“Informant,” starring “Squid Game” breakout Heo Sung-tae, will open the 24th New York Asian Film Festival with its world premiere on July 11, with both the actor and director Kim Seok attending the opening night screening.
The festival, running July 11-27 across four Manhattan venues, has unveiled its second wave of programming, revealing a lineup of 50+ additional films under the theme “Cinema as Disruption.”
The Korean action-comedy sets the tone for what organizers call “a radically inclusive lineup” featuring more than 50 filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals attending from across Asia and the global diaspora.
The festival’s star-studded guest list also includes Tadanobu Asano (“Shōgun”) attending the screening of “Ravens,” Taiwanese star Vivian Sung (“Our Times”) for Korean-Taiwanese co-production “The Secret House,” and Filipino sensation Sue Ramirez (“The Kingdom”) for closing night film “Flower Girl.”
Eight films have been nominated for the festival’s signature Uncaged Award for best feature film competition: “Time to Be Strong” by Namkoong Sun from South Korea (Jeonju 2024 Grand Prize winner); “Green Wave” by Xu Lei from China (Pingyao Jury Award winner); “Family Matters” by Pan Ke-yin from Taiwan (Osaka Asian Film Fest joint Best Actor ensemble winner); “Montages of a Modern Motherhood” by Oliver Chan Siu-kuen from Hong Kong (North American premiere); “Deep in the Mountain” by Li Yongyi from China (directorial debut of award-winning editor); “Jinsei” by Ryuya Suzuki from Japan (solo-animated feature, Annecy competitor); “Travesty” by Baatar Batsukh from Mongolia (Busan world premiere); and “Skin of Youth” by Ash Mayfair from Vietnam/Singapore (North American premiere).
The Uncaged Award jury features actor Masumi (“Yakuza Princess,” “Assassin’s Creed Shadows”), veteran actor Tzi Ma (“The Farewell,” “Interior Chinatown”), Hong Kong producer Michael Werner, actor Yao (“#LookAtMe,” “Sinners”), and Thai filmmaker Banjong Pisanthanakun (“Shutter,” “The Medium”).
Programming includes a Vietnam cinema night featuring the North American premiere of “Skin of Youth” and a panel titled “Vietnam on Screen: Generations in Dialogue” with Tony Bui (“Three Seasons”), entertainer Việt Hương, actor Kieu Chinh, and director Catherine Nguyen.
Other spotlights include Queer Unbound (seven LGBTQ+ focused films), Shanghai Animation Studio Retrospective (4K restorations of landmark Chinese animated films), and North Korean Cool – examining how North Korean characters have evolved in popular storytelling.
“This completes our most ambitious program ever,” said Samuel Jamier, NYAFF executive director. “Eight breakthrough filmmakers competing for Uncaged, plus sidebars that reimagine what Asian cinema can be. This full-circle moment reminds us why NYAFF exists: to support bold artists before the world fully recognizes them – and to celebrate how far they’ve come.”
NYAFF will screen at Film at Lincoln Center, SVA Theatre, Look Dine-In Cinemas W57, and the Korean Cultural Center NY. It is presented with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, Thailand Creative Culture Agency, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Fundstrat Global Advisors, and the Korean Cultural Center New York.
Read the full article here
