#aapihm

[vegasfish]

Hi! Here's a list of some Asian-Led/Starring or Asian Story Short Films and Movies that you should add to your watchlist for AANHPI heritage month. ✽

(NOTE: Please recommended additions, especially for PI and NH films. There are a couple of queer short films here. To all the queer Asians out there still seeking fellowship: you'll find it.)

OMAKASE (2024), dir. Tristan Au

Starring: Mika J. Nakano, William Poole, Emily Fan and Tomoko Takahasi-Lin.

Media: Short Film.

Duration: 26:25.

Topics/genres: Culture and societal pressure, aging and feeling like life is fleeting, and queer identity.

Language(s): English, Japanese.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Japanese.

Halmeoni | 할머니 (2023), dir. Kevin Jin Kwan Kim

Starring: Cici Ting, Haze Ham, Hazel Kim, Maki Yi.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 1:56.

Topics/genres: Forgetting your mother tongue/ethnic language, death and grief, familial love and strength.

Language(s): Korean.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Korean.

Lucky Fish (2023), dir. Emily May Jampel

Starring: Lukita Maxwell and Anna Mikami.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 8:24.

Topics/genres: Culture and family, growing up and finding your path on your way to college, and queer identity.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Chinese, Japanese.

Hold Your Back (2026), dir. Zack Fonzovs

Starring: Hudson Williams and Zack Fonzovs.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 5:00.

Topics/genres: (TW) Domestic violence, queer love and building a family in an echochamber of toxicity.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Asian-starring, not an Asian story (irrelevant to the plot).

Maneki (2023), dir. Brandon Okumura

Starring: Iris Liu, Elsie Wang, Garth Sodetani and Cory Wong.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 12:53.

Topics/genres: Sapphic 'meet-cute', hopeless romantic with a crush on a straight girl, rejection with a light-hearted ending.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Japanese.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024), dir. Pat Boonnitipat

Starring: Billikin/Puttipong Assaratanakul, Usa Semkhun and Tontawan Tantivejakul/Tu.

Media: Movie.

Duration: 2:06:37.

Topics/genres: Grief of a terminally ill grandparent, familial love, aging and family, wanting better for yourself and motivation, the dramedy that is life.

Language(s): Thai.

Location: Netflix, Prime Video.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Thai.

PERSUASION (2018), dir. Alex Lukas

Starring: Christina Hsu, Connor Storrie, Jarrol Taylor Jr. and Tanya Raisa.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 5:02.

Topics/genres: Fetishisation in the work place, type casting and stereotyping, frustration of an Asian actress trying to be taken seriously in between takes.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Chinese.

SHAPELESS | 形のない (2026), dir. Ameya

Starring: Ameya, Aoi, Sagar Daryani, Ananya Donapati, Chai Menghwani and Wataru Narita.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 21:18

Topics/genres: Growing up in Japan being a South Asian woman, queer love and yearning, navigating family ties and existing.

Language(s): English, Japanese, Telugu, Tamil, ASL, JSL.

Location: Currently a private limited run on Gumroad for $7+ USD, the money goes to fundraising to have it featured (linked here and in the title).

Centered cultures/ethnicities: (Unspecified) South Asian, Japanese.

More Dead Than Living (2026), dir. JT Doran

Starring: Joe Chan, Emily Fan, Dominic Wong, Xiao Ping Wang, Mia Yu.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 17:36.

Topics/genres: Death and grief, existentialism and nihilism, reconnection with your estranged family, seeing the world in a different light.

Language: English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Chinese.

RANG DE (2026), dir. Tillottam

Starring: Harshita Shekhar Gaur, Ankita Dipti and Aniket Kadam.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 2:43.

Topics/genres: Holi, queer love in a festive season, the colours of love and how it stands out in a crowd.

Language: No speaking.

Location: Instagram.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Unspecified.

The Walls (2022), dir. Jack Bradley

Starring: Hudson Williams, Jeff Mohs and Veronica Nesbitt.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 6:49.

Topics/genres: Absurd comedy, workplace shenanigans (?).

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Asian-starring, not an Asian story (irrelevant to the plot).

HER CURSE (2025), dir. Corey Totten

Starring: Emily Fan and Sara Gutierrez.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 12:14.

Topics/genres: Comedy through "witchcraft," queer heartbreak and chaos, getting over your ex.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Asian-starring, not an Asian story (irrelevant to the plot).

THIS OLD DOG (2020), dir. Christina Xing

Starring: Alan Chikin Chow, James Tang, Anthony A. Kung.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 15:03.

Topics/genres: Absent parent and family reconnection, hope and/for familial love, hurt and attempted reconciliation.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Chinese.

Cactus Pears/Sabar Bonda (2025), dir. Rohan Parashum

Starring: Bhushaan Manoj and Suraaj Suman.

Media: Movie.

Duration: 1:53:00.

Topics/genres: Closeted queerness in a conservative country, death and grief, romance later in life and societal pressure, family and acceptance.

Language(s): Marathi.

Location: YouTube (subscription), Google TV, Fandango At Home and Prime Video all for ($3.99 USD).

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Indian.

HOW THE MOON FELL FROM THE SKY AND NO ONE EVEN NOTICED (2018), dir. Christina Xing

Starring: Nick Trivisonno, Peter Karrol and Kat Wanger.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 40:11.

Topics/genres: Musical drama, coming out, growing up queer in the middle of nowhere, coming-of-age.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Asian-led, not an Asian story (irrelevant to the plot).

Aiga (2019), dir. Isack Hoppitt Seumanutafa

Starring: Maz Patau, Tuutasi Jessica Taulaga and Elena Sione.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 8:10.

Topics/genres: Grieving the death of a parent, sibling reconnection, the cultural love language of food.

Language(s): Samoan, English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Samoan.

KTFO (2024), dir. Ethan Wingrove

Starring: Ethan Wingrove, Shorya Lamba, Hudson Williams and Aaron Tripp.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 3:14.

Topics/genres: Friends comedy, occupational obstacles.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Asian-Led and starred, not an Asian story (irrelevant to the plot).

yum cha | 飲茶 (2021), dir. & ill. Yushan Li/@itsmieille

Starring: Yushan Li, "Family," Jeffrey Wu, the Sheridan Sound Library (music by Kevin Song Xian Lau).

Media: Animated short film.

Duration: 3:33.

Topics/genres: Playful youth and food in cultures, comedy.

Language(s): Cantonese.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Chinese.

Papaya (2019), dir. Kayleb Lee

Starring: Safinah Cháu, Liam Hendrix Tay, Amelia Faye Luong, Katherine Nguyen, and Brandon Tay.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 10:00.

Topics/genres: The little moments that make us who we are and memory, turbulence and unhealed trauma, togetherness and culture.

Language(s): Minimal speaking, but English and features of many other Southeast Asian languages.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, etc.

When The Sun Goes Down (2026), dir. Mia Frank

Starring: Neetika Knight and Ayan Philip.

Media: Short film.

Duration: 19:05.

Topics/genres: Childhood reconnection in adulthood, romance, metaphors of the sun, generational cycles and pressure, we learn from those we love.

Language(s): English.

Location: YouTube.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: (unspecified) South Asian.

(To close this out. Last, but not least:)

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu.

Media: Movie.

Duration: 2:19:00.

Topics/genres: Generational trauma and familial love, philosophical ponderings like nihilism vs. existentialism, acceptance of life and its absurdity.

Language(s): English, Mandarin.

Location: Rakuten Viki, HBO Max, Hulu, YouTube TV, Prime Video.

Centered cultures/ethnicities: Chinese.

Once again❕please recommend additions in the reblogs or comments, especially for South Asian, West Asian, Central Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian representation. Thank you so much: enjoy the films!

[dixidin]

Because AAPI month, I suggest every asian block anyone that pisses them off this month

LAOSSSSS AWWOOOO🇱🇦🇱🇦 Happy AAPI month to my daughter and everyone else🥹 Fun fact! Lace is specifically part of the Hmong ethnic group, so I tried to incorporate some of their traditional clothing, hence the earrings, belt, and other patterns!

If you repost this on another website, please give credit. Do not put my art in any ai or repost it as your own work. You are free to use this as a pfp as long as you credit. Any like or rebblog is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading! -dixidin

[coziercloud]

݁♬⋆.˚A Glimpse of Khmer Music ♬⋆.˚

Honoring and admiring my heritage for AANHPI MONTH

Fun fact: the King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk who grew up in an artistic family, heavily encourage the creation of music and arts. Due to his encouragement, this created a unique blend of music that thrived in 1960s to 1970s: Cambodian Psychedelic Rock prior to the dark history of the Khmer rouge.

There is a saying in Cambodia that: “music is the soul of the nation”. Although I am not making music, I am creating a set of nails that is inspired by Khmer Psychedelic Rock album covers. As I was connecting back to my culture I stumbled upon a documentary on YouTube: “Don’t think I Forgotten”. I became so fascinated with their music; it always warms my heart. When listening to Khmer artist they make you feel like it’s a sunny day full of life and celebration. Their words so beautifully strung you’ll wonder if you’re in a movie.

You can hear their love of music and creativity in each song. A beautiful blend of traditional Khmer music with influences of Afro-Cuban and western music, creating a thriving music scene. When I listen to artists like Sinn Sisamouth, Chhoun Malay, and Keo Sarath till this day it feels like I can see them happily singing, happily creating. To this day, my heart aches but I know that listening to their music heals my soul and keeps it full of love.

This specific set of nails are very dear to me; it reminds me to keep on creating and to cherish every moment.

[toonrandy]

Another drawing for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as Caturday: It's Sagwa from the PBS Kids series Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat, based on the children's book by Amy Tan, and it takes place during the Qing dynasty 🇨🇳

I remember watching it 🙂

[cicadasailor]

Happy AAPI Heritage Month!! 🇵🇭 pinoy here sending all my love to our family and communities across the ocean and around the world 🤍

[asexual-goddessss]

Doubling up today cause I forgot to post this yesterday here

AAPI Heritage Month Celebration #2

But here's Jigme, she's Bhutanese. I never see representation of Bhutanese identity in anything and found it interesting. I've been had her and her identity in the back of my head for some time now I knew she was gonna be Suicides wife for a long time but I'm glad to finally be able to be able to design her.

Happy AAPI Heritage Month!!!

[vonneplus]

Our reaction to XONARA's debut performance "Tabi" is LIVE! Make sure to check it out! 🤧✨

🔥 XONARA “TABI” DEBUT STAGE REACTION | THE AURA, CHARISMA & STAGE PRESENCE!

We finally reacted to XONARA’s debut performance of “TABI” at the SB19 concert and, what a strong first impression!The girls already have so

XONARA's official debut is MAY 15TH everyone! 💖🫶🏽 - Yvonne

@d-opz

[artistsonthelam]

Thrilled to be a part of this! 🐦‍🔥 Today and tomorrow is AAAC’s EVOLUTION Asian American Arts Festival at Lookingglass Theatre on Michigan Avenue.

(You know that building across from the Water Tower that looks like a castle? That's where the theater is! (Fun fact: The Chicago Avenue Pumping Station and Water Tower are the only public buildings that survived the Chicago Fire.))

There will be performances (music, dance, drag, comedy, spoken word, theatre showcases, etc.), film, food, a craft marketplace, and, of course, fine art (including some pieces by yours truly), which will be screening in the upstairs lobby.

Happy AAPI Heritage Month!

[Edit: Thank you to Lookingglass Theatre and Chicago Cultural Alliance for accepting my invite to be a collaborator on my Instagram post!]