# 20th New York Asian Film Festival

The 20th New York Asian Film Festival was held in New York from 6 August to 22 August 2021. The opening film of the festival was Escape from Mogadishu, a South Korean film by Ryoo Seung-wan. Seventy titles were screened both online, as well as in person. The 20th edition of the festival featured two world premieres, six international premieres, twenty nine North American premieres, eight U.S. premieres and nine New York premieres.
2021's festival featured the first ever outdoor screening of Raymond Lee’s wuxia 1992 film New Dragon Gate Inn at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park on August 11. The event was co-presented by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York.
The Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film was awarded to Anima by Cao Jinling.

## Screening venues

* Film at Lincoln Center
* SVA Theatre
* Eventive Virtual
* Film at Lincoln Center's Virtual Cinema
* Damrosch Park

## New sections

This year a new section is added to focus on Asian American experience.
* Asian American Focus selection
From 20th edition of the festival the non-competitive films are grouped thematically, in the following categories:
* Beyond Borders
* Crowd Pleasers
* Frontlines
* Genre Masters
* Next/Now
* Standouts
* Vanguards

## Jury

* Janice Chua : Vice President of Imagine International.
* Evan Jackson Leong : Director and documentary filmmaker.
* Michael Rosenberg: President of Film Movement.

## Films showcase

Sources:
    Highlighted title indicates award winner
| Year | Title | Original Title | Country | Director | Premiere Status |
| Opening film ||||||
| 2021 | Escape from Mogadishu | 모가디슈 | South Korea | Ryoo Seung-wan | International Premiere |
| Asian American Focus ||||||
| 2021 | Americanish | | USA | Iman K. Zawahry | New York Premiere |
| 2021 | A Shot Through the Wall | | USA | Aimee Long | New York Premiere |
| 2021 | Snakehead (film) | | USA | Evan Jackson Leong | Special Premiere |
| Beyond Borders ||||||
| 2021 | The Asian Angel | アジアの天使 | Japan, South Korea | Yuya Ishii | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | Barbarian Invasion | 野蛮人入侵 | Malaysia | Tan Chui Mui | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | Fighter | 파이터 | South Korea | Jero Yun | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | A Song for You | 他与罗耶戴尔 | Chinese | Dukar Tserang | North American Premiere |
| Centerpiece Presentation ||||||
| 2021 | Raging Fire | 怒火 | Hong Kong, China | Benny Chan | International Premiere |
| China on the Move ||||||
| 2020 | Anima | 莫爾道嘎 | China | Cao Jinling | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | The Old Town Girls | 兔子暴力 | China | Shen Yu | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Tough Out | 棒！少年 | China | Xu Hui-jing | North American Premiere |
| Closing film ||||||
| 2021 | Sinkhole | 싱크홀 | South Korea | Kim Ji-hoon | North American Premiere |
| Crowd Pleasers ||||||
| 2021 | All U Need Is Love | 總是有愛在隔離 | Hong Kong | Vincent Kok | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Breakout Brothers | 逃獄兄弟 | Hong Kong | Mak Ho Pong | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | The Con-Heartist | อ้าย..คนหล่อลวง | Thailand | Mez Tharatorn | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | From Today, It's My Turn!! | 今日から俺は!!劇場版 | Japan | Yuichi Fukuda | US Premiere |
| 2020 | Hold Me Back | 私をくいとめて | Japan | Akiko Ohku | US Premiere |
| 2021 | jigoku-no-hanazono: Office Royale | 地獄の花園 | Japan | Kazuaki Seki | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | My Missing Valentine | 消失的情人節 | Taiwan | Chen Yu-hsun | New York Premiere |
| 2020 | One Second Champion | 一秒拳王 | Hong Kong | Chiu Sin Hang | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro | とんかつDJアゲ太郎 | Japan | Ken Ninomiya | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Zero To Hero | 媽媽的神奇小子 | Hong Kong | Jimmy Wan | North American Premiere |
| Emerging Voices: Narrative Short Showcase - IRL (In Real Life) ||||||
| 2020 | 1056 Meters | 一〇五六米 | Singapore, United States | Edwin Ho | New York Premiere |
| 2020 | Chimera | 키메라 | United States | Eileen Yoon | East Coast Premiere |
| 2020 | Just Another Day | | India | Prataya Saha | World Premiere |
| 2020 | Mother Tongue | | United States | Eris Qian | |
| 2020 | Piglet Piglet | 美豬肉圓 | Taiwan | Tsung-Yen Lin | New York Premiere |
| Emerging Voices: Narrative Short Showcase - Missed Connections ||||||
| 2020 | In the Dusk | 长河落日 | Mongolia | Zhuolan | New York Premiere |
| 2021 | Invited In | | Hong Kong | Yuyu Kitamura | World Premiere |
| 2020 | Journey to the East | | USA | Eve Liu | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | ufo:pm | 午后飞船 | Singapore | Xiao Han | New York Premiere |
| 2020 | Winter By the River | 冬日河 | | Shuyao Chen | |
| Frontlines ||||||
| 2020 | Babi | | Malaysia | Namewee | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | A Balance | 由宇子の天秤 | Japan | Yujiro Harumoto | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | I Don't Fire Myself | 나는 나를 해고하지 않는다 | South Korea | Lee Tae-Gyeom | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | Ninja Girl | シュシュシュの娘（こ） | Japan | Yu Irie | World Premiere |
| 2021 | A Shot Through the Wall | | USA | Aimee Long | New York Premiere |
| 2020 | The Silent Forest | 無聲 | China | Ko Chen-nien | New York Premiere |
| 2020 | Three Sisters | 세 자매 | South Korea | Lee Seung-won | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Tough Out | 棒！少年 | China | Xu Hui-jing | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | The Way We Keep Dancing | 狂舞派 3 | Hong Kong | Adam Wong | New York Premiere |
| Genre Masters ||||||
| 2021 | Coffin Homes | 鬼同你住 | Hong Kong | Fruit Chan | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill | ザ・ファブル　殺さない殺し屋 | Japan | Kan Eguchi | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | Last of the Wolves | 孤狼の血 LEVEL2 | Japan | Kazuya Shiraishi | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | Limbo | 智齒 | Hong Kong | Soi Cheang | North American Premiere |
| 2021 | Midnight | 미드나이트 | South Korea | Kwon Oh-seung | International Premiere |
| 2021 | The Prayer | 간호중 | South Korea | Min Kyu-dong | International Premiere |
| 2021 | Rising Shaolin: The Protector | 少林寺之得宝传奇 | China | Stanley Tong | International Premiere |
| 2020 | Sweetie, You Won't Believe it | ЖАНЫМ, ТЫ НЕ ПОВЕРИШЬ! | Kazakhstan | Yernar Nurgaliyev | North American Premiere |
| Hong Kong Panorama ||||||
| 1982 | Boat People | 投奔怒海 | Hong Kong | Ann Hui | Retrospective/Tribute Screening |
| 1992 | New Dragon Gate Inn | 新龍門客棧 | Hong Kong | Raymond Lee | NYAFF 20th Anniversary Screening |
| 1981 | The Story of Woo Viet | 胡越的故事 | Hong Kong | Ann Hui | Retrospective/Tribute Screening |
| Next/Now ||||||
| 2021 | Here and There | Dito at Doon | Philippines | JP Habac | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Keep Rolling | 好好拍電影 | Hong Kong | Man Lim Chung | New York Premiere |
| 2020 | Money Has Four Legs | ခြေလေးချောင်း | Myanmar | Maung Sun | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Shadows | 殘影空間 | Singapore | Glenn Chan | North American Premiere |
| 2020 | Snowball | 최선의 삶 | South Korea | Lee Woo-jeong | International Premiere |
| 2021 | Time | 殺出個黃昏 | Hong Kong | Ricky Ko | North American Premiere |
| Standouts ||||||
| 2021 | Blue | ブルー | Japan | Keisuke Yoshida | US Premiere |
| 2021 | The Book of Fish | 자산어보 | South Korea | Lee Joon-ik | International Premiere |
| 2020 | A Leg | 腿반 | Taiwan | Chang Yao-sheng | U.S. Continental Premiere |
| 2020 | Samjin Company English Class | 삼진그룹 영어토익반 | South Korea | Lee Jong-pil | New York Premiere |
| 2020 | Under the Open Sky | すばらしき世界 | Japan | Miwa Nishikawa | New York Premiere |
| Vanguards ||||||
| 2020 | As We Like It | 揭大歡喜 | Taiwan | Muni Wei, Chen Hung-i | East Coast Premiere |
| 2021 | Junk Head | | Japan | Takahide Hori | U.S. Premiere |
| 2021 | Zokki | ゾッキ | Japan | Naoto Takenaka, Takayuki Yamada, Takumi Saitoh | North American Premiere |

### Films by country or region

| Year | Title | Original Title | Region/Country | Director | Premiere status |
| New Cinema from Japan ||||||
| 2021 | Over the Town | 街の上で | East Asia | Rikiya Imaizumi | U.S. Premiere |
| 2021 | Sensei, Would You Sit Beside Me? | 先生、私の隣に座っていただけませんか？ | East Asia | Takahiro Horie | World Premiere |
| South Korea ||||||
| 2021 | Ryuk-sa: A Teaser | 력사 | East Asia | Cho Jin-woong | International Premiere |
| 2021 | Spiritwalker | 유체이탈자 | East Asia | Yoon Jae-keun | North American Premiere |

### Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film Competition

    Highlighted title indicates award winner
| Year | Title | Original Title | Country | Director | Award status |
| 2020 | Anima | 莫爾道嘎 | China | Cao Jinling | Won |
| 2020 | City of Lost Things | 廢棄之城 | Taiwan | Yee Chih-yen | |
| 2020 | Hand Rolled Cigarette | 手捲煙 | Hong Kong | Chan Kin-long | Variety Star Asia Award: Gordon Lam |
| 2021 | Joint | | Japan | Oudai Kojima | |
| 2020 | Ten Months | 십개월 | South Korea | Namkoong Sun | Honorable Mention |
| 2020 | Tiong Bahru Social Club | | Singapore | Tan Bee Thiam | |

## Awards and winners
### Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film

| Year | Title | Original Title | Country | Director/Actor | Ref. |
| 2020 | Anima | 莫爾道嘎 | China | Cao Jinling | |

### Audience Award

| Year | Title | Original Title | Country | Director/Actor | Ref. |
| 2021 | Americanish | | USA | Iman K. Zawahry | |
| 2021 | Junk Head | | Japan | Takahide Hori | |

### Daniel Craft Award for Excellence in Action Cinema

| Year | Title | Original Title | Country | Director/Actor | Ref. |
| 2021 | Spiritwalker | 유체이탈자 | South Korea | Yoon Kye-sang | |

### Star Asia Awards

| Image | Actor/Actress | Country |
| Variety Star Asia Award ||||
| | Gordon Lam | Hong Kong |
| Variety Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award ||||
| | Ann Hui | Hong Kong |
| Rising Star Asia Award ||||
| | Sosuke Ikematsu | Japan |
| | Janine Gutierrez | Philippines |
| | Bang Min-ah | South Korea |