Shorts Block: In Transit
Shorts Block: "In Transit" “In Transit” explores the immigrant experience and the transformations that occur along their journeys. These are stories of triumph, inclusion, and discovery but also of tribulation,…
18th annual
BOSTON
ASIAN AMERICAN
FILM FESTIVAL
October 15-25, 2026
In-Person film festival
Welcome to BAAFF!
Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) empowers Asian Americans through film by showcasing Asian American experiences and serving as a resource to filmmakers and the Greater Boston Community. BAAFF builds on over 45 years of AARW’s support for the Asian American Community through film.
Boston Asian American Film Festival is a co-production of Asian American Resource Workshop and ArtsEmerson.
Photo Credit: Three Circles Studios
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2026 BAAFF
Tickets Now On Sale
Thursday, Oct. 8 (Pao Arts Center)
6:30PM Preview Party [FREE]
Thursday, October 15 (Coolidge Corner Theatre)
7PM OPENING NIGHT Isle Child [SOLD OUT]
Friday, October 16 (Emerson Paramount Center)
6PM Breaking the Code
9PM Shorts: After Dark
Saturday, October 17 (Emerson Paramount Center)
12PM The Road to Sydney (Preceded by Sheesh: A Taylor Love Story)
3PM Shorts: In Transit
6PM CENTERPIECE Jersey Boy
Sunday, October 18 (Emerson Paramount Center)
3:30PM Chinatown Cha-Cha
6:30PM Shorts: Drawing Lines
Saturday, October 24 (Emerson Paramount Center)
3:30PM Shorts: Families Forged & Found
6:30PM CENTERPIECE Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon
Sunday, October 25 (Emerson Paramount Center)
1PM In Waves
4PM CLOSING Montreal, My Beautiful [SOLD OUT]
Saturday, November 14 (Emerson Paramount Center)
6:30PM SPECIAL PRESENTATION Tiger Mom Academy
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
tiger mom academy
- Saturday, November 14, 6:30PM
- Emerson Paramount Center
- Followed by In-Person Q&A with filmmakers
Marilyn Khu’s life is a wreck.
Her kids are both neighborhood screw-ups and school outcasts. Her husband Jimmy is even worse, an out-of-touch man-child, stuck in his VR headset and oblivious to his wife’s downward spiral. Matters worsen when their kids get expelled from school.
Hitting rock bottom, she salvages her children’s future and her own dignity by enrolling them in a private boarding school, run by education guru and strict disciplinarian Suki Lai. Unlike other boarding schools, Tiger Academy doesn’t just teach children; it also teaches mothers. Its methods are unorthodox, but it gets Ivy League results. And if you fail, there are consequences. READ MORE »
This moment is also deeply personal for me: I am turning 50, and BAAFF is stepping into our 18th Festival year, our “adulthood.” It feels like a threshold, a time to claim our independence and strengthen what we have built together with care, courage, and intention.
I keep coming back to a simple truth: water the plant if you want it to grow. If BAAFF’s stories, artists, and spaces for belonging have ever made you feel seen, less alone, or more connected, I invite you to celebrate my 50th birthday by making a gift of $50, $500, or $5,000. Your donation is not just support, it is a commitment to bold storytelling, cultural power, and a BAAFF that can stand strong and sustainable for the years ahead. Thank you for growing this with me.
FESTIVAL GUESTS IN-PERSON
- FORGE | OPENING NIGHT
Director Jing Ai Ng, Actors Andie Ju & Brandon Soohoo - LOVE, CHINATOWN | CENTERPIECE
Director Lukas Dong, Cynthia Yee, Gwen Liu - MUSTACHE | CLOSING NIGHT
Director Imran J. Khan, Actors Rizwan Manji & Melody Cao (Moderated by Priya Giri Desai, Principal, Illumin Media) - ROSEMEAD
Producer Mynette Louie (Moderated by Colleen Nguyen, Executive Director, Asian Women for Health) - YEAR OF THE CAT
Director Tony Nguyen (Moderated by AnnaMarie Vu, Clinical Assistant Professor, Family Medicine Tufts University) - BETWEEN GOODBYES
Adoptees Nicole Eigbrett, AARW Co-ED in conversation with Kathy Eow, Cultural Leader. - THE ROSE: COME BACK TO ME
Director Eugene Yi (Moderated by Dr. Ray Seol, Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music) - CAN I GET A WITNESS?
Director Ann Marie Fleming, Actor Keira Jang (Moderated by Trish Fontanilla Co-Founder and Chief Energy Officer of BOSFilipinos)
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Learn more about our sponsorship opportunities. >>
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October 20 - 24
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Shorts Block: In Transit
Shorts Block: "In Transit" “In Transit” explores the immigrant experience and the transformations that occur along their journeys. These are stories of triumph, inclusion, and discovery but also of tribulation,…
Shorts Block: In Transit
Shorts Block: "In Transit" “In Transit” explores the immigrant experience and the transformations that occur along their journeys. These are stories of triumph, inclusion, and discovery but also of tribulation,…
Learn more
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BAAFF is a co-production of Asian American Resource Workshop & ArtsEmerson.
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