Finding Home Shorts — Stories of Identity, Family & Belonging
HAAPIFEST 2026 invites audiences to experience powerful stories about identity, migration, resilience, and belonging in the “Finding Home Shorts” showcase screening on June 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
Presented at the DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase, this 89-minute shorts program brings together emotional dramas and deeply personal narratives exploring what it means to search for stability, connection, and home across cultures and generations.
Through stories centered on immigration, family expectations, displacement, and personal survival, these films reflect the emotional realities of navigating identity and belonging in a changing world.
Featured Films in “Finding Home Shorts”
Single Residence Occupancy
Directed by Omer Ben-Shachar
A Chinese immigrant living in a cramped Single Residence Occupancy apartment learns that her family’s application for better housing has been denied, forcing her to grapple with how to break the news to her children. The film offers a moving portrait of sacrifice, uncertainty, and immigrant family life.
Fil-Am
Directed by Ralph Torrefranca
Set in 2003, this coming-of-age drama follows a 16-year-old Filipino American teenager forced to leave behind his familiar inner-city life for the unfamiliar world of Santa Barbara, California. The film explores identity, isolation, and adaptation through the eyes of a young immigrant navigating cultural change.
Byway
Directed by June Kyu Park
A struggling first-generation Korean American boy attempts to escape his abusive father in a remote town, only to confront deeper truths about his family’s burdens and survival. Emotional and intimate, the film explores family trauma, resilience, and generational hardship.
Can I Put You On Hold?
Directed by James Cutler
As he waits endlessly on hold with his immigration lawyer, a man desperately tries to preserve hope for a future with his fiancée while facing devastating setbacks within the immigration system. Blending emotional realism with fantasy elements, the film explores uncertainty, bureaucracy, and perseverance.
Ipdeot
Directed by Dokyun Im
Rejected by their families after an unexpected pregnancy, a young immigrant couple struggles to stay together after becoming entangled in a wrongful police suspicion that threatens deportation and separation. The film explores love, fear, and survival under intense pressure.
Khmerican
Directed by Jimmy Chhiu
When a wounded gangster takes refuge in his father’s donut shop, a Cambodian American teenager trying to escape violence and debt is thrust into a dangerous standoff that forces him to confront loyalty, identity, and the future he hopes to build.
Stories of Home, Survival & Identity at HAAPIFEST 2026
The “Finding Home Shorts” program showcases filmmakers telling deeply personal stories rooted in migration, family, cultural identity, and emotional resilience. Through intimate drama and human-centered storytelling, these short films reflect the challenges and hopes connected to finding one’s place in the world.
HAAPIFEST 2026 continues its mission of celebrating diverse storytelling through narrative films, documentaries, shorts programs, filmmaker Q&As, panels, and cultural events in Houston.
Event Details
📅 June 6, 2026 @ 11:00 AM
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎬 “Finding Home Shorts”
⏱ Runtime: 89 minutes
🎟️ Tickets and festival passes are available now at:
HAAPIFEST Official Ticket Website
About HAAPIFEST
HAAPIFEST 2026 takes place May 29 – June 14, 2026, featuring in-person screenings, filmmaker Q&As, cultural events, and select online programming available in Texas. The festival celebrates bold storytelling and creative voices through film, media, and community engagement.
This OCA-Greater Houston event is funded in part by Houston Arts Alliance through the City of Houston.