ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA CHICAGO (20TH EDITION) FESTIVAL WILL RETURN MARCH 19 TO APRIL 12, 2026!

Call for Entries NOW OPEN for #APUC20!

Asian Pop-Up Cinema, Chicago’s only Pan-Asian film festival, is preparing for its landmark 20th edition! After a decade of operations, showcasing over 400 films and welcoming filmmakers from across Asia, we are thrilled to continue our mission of bridging East and West through the power of storytelling.

Filmmakers of Asian descent, as well as films exploring Asian and Asian diasporic cultures, are invited to submit. We look forward to discovering your work!

Submit by December 12 to take advantage of our reduced Earlybird rate ➤ filmfreeway.com/APUC

Competition Info

Oct. 11 & 12, 2025

Mid-Autumn Chinese Film Festival

MORE INFO

RESERVE TICKETS

MAKING WAVES MONTREAL 2025: MAKING WAVES MONTREAL 2025 : DISCOVER THE FULL PROGRAMMING NOW | (FRENCH)

SEPT. 18-20, 2025

Cinéma Cineplex Forum et VIP
2313 St. Catherine St. West Suite 101

Montreal, Quebec,Canada

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Asian Pop-Up Cinema

19th Edition
March 20 - April 13, 2025
Chicago, Illinois

FULL LINEUP

SPECIAL GUESTS

FILM COMPETITION

Our tenth year of spotlighting the best of Asian cinema!

ASIAN POP-UP CINEMA 2025 AWARD WINNERS

MORE: JURY’S DEDICATION & DIRECTOR STATEMENTS

Grand Jury Feature Film Award

YEN AND AI-LEE (小雁與吳愛麗)
Directed by Tom Lin Shu-Yu | Taiwan
Francis Kwong Memorial Award (Best New Director)

A LONG SHOT (老枪)
Directed by Gao Peng | Mainland China
Best Short Film Award

WANNA DIE WANNA KILL (죽고 싶다 죽이고 싶다)
Directed by Jaehee Jeong | South Korea

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD WINNERS

Audience Choice Award (Tied)

THE UNIFORM (夜校女生) Directed by Chuang Ching-Shen | Taiwan
Director’s Statement: The moment I learned that “ The Uniform” had won the Audience Choice Award at the Chicago Asian Pop-Up Cinema Festival, I was truly both surprised and overjoyed! “The Uniform” is a youth coming of age story deeply rooted in Taiwan's local culture. Thank you to the Chicago audience for your support—your love is my greatest motivation to keep moving forward, filling me with warmth during this season of lingering chill. I really love Chicago and hope the festival continues to thrive. More than anything, I hope audiences keep going to the theaters to experience the unique charm of cinema! Thank you!
Audience Choice Award (Tied)

SUNSET SUNRISE (サンセット・サンライズ) Directed by Yoshiyuki Kishi | Japan