MORE THAN 35 WORLD PREMIERES, AN EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEAK OF “THE FURIOUS,” LOS ANGELES PRESENTATION OF THE AWARD WINNING “LUCKY LU”, THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF “KARATE KID II,” THE LA PREMIERE OF THE GROUNDBREAKING DOCU “THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS” AND WORLD PREMIERES OF INCREDIBLE SHORT FILMS WILL JUMP START

THE 42ND LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL ON 

APRIL 29 - MAY 3, 2026 FROM THE DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA IN WEST HOLLYWOOD TO LITTLE TOKYO IN 

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES TO THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

PRESENTED BY VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
 

OTHER FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

THE LOS ANGELES PREMIERES OF GLOBAL CINEMA GEMS - 

“10s ACROSS THE BORDERS”; “TOITU VISUAL SOVEREIGNTY”; “PINCH”; AND “Y VÂN: THE LOST SOUNDS OF SAIGON”
 

SPECIAL IN MEMORIAM PROGRAMS HONORING FILMMAKER CHRISTINE CHOY AND THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE DOCUMENTARY HONORING LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY LEGEND EDMUND SOOHOO 

WILL ALSO BE FEATURED AT THIS OSCAR® QUALIFYING FESTIVAL

           

THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS (2025)

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), presented annually by Visual Communications (VC), Southern California’s leading showcase for new Asian Pacific American and Asian international cinema, announced today the program for the 42nd edition of the legendary LA festival. The Festival will take place from April 29 - May 3, 2026 in-person across multiple locations in Los Angeles, CA from West Hollywood to Little Tokyo in Downtown LA to Monterey Park in the San Gabriel Valley.

Marking its 42nd anniversary, the festival will kick off at the Directors Guild of America (DGA)  with the opening night opening night film: LUCKY LU (2025) directed by Lloyd Lee Choi following its successful premiere at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Toronto International Film Festival,  AFI, Busan, and BFI Film Festivals winning awards and audiences across the globe. The evening will also showcase the Pacific Cinewaves Shorts Program celebrating Pacific Islander stories and storytellers emerging from the Kingdom of Hawai’i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Cook Islands, Tahiti (French Polynesia), Guåhan (Guam), Samoa, and throughout the Pacific region. 

 

LUCKY LU (2025)

The opening day will also feature: 

• The Los Angeles Premiere of award-winning documentary film BEFORE THE MOON FALLS (2025) by Kimberlee Bassford displaying an intimate portrait of acclaimed Samoan writer Sia Figiel eight years in the making when tragedy struck.
• HONEYJOON (2025) directed by Lilian T. Mehrel tells a surprisingly sexy, darkly funny, emotional rollercoaster... about a mother-daughter trip, life, loss, and flirting.

Additionally The LAAPFF will be highlighting the award-winning director Eugene Yi’s THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS (2026) a documentary film in partnership with HBO Docs / Warner Bros. Discovery which poses the question “What does it mean to be AAPI?” featuring stars and AAPI celebrities including Sandra Oh, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Kumail Nanjiani, Amanda Nguyen, Connie Chung and more; THE FURIOUS (2026) by Kenji Tanigaki in partnership with Lionsgate featuring Chinese actor Xie Miao (The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father Is a Hero) and Indonesian action star Joe Taslim ( The Raid I and II, Fast and Furious 6 and the upcoming Mortal Kombat II) as a sneak preview presentation before its summer theatrical release; the 40th Anniversary screening of KARATE KID II (1986); West Coast Premiere of 10s ACROSS THE BORDERS (2025) by Sze-Wei Chan; The Los Angeles Premieres of TOITU VISUAL SOVEREIGNTY (2025) by Chelsea Winstanley; PINCH (2025) by Uttera Singh; Y VÂN: THE LOST SOUNDS OF SAIGON (2025) by Khoa Ha & Victor Velle; World Premieres of THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK (2026) by Valerie So and HOOP LIKE THIS (2026) by Shubhangi Shekhar. 

 

 THE FURIOUS (2026) 

“This year, in the face of relentless, unprecedented  news, each day can feel like a surreal dystopia,” expresses Angela Park, LAAPFF Senior Programmer. “It’s no wonder that fiction films reflect the world we inhabit, while documentary films hold a looking glass to the other side of our world. Stories like LUCKY LU , DIAMONDS IN THE SAND, and 1001 FRAMES render visible the quiet loneliness and everyday struggles we carry, struggles that can shift in an instant through moments of peace, revelation, or even disenchantment. Concurrently, documentaries such as  BEFORE THE MOON FALLS, ALWAYS, and Y VAN: THE LOST SOUNDS OF SAIGON remind us that the real and the surreal coexist, often appearing as poetic and lyrical as any work of fiction. In this upside-down world, these films offer a simple but vital truth: even in the darkest times, there is beauty in the journey. And through their work, these filmmakers show us that the journey will go on.” 

BEFORE THE MOON FALLS (2025) 

DIAMONDS IN THE SAND (2024)

"With over 900 films submitted including features and shorts, this year has proven to be a stellar collection of films from our artists from across the globe bringing personal and inspiring intimate stories of culture, family and history,” shares LAAPFF Senior Programmer Kirby Peñafiel. “One of the most compelling standouts is the documentary TOITŪ VISUAL SOVEREIGNTY by Chelsea Winstanley about the inner workings of creating and organizing the daunting and intricate Toi Tū Toi Ora: Contemporary Māori Art exhibition - the largest since 1989. The film’s navigation of the institutional roadmap is extremely powerful in how it questions agency in the delicate process of art and culture curation.”

“Adding to the stories of celebrating culture and chosen family, the festival offers up the Los Angeles premiere of the Busan Film Festival stand out – 10s ACROSS THE BORDERS by Sze-Wei Chan presenting the world of “ballroom” communities in Asia. The performances, personalities and their tributes to the New York ballroom origins provide a haven of joy reminding us of the power and importance of community.” 

“Expanding on the theme of community, HOOP LIKE THIS from Shubhangi Shekhar takes on the journey of South Asian basketball players from around the world as they join forces to compete and showcase their passion for the sport. And that same spirit of collective action is at the heart of THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK.   Returning filmmaker Valerie Soe’s heartwarming feature about a group of mostly BIPOC women sewists who created thousands of masks for the community, first responders, and everyone else during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Aunties sew masks for farmworkers, day laborers, unhoused people, refugee and immigrant groups, First Nations tribes, recently incarcerated people, Black Lives Matter demonstrators and others in need in the US. Each of these films are a great reminder of the collective power and what we can accomplish when we help one another,” adds Kirby.

 

TOITŪ: VISUAL SOVEREIGNTY (2025)

THE 42^nd LAAPFF FESTIVAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Opening Night Lineup

The festival will kick off April 30th at the Director’s Guild of America Theater (DGA) with an incredible line up including:

•  Festival Opening Night Film: LUCKY LU (2025) by Lloyd Lee Choi following its successful premiere at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, TIFF,  AFI, Busan, and BFI Film Festivals winning awards and audiences all over the world. 
•  Pacific Cinewaves Shorts Program celebrating stories and storytellers emerging from the Kingdom of Hawai’i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Cook Islands, Tahiti (French Polynesia), Guåhan (Guam), Samoa, and throughout the Pacific region.
•  The Los Angeles Premiere of BEFORE THE MOON FALLS (2025) by Kimberlee Bassford displaying an intimate portrait of acclaimed Samoan writer Sia Figiel eight years in the making when tragedy struck.
•  HONEYJOON (2025) directed by Lilian T. Mehrel tells  a surprisingly sexy, darkly funny, emotional rollercoaster... about a mother-daughter trip, life, loss, and flirting.

HONEYJOON (2025)

Centerpiece Weekend

The festival continues at the DGA Theater with the Centerpiece Weekend that includes:

• THE A LIST: 15 STORIES FROM ASIAN AND PACIFIC DIASPORAS (2026) by award-winning director, Eugene Yi in partnership with HBO Docs / Warner Bros. Discovery featuring Sandra Oh, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Kumail Nanjiani, Amanda Nguyen, Connie Chung and more
• A special screening of THE FURIOUS (2026) by Kenji Tanigaki in partnership with Lionsgate featuring Chinese actor Xie Miao (The New Legend of Shaolin and My Father Is a Hero) and Indonesian star Joe Taslim (The Raid films, Fast and Furious 6 and the upcoming Mortal Kombat II).
• The West Coast Premiere of 10s ACROSS THE BORDERS (2025) by Sze-Wei Cha presents a pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating the region’s underground ballroom culture based in Asia
• TOITŪ: VISUAL SOVEREIGNTY, the debut directorial feature from Academy Award nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley will be having its Los Angeles premiere.
• PINCH (2025) by Uttera Singh premiered at Tribeca follows a woman’s battles of harassment and hush-hush hypocrisy in a world that punishes truth.
• Y VÂN: THE LOST SOUNDS OF SAIGON (2025) by Khoa Ha & Victor Velle tells the epic story of Y Vân, a legendary Vietnamese composer, and his granddaughter Khoa as she journeys to uncover and preserve his lost music. This is a DOC-NYC favorite.

Y VÂN: THE LOST SOUNDS OF SAIGON (2025)

10s ACROSS THE BORDERS (2025)

   

KARATE KID II (1986)

Additional Festival Specialties 

• 40th Anniversary Screening of KARATE KID II (1986) in partnership with Angry Asian Man 25th Anniversary.
• Industry panels hosted by MPEG and SAG-AFTRA featuring in-depth conversations with insider experts.

In Memoriam: Two Legends

• Christine Choy Program Special presentation honoring Christine Choy - the late Asian American, Academy Award nominated director and dedicated educator whose work and outspoken advocacy paved the way for Asian American and BIPOC art and expression.

• World Premiere EDMUND SOOHOO: THE HEART OF CHINATOWN World premiere screening of the heartfelt documentary tributing the late Edmund Soohoo - a beloved longtime community leader from LA’s Chinatown directed by Walt Louie.

HOOP LIKE THIS (2026)

35 World Premieres at LAAPFF

LAAPFF is also honored to host the World Premieres of the following films:

• HOOP LIKE THIS (2026) by Shubhangi Shekhar traces the rise of the world’s first professional Indian basketball team, where 12 players risk their careers, reputation, and identity to redefine who belongs in the game.
• THE AUNTIE SEWING SQUAD RESISTANCE PLAYBOOK (2026) by Valerie Soe looks at the Auntie Sewing Squad, a collective of mostly BIPOC women sewists who saved the world at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• EDMUND SOOHOO: THE HEART OF CHINATOWN (2026) by Walt Louie displays a heartfelt tribute to Edmund Soohoo, a beloved community leader from LA's Chinatown. 
• Armed with a Camera 2025-2026
• Digital Histories 2025-2026
• Archives Artists-in-Residence films and exhibitions
  

 

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival