Actors Lucy Liu, Lee Byung-hun and Nina Ye, writer-director Daniel Lee and martial artist Michael Jai White will receive awards at the 11th annual Asian World Film Festival in Culver City, AWFF organizers announced on Monday.
The festival, which runs from Nov. 11-20 at the Culver Theater, will present the Snow Leopard Outstanding Cinematic Achievement Awards to South Korean actor Byung-Hun, who this year stars in both “No Other Choice” and “KPop Demon Hunters,” and veteran Chinese-American actress Lucy Liu (“Rosemead,” “Kill Bill”). The Show Leopard Rising Star Award will go to Taiwanese child star Nina Ye, who appears in this year’s Taiwanese Oscar entry, “Left-Handed Girl.” The Snow Leopard Lifetime Achivement Award will go to martial-arts writer-director Daniel Lee, while the Bruce Lee Award will be given to actor and martial artist Michael Jai White.
The festival’s Focus On program will celebrate the cinema of Cambodia, South Korea, Taiwan and Kyrgyzstan, with films from those countries including this year’s Oscar submissions “Tenement” (Cambodia), “Black Red Yellow” (Kyrgyzstan), “No Other Choice” (South Korea) and “Left-Handed Girl” (Taiwan).
The 10-day festival will include 73 films from more than 30 countries, among them 23 Oscar submissions in the Best International Feature Film category. Special screenings at the festival will include the 2025 documentary “Lisa Lu Plays Herself,” which will screen on the 98th birthday of the Chinese-American artist with Lu in attendance.
The Motion Arts Day program will include combat sports and dance demonstrations, while new sponsor Samsung will co-present a panel titled “Redefining the Cinema Experience With Samsung Onyx.”
Focus on Programs
Focus on Cambodia
“Tenement” – psychological horror-thriller, Inrasothythep Neth and Sokyou Chea, directors
“Loot: A Story of Crime and Redemption” – investigative documentary, Don Millar, director
“Returning Gods” (short) – Yoshiro Osaka, director
Focus on Kyrgyzstan
“Black Red Yellow” – family drama, Aktan Abdykalykov, director
“Long Way to the Pasture” (short) – documentary, Ilgiz Sher-Niyaz Tursunbekov uulu, director
Focus on Taiwan
“Left-Handed Girl” – family drama, Shih-Ching Tsou, director
“From Island to Island” – war documentary, Kek Huat Lau, director
“Marching Boys” – coming-of-age drama, Chiang Jui-chih, director
“Side A: My Summer Day” (short) – family drama, Wan Kin-Fai, director
Focus on Korea
“No Other Choice” – comedy thriller, Park Chan-wook, director
“Family Secrets” – family drama, Lee Sang-hoon, director
“The Favor” – horror mystery, Shin Joon, director
“Sisterhood” – mystery thriller, Yoon Eun-kyoung, director
“Ggachi” (short) – social justice drama, Andrew Oh, director (screening in competition)
