HAAPIFEST Brings AAPI Films to TokyoX 2026 - September 26 & 27
HAAPIFEST is excited to partner with TokyoX 2026 to bring a special selection of AAPI films to audiences in Houston.
Following the success of HAAPIFEST 2026, this special two-day screening program will showcase a diverse lineup of films exploring family, identity, culture, history, community, and the Asian American experience.
Several films from the HAAPIFEST 2026 award-winning lineup will be featured, giving audiences another opportunity to experience these stories on the big screen.
🎬 HAAPIFEST at TokyoX
📅 Saturday, September 26 | 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📅 Sunday, September 27 | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 Reliant Center — Room 109
📍 Houston, Texas
🎟️ Free admission with a TokyoX General Admission ticket
🎟️ https://www.tokyonightfest.com
🎥 Featured Films
BENKYODO: THE LAST MANJU SHOP IN J-TOWN
Directed by Akira Boch & Tadashi Nakamura
Originally selected by HAAPIFEST in 2025, this documentary tells the story of Ricky and Bobby Okamura, the brothers behind Benkyodo, a historic Japanese American mochi shop in San Francisco.
After more than a century in business, the brothers face the difficult decision to close their family shop. The film explores the history of Benkyodo and the Japanese American community while examining questions of heritage, displacement, family, and the struggle to preserve cultural spaces.
SHOES OFF
🏆 2026 HAAPIFEST Audience Award — Narrative Short Film
Directed by Joel Villanoz
After dropping out of college, Romy, a Filipino American teenager approaching his 20th birthday, struggles with how to tell his mother the truth.
Blending drama, comedy, and coming-of-age storytelling, Shoes Off explores family expectations, growing up, and the complicated process of finding your own path.
THE TIMEKEEPER
Directed by Chenchen Zhou
This animated short follows a young girl who struggles to understand her grandmother's strict obsession with punctuality. She eventually discovers that her grandmother once worked as a national timekeeper.
As the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter changes with age, the girl learns to care for her grandmother by keeping time — just as her grandmother once did.
RAMEN WESTERN
Directed by Meloddy Gao
A young Chinese American girl sets out to uncover the secrets of the American West with an unexpected sidekick: a sentient bowl of ramen.
This playful short combines Western adventure, comedy, and fantasy to create a fun and imaginative exploration of identity and storytelling.
THE PILL
Directed by George Chuang
William is a government asset who was born from a defunct child soldier program. Forced to confront the traumatic decisions of his past, he must decide whether to continue trusting the system that raised him or stand up for what he believes is right.
Combining action, drama, science fiction, and thriller elements, The Pill explores trauma, loyalty, and the difficult choices that come with confronting one's past.
WALK WITH DEATH
🏆 2026 HAAPIFEST Audience Award — Documentary Short Film
Directed by Melissa Nguyen
This documentary follows Briana Popoca Salpeter, a death doula serving Austin's Indigenous community.
Through Briana's reflections on grief and death work, the film offers a thoughtful look at care, spirituality, mortality, and the ways people support one another through some of life's most difficult transitions.
🎟️ Experience HAAPIFEST at TokyoX
This special HAAPIFEST program offers Houston audiences another chance to discover independent AAPI filmmaking and revisit some of the films that made an impact at HAAPIFEST 2026.
Admission to the HAAPIFEST screenings is free with a TokyoX General Admission ticket.
🎟️ Get your TokyoX tickets:
https://www.tokyonightfest.com
📅 Saturday, September 26 | 12 PM – 4 PM
📅 Sunday, September 27 | 12 PM – 3 PM
📍 Reliant Center, Room 109
For more information about HAAPIFEST and its upcoming programs:
Come discover powerful stories, support independent filmmakers, and celebrate the diversity of AAPI storytelling at TokyoX.
HAAPIFEST — Shining Light on Asian American Storytelling
This OCA-Greater Houston event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.