Introduction to the New York Asian Film Festival
The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) has announced the eight films that will compete for the Uncaged Award at its upcoming edition, which will open with the world premiere of the Korean action comedy Informant. The festival, which runs from July 11th to 27th, features a selection of titles that embody the NYAFF theme "Cinema as Fault" from across Asia and beyond. According to the organizers, their selection aims to "question every assumption about Asian cinema."
Nominees for the Uncaged Award
The competition for the best feature film at the festival includes Time to be Strong from South Korean director Namkoon Sun, which won three awards last year, including the Grand Prix at the Jeonju International Film Festival. The film follows three former K-pop idol singers whose careers and personal lives have stalled, leading them on a soul-seeking journey to Jeju Island. Other nominees include Xu Lei’s father-son comedy-drama Green Wave from China, and Li Yongyi’s award-winning noir Deep in the Mountain.
More Nominees and Premieres
Additional nominees include Family Matters from Taiwan’s Pan Ke-Yin, which won an acting prize for the ensemble at the Osaka Asian Film Festival, and Ryuya Suzuki’s Japanese animation Jinei, which recently played in competition at Annecy. The festival will also host the North American premieres of Hong Kong drama Montage of a Modern Motherhood by Oliver Chan and Ash Mayfair’s Vietnamese transgender drama Skin of the Youth. The titles are rounded out by Baatar Batsukh’s Mongolian detective thriller Travesty, which previously played in Busan.
Festival Events and Guests
All nominated directors are expected to attend the festival in New York to participate in Q&A sessions and the NYAFF ceremony on the final night, July 27th. The jury includes Japanese-US actress Masumi, experienced actor Tzi Ma, and Michael Werner, who recently appeared in Ryan Coogler’s Sinner and Closure. The festival will also feature guests such as Japan’s Tadanobu Asano, who won a Golden Globe for his performance in the FX series Shogun, and Taiwanese actress Vivian Sung, known for the romantic comedy Our Time.
Festival Program and Highlights
This year’s program comprises 78 feature films and 28 shorts, with screenings at four venues in Manhattan: Film at Lincoln Center, SVA Theater, Look Cinemas W57, and the Korean Cultural Center NY. New highlights in this edition include Queer Unbound, the Shanghai Animation Studio Retrospective, and North Korean Cool – a sidebar that explores the role of North Korean characters in storytelling. According to Samuel Jamier, Executive Director of NYAFF, "This completes our most ambitious program of all time." He added that the festival would continue to support brave artists before the world fully recognizes them – and celebrate how far they have come.
Awards and Recognition
As previously announced, Hong Kong star Ekin Cheng and actress Natalie Hsu will receive the Star Asia Award and the Screen International Rising Star Award, respectively. Both appear in the film Last Song for You, which is screening at the festival. The NYAFF 2025 Uncaged Award nominees represent a diverse range of genres, styles, and themes, showcasing the best of Asian cinema and beyond.
