Chicago Asian Pop-Up Cinema Festival

For the first time, our festival will feature a juried competition, with 16 films competing for the Grand Jury Feature Film Award, the Best Short Film Award, and the Francis Kwong Memorial Award recognizing an emerging director.

Schedule:

3:00 p.m - 5:30 p.m: Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Shorts Series #2 - Asian American Perspectives
This new program showcases unique perspectives and a nuanced exploration of Asian experiences across North America.

In the spirit of greater representation and celebrating the diverse voices of Asian storytellers, Asian Pop-Up Cinema is proud to expand its selection to include films from Asian American and Asian Canadian filmmakers! This new program showcases unique perspectives and a nuanced exploration of Asian experiences across North America.

Total program runtime: 106 minutes

Tantrum
Canada, Drama, 2023, 15 minutes
In Korean with English subtitles
Director: Soomin Choi
Determined and full of life, 7-year-old Moa is excited about her upcoming choir competition, but her joy fades quickly when she realizes her mother has forgotten all about it. Desperate to be seen and heard, Moa resorts to bold and unexpected measures to win back her attention. Will her efforts bring them closer together or push them further apart?

Under the Kasaya
Canada, Drama, 2024, 15 minutes
In Chinese with English subtitles
Director: Jennifer Fan Jiang
Fourteen-year-old Jean has always been taught that truth leads to liberation—but after an unsettling encounter with her Buddhist mentor, she is confronted with a devastating choice: carry the weight of a painful secret, or confess to her deeply devout mother. Inspired by the filmmaker’s own experience, this deeply personal story explores the weight of unspoken truths and the courage it takes to break the silence.

The Little Shopping Trolley
Canada, Drama, 2024, 18 minutes
In French and Vietnamese with English subtitles
Director: Laurence Ly
Struggling to make ends meet in Montreal, a Vietnamese mother of three faces an unexpected battle at the grocery store. Denied the right to buy 12 discount laundry detergents, she must find a way to outmaneuver the system to claim what should be hers. This heartfelt tale of capitalism, family, and resilience offers an earnest look at the immigrant experience, all wrapped in an unconventional Christmas story.

Making Waves: The Rise of Asian America
United States, Documentary, 2024, 58 minutes
In English
Directors: Jon Osaki, Josh Chuck – Intro & Q&A by director Jon Osaki
This thoughtful documentary explores the role of Ethnic Studies in redefining narratives and empowering Asian American communities. From its origins at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State to present-day movements, it amplifies the voices of activists, educators, and youth who advocate for expanding education to challenge harmful stereotypes, combat anti-Asian hate, and empower future generations.

5:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m: The Uniform
A celebration of young female friendship and living free of labels
North American Premiere
Taiwan, Youth Drama, 2024, 109 minutes
In Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles
Director: Chuang Ching-Shen
Screenwriters: Hsu Hui-Fang, Wang Li-Wen
Starring: Chen Yan-fei, Chloe Xiang, Chiu Yi-tai, Chi Chin
Film Source: Sanling Chang
Director Chuang Ching-Shen, producer Tang Tsai-Yang and actress Chen Yan-fei are scheduled to appear in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Additionally, Chen Yan-fei will will receive the APUC Bright Star Award.
The year is 1997. Ai is forced to enroll in the night school of an elite girls’ high school, but night students are often inferior by their day school counterparts. Nevertheless, Ai becomes close friends with her day school desk-mate, Min. Chuang Ching-Shen’s coming-of-age drama explores the obsession with elitism and privilege in an education system riddled with inequalities while portraying a friendship between girls whose camaraderie transcend class. In addition to featuring two of Taiwan’s best up-and-coming young actresses in outstanding performances, Chi Chin also shines as a Ai’s single mother.  

6:30 p.m - 8:15 p.m: Love Lies
An online romance scam changes two strangers’ lives in this Hong Kong sleeper hit   
Hong Kong, Comedy-Drama, 2024, 116 minutes  
In Cantonese w/ Chinese and English Subtitles  
Director: Ho Miu-ki  
Screenwriters: Ho Miu-ki, Chan Hing-kei  
Starring: Sandra Ng, Michael Cheung, Stephy Tang, Chan Fai-hung  
Film Source: One Cool Films  
Director Ho Miu-ki and producer Chan Hing Ka are scheduled to appear in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
Widowed doctor Veronica falls for a French engineer named “Alain” on a dating app. However, what she doesn’t know is that “Alain” is actually a young man who works for an online romance scamming ring. But when “Alain” begins to feel sorry for Veronica, an unlikely connection starts to form. Screenwriter Ho Miu-ki’s exploration of bonds forged in deception looks at online dating scams with empathy for both sides of the crime. With a splendid award-nominated performance by Sandra Ng and a charismatic turn by pop star Micheal Cheung, the film touches on loneliness and emotional trauma with poignancy.  

7:30 p.m - 8:30 p.m: The Land of Morning Calm
An angry exposé of prejudice and xenophobia in modern Korea
S. Korea, Drama, 2024, 114 minutes
In Korean w/ English Subtitles
U. S. Premiere
Director/Screenwriter: Park Ri-woong
Starring: Yoon Joo-sang, Yang Hee-kyung, Khazsak, Park Jong-hwan
Film Source: Hive Filmworks
Director Park Ri-woong is scheduled to attend in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.
To escape his life, a young fisherman fakes his disappearance. His boss, a cranky boat captain, reluctantly plays along so that the fisherman’s Vietnamese wife can receive the insurance payout. However, racism rears its ugly head as the investigation progresses. Winner of the New Currents Award at Busan International Film Festival, Park Ri-woong’s follow-up to the acclaimed Girl with a Bulldozer is another angry indictment of the woes plaguing Korean society. At the center of this riveting story of small-town xenophobia is a captivating performance by Yoon Joo-sang as the furious boat captain who surprisingly become the story’s moral compass. 

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