The following is a list of San Diego Asian Film Festival winners by year.
2025 - 26th Annual November 6–15, 2025
Award Winners Grand Jury Prize - Fucktoys (dir. Annapurna Sriram) Best Documentary Feature - The Gas Station Attendant (dir. Karla Murthy) Best Narrative Feature - Debut, or, Objects of the Field of Debris as Currently Catalogued (dir. Julian Castronovo) Best Documentary Short - We Were the Scenery (dir. Christopher Radcliff) Best Narrative Short - We Used to Take the Long Way Home (dir. An Nguyen) Best Experimental Short - Eavesdropping on Jason Sato’s Brothers (dir. Nguyen Tan Hoang) Special Jury Prize - A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers (dir. Birdy Wei-Ting Hung) George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award - Lucky Lu (dir. Lloyd Lee Choi) Best International Short - Water Sports (dir. Whammy Alcazaren) Audience Award - The Rose: Come Back to Me (dir. Eugene Yi)
2024 - 25th Annual November 7–16, 2024
Award Winners Grand Jury Award - Light of the Setting Sun (dir. Vicky Du) Best Narrative Feature - Moloka'i Bound (dir. Alika Tengan) Best Documentary Feature - Standing Above the Clouds (dir. Jalena Keane-Lee) Best Narrative Short - Myself When I Am Real (dir. Angeline Gragasin) Best Documentary Short - Wouldn't Make It Any Other Way (dir. Hao Zhou) Best Experimental Short - I Would've Been Happy (dir. Jordan Wong) International Short - The Inescapable Desire of Roots (dir. Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen) Special Jury Mention All That We Love (dir. Yen Tan) Emerging Filmmaker Award - History as Hypnosis (dir. Alison Nguyen) Audience Award Winner - Home Court (dir. Erica Tanamachi)
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: international premiere of Cells at Work! live action film, world premiere of Tura Satana documentary
2023 - 24th Annual November 2–11, 2023
Award Winners Grand Jury Award - When You Left Me On That Boulevard (dir. Kayla Abuda Galang) Best Narrative Feature - Egghead & Twinkie (dir. Sarah Kambe Holland) Best Documentary Feature - Rally (dir. Rooth Tang) Best Narrative Short - Invasive Species (dir. Annie Ning) Best Documentary Short - Tracing History (dir. Jalena Keane-Lee) Best Experimental Short - Teetering Graphite (dir. Cherlyn Hsing-Hsin Liu) International Short - Primetime Mother (dir. Sonny Calvento) Special Jury Mention Through Sunless Ways (dir. Kira Dane, Katelyn Rebelo) Emerging Filmmaker Award - Divine Factory (dir. Joseph Mangat) Audience Award Winner - Wonderland (dir. Chai Yee Wei)
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: Monster, Elegies with Ann Hui in attendance
2022 - 23rd Annual November 3–12, 2022
Award Winners Grand Jury Award - Wisdom Gone Wild (dir. Rea Tajiri) Best Narrative Feature - Riceboy Sleeps (dir. Anthony Shim) Best Documentary Feature - Bad Axe (dir. David Siev) Best Narrative Short - Last Hawaiian Sugar (dir. Déjà Cresencia Bernhardt) Best Documentary Short - In Loving Memory (of Who We Used to Be) (dir. Vicky Lee) Best Experimental Short - Declarations of Love (dir. Tiff Rekem) International Short - Will You Look at Me (dir. Shuli Huang) Special Jury Mention - Lucky Fish (dir. Emily May Jampel) Emerging Filmmaker Award - Liquor Store Dreams (dir. So Yum Um) Audience Award Winner - Riceboy Sleeps (dir. Anthony Shim)
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: A Confucian Confusion 4K restoration, No Bears
2021 - 22nd Annual October 28 to November 6, 2021
Award Winners Grand Jury Award - I Was A Simple Man (dir. Christopher Makoto Yogi) Best Narrative Feature - 7 Days (dir. Roshan Sethi) Best Documentary Feature - Manzanar Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust (dir. Ann Kaneko) Best Narrative Short - Americanized (dir. Erica Eng) Best Documentary Short - An Uninterrupted View of the Sea (dir. Mika Yatsuhashi) Best Experimental Short - Rumi and his Roses (dir. Navid Sinaki) International Short - Lemongrass Girl (dir. Pom Bunsermvicha) Special Jury Mention - To Live Here (dir. Melanie Dang Ho) Emerging Filmmaker Award - Never Rest/Unrest (dir. Tiffany Sia) Audience Award Winner - Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres (dir. Suzanne Joe Kai)
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: Catch the Fair One, Drive My Car Special Sections: Asian-American Panorama, Asia Pop!, Masters, Classics Restored, Taiwan Film Showcase
2020 - 21st Annual October 23–31, 2020
Award Winners
Grand Jury Award - Mizuko (Water Child) (dir. Katelyn Rebelo, Kira Dane) Best Narrative Feature - Mogul Mowgli (Bassam Tariq) Best Documentary Feature - The Donut King (Alice Gu) Best Narrative Short - Thank You, Come Again (Nirav Bhakta) Best Documentary Short - I Bought a Time Machine (Yeon Park) Best Animated Short - Felt Love (Angeline Vu and Arlene Bongco) International Short - Red Aninsri; or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall (Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke) Special Jury Mention - Finding Yingying (Jiayan “Jenny” Shi) George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award - Stray (Elizabeth Lo) Audience Award Winner - Down a Dark Stairwell (Ursula Lang)
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: 76 Days, Mogul Mowgli Special Events (Pandemic Specials): Virtual Cinema options, Drive-In Movies, Q&As on Twitch, 16mm x Twitch, Mystery Kung Fu Theater, Taiwan Showcase, Virtual Lobby on Animal Crossing
2019 - 20th Annual November 7–16, 2019
Award Winners
Grand Jury Award - Straight Up (James Sweeney) Best Narrative Feature - Driveways (Andrew Ahn) Best Documentary Feature - The Cancer Journals, Revisited (Lana Lin) Best Narrative Short - First (Micaela Durand & Daniel Chew) Best Documentary Short - My American Surrogate (Leslie Tai) Best Animated Short - Umbilical (Danski Tang) International Short - Grand Bouquet (Nao Yoshigai) Special Jury Mention - Jaddoland (Nadia Shihab) George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award - No Data Plan (Miko Revereza) Audience Award Winner - Yellow Rose (Diane Paragas)
Notable Events and Appearances
Opening Night Film: The Paradise We Are Looking For Centerpiece: Straight Up Closing Night: To Live to Sing
Special Events: Taiwan Film Showcase, Spotlight on Tibet
9th Spring Showcase April 11–18, 2019
Opening Night Film: First Night Nerves Closing Night Film: Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga Notable Films: Memories of My Body, Swing Kids, Song Lang, The Crossing Special Events: From the Claws of Darkness: Restoring Philippine Cinema, Mystery Kung Fu Theater
2018 - 19th Annual November 8–17, 2018
Award Winners
Grand Jury Award: June Best Narrative Feature: Bitter Melon Best Documentary Feature: Blowin' Up Best Narrative Short: First Generation Best Documentary Short: Nai Nai Best International Short: Babylon Best Animated Short: Yoko Special Jury Mention: Origin Story George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: August at Akiko's (dir. Christopher Makoto Yogi) Lifetime Achievement Award: Marcus Hu Audience Award: One Cut of the Dead
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: Little Forest, Inventing Tomorrow, Ramen Shop HBO Preview: Folklore
8th Spring Showcase April 19–26, 2018
Opening Night Film: Meditation Park Closing Night Film: Kusama: Infinity Notable Films: Minding the Gap, Love Education, Mukshin, The Third Murder, Special Presentations: Falling for Angels: the Films of Yasmin Ahmad
2017 - 18th Annual November 9–18, 2017
Award Winners
Grand Jury Award: My Enemy My Brother, directed by Ann Shin Narrative Feature: Wexford Plaza, directed by Joyce Wong Documentary Feature: Out of State, directed by Ciara Lacy Narrative Short: Float, directed by Tristan Seniuk & Voleak Sip Documentary Short: Mother’s Day, directed by Elizabeth Lo & R.J. Lozada Animated Short: Crushed in Spaces, directed by Janice Chun International Short: Afternoon Clouds, directed by Payal Kapadia Special Jury Mention: Santa Claus, directed by Jeff Man Digital Pioneer Award: Angry Asian Man, directed by Phil Yu George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Anahita Ghazvinizadeh, director of They Audience Award: Island Soldier, directed by Nathan Fitch
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: Oh Lucy!, A Better Man, The Villainess, Columbus and Newton. Musical performance by actress/singer Tia Carrere. Potluck Collective Podcasts: Saturday School, the Fresh Creatives and They Call Us Bruce. Classic Films Restored: Shopping for Fangs (1997), Pigsy Eats Watermelon (1958) and The Little Sisters of the Grassland (1965). Mystery Kung Fu Theater
7th Spring Showcase April 20–27, 2017
Notable Films: Gook, An Insignificant Man, The Long Excuse, Sunday Beauty Queen, Window Horses Special Presentations: “Right to Resist: From 9066 to 2017” featuring four documentary films and four shorts about political resistance. Audience Award: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
2016 - 17th Annual November 3–12, 2016
Award Winners
Grand Jury Award: The Lockpicker, directed by Randall Okita Narrative Feature: Chee and T, directed by Tanuj Chopra Documentary Feature: Bad Rap, directed by Salima Koroma Narrative Short: Death in a Day, directed by Lin Wang Documentary Short: Bruce Takes Dragon Town, directed by Emily Chao Animated Short: Hold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw), directed by Renee Zhan Special Jury Mention: Random Acts of Legacy, directed by Ali Kazimi George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Andrew Ahn, director of Spa Night Lifetime Achievement Award: Wayne Wang Audience Award: Daze of Justice, directed by Michael Siv
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: The Tiger Hunter, Mifune: The Last Samurai Standup comedy by Actor and Comedian Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat, Trainwreck, The Interview). Panel discussion with The Edge of Seventeen actor Hayden Szeto.
6th Spring Showcase April 28th - May 5th, 2016
Notable Films: Sweet 20, 3688, Born to Dance, Heart Attack, Honor Thy Father, Right Now, Wrong Then Special Presentations: “China Now: Independent Visions” featuring four film programs from works from the Beijing Independent Film Festival. Audience Award: The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (Morgan Neville)
2015 - 16th Annual November 5–14, 2015
Award Winners
Grand Jury Award: Distance Between, directed by R.J. Lozada Narrative Feature: Crush the Skull, directed by Viet Nguyen Documentary Feature: Operation Popcorn, directed by David Grabias Narrative Short: Drama, directed by Tian Guan Documentary Short: From Tonga, directed by Huay-Bing Law Animated Short: Cuz He’s Black, directed by Ji Sub Jeong Special Jury Mention: Reunification, directed by Alvin Tsang George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Takeshi Fukunaga, director of Out of My Hand Lifetime Achievement Award: Tyrus Wong Audience Award: Tyrus, directed by Pamela Tom Digital Pioneer Award: BuzzFeed Motion Pictures
Notable Events and Appearances
Notable Films: Miss India America, Seoul Searching, Made in Japan. Panel discussion with Ken Jeong. Discussion with BuzzFeed producer Eugene Lee Yang.
5th Spring Showcase April 16th-25th, 2015
Films: Top Spin, Giovanni’s Island, Margarita, With a Straw, Mariquina, My Brilliant Life, The Taking of Tiger Mountain 3D (Tsui Hark), Today Special Presentation: Cinema Little Saigon, a retrospective of films and videos by Vietnamese Americans on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon Audience Award: Princess Jellyfish
2014 - 15th Anniversary Nov 6-14, 2014
Award Winners
Grand Jury Award: Appropriate Behavior, directed by Desiree Akhavan Narrative Feature: Man from Reno, directed by Dave Boyle Documentary Feature: My Life in China, directed by Kenneth Eng Narrative Short: Hypebeasts, directed by Jessica dela Merced Documentary Short: Transformers: the Premake, directed by Kevin B. Lee Animated Short: Behind My Behind, directed by David Chai Special Jury Mention: Kumu Hina, directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson