BOSTON ASIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2025 Schedule Announced

ArtsEmerson, Boston’s leading presenter of contemporary world theater and film and the professional presenting and producing organization of Emerson College, has announced the full schedule for the 17th Annual Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), running October 16–26, 2025.

In-person screenings will take place at Coolidge Corner Theatre on October 16 and at the Emerson Paramount Center from October 17–19, with a virtual on-demand shorts program available from October 17–26. A special presentation of Can I Get a Witness? screens October 24 at the Museum of Science.

Now in its 17th year, BAAFF continues to build community and empower Asian Americans through film, celebrating diverse storytelling and fostering connections between filmmakers and audiences across Greater Boston.

FEATURE FILMS

This year’s festival features eight feature films with live filmmaker Q&As and six themed shorts programs. Highlights include Opening Night film Forge by Jing Ai Ng, Lukas Dong’s Centerpiece Documentary Short Love, Chinatown, Eugene Yi’s The Rose: Come Back to Me, Jota Mun’s Between Goodbyes, Erin Lin’s Rosemead, Tony Nguyen’s Year of the Cat, and the Closing Night presentation of Mustache directed by Imran J. Khan, featuring an in-person Q&A with Khan and actor Rizwan Manji (Schitt’s Creek). The festival also presents a special screening of Can I Get a Witness? by Ann Marie Fleming at the Museum of Science.

Opening Night – FORGE (Dir. Jing Ai Ng) opens October 16 at Coolidge Corner Theatre, with the director and actors Brando Soohoo and Andie Ju in attendance. The Miami-set art-world thriller follows siblings Raymond and Coco Zhang as their forgery ring collides with a powerful collector’s dark secrets.

LOVE, CHINATOWN (Dir. Lukas Dong) screens October 17 at the Emerson Paramount Center, preceded by the shorts program Building Our Histories. Cynthia Yee leads an open-hearted walk through Boston’s Chinatown, balancing nostalgia, activism, and renewal.

Other highlights include The Rose: Come Back to Me, Between Goodbyes, and Rosemead starring Lucy Liu and newcomer Lawrence Shou, all screening October 17–18, and Year of the Cat on October 19, which follows filmmaker Tony Nguyen’s personal search for his father lost during the Fall of Saigon.

Closing Night – MUSTACHE (Dir. Imran J. Khan) closes the festival October 19 at the Paramount Center with Khan and Rizwan Manji joining audiences for a live Q&A. The coming-of-age comedy set in 1990s Silicon Valley explores culture, adolescence, and identity through the story of a Pakistani-American teen navigating life—and facial hair—in public school.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

CAN I GET A WITNESS?

Friday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m. | Museum of Science, Mugar Omni Theater

Presented in partnership with the Museum of Science, Can I Get a Witness? imagines a near-future utopia where humanity has solved every global crisis—climate change, poverty, inequality—by enforcing one chilling rule: life must end at 50. Teenage artists document the process. Following the screening, director Ann Marie Fleming and actor Keira Jang will appear for a live Q&A.

SHORTS PROGRAM

Six virtual shorts programs stream on demand October 17–26 at ArtsEmerson.org: Across the Divide, Building Our Histories, My Own Worst Enemy, Night Visions, Queer & Here, and Respect Your Elders.

Each program explores a facet of Asian American storytelling—from generational memory and queer identity to cross-cultural connection and self-discovery. Across the Divide and Building Our Histories will also screen in person during the festival.

FESTIVAL EVENTS

The 2025 BAAFF Preview Party takes place Thursday, October 2 (6:30–8:00 p.m.) at Pao Arts Center, free and open to the public. Attendees can enjoy food, trailers, and early access to this year’s lineup, plus a chance to win festival passes.

The 2025 BAAFF Auction runs September 26–October 19, offering getaways, date nights, and other exclusive items, with proceeds benefiting the Boston Asian American Film Festival’s community programming.

TICKETS

Tickets range from $15–$20 per feature or shorts program, with All-Access Festival Passes available for $150 and Shorts Passes for $60. Tickets may be purchased online at ArtsEmerson.org or by calling 617-824-8400 (Tue–Sat, 12–6 p.m. ET).