Festival 2025

2025 SAAFF Awards

2025 SAAFF Awards
Join us in celebrating three outstanding films and visionary filmmakers honored at this year’s Seattle Asian American Film Festival. From powerful documentaries to bold narratives, these stories reflect the diverse voices and creativity of Asian American artists.

Festival Award

Cinematropolis Award

for best local short film (made in WA state and/or by a filmmaker(s) currently residing in WA state)

Two women standing in front of a car, having a conversation. One woman has her arms crossed while the other gestures with her hand, with trees in the background. The image is overlaid with a film festival award certificate.

Edibles
Directed by Pearl Lam & Tommy Heffernan

EDIBLES is a Pacific Northwest road trip for the books. In just a few minutes, Pearl Lam and Tommy Heffernan invite us into the messy, tender terrain of family ties in the aftermath of a fallout between mother and daughter. As we travel through the unforgettable beauty of the region, writer/directors Lam and Heffernan, alongside writer Alex Furnas, drop us right into the familiar dynamic of two sisters teasing each other about their mom.

Lam’s sharp instincts as an actor and comedian shine through in the film’s authentic performances—brilliantly carried alongside co-stars Adele Lim and Alanah Pascual. It’s hilarious truth-telling that only close friends and siblings can survive. With gasp-out-loud hijinks, EDIBLES transforms a weekend’s worth of chaos into a heartfelt snapshot of siblinghood: equal parts funny, raw, and real.

This film reminds us that some of the most honest stories are born when time is short and stakes are high. For its fearless spirit, collaborative heart, and the way it leaves the audience hungry for more… we are proud to recognize EDIBLES as this year’s winning film.

Audience Choice Awards

Audience Choice Narrative Film Award

A framed award poster featuring three people in formal attire, with a colorful, vintage-style border, celebrating the film 'Divine Intervention,' directed by Ravenna Tran. The poster indicates it won the Audience Choice Narrative Film Award at the Seattle Asian American Film Festival in 2025.

Divine Intervention
Directed by Ravenna Tran

Audience Choice Documentary Film Award

A promotional poster for the Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2025 featuring Nobuko Miyamoto's documentary 'A Song in Movement' directed by Tad Nakamura and Quyen Nguyen-Le. The poster includes a black-and-white photo of a woman passionately singing or speaking with a raised hand, framed by celebratory border decorations, and a colorful bear mascot with a film clapperboard and popcorn at the bottom right corner.

Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement
Directed by Tad Nakamura, Quỳên Nguyễn-Le