Schedule

The 8th HIDFF (AUG 2023)

8th Season Schedule
This event will be held at the Sherry Theater in North Hollywood on Saturday August 12th (Day 1) and Sunday August 13th (Day 2).
For details on the venue location, see our Festival page.

BLOCK A - Day 1 at 4pm

Sorry
At the height of his popularity, actor Takashi Miyabe was enjoying a smooth sailing life when a weekly magazine reports his infidelity. Takashi is forced to hold an apology press conference.
Directed by Yuki Ishida
Written by Yuki Ishida
Cast: Kiyoharu Naruse, Tomoko Kato, Kosuke Takaki

Lego Oma
A short documentary about Rita Ebel, aka the Lego Oma, a German grandma and wheelchair user.
Directed by Karina Sturm
Cast: Rita Ebel

Future Letter
In the near future, every 18-year-old can receive a letter from herself 20 years later.
Directed by Zijing Jia
Written by Zijing Jia
Cast: Wanting Bai

Belong
A music video about Asian culture, the values of Asian American kids.
Directed by Gaofeng Tian
Written by Gaofeng Tian

Big Oil's Last Lifeline
Everyday, the oil, gas and petrochemical industry writes off Black, Brown and Indigenous communities as ‘sacrifice zones.’
Directed by Takia Tizzi Green
Written by Takia Tizzi Green

My Brother's War
Zia Hamadi is forced to confront her brother's wrongdoings and embarks on a quest for answers, channeling her inner strength and transforming into a comic book hero.
Directed by Emily Aguilar
Written by Allison Solano
Cast: Lexi Pearl, Artoun Nazareth, Shari Vasseghi

Cross Over
A mourning Asian man reunites with the soul of his murdered Taiwanese girlfriend who’s stuck in a white man’s body.
Directed by AnDy Wu
Written by AnDy Wu
Cast: Yun Jeong, Hannie May, Ben Scattone

BLOCK B - Day 1 at 6:10pm

Technologies of the Soul: Ancient Wisdom in the Smart Nation
A documentary about how Asia’s ancient traditions have adapted rituals, sacrifices, prayers, and sabbaticals – and other techniques of the self – to create space outside of time to maintain peace and serenity.
Directed by Ian McGonigle

BLOCK C - Day 1 at 7:20pm

DocuCourse: Bail & Bonds
A gripping story that explores the reality of Black mothers being incarcerated and the connection to intimate partner violence. Through powerful interviews with individuals who have been through this heart-wrenching experience, the film sheds light on the complex web of factors that lead to their incarceration and the distance that these mothers will go to maintain family bonds.
Directed by Avrell Stokes
Written by Avrell Stokes
Cast: Justice Gatson

BLOCK D - Day 2 at 3:45pm

Lambing
A young dad in rural Ireland must face his anxiety around gender and bullying when his baby is born intersex.
Directed by Katie McNeice
Written by Katie McNeice
Cast: Pat Shortt, Fiach Kunz, Johanna O'Brien, Rebecca Hickey

Lil' Ruby
Based on Little Red Riding Hood, “Lil’ Ruby” reimagines the classic tale with a modern twist. The animated short follows Ruby, a gifted young Black girl from Brooklyn, as she leaves her home and takes the train to her grandmother Nanda’s house in Connecticut.
Directed by Bartek Kik
Written by Raiven DeLisle, Stacy-Ann Ellis, Neel Williams (Story by Danny Robinson)
Cast: Kailey Nix, Cesili Williams, Thom Pinto, Don Hooper, Amuche Chukudebelu

Tigereyes
A muslim woman living her truth, surrounded by sharks. Out with the tide, held by the ocean; reclaiming her power.
Directed by Martina Trepczyk
Written by Martina Trepczyk
Cast: Hamna Hussein

BLOCK F - Day 2 at 6:30pm

Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn
The story of a female composer whose work had been attributed to her brother.
Directed by Sheila Hayman
Written by Sheila Hayman
Cast: Isata Kanneh-Mason, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Anna Beer, Marcia Citron, Henri-Jacques Coudert, Eric Heidsieck, Alison Langer, Robert Owen Lehman

AWARDS PRESENTATION

Awards will be presented at 8:25pm on Day 2.

Previous season schedule