinese family travels to the U.S. for the first time to look for their daughter, an international student who vanished from a university campus.

Four adoptees return to their country of birth and reconnect with their roots.

A dancer, a kumu hula (teacher of hula), and a former Miss Aloha Hula go on a journey to the annual Merrie Monarch.

For want of maternal love, 14-year-old Ma Xiang makes the very first major decision in his life to leave his mountainous home to become an apprentice at a noodle shop in a strange city a thousand kilometers away.

With tattoo declared illegal by church and state, the last of the “black-skinned” Marquesan elders find clever ways to guard their dying people's Polynesian history.

A raw, candid look at today’s teens and millennials who are caring for a disabled parent.

Adulteress, traitor, heroine, or prey? In 1932, Celine Navarro was buried alive by her community in Northern California. This film digs up her story.

The unlikely story of a Cambodian refugee arriving in America and building a multi-million-dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut.

Explore the explosive popularity of the hula dance in Japan, from both Native Hawaiian and Japanese perspectives.

The filmmaker explains the national healthcare crisis as he tries to be closer to his son, who lives 2,000 miles away.

A Muslim cop goes undercover at his estranged father's mosque while his daughter hides her passion for a forbidden dance, uncovering a shocking family secret.

A woman dreams of being a chef, but when her father plans to pass down the restaurant to her brother, she has to reevaluate her dream.

After finally breaking into a lead role on stage, a woman's father suddenly passes away, leaving her responsible to save her family restaurant from shutting down.

When a bullied Indian teen forges her mother's signature to test out of high school, she discovers she must pay a test fee by the 7th period, leaving her no choice but to turn to the students she desperately wants to leave.

A deadbeat dad, insurance scammer, and MMA coach must avenge their Kung Fu master’s death, right after they call in sick to their day jobs.

In this allegory of love and loss, a hula dancer struggles with her sanity and survival in the shadow of Waikīkī.

Tensions arise in a household when a woman with a cerebral hemorrhage develops a bedsore.

Set in 90's Manila, four friends go on a journey of self-discovery as they play videogames and wrestle with new dilemmas.

A Vietnamese bachelor returns home from the U.S. with a Vietnamese American boyfriend, attempting to come out to his widowed mother.

A woman suddenly shows signs of being inhabited by others and the stories of the people connected to her.

A young man struggles with the legacy of his wrestling father, as he follows in his deceased father's footsteps by fighting for the return of his dad's stolen championship belt.

An old Laotian hermit discovers that the ghost of a road accident victim can transport him back in time to his mother's death.

From difficult family lessons to professional development, this is a cinematic reflection of life captured through the lens of the next generation of filmmakers. — Eseel Borlasa

Dumplings. Sausage. Ice cream. Food is a universal language shared amongst cultures and generations. Join us as we venture through these stories of community, heartbreak, nostalgia, and conflict between people – all with food on the table. Come hungry and leave with hearts full. — Kevin J. Nguyen

Visual Communications is proud to debut the projects from this year’s Armed With a Camera (AWC) Fellowship. Each work is a stunning invitation into poignant reflections on family ties and cultural identities.

Ranging from a fly-fisher fighting for conservation, to a beloved L.A. Chinatown bakery, to traditional Japanese flower arranging; these nonfiction works show how creative passion meets legacy and discipline.— Eseel Borlasa

Movements in rhythm, mass, body, and life. This program is composed of a mosaic mix of short films that embodies the spirit of music and motion. — Joel Quizon

Unexpected connections bring surprising lessons of life, loyalty, and love. This program connects you to a dysfunctional group of K-Pop fans, two women crying in the bathroom over (potential) heartbreaks, and more. — Eseel Borlasa

From professional mourners to a withering town, this program invites you to embrace death with open arms. What are the rituals with which we honor our dead, mourn the movements of the past, and heal collectively? Let us find out in a line-up that merges fiction and non-fiction. — Udval Altangerel

Always a must-see at LAAPFF, the Digital Histories world premieres center the unique voices and perspectives of older adults, and proudly shares their stories with the generations to come. This year, Digital Histories will debut an insightful, heartfelt, and reverential collection of films that reflect and celebrate the ideas and values important to their creators: portraits of real life heroes and change-makers, tributes to monuments, and love letters to family history and family bonds.

From secret thoughts as a rideshare passenger, to the nonfiction portraits of artists in New Zealand, to a hilarious look at a college student’s new side hustle – discover new storyline gems from these web series. – Eseel Borlasa

From standing up to a bully to confessing his feelings for a friend, these narrative works show that honest communication is not always easy. — Eseel Borlasa

Throughout our lives we each carry quiet reflections about the events that shape us. These filmmakers bring their quiet reflections to the screen and share with us their cinematic love letters of resilience. — Eseel Borlasa

From an epic tale set in a world of demons and ghosts, to a married couple’s racy date night, to a dangerous game of Russian Roulette, this program is a medley of films from a darker realm. — Eseel Borlasa

A magically inventive and wondrously bright journey through time and place, this collection of films transports and transforms curious minds, taking us on an enchanting trip from 70’s Hong Kong to the neighborhood park, and perhaps meeting a fungi or two along the way. Selected by the family unit of Glenda Gamboa, Children’s Librarian and mom, Kamayo Quizon, Pre-Teen Movie Buff and son, and Joel Quizon, the dad. — Joel Quizon

In Tagalog, kuwentuhan means to “tell a story to someone.” This program centers on the stories by Filipina and Filipina American storytellers. — Eseel Borlasa

What do borders mean when it comes to family identity and security? — Eseel Borlasa

One makes a decision through the strength or force gained by a series of events in their life. Step into the shoes of these lead characters and discover where their decisions take them. — Eseel Borlasa

From a young Samoan woman stricken with bleeding stigmata, to a documentary portrait on Native Hawaiian slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, to an animated tale that reveals the hidden history of four healing stones on Waikiki Beach; these pieces are cinematic love letters to the living culture of the Pacific.

Refugees, Drifters, Matriarchs, Charlatans, Survivors, and the Supernatural unite! Here, the square pegs all fit. The streams all swim up. The grain runs against. So take off your shoes and come in for these shortflix and feels. — Kirby Peñafiel

What happens when women make films about women? This eclectic collection of films show both the pleasure and pain of the lived female experience, reminding us of the nuanced storytelling we get when women lead the charge. — Dorothy Xiao

Inquiries into the physical and emotional spaces that connect and divide human beings. // Selected explorations of social distancing naively curated from a pre-COVID world. — Faroukh Virani

Carrying a legacy founded 19 years ago in Visual Communications’ Armed With A Camera (AWC) Fellowship program, these alumni stay committed to their craft and their community, bringing a bit of everything to the lineup, including a mother’s dying wish, a wild lady-punk musical, a visit from a not-so-angelic messenger angel, and more.

The UndocuCinema shorts program features films by members from the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, showcasing a diverse range of narratives, both beautifully uplifting and tragically traumatizing on a collective common subject: the immigrant experience.

Life is a series of reflection and choices, measuring the possible impact of what’s to come. From a new career path to a world with police artificial intelligence, these emerging filmmakers poignantly ask, “What would you do?” — Eseel Borlasa

Now, more than ever, we need windows to other cultures and countries to bridge understanding and compassion. This program brings powerful dramatic works from the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, and South Korea. — Eseel Borlasa