These are our six recommended films from the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, which will take place from July 25 – 28, 2024 at the Angelika Film Center Dallas, USA.

A Long Shot by Gao Peng – China | 2023 – 117 minutes

In the early 1980s in Northeast China, factories were in decline and thefts were occurring one after another. After the sharpshooter Gu Xuebing retired for some reason, he became an ordinary officer in the factory security department. He admires Xiao Jin, a single mother, and accidentally finds that Xiao Jin’s son, Geng Xiaojun, is wandering on the edge of crime, Gu Xuebing is determined to bring him back to the right path. (AFFD 2024)

Trailer:

Ashima by Kenji Tsukamoto – USA | 2023 – 86 minutes

ASHIMA follows elite rock climber Ashima Shiraishi as she travels to South Africa to attemptto become the youngest climber to master one of the world’s most challenging climbs.Accompanying Ashima is her father and coach Poppo, a former avante-garde dancer who bringsan eccentric, tough-love approach to Ashima’s training. Examining the sacrifices required toachieve at the highest level and the complex relationship between immigrant parents and theirchildren, ASHIMA is an intimate coming-of-age story about climbing, family, and the pursuit of the American Dream. (AFFD 2024)

Trailer:

Ms. Apocalypse by Lim Seon-ae – Korea | 2023 – 116 minutes

Ms. Apocalypse is set in the winter of 1999 and follows the story of Yeong-mi, an accounting manager at a factory, who is often ridiculed for her dowdy appearance and nicknamed ‘Ms. Apocalypse’ by her colleagues. The only person who shows her kindness is Do-yeong, a delivery driver, whom she secretly admires.

As her feelings for Do-yeong grow, Yeong-mi discovers that he has been embezzling company money. Despite this, she strives to protect him, which leads to her being arrested for aiding his crime. This dramatic turn of events coincides with the societal panic over the impending turn of the millennium. After serving her time in prison, Yeong-mi encounters Do-yeong’s wife, Yoo-jin, who presents her with an unexpected and compelling offer, leading to an unlikely friendship between the two women. (AFFD 2024)

Trailer:

The Guest by Yeon Je-gwang – Korea | 2023 – 76 minutes

Min-cheol, who works at a motel, makes dirty money by filming illegal sex videos of the guests. Although feeling guilty, he has no choice but to continue the job to pay loan shark debts. On one rainy night, he witnesses a guy strangling a drunk woman to death through the hidden camera. Still debating between selling this provocative footage and reporting a crime, Min-cheol now has to make a decision. (AFFD 2024)

Trailer:

The Tenants by Yoon Eun-Kyung – Korea | 2023 – 88 minutes

The Tenants is set in a dystopian future Seoul, plagued by severe environmental pollution and exorbitant living costs. The protagonist, Shin-dong, is an office worker who faces eviction by his landlord. Unable to afford a new place, he follows a friend’s advice to rent out part of his current home to complicate the eviction process. He ends up renting his bathroom to a peculiar newlywed couple, leading to a series of bizarre and unsettling events. (AFFD 2024)

Trailer:

Tokyo Cowboy by Marc Marriott – Japan | 2023 – 118 minutes

Brash businessman Hideki arrives in Montana having convinced his Tokyo bosses he can turn a profitless US cattle ranch into a premiere-performing asset. Yet when his Hardee’s-burger-loving Japanese Wagyu-beef expert fails him, Hideki is poised to misfire magnificently unless he identifies a missing element that’s key to the transformation… himself. (AFFD 2024)

Trailer:

For more information, please visit: https://asianfilmdallas.com/