That's a Wrap on SAAFF 2026

14th Annual Seattle Asian American Film Festival

Poster for the 14th Annual Seattle Asian American Film Festival, May 29-31, 2026, with opening night at the Wing Luke Museum, in-person screenings at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, and virtual screenings on Eventive June 1-7.

Thank you for an unforgettable festival!

The 14th Seattle Asian American Film Festival has wrapped, and we are so grateful to everyone who packed the Wing Luke Museum and Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, streamed with us online, and celebrated pan-Asian American stories together. Award winners and photo recaps are coming soon, so stay tuned.

Explore the 2026 Festival

SAAFF 2026 Award Winners

Every year, our community and our team spotlight the films that stay with us most. Meet this year's award winners.

Third Act Audience Choice Best Feature winner at the Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2026, Third Act directed by Tadashi Nakamura. Two men stand before a memorial monument with mountains in the background.
Bridging Our Stories Audience Choice Best Short winner at the Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2026, Bridging Our Stories directed by Rafael Bitanga. Two women in colorful traditional Filipino dress dance together.
Chowmein Holiday Festival Best Emerging Filmmaker Award winner at the Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2026, Chowmein Holiday directed by Iris Lanhua Ma. Two women sit across from each other in a diner booth.

Congratulations to all three of our 2026 honorees, and thank you to everyone who watched, voted, and celebrated with us this year.

Read More About the Winners

News / Updates

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Announcing the SAAFF 2026 Award Winners
Announcing the SAAFF 2026 Award Winners

The 14th Seattle Asian American Film Festival has wrapped, and we are celebrating the 2026 award winners: Third Act for Best Feature, Bridging Our Stories for Best Short, and Chowmein Holiday for our Festival Best Emerging Filmmaker Award.

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SAAFF 2026 Merch Is Here
SAAFF 2026 Merch Is Here

Limited-run black and white tees and totes, printed with our mission and made just for SAAFF 2026. Available only in person at the festival, May 29 to 31. Once they sell out, they're gone.

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Tony Nguyen Traces His Father's Story 50 Years After the Fall of Saigon in "Year of the Cat"
Tony Nguyen Traces His Father's Story 50 Years After the Fall of Saigon in "Year of the Cat"

"In 'Year of the Cat,' a filmmaker searches for his father 50 years after the Fall of Saigon" by Adrian Alarilla. Interview with Tony Nguyen about his investigative documentary tracing his father's identity, following up on his 2015 short "Giap's Last Day at the Ironing Board Factory."

Read more →
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For Filmmakers

Resources to help you create, fund, and share your work.

SAAFF supports filmmakers beyond the festival screen. From local grants and funding opportunities to networking events and submission guidance, our Filmmaker Resource page brings everything together in one place.

Explore Filmmaker Resources

Join Our Team!

We’re building our volunteer staff team for 2026! From marketing to programming to production, SAAFF is powered by passionate volunteers who help bring Asian American stories to the big screen.

A group of diverse people smiling and taking photos at an event, with decorative Chinese New Year banners and a person dressed in a yellow Chinese lion dance costume nearby.
Two women sitting at a table outdoors, holding up tickets for the Seattle Asian American Film Festival. They are wearing sunglasses and smiling. Behind them are other people at a festival, with chairs, tables, and signs promoting social media and sign-up for e-news.
A young woman with long brown hair smiling and sitting on the ground writing on a colorful poster board with a black marker. The poster advertises SAFF, a summer cinema event featuring the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team.
See Staff Opportunities

Support SAAFF With a Donation

Your donation helps us continue uplifting the voices and stories of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander filmmakers in the Pacific Northwest. Every contribution directly supports our screenings, community events, and year-round programming.

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What People are Saying About SAAFF

  • "What a wonderful film festival! It was well curated and the staff was so organized and welcoming. I was so humbled and honored to be a part of the shorts program and they learned so much."

    June Films

  • "SAAFF is a really great community-building festival, with very thoughtful politics and programming! We were so delighted to be part of their selection and would do it all over again!"

    Van Tran Nguyen

  • "SAAFF truly supports Asian American filmmakers and our community. So happy to have my film, as American as it Gets, be included in the Pamilya film block. Communication was timely and I had a lovely time doing a Zoom Q&A."

    Marnie Salvani

  • "I have so much fun every time I come to the festival. The staff and the audiences are some of my favorites out of any festival I've been to. It's such a treat to play at SAAFF."

    Jeff Man