"It has never been more vital to champion the contributions of immigrants in filmmaking," says Rick Kinsel, president of the Vilcek Foundation. "Cinema blends language, images, music, and performance into stories that transcend borders. Through their work, immigrants expand our vision, deepen our empathy, and illuminate our shared humanity. To amplify these voices is not only essential—it is an act of cultural preservation."
First developed in 2007, the New American Perspectives program centers participating immigrant filmmakers' voices and experiences through public film screenings, extended discussions, Q&As, and a free panel. Screenings of the five films will be held at Kahala Theatre in Honolulu from October 17 to October 26, 2025. The 2025 NAP cohort features notable filmmakers from Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Filmmakers to attend:
- Shih-Ching Tsou (b. Taiwan), director, producer, writer of LEFT-HANDED GIRL
- Lloyd Lee Choi (b. Canada to Korean parents), director, writer of LUCKY LU
- Leon Le (b. Vietnam), director, writer, of KY NAM INN
- Nani Sahra Walker (b. Nepal), director, producer, writer of SHAKTI
- Amy Wang (b. China), director, producer, writer of SLANTED
The filmmakers will participate in Q&As after their first screenings. Amy Wang will speak at HIFF's Guest Filmmaker Program, which brings artists from around the globe into K-12 classrooms in Hawai'i.
"The New American Perspectives program embodies HIFF's mission to celebrate cinema as a bridge across cultures," says Beckie Stocchetti, Executive Director of HIFF. "For nearly two decades, our partnership with the Vilcek Foundation has provided immigrant filmmakers a vital platform to be seen and heard in Hawai'i. We are proud to welcome these five extraordinary artists to HIFF45. Their films reflect the resilience, creativity, and diversity of the immigrant stories - values at the heart of both HIFF and the Vilcek Foundation."
Film Synopses, Screening Schedules, and Filmmaker Biographies
LEFT-HANDED GIRL
Screening and Q&A with NAP Filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou, director and screenwriter
Wednesday, October 22
Screening | 6:30 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 108M
Q&A with Shih-Ching Tsou | 8:20 PM
Shih-Ching Tsou is the writer, director, and producer of LEFT-HANDED GIRL, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and was chosen by Taiwan for the best international feature film category at the 98th Academy Awards. In her directorial debut, Tsou explores themes of identity, tradition, and resilience in the face of generational trauma and societal expectation.
LEFT-HANDED GIRL tells the story of a single mother and her two daughters as they adjust to their new life in Taipei after living in the Taiwanese countryside. Each of them navigates this new urban environment in her own way while trying to preserve the fragile unity of their family. When it is discovered that the youngest daughter—I‑Jing—is left‑handed, her traditional grandfather condemns her "devil hand," triggering the revelation of long‑buried generational secrets.
Tsou moved to the United States from Taiwan in 1998 to earn her master's degree in media studies at The New School, in New York. Since then, Tsou has co-created TAKE OUT (2004) with Sean Baker in addition to co-producing films TANGERINE (2015) and THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017). Her film RED ROCKET was presented at the Hawai'i International Film Festival as part of the New American Perspectives program in 2021.
LUCKY LU
Screening and Q&A with NAP Filmmaker Lloyd Lee Choi, director and screenwriter
Sunday, October 19
Screening | 4:15 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 203M
Q&A with Lloyd Lee Choi | 7:00 PM
Encore Screening
Monday, October 20
Encore Screening | 1:00 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 203M
LUCKY LU, written and directed by Lloyd Lee Choi (b. Canada), premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Choi's feature film expertly depicts the struggles and hopes of immigrants in America through the journey of Lu, a food delivery driver whose bike is stolen hours before his family arrives in the United States. LUCKY LU unfolds within the frantic streets of New York City's Chinatown as Lu plunges into a desperate two-day odyssey to salvage his fragile life, exploring sacrifice, survival, and immigrant resilience.
The film is based on his 2022 short SAME OLD, which premiered at Cannes and New York Film Festival and won honors at Toronto International Film Festival and Raindance. His recent short CLOSING DYNASTY (2023) was awarded the Crystal Bear at Berlinale, Audience Award at SXSW, Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest, and additional honors at Palm Springs and the Hawai'i International Film Festival. Choi has also received Sundance NHK, TIFF/CBC Screenwriters, and TIFF/CJ ENM K-Story awards for his writing.
KY NAM INN
Screening and Q&A with NAP Filmmaker Leon Le, director and screenwriter
Sunday, October 19
Screening | 2:15 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 138M
Q&A with Leon Le | 4:35 PM
Encore Screening
Sunday, October 26
Encore Screening | 5:00 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 138M
KY NAM INN, written and directed by Leon Le (b. Vietnam), paints a vivid picture of real life in post-war Vietnam. Set in 1985, Khang moves to Saigon after securing a position to translate The Little Prince. Due to his family connections, Khang's life under the new regime is secure. But everything changes when he meets Ky Nam, a reserved older widow who carries the weight of unspoken grief. Against a backdrop of Vietnamese cuisine, music, and everyday ritual, Ky Nam and Khang wrestle with conflicting feelings of desire and duty in their new world.
Le is a multidisciplinary artist whose career spans Broadway, international tours, and film. With a foundation in dance, singing, and acting, Le transitioned to filmmaking to explore themes of race and sexuality through Asian perspectives. His first short, DAWN, aired in 2012. Le also wrote and directed TALKING TO MY MOTHER (22014), which screened at over 100 festivals worldwide. Le's feature debut, SONG LANG (2018), received widespread critical acclaim and won more than 50 international awards.
SHAKTI
Screening and Q&A with NAP Filmmaker Nani Sahra Walker, director and screenwriter
Saturday, October 18
Screening | 3:45 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 95M
Q&A with Nani Sahra Walker | 5:25 PM
Encore Screening
Thursday, October 23
Encore Screening | 4:30 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 95M
Academy Award–winning filmmaker Nani Sahra Walker (b. Nepal) wrote, directed, and produced her narrative directorial debut SHAKTI. Set in Kathmandu, a mischievous 9-year-old's sudden and mysterious illness drives her single mother to seek help from a shaman, uncovering buried trauma that binds them both. The story of SHAKTI is inspired by Nepal's outdated laws that fail to protect Dalit women and girls from rampant sexual violence. Through the lens of a mother-daughter bond, it explores shattered innocence, resilience, and the pursuit of justice in a society divided between tradition and modernity, offering a powerful testament to healing and hope.
A native of Kathmandu now based in Los Angeles, Walker executive produced the acclaimed shorts KYLIE (2023), MERMAN (2023), and THE LAST REPAIR SHOP, winner of the 2024 Oscar for Best Documentary Short. Her feature OTHER NATURE (2010) screened at BFI Flare, Frameline, Outfest, and festivals worldwide.
SLANTED
Screening and Q&A with NAP Filmmaker Amy Wang, director, producer, and screenwriter
Saturday, October 18
Screening | 4:30 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 104M
Q&A with Amy Wang | 6:20 PM
Encore Screening
Saturday, October 25
Encore Screening | 4:30 PM | Kahala Theatre, 4211 Waialae Avenue | 104M
Amy Wang (b. China) wrote, directed, and produced her debut film SLANTED, which was awarded the 2025 Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize at SXSW. A body-horror film, SLANTED discusses the pressures racism, cultural erasure, and internalized bias can have on young immigrants in the United States. In SLANTED, all Joan Huang wants is to be popular at her American high school, no matter the cost. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Joan is determined to be named Prom Queen. She decides that the only way to win the crown is to undergo a drastic procedure to become white, without considering who she might alienate along her path to acceptance.
Wang's short UNNATURAL earned gold at the Young Director Awards at Cannes Lions 2018, and her feature script WENDI made the Black List. Wang has been a writer for numerous notable features including CRAZY RICH ASIANS 2 for Warner Bros., THE BROTHERS SUN, and the limited series FROM SCRATCH for Netflix.
The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences more broadly. Since it was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, the foundation has awarded over $16 million in prizes and grants in support of this mission.
The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRC Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org.
Shelby Roller
The Vilcek Foundation
646-639-3429
[email protected]
SOURCE The Vilcek Foundation
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