Events

The 49th edition of the Asian American International Film Festival will run from July 30th to August 9th with in-person and online screenings, panels, and special events across New York City. This year, as AAIFF approaches its 50th anniversary, we’re celebrating the community that has built and sustained the festival for nearly five decades. Inspired by East ... Read more

The APAICS National Leadership Academy is a two-day, non-partisan leadership training program for current elected officials and individuals seeking to run for public office. Established in 1999, the program provides aspiring candidates and elected officials with the skills and resources needed to succeed in their campaigns through an interactive leadership training program and guest speakers.  ... Read more

International superstar Maggie Cheung (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE) embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu, known as the “Greta Garbo of China,” in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan (ROUGE). Praised for her moving and emotive onscreen presence, Ruan’s private life, which was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids, ... Read more

From August 8 to 18, 2026, Chinatown Storytelling Festival is back for its third year! This August, look out for screenings at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema, workshops and presentations at Think!Chinatown’s Studio, and walking tours in the neighborhood. Chinatown Records will also be launching their Radio Station on August 8th, listen LIVE! Chinatown Storytelling Festival is ... Read more

A Q&A will follow the screening with Alan Canvan (director/writer/producer), Matthew Polly (author of Bruce Lee: A Life), and Chris Poggiali (co-author of These Fists Break Bricks). It will be moderated by AAIFF Programming Director Kris Montello. BROKEN RHYTHM is the first authentic documentary to delve into Bruce Lee’s unfinished film, GAME OF DEATH, while exploring the legendary martial arts icon as a real, ... Read more

Learn and love in the spirit of Star Festival (七夕/たなばた) with Baby Tea Shoppe. Through a guided craft workshop, participants will explore star-crossed love through curated texts that reflect forms of star-crossed love among diaspora whether that’s family you are unable to see everyday, a hobby you had to give up, a food that you ... Read more

A Q&A will follow the screening, with co-director/producer Sarita Khurana, executive producer Nick Rathod, producer Prerana Thakurdesai, editor Sunita Prasad. It  moderated by AAIFF programmer Robert Fenske. In immersive vérité style, SEAT AT THE TABLE follows several prominent South Asian political candidates during the 2024 election cycle, alongside a community galvanized by the groundbreaking campaign of the first South Asian ... Read more

To celebrate the World’s Borough Bookshop’s third anniversary, these native Queens writers will share how growing up here shaped their lives, writing, and art. Alvin Eng, author of Our Laundry, Our Town Heather Eng, author of Double Happiness Sylvia Chen, author of Tricky Chopsticks and Sparkles for Sunny

Witness the culmination of our students' work in our Playwriting Workshop, taught by Lisa Sanaye Dring. Directors Gaven Trinidad, Isabel Rodriguez, and Reena Dutt, along with professional actors Amaya Braganza, Tina Chilip, Ryan Fahey, Abuzar Farrukh, Del Gonzales, Kai Justice Rosales, Jon Norman Schneider, and Moses Villarama, bring the new work of playwrights Momo Akashi, Rose Gonzales, Karen ... Read more

This event will explore why historic preservation is an important policy issue for AAPI communities and how it connects to broader work across immigration, civil rights, housing, health, education, and other issues. Attendees will learn about the federal policies and funding that support historic preservation, current and emerging threats to these efforts, and recent policy ... Read more

Celebrate the summer with us at our third installation of Kanpai Nights. The theme: Okinawa! Okinawa, part of the Ryukyu island chain, is a tropical paradise with a warm climate and beautiful beaches, and is the birthplace of Karate. Join us to enjoy the flavors and sounds of Okinawa. Guests are encouraged to wear Yukata. ... Read more

Japan Society invites you to join us for the Ainu Summer Festival: Ainu Stories, Culture, and Traditions, a multi-day cultural celebration of the Ainu, the Indigenous People of Northern Japan. This special event takes place July 22-23 and August 12-13 and will welcome over 25 artists and educators from the Ainu community in the Town ... Read more