Name: Future of Film: AANHPI Voices
Released: 2026-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
Cast: Jett Automo, Michelle Lukiman, Kaidy Kuna

TV Show · Drama · Documentary

Future of Film: AANHPI Voices spotlights bold new storytellers shaping the next chapter of cinema. This special collection features an inspiring lineup of compelling short films from the Asian American International Film Festival and the Pacific Island Film Festival, showcasing deeply personal, culturally rich, and artistically daring work from across the Asian and AANHPI communities. Together, these films illuminate underrepresented perspectives with heart, humor, resilience, and vision-celebrating creators whose stories broaden representation and expand how we see the world and ourselves.

2026 · 16m

Starring Jett Automo, Michelle Lukiman, Kaidy Kuna

EPISODE 1

Daly City

An Indonesian boy and his mother bring Chinese takeout to a church potluck and pretend it's a traditional family dish. The boy's quiet observations lead him to question his parents' behavior as they strive to find belonging in a new country.
EPISODE 2

Mother Tongue

A young speech therapist disconnected from her Tongan heritage lies about her Tongan language skills to get a job. Out of her depth, she must find a way to communicate or risk her patient's life.
EPISODE 3

American Oxygen

A young woman living on permanent supplemental oxygen is convinced that a miracle-working televangelist can heal her. With a leaking oxygen tank and a twenty dollar bill, she rushes to catch the last bus to Los Angeles.
EPISODE 4

Children of Light

In the 1960s, a Korean boy (16), kidnapped and assaulted at a juvenile center on a remote island, must escape with his rival to survive.
EPISODE 5

Ume: Or the Will to Fly Blind

In present-day New York City, a 17-year-old Japanese girl discovers she is pregnant. In the days before her abortion, she and her father each search for understanding and a sense of where to go next.
EPISODE 6

The Mainland

Aspiring actor, Ikaika, struggles with the politics of diversity in Hollywood until his small-town cousin Kekoa unexpectedly arrives from Hawaiʻi, bringing a much-needed reminder of ʻohana, aloha, and what truly matters.

Jett Automo

Actor
Michelle Lukiman

Actor
Kaidy Kuna

Actor
Troy Metcalf

Actor

About

Future of Film: AANHPI Voices

Drama

Future of Film: AANHPI Voices spotlights bold new storytellers shaping the next chapter of cinema. This special collection features an inspiring lineup of compelling short films from the Asian American International Film Festival and the Pacific Island Film Festival, showcasing deeply personal, culturally rich, and artistically daring work from across the Asian and AANHPI communities. Together, these films illuminate underrepresented perspectives with heart, humor, resilience, and vision-celebrating creators whose stories broaden representation and expand how we see the world and ourselves.

Season 1

Cast & Crew

About

Future of Film: AANHPI Voices

Information

Languages

Accessibility