The 24th New York Asian Film Festival opened in New York City on July 11, 2025 with South Korean film Informant by Kim Suk. This yearâÂÂs theme is "Cinema as Disruption", reflecting a focus on bold, boundary-pushing storytelling. The festival will present over 100 films screened in person, featuring a diverse selection of both contemporary works and classic titles from across Asia and beyond. The programme includes more than 75 premieres, comprising eight world premieres, 41 North American premieres, and five United States premieres. Highlights include 19 Southeast Asian films representing six countries, along with 17 directorial debuts of which nearly half are by women filmmakers.
The festival closed on July 27, 2025 with 2025 Filipino Comedy film Flower Girl by Fatrick Tabada. A Taiwanese drama film Family Matters by Pan Ke-Yin, won the Uncaged Award for best feature film. The film centers on 18-year-old Spring, who discovers that she was adopted and begins to uncover the secrets of her working-class family.
Jury for Uncaged award is composed of:
Eight films will compete for Uncaged award.
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Taiwan drama film Family Matters and Hong KongâÂÂs The Way We Talk, drama film that explores the identity conflicts of a cochlear implant user, won the main awards.
In Star Asia Awards category, Asian stars will be honoured with various awards such as: Ekin Cheng a Hong Kong actor and singer with Screen International Star Asia Award; Lisa Lu, a Chinese-American actress, with Vanguard Award and Screen International Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award; Natalie Hsu, a Hong Kong actress, with Screen International Rising Star Asia Award.