The annual Asian Film Festival of Dallas — a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating Asian and Asian-American filmmakers — returns in 2025 with more than two dozen films including action movies, comedies, thrillers, and short films.

The four-day festival will take place July 24-27 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas, 5321 E. Mockingbird Ln. #230, and will include award-winning films, premieres, and red carpet action.

Highlights include:

• Opening Night July 24: Shinji Araki's Japanese thriller Penalty Loop
• Centerpiece July 25: Johnny Ma’s comedy-drama The Mother and the Bear (Johnny Ma will also be in-person at AFFD to participate in the post-screening Q&A.)
• Women's Showcase July 26
• Closing Night July 27: Yugo Sakamoto's Japanese action-comedy Baby Assassins: Nice Days

AFFD will also host a special Saturday Women’s Showcase spotlighting female filmmakers from across Asia—South Korea, India, Singapore, and Vietnam—as well as the U.S.

"For the festival as whole, while fans can still count on the high-energy action films we’re known for, a deeper theme emerged as I programmed the lineup — the power of connection," says Programming Director Paul Theiss in a release. "This year’s festival explores the deep human need to reach out, be seen, and never go it alone. And what better place to celebrate that spirit of connection than at a film festival, which brings us together through the shared experience of storytelling.”

Women's Showcase
Highlights include:

• Mye Hoang's 25 Cats From Qatar. Film about an American flight attendant and cat cafe owner who reacts to a homeless cat crisis in Qatar by coming up with a plan to fly 25 cats to Milwaukee, with her cat cafe providing the way for people to adopt them.
• Dương Diệu Linh’s Don’t Cry, Butterfly. Focuses on a wedding venue staffer who learns of her husband’s affair while watching live TV. Instead of confronting him, she uses a voodoo spell to reclaim his love.
• Nelicia Low’s Pierce. Thriller follows the push and pull between a young fencer and his estranged older brother, recently released from juvenile prison after serving time for killing an opponent during a fencing match.

All three filmmakers will be in Dallas to participate in Q&As following their screenings.

Sunday will feature films with attending filmmakers leading up to the Closing Night screening of Yugo Sakamoto's Japanese action-comedy Baby Assassins: Nice Days, including:

• Jeff Mann’s Paper Marriage finds comedy and drama in the story of a Chinese immigrant facing deportation, who pays an unemployed and directionless man to marry her.
• Lee Jong-min and Yeum Moon-kyoung’s South Korean comedy The Last Woman on Earth looks at a female screenwriter who finds tension with her fellow film students due to her script’s anger toward men.

Also noted for its singular party presentations, this year the Asian Film Festival of Dallas will complement the screenings and filmmaker appearances at AFFD with Opening Night, Centerpiece, and Closing Night parties at the Angelika Film Center with Asian cuisine and crafted drinks by George Kaiho, featuring Suntory Japanese Whisky, as well as themed presentations, filmmaker meet-and-greets, and photo opportunities for film fans who have come out to enjoy the great AFFD programming during those evenings.

To purchase badges, tickets, and find a full list of all the films, go to asianfilmdallas.com.

Over the last 20+ years, the festival has provided opportunities for more than 400 Asian and Asian-American filmmakers to share their vision, often providing the only venue for their films to be shown in Dallas. The films have also allowed festival goers a chance to experience other lives and cultures without leaving their seats.