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2026 CUNY Asian American Film Festival
Since 2004, the CUNY Asian American Film Festival (AAFF) has celebrated the creativity and vision of student filmmakers from across the City University of New York. Having awarded over $16,000 in cash prizes over the years, the festival promotes the artistic talents of CUNY students and fosters meaningful connections among peers from campuses including BMCC, City College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, Lehman College, College of Staten Island, Queens College, NYC College of Technology, and the CUNY Graduate Center.
On the evening of the festival, the winners ($250 prize) and runners-up ($150 prize) will remain anonymous until after a screening of selected films. Following the screening, we will host an awards ceremony and a Q&A session with the filmmakers.
We look forward to seeing you on Friday to congratulate our latest group of talented CUNY student filmmakers!
Festival Program
Documentary Film
Shane Gomes (Hunter College)
Letters to BDesh
Three young Bengali New Yorkers write letters to Bangladesh exploring distant and recent memories, and imaginations of their beautifully complex ancestral land.
Fiction Film
Claro de los Reyes (Brooklyn College)
Sands Street
Under a moonlit sky in an unwelcoming 1940s Brooklyn, a Filipino steward and Black welder develop an intimate connection filled with hope, solidarity, and tenderness.
Documentary Film
Gurveer Singh (Borough of Manhattan Community College)
Chardi Kala (ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ) | The Journey of an MMA Fighter
Sunder Singh is a Sikh MMA fighter navigating the balance between faith, identity, and the brutal world of combat sports. “Chardi Kala” (ਚੜ੍ਹਦੀ ਕਲਾ) represents a mindset of relentless optimism and resilience, something Sunder carries with him both inside and outside the cage. Through training, reflection, and personal struggle, this documentary explores what it means to stay grounded in your beliefs while chasing greatness in a demanding sport.
Fiction Film
Hanju David Youk (Queensborough Community College)
“Bint, Bat” بنت בת – Short Film from Jerusalem
Two girls in the holy land. Even though one was Jew and the other was Muslim, their friendship was golden. However the world was not so kind.
Fiction Film
Wendy Cong Zhao (Hunter College)
A Grieving Heart
An immigrant woman examines her past in the wake of her American ex-boyfriend’s death. The film explores how love and loss impact the ways the woman confronts her immigrant identity, memories, insecurities, and regrets.
