Grief, Loss, Healing – Short Films That Embrace the Heart
The universal experiences of grief, memory, and healing take center stage in this moving collection of short films at HAAPIFEST 2025. Through deeply personal and creatively told narratives, the Grief, Loss, Healing shorts block explores how we process pain, honor the past, and find strength in unexpected places.
📅 May 31 @ 4:00 PM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton – 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX 77042
🔗 https://www.haapifest.org/tickets
🎬 Featured Short Films:
🕯️ LOLA MAMA NANAY
📽️ Director: Tyaela Nieves
🕒 10 minutes
A young woman grapples with the passing of her grandmother and is guided through memories of her childhood by a spiritual presence that reveals the beauty of everyday moments.
🧸 MANNEQUIN
📽️ Director: Mark Tran
🕒 19 minutes
In Oakland’s Little Saigon, a grieving father spirals into emotional isolation, forming a disturbing bond with a mannequin that resembles his absent wife during a time of profound stress.
🍲 PINAKBET
📽️ Director: Brandon Lee Panthera
🕒 6 minutes
A Filipino grandson attempts to recreate his late grandmother’s signature dish to honor her on her birthday, reflecting on memory, culture, and familial love through the act of cooking.
👋 SON-MAT (손맛)
📽️ Director: Haaram Kim
🕒 9 minutes
A Korean son tries to recreate the taste of his late mother’s home cooking, hoping to revive the sensory connection that once bound them together in the kitchen.
🎵 ENCORE
📽️ Director: Jimmy Luong
🕒 13 minutes
A young Vietnamese American musician, mourning the loss of his father, struggles to find purpose through his music while supporting his mother through financial hardship.
📞 VICTORIA
📽️ Director: Arsenio Salvante
🕒 12 minutes
Through an emotionally charged phone call with her mother, a young woman in crisis uncovers generational scars and shared pain, leading to an unexpected moment of connection.
💫 BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT
📽️ Director: Stephen Han
🕒 16 minutes
On their first day as a spirit guide in the afterlife, Alex meets a recently deceased soul with one last earthly wish — a surreal, heartfelt exploration of grief, regret, and closure.
🌶️ MANGO CHILE PIE
📽️ Director: Karan Sunil
🕒 16 minutes
Three estranged sisters reunite on the anniversary of their mother’s death in their family’s fire station, where buried emotions erupt into a recipe for reconciliation.
🎟️ These heartfelt shorts reflect the many ways we experience and cope with loss — and the strength it takes to heal.
🔗 https://www.haapifest.org/tickets
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