Pac-Arts kicks off the 27th annual San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) on Nov. 5. The festival will showcase nearly 200 films from 35 countries over the next 10 days.
SDAFF opens Thursday at the San Diego Natural History Museum with the animated film "In Waves." Then it moves to its home base of UltraStar Mission Valley Theaters at Hazard Center through Nov. 14, for the bulk of the films.
Artistic director Brian Hu has once again curated an amazing array of films, from animated Filipino superheroes to dancing yakuza, from documentaries on the streets of Seoul during martial law to a showcase of works from contemporary Asian masters.
Hu's bold programming will have something for everyone. But here are my top 10 picks.
Beth's top recommendations for SDAFF 2026
- Lav Diaz' "Let us Through, Dear Ancestors"
- Mystery Kung Fu Theater with mystery guest
- Kore-eda's "Look Back"
- Lee Hsing's "Good Neighbors" (1962, restored classic)
- Bob Davis' "Just LikeMe and You"
- Makoto Ueda's "You are the Film"
- Sabu's "Arrested Memory"
- Herman Yau's "We're Nothing At All"
- Rima Das' "Not a Hero"
- Kevin B. Lee's "Afterlives"
As always, I recommend just going to the festival and gambling on anything. A film festival is the perfect place to take risks, step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
