These are ten asian films you shouldn’t miss at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, which will take place from January 4 – 15, 2024 in Palm Springs, USA.

A Normal Family by Hur Jin-ho – Korea | 2023 – 116 minutes

In this simmering pressure cooker of a thriller, two brothers – one a doctor, the other a criminal defense lawyer – must put aside their ideological differences and work together after unearthing a shocking discovery concerning their teenage children. (PSFF 2024)

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City of Winds by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir – Mongolia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar | 2023 – 103 minutes

Mysterious, meditative and transportive, this unique coming-of-age tale follows 17-year-old Ze, a hardworking student and the shaman in his Mongolian village. When he develops feelings for a city girl, he begins to see a different future for himself. (PSFF 2024)

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Day Off by Tien-Yu Fu – Taiwan | 2023 – 106 minutes

After 40 years on the job, a hairdresser takes a day off to visit an old client miles away. Though her children are against the road trip, nothing will stop a determined pro and the simple, timeless obligations of kindness. (PSFF 2024)

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In our day by Hong Sang-soo – Korea | 2023 – 83 minutes

In parallel conversations, a poet and an actress are visited by a younger generation of aspiring artists in director Hong Sang-soo’s latest modest, featherlight jaunt, rife with gentle wisdom, cigarettes and soju, and the air of spending an afternoon with friends. (PSFF 2024)

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Monster by Hirokazu Kore-eda – Japan | 2023 – 126 minutes

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest is a Rashomon-like story of a mother who alleges that her son’s teacher has verbally and physically abused him. The scenario is approached from three perspectives, each complicating the previous, while unfolding deeper layers of humanity and hope. (PSFF 2024)

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Perfect Days by Wim Wenders – Japan | 2023 – 125 minutes

Tokyo is the setting of Wim Wenders’ radiant, warm story of a gentle, music-loving man (Cannes Best Actor winner Koji Yakusho) who finds joy in his simple life cleaning public toilets. But a visitor from his past challenges his monastic life. (PSFF 2024)

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Sleep by Jason Yu – Korea | 2023 – 94 minutes

When her husband’s strange sleeping habits escalate from disruptive to disturbing, Soo-jin is forced to take desperate measures to protect herself and her newborn. Director Jason Yu’s startling, genre-hopping debut will keep you guessing till the very end. (PSFF 2024)

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The Monk and The Gun by Pawo Choyning Dorji – Bhutan | 2023 – 107 minutes

In this playful satire, the Bhutanese government holds a mock election to educate the locals about democracy after the king abdicates. Meanwhile, a monk is sent on a mysterious quest and crosses paths with an ensemble of colorful characters. (PSFF 2024)

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Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu – Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, France, Germany, Netherlands, Indonesia, Qatar | 2023 – 95 minutes

Twelve-year-old Zaffan is the first in her class to undergo physical changes in her body. She’s singled-out, taunted and stigmatized. As her transformations start to correlate with rumors of a campus demon, Zaffan decides to embrace her monstrosity. (PSFF 2024)

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Wonderland by Chai Yee-Wei – Singapore, Malaysia, USA | 2023 – 125 minutes

After his daughter moves to the United States for school, Loke befriends his neighbor Tan, who helps him translate letters to and from his only child. When bad news comes from overseas, Tan must decide how to tell his new friend. (PSFF 2024)

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For more information, please visit: https://www.psfilmfest.org/film-festival-2024