
Give as a gift
For those who are unable to attend the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival in person—some of our programmers' favorite shorts are available to watch online!
CONTENT WARNING: Some of the shorts in this program contain mature and/or disturbing themes, and are not appropriate for all ages.
After suffering a stroke, Lola Carla is bedridden and confused. She is uncooperative with her three daughters, refusing to sign off on a life-sustaining operation until she sees their father who promised to visit. Linda, Jeenie, and Agnes know their mother will not relent, but also that this is a promise that will not be kept. As dysfunctional as this family might be, they agree on one thing: They'll do whatever it takes to care for the people they love. And as the clock ticks down, they will test the absurd limits of this conviction.
Director's Bio: Pacqui Pascual is an emerging filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. He attended Sarah Lawrence where he first fell in love with writing and directing, gravitating towards stories that lean into the Asian American experience and the absurdities of life. His most recent short film, Awit Natin (Our Song), premiered at NFFTY 2025 where it won the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Film. Pacqui currently teaches film to middle schoolers and was recently diagnosed with ADHD.
- Year2025
- Runtime10 minutes
- LanguageEnglish, Tagalog
- CountryUnited States
- PremierePhiladelphia
- DirectorPacqui Pascual
- ScreenwriterPacqui Pascual
- ProducerNikko Wisner, Annie Cui, Carolyn JiaYing Chen
- Executive ProducerAlexandra Qin, Dessa Delfin
- CastMara Lopez, Maria Isabel Lopez, John Tabaniag
- EditorPacqui Pascual
- Production DesignMadeline Henderson, Ella Murray
- ComposerTan Zhi-Yong
- Sound DesignAnusha Allamsetty
For those who are unable to attend the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival in person—some of our programmers' favorite shorts are available to watch online!
CONTENT WARNING: Some of the shorts in this program contain mature and/or disturbing themes, and are not appropriate for all ages.
After suffering a stroke, Lola Carla is bedridden and confused. She is uncooperative with her three daughters, refusing to sign off on a life-sustaining operation until she sees their father who promised to visit. Linda, Jeenie, and Agnes know their mother will not relent, but also that this is a promise that will not be kept. As dysfunctional as this family might be, they agree on one thing: They'll do whatever it takes to care for the people they love. And as the clock ticks down, they will test the absurd limits of this conviction.
Director's Bio: Pacqui Pascual is an emerging filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. He attended Sarah Lawrence where he first fell in love with writing and directing, gravitating towards stories that lean into the Asian American experience and the absurdities of life. His most recent short film, Awit Natin (Our Song), premiered at NFFTY 2025 where it won the Jury Prize for Best Narrative Film. Pacqui currently teaches film to middle schoolers and was recently diagnosed with ADHD.
- Year2025
- Runtime10 minutes
- LanguageEnglish, Tagalog
- CountryUnited States
- PremierePhiladelphia
- DirectorPacqui Pascual
- ScreenwriterPacqui Pascual
- ProducerNikko Wisner, Annie Cui, Carolyn JiaYing Chen
- Executive ProducerAlexandra Qin, Dessa Delfin
- CastMara Lopez, Maria Isabel Lopez, John Tabaniag
- EditorPacqui Pascual
- Production DesignMadeline Henderson, Ella Murray
- ComposerTan Zhi-Yong
- Sound DesignAnusha Allamsetty
