Friday, May 29, 2026 | 6PM to 8PM
CUNY Graduate Center – Martin Segal Theatre
365 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
Since 2004, the CUNY Asian American Film Festival (AAFF) has celebrated the creativity and vision of student filmmakers from across the City University of New York. With over $16,000 in cash prizes awarded to CUNY students from Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY Graduate Center, City College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Lehman College, College of Staten Island, Queens College, and New York City College of Technology, this is an incredible opportunity to showcase your work and gain recognition. The festival not only promotes the artistic talents of CUNY students but also fosters meaningful connections among peers from different campuses, providing a central platform to display your creative projects. Past participants have also had their films featured at the prestigious Asian American International Film Festival.
Join us for an exciting evening on Friday, May 29, 2026, where all winners and runner-ups will remain anonymous until after the screening of selected films, chosen by our esteemed panel of judges. The event will conclude with an award ceremony and a Q&A session with the filmmakers.
Prizes of $250 for winners and $150 for runner-ups will be awarded in two categories: Fiction and Documentary
AAARI invites all current CUNY undergraduate and graduate students (including those who graduated in Spring/Fall 2025), both Asian and non-Asian, to participate in this incredible opportunity to showcase your film and gain recognition!
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Festival Program
Documentary (Runner-Up)
Shane Gomes (Hunter College)
Letters to BDesh
Three young Bengali New Yorkers write letters to Bangladesh exploring distant and recent memories, and imaginations of their beautifully complex ancestral land.
Fiction (Runner-Up)
Claro de los Reyes (Brooklyn College)
Sands Street
Under a moonlit sky in an unwelcoming 1940s Brooklyn, a Filipino steward and Black welder develop an intimate connection filled with hope, solidarity, and tenderness.
Documentary (Winner)
Gurveer Singh (Borough of Manhattan Community College)
Chardi Kala (ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ) | The Journey of an MMA Fighter
Sunder Singh is a Sikh MMA fighter navigating the balance between faith, identity, and the brutal world of combat sports. “Chardi Kala” (ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ) represents a mindset of relentless optimism and resilience, something Sunder carries with him both inside and outside the cage. Through training, reflection, and personal struggle, this documentary explores what it means to stay grounded in your beliefs while chasing greatness in a demanding sport.
Fiction Film
Hanju David Youk (Queensborough Community College)
“Bint, Bat” بنت בת – Short Film from Jerusalem
Two girls in the holy land. Even though one was Jew and the other was Muslim, their friendship was golden. However the world was not so kind.
Fiction (Winner)
Wendy Cong Zhao (Hunter College)
A Grieving Heart
An immigrant woman examines her past in the wake of her American ex-boyfriend’s death. The film explores how love and loss impact the ways the woman confronts her immigrant identity, memories, insecurities, and regrets.
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Media Sponsors
Submission Guidelines
Extended Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026
Submission Form | Festival Poster (Download)
Submitter must be a currently enrolled or recently graduated CUNY student. (Copy of CUNY College ID and current semester’s class schedule, or proof of recent graduation Spring/Fall 2025 is required.)
Film must satisfy any one of the following criteria:
- Production exclusively or majority-produced by CUNY personnel involving at least one Asian CUNY personnel in a key position, e.g. Director, Writer, or Editor
- Contains an Asian American / Asian theme or narrative
Submission form must be submitted no later than 5pm EST on Friday, May 15, 2026. Anything received afterwards will not be accepted. (In the event of a submission deadline extension, you may submit an updated version of your film for consideration.)
Submitter, or their authorized representative, must be available to attend the Film Festival, or else they will forfeit their award. Prizes are given only to films that meet the minimum score threshold.
Festival Chairman
Ryoya Terao
Panel of Judges
NaRhee Ahn, Patrick Chen, Vinit Parmar, Bryan Powers, Katie Quan, Saadia Toor, Ryoya Terao & Larry Tung
Coordinator
William Tam
Technical Assistance
Antony Wong & Zhu-Hui Wu