List of San Diego Asian Film Festival award winners

2019 - 20th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award - Straight Up
• Best Narrative Feature - Driveways
• Best Documentary Feature - The Cancer Journals, Revisited
• Best narrative Short - First
• Best Documentary Short - My American Surrogate
• Best Animated Short - Umbilical
• International Short - Grand Bouquet
• Special Jury Mention - Jaddoland
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award - No Data Plan
• Audience Award Winner - Yellow Rose

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Opening Night Film: The Paradise We Are Looking For
• Centerpiece: Straight Up
• Closing Night: To Live to Sing

9th Spring Showcase

• Opening Night Film: First Night Nerves
• Closing Night Film: Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
• Notable Films: Memories of My Body, Swing Kids, Song Lang, The Crossing
• Special Events: From the Claws of Darkness: Restoring Philippine Cinema, Mystery Kung Fu Theater

  2018 - 19th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: June
• Best Narrative Feature: Bitter Melon
• Best Documentary Feature: Blowin' Up
• Best Narrative Short: First Generation
• Best Documentary Short: Nai Nai
• Best International Short: Babylon
• Best Animated Short: Yoko
• Special Jury Mention: Origin Story
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: August at Akiko's
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Marcus Hu
• Audience Award: One Cut of the Dead

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Films: Little Forest, Inventing Tomorrow, Ramen Shop
• HBO Preview: Folklore

  8th Spring Showcase

• Opening Night Film: Meditation Park
• Closing Night Film:
• Notable Films: Minding the Gap, Love Education, Mukshin, The Third Murder,
• Special Presentations: Falling for Angels: the Films of Yasmin Ahmad

  2017 - 18th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: My Enemy My Brother, directed by Ann Shin
• Narrative Feature: Wexford Plaza, directed by Joyce Wong
• Documentary Feature: Out of State, directed by Ciara Lacy
• Narrative Short: Float, directed by Tristan Seniuk & Voleak Sip
• Documentary Short: Mother’s Day, directed by Elizabeth Lo & R.J. Lozada
• Animated Short: Crushed in Spaces, directed by Janice Chun
• International Short: Afternoon Clouds, directed by Payal Kapadia
• Special Jury Mention: Santa Claus, directed by Jeff Man
• Digital Pioneer Award: Angry Asian Man, directed by Phil Yu
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Anahita Ghazvinizadeh, director of They
• Audience Award: Island Soldier, directed by Nathan Fitch

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Films: Oh Lucy!, A Better Man, The Villainess, Columbus and Newton.
• Musical performance by actress/singer Tia Carrere.
• Potluck Collective Podcasts: Saturday School, the Fresh Creatives and They Call Us Bruce.
• Classic Films Restored: Shopping for Fangs, Pigsy Eats Watermelon and The Little Sisters of the Grassland.
• Mystery Kung Fu Theater

  7th Spring Showcase

• Notable Films: Gook, An Insignificant Man, The Long Excuse, Sunday Beauty Queen, Window Horses
• Special Presentations: “Right to Resist: From 9066 to 2017” featuring four documentary films and four shorts about political resistance.
• Audience Award:

  2016 - 17th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: The Lockpicker, directed by Randall Okita
• Narrative Feature: Chee and T, directed by Tanuj Chopra
• Documentary Feature: Bad Rap, directed by Salima Koroma
• Narrative Short: Death in a Day, directed by Lin Wang
• Documentary Short: Bruce Takes Dragon Town, directed by Emily Chao
• Animated Short: Hold Me , directed by Renee Zhan
• Special Jury Mention: Random Acts of Legacy, directed by Ali Kazimi
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Andrew Ahn, director of Spa Night
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Wayne Wang
• Audience Award: Daze of Justice, directed by Michael Siv

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Films: The Tiger Hunter, Mifune: The Last Samurai
• Standup comedy by Actor and Comedian Randall Park.
• Panel discussion with The Edge of Seventeen actor Hayden Szeto.

  6th Spring Showcase

• Notable Films: Sweet 20, 3688, Born to Dance, Heart Attack, Honor Thy Father, Right Now, Wrong Then
• Special Presentations: “China Now: Independent Visions” featuring four film programs from works from the Beijing Independent Film Festival.
• Audience Award: The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

  2015 - 16th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Distance Between, directed by R.J. Lozada
• Narrative Feature: Crush the Skull, directed by Viet Nguyen
• Documentary Feature: Operation Popcorn, directed by David Grabias
• Narrative Short: Drama, directed by Tian Guan
• Documentary Short: From Tonga, directed by Huay-Bing Law
• Animated Short: Cuz He’s Black, directed by Ji Sub Jeong
• Special Jury Mention: Reunification, directed by Alvin Tsang
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Takeshi Fukunaga, director of Out of My Hand
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Tyrus Wong
• Audience Award: Tyrus, directed by Pamela Tom
• Digital Pioneer Award: BuzzFeed Motion Pictures

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Films: Miss India America, Seoul Searching, Made in Japan.
• Panel discussion with Ken Jeong.
• Discussion with Buzzfeed producer Eugene Lee Yang.

  5th Spring Showcase

• Films: Top Spin, Giovanni’s Island, Margarita, With a Straw, Mariquina, My Brilliant Life, The Taking of Tiger Mountain 3D, Today
• Special Presentation: Cinema Little Saigon, a retrospective of films and videos by Vietnamese Americans on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon
• Audience Award: Princess Jellyfish

  2014 - 15th Anniversary

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Appropriate Behavior, directed by Desiree Akhavan
• Narrative Feature: Man from Reno, directed by Dave Boyle
• Documentary Feature: My Life in China, directed by Kenneth Eng
• Narrative Short: Hypebeasts, directed by Jessica dela Merced
• Documentary Short: Transformers: the Premake, directed by Kevin B. Lee
• Animated Short: Behind My Behind, directed by David Chai
• Special Jury Mention: Kumu Hina, directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Vera Brunner-Sung, director of Bella Vista
• Audience Award: Limited Partnership, directed by Thomas Miller
• Digital Pioneer Award: Anna Akana

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Films: Revenge of the Green Dragons, The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness and Meet the Patels.
• Pilot episode of Fresh Off the Boat screening.
• Taiwan Films Showcase
• Remembering Queer Korea Reception

  4th Spring Showcase

• Notable Films: Like Father, Like Son, How to Fight in Six Inch Heels, Miss Granny, The Protector 2, Siddharth, Why Don’t You Play in Hell?
• Special Presentation: Live performances of 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors
• Audience Award Winner: To Be Takei

  2013 - 14th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Karaoke Girl, directed by Visra Vichit-Vadakan
• Narrative Feature: Sake-Bomb, directed by Junya Sakino
• Documentary Feature: Your Day is My Night, directed by Lynne Sachs
• Narrative Short: The Perils of Growing Up Flat-Chested, directed by Yulin Kuang
• Documentary Short: Draft Day, directed by Josh Kim
• Animated Short: The Present, directed by Joe Hsieh
• Special Jury Mention: Documented, directed by Jose Antonio Vargas and Ann Lupo
• Social Justice Award: When I Walk, directed by Jason DaSilva
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Leslie Tai
• Audience Award: , directed by Grace Lee

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Films: Finding Mr. Right, Blind Detective, Norte: The End of History and.
• Drive-By Cinema screenings of webseries premieres: Night Girls Crew and Flat3.
• Mapping event for wheelchair accessibility with Jason DaSilva.

  3rd Spring Showcase

• Opening Night Film: Linsanity
• Closing Night Film: Jab Tak Hai Jaan
• Notable Films: Abigail Harm, Comrade Kim Goes Flying, Kai Po Che, Key of Life, La Source, The Last Supper, Pieta, United Red Army
• Audience Award: Harana

  2012 - 13th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Johnny Loves Dolores, directed by Clarissa de los Reyes
• Narrative Feature: Graceland, directed by Ron Morales
• Documentary Feature: Seeking Asian Female, directed by Debbie Lum
• Narrative Short: Monday Monday, directed by Eric K. Yue
• Animated Short: 38-39°C, directed by Kangmin Kim
• Special Jury Mention: The World Before Her, directed by Nisha Pahuja
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Ernie Park, director of Late Summer
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Chung Chang-wha
• Audience Award: Eden, directed by Megan Griffiths

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Films:, Eden

  2nd Spring Showcase

• Opening Night Film: Sunny
• Closing Night Film: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
• Notable Films: The Front Line, Headshot, I Wish, Life Without Principle, My Back Page, Patang, A Simple Life.

  2011 - 12th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Surrogate Valentine, directed by Dave Boyle
• Narrative Feature: In the Family, directed by Patrick Wang
• Documentary Feature: Tales of the Waria, directed by Kathy Huang
• Narrative Short: Andy, directed by Andrew Ahn
• Documentary Short: Making Noise in Silence, directed by Mina T. Son
• Animated Short: Enrique Wrecks the World, directed by David Chai
• Special Jury Mention: The LuLu Session, directed by S. Casper Wong
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Patrick Wang, director of In the Family
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Nancy Kwan
• Audience Award: The Power of Two, directed by Marc Smolowitz

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Honored Gala Guests: the Board of San Diego County Supervisors, the director of the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum and the Principal of Barnard Mandarin Chinese Magnet School.

  1st Spring Showcase

• Opening Night Film: Little Big Soldier
• Closing Night Film: Boy
• Films: Getting Home, Hansel & Gretel, The House of Suh, The Man from Nowhere, One Voice, Patisserie Coin De Rue, Poetry, Saigon Electric
• Special Presentation: Japan earthquake fundraiser screening of A Tale of Mari & Three Puppies.

  2010 - 11th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: The House of Suh, directed by Iris Shim
• Narrative Feature: Littlerock, directed by Mike Ott
• Documentary Feature: Finding Face, directed by Skye Fitzgerald and Patti Duncan
• Narrative Short: Works of Art, directed by Andrew Pang
• Documentary Short: Top Spin, directed by Sara Newens and Mina T. Son
• Animated Short: The Wonder Hospital, directed by Beomsik Shimbe Shim
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Nadine Truong
• Influential Asian American Artist Award: Daniel Dae Kim
• Audience Award: One Voice, directed by Lisette Flannery

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Asian Americans in Hollywood - featuring: Ellen Wong, Harry Shum, Aaron Yoo, Jon M. Chu, and CS Lee.

  2009 - 10th Anniversary

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Children of Invention, directed by Tze Chun
• Narrative Feature: Children of Invention, directed by Tze Chun
• Documentary Feature: Whatever It Takes, directed by Christopher Wong
• Narrative Short: A Green Mountain In a Drawer, directed by Hwa-Jun Lee
• Documentary Short: Rough Cut, directed by Firouzeh Khosrovani
• Animated Short: Kudan, directed by Taku Kimura
• Special Jury Mention: A Song For Ourselves, directed by Tadashi Nakamura
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award: Mark Tran, director of All About Dad
• Audience Award: White on Rice, directed by David Boyle

  Notable Events and Appearances

• Notable Screenings: Red Cliff, Afro Samurai Resurrection, Detroit Metal City, Neko Ramen and Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl.
• Celebrity Appearances: Margaret Cho, Tamlyn Tomita, and Dante Basco.

  2008 - 9th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Dirty Hands: the Art & Crimes of David Choe, directed by Harry Kim
• Narrative Feature: Santa Mesa, directed by Ron Morales
• Documentary Feature: Shame, directed by Mohammed Naqvi
• Narrative Short: Lady, directed by Wendy Cheng
• Animated Short: Meat Days, directed by Joe Hsieh
• Special Jury Mention: Damn the Past!, directed by Julie Kang
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Soon-Tek Oh

  Notable Events and Appearances

• A Celebrity Panel: Asian Americans in Hollywood - featuring: Aaron Yoo, James Kyson Lee, Leonardo Nam, Smith Cho, Sheetal Sheth, and Jimmy Tsai.
• From Comics to Film - featuring: Greg Pak and Jim Lee

  2007 - 8th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Cats of Mirikitani, directed by Linda Hattendorf
• Narrative Feature: Owl and the Sparrow, directed by Stephane Gauger
• Documentary Feature: Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula, directed by Lisette Flanary
• Narrative Short: Monsoon, directed by Shyam Balse
• Documentary Short: Mookey’s Story, directed by Carolyn Goossen & Daffodil Altan
• Animated Short: City Paradise, directed by Gaelle Denis
• Music video: Champion by Native Guns, directed by Patricio Ginelsa
• Lifetime Achievement Award: George Takei

  2006 - 7th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Journey From the Fall, directed by Ham Tran
• Narrative Feature: Eve & the Firehorse, directed by Julia Kwan
• Documentary Feature: Last Atomic Bomb, directed by Robert Richter
• Narrative Short: Hiro, directed by Matthew Swanson
• Animated Short: Mirage, directed by Youngwoon Jang
• Experimental: Latent Sorrow, directed by Shon Kim
• Music Video: Steal the Blueprints, directed by Chris Deaner
• Special Jury Mention: , directed by Richard Wong
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Kieu Chin

  2005 - 6th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Seibutsu: , directed by Joe Turner Lin
• Narrative Feature: The Motel, directed by Michael Kang
• Documentary Feature: And Thereafter, directed by Hosup Lee
• Narrative Short: Summer of the Serpent, directed by Kimi Takesue
• Documentary Short: Daastar: Defending Sikh Identity, directed by Kevin Lee
• Animated Short: Public Bath, directed by Tak Hoon Kim
• Experimental: 5 x 90: The Wake, directed by Samuel Kiehoon Lee
• Music Video: Psychokinetics: The Vault, directed by Gene Celso
• Visionary Award: Saving Face, directed by Alice Wu
• Lifetime Achievement: Joan Chen

  2004 - 5th Anniversary

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, directed by Ann Marie Fleming
• Narrative Feature: First Morning, directed by Victor Vu
• Documentary Feature: The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, directed by Ann Marie Fleming
• Narrative Short: Sangam, directed by Prashant Bhargava
• Documentary Short: Yellow Brotherhood, directed by Tadashi Nakamura
• Animated Short: Birthday Boy, directed by Sejong Park
• Experimental: Balikbayan, directed by Larilyn Sanchez & Riza Manalo
• Music Video: Skyflakes: Bad Thoughts, directed by Dino Ignacio

  2003 - 4th Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Refugee, directed by Spencer Nakasako
• Narrative Feature: Book of Rules, directed by Sung H. Kim
• Documentary Feature: , directed by Jari Osborne
• Narrative Short: Anniversary, directed by Ham Tran
• Documentary Short: How to Make Kimchee, directed by Samuel Kiehoon Lee
• Animated Short: Henry’s Garden, directed by Moon Seun
• Experimental: Nothing But Love, directed by Wen-Yao Chuang

  2002 - 3rd Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Sophie, directed by Helen Lee
• Narrative Feature: Charlotte Sometimes, directed by Eric Byler
• Documentary Feature: Journey for Lotus, directed by Eunhee Cha
• Narrative Short: Barrier Device, directed by Grace Lee
• Documentary Short: BLT Genesis, directed by Evan Leong
• Animated Short: Vessel Wrestling, directed by Lisa Yu
• Experimental: Still I Rise, directed by Umesh Shukla

  2001 - 2nd Annual

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Roads and Bridges, directed by Abraham Lim
• Narrative Feature: Dog Food , directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna
• Documentary Feature: Made in China, directed by Karin Lee
• Narrative Short: Talk to Taka, directed by Richard Kim
• Documentary Short: Bitter and Sweet, directed by Johanna Lee
• Animated Short: Lint People, directed by Helder Sun
• Experimental: Staccato Fugue, directed by Teo Carlo Pulgar

  2000 - Festival Launch

Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award: Karma Local, directed by Darshan Bhagat
• Narrative Feature: The Debut, directed by Gene Cajayon
• Documentary Feature: When You’re Smiling, directed by Janice Tanaka
• Narrative Short: Mouse, directed by Greg Pak
• Documentary Short: Shit, the Movie, directed by Julie Gaw
• Experimental: By this Parting, directed by Mieko Ouchi