Vietnamese Cinema Spotlight at HAAPIFEST 2026
HAAPIFEST 2026 highlights a powerful lineup of Vietnamese American films that explore family, memory, migration, art, history, and identity across generations. From Saigon in 1985 to South Vietnamese naval history, from nail salon automation to lost musical recordings, these films offer Houston audiences a meaningful look at Vietnamese storytelling on screen.
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎟️ Tickets & Passes:
www.HAAPIFEST.org/tickets
F*CK FEELINGS
Directed by Samantha K. Tan
A talented painter prepares for her huge debut at an art gallery, only to be confronted by a dark past she fought hard to forget.
Rooftop Lempicka
Directed by Nguyễn Lương Hằng
Young Thi’s world expands through her friendship with Ngoc, a club waitress who has just moved into her family home in Vietnam, along with her discovery of an art book featuring Tamara de Lempicka’s female nudes.
Technicians
Directed by Kelly Luu & Kevin Luu
Tasked with installing self-service manicure stations at a nail salon, an automation technician meets a Vietnamese American nail tech whose job he is there to replace.
Forever Is a Delicate Thing
Directed by Cally Nguyen
When a visit from the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services interrupts the life of a Vietnam War immigrant and the grandson in his custody, the two spend their last days together facing the fragile pieces of the life they built.
Ky Nam Inn
Directed by Leon Le
Set in Saigon in 1985, a young translator rising through the ranks of Vietnam’s new regime is tasked with translating The Little Prince. Everything changes when he meets Ky Nam, the reserved widow next door.
Sea Song
Directed by An-Phuong Ly
The last remaining South Vietnamese naval officers reunite one final time with the few people in the world who understand the complexities that shape them.
We Were The Scenery
Directed by Christopher Radcliff
Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che fled the Vietnam War by boat in 1975 and later became background extras during the filming of Apocalypse Now in the Philippines.
Southeast Asian American Journeys
Directed by Quyên Nguyen-Le, Joua Lee Grande & Oanh-Nhi Nguyen
This five-part docu-series explores the stories of five local Southeast Asian American refugee communities shaped by resettlement journeys and the ways they have transformed the landscapes they are part of. Produced in partnership with SEARAC and CAAM.
Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon
Directed by Khoa Ha & Victor Velle
A young Vietnamese American artist sets out to recover her late grandfather’s lost musical recordings, uncovering hidden family stories and forgotten history that shaped her culture’s past.
Celebrate Vietnamese Storytelling at HAAPIFEST 2026
These films reflect the range and depth of Vietnamese and Vietnamese American cinema — from intimate family dramas and documentary portraits to stories of art, labor, music, memory, and resilience.
HAAPIFEST 2026 invites Houston audiences to discover these films and support the filmmakers bringing Vietnamese stories to the screen.
📅 HAAPIFEST 2026 runs May 29 – June 14, 2026
📍 DoubleTree by Hilton Westchase
📍 10609 Westpark Dr, Houston, TX
🎟️ Tickets & Passes:
www.HAAPIFEST.org/tickets
🎟️ AAPI Heritage Month Special
👉 Use code HAAPI25 for 25% OFF all passes
👉 Use code H26TWENTYOFF for 20% OFF tickets
✨ Limited-time offers available through the end of May.
About HAAPIFEST
HAAPIFEST 2026 celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander storytelling through narrative films, documentaries, shorts programs, filmmaker Q&As, panels, and cultural events.
This OCA-Greater Houston event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.