Asian Film Festival Honors Acclaimed Actors and Filmmakers

The 11th annual Asian World Film Festival is set to take place in Culver City from November 11-20, 2025. The festival will feature a diverse lineup of 73 films from over 30 Asian countries, including 23 submissions for the Best International Feature Film Oscar category.

Several renowned figures in Asian cinema will be honored at the festival. South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun, who stars in this year's films "No Other Choice" and "KPop Demon Hunters," will receive the Snow Leopard Outstanding Cinematic Achievement Award, along with veteran Chinese-American actress Lucy Liu for her roles in "Rosemead" and "Kill Bill." The Snow Leopard Rising Star Award will go to Taiwanese child star Nina Ye, who appears in the Taiwanese Oscar entry "Left-Handed Girl."

The festival will also present the Snow Leopard Lifetime Achievement Award to martial-arts writer-director Daniel Lee, while the Bruce Lee Award will be given to actor and martial artist Michael Jai White. The festival's Focus On program will highlight the cinema of Cambodia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Kyrgyzstan, featuring films from those countries, including this year's Oscar submissions.