The deep, evergreen pieces — the complete festival guide and our two film spotlights.
Every screening, party, mixer, and the first-ever Taiwan VR activation — day by day, with venue notes and a calendar at a glance.
Read the guide →Karla Murthy’s documentary portrait of her father — from poverty in India to a Texas gas-station night shift. Our pick of the festival. Screens Sunday with a Q&A.
Read the spotlight →A dedicated profile of the “11:11” / Oscar-long-listed “Eid Mubarak” filmmaker — her films, interviews, and our red-carpet talk.
See the profile →A diary of June 26 at AAAFF — the Taiwan VR room, the “Mane Event” carpet, and the people who make the festival, from the VR headsets to the Corral party.
Read the diary →Programmers, jurors, and filmmakers of AAAFF 2026 in their own words — a Centerpiece-night recap drawn from 29 red-carpet interviews, with the videos.
Read the recap →Colette Ghunim traces her parents’ histories across Mexico and Palestine. The festival’s Friday-night Centerpiece — with the red carpet and Corral Party on either side.
Read the spotlight →Our Austin culture sites carried the festival to local readers — previews, an event feature, and festival listings.
An Austin-grounded feature on the closing-Sunday documentary: the story, its award-winning run, and why to catch it at AFS Cinema with the filmmaker in the room.
Read on Austin Hangout →The festival on Austin’s festival calendar — dates, venue, badges, and the films to see, with links to the full guide.
See the listing →A news brief on the festival’s return to AFS Cinema — 34 films, the nonprofit behind it, and the week’s standout documentary.
Read the brief →A local news note marking opening week and pointing readers to the full festival guide.
Read the note →Still to publish
- From the red carpet → — our live page for “The Mane Event,” Friday’s Centerpiece-night carpet. Photos and video as the night unfolds.
- Filmmaker interviews — conversations with directors and guests, including coverage around The Gas Station Attendant.
- Inside the parties — the Centerpiece Corral and the closing Winners Circle.
- A full review of The Gas Station Attendant after Sunday’s closing-day screening and Q&A.
The complete 18th AAAFF, every event in one place, June 24–28 at AFS Cinema. For the full day-by-day write-ups, see the dedicated schedule page.
| Time | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, June 23 — Pre-Festival | ||
| 4:00 PM | Early Badge Pickup | Holiday Inn Midtown |
| Wednesday, June 24 — Opening Night | ||
| All week | Kiss — experimental short (virtual) | Online |
| 6:30 PM | Honeyjoon — Opening Night + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 9:00 PM | Opening Night Afterparty | Soupleaf Hotpot |
| Thursday, June 25 | ||
| 5:25 PM | Texas Shorts Block + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 7:35 PM | TikTok Never Dies + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 9:00 PM | Softserve Stampede | Somi Somi |
| Friday, June 26 — Centerpiece Night | ||
| 12:00 PM | Taiwan VR Activation — Day 1 (18+) | Holiday Inn Midtown |
| 3:00 PM | A-DOC Mixer | Austin PBS |
| 5:00 PM | 100 Sunset | AFS Cinema |
| 6:30 PM | The Mane Event: Red Carpet | AFS Cinema |
| 7:45 PM | Traces of Home — Centerpiece + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 9:30 PM | Centerpiece Corral Party | St. John Studios |
| Saturday, June 27 | ||
| 11:00 AM | Documentary Shorts + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 12:00 PM | Taiwan VR Activation — Day 2 (18+) | Holiday Inn Midtown |
| 1:10 PM | Filipiñana | AFS Cinema |
| 2:00 PM | Taiwan VR Meet & Greet | Holiday Inn Midtown |
| 3:25 PM | Before the Call + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 5:00 PM | Saddle Up for Samosas! | AFS Cinema |
| 6:00 PM | Superstitious Saturday Double Feature: Ghost School & Lali | AFS Cinema |
| Sunday, June 28 — Closing Day | ||
| 10:00 AM | Asian Film Creatives Mixer | Đậm Coffee Bar |
| 10:30 AM | Brokeback Baos Brunch | AFS Cinema |
| 11:30 AM | Narrative Shorts + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 2:00 PM | ★ The Gas Station Attendant + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 3:30 PM | Hay! It’s Snacktime | AFS Cinema |
| 4:30 PM | Not-So-Short Shorts + Q&A | AFS Cinema |
| 6:45 PM | Do You Love Me | AFS Cinema |
| 8:45 PM | Gloaming in Luomu — Closing Film | AFS Cinema |
| 10:30 PM | Winners Circle Closing Party (21+) | The Golden Horn |
This is independent coverage by Asia Film Fests and the WholeTech network of Austin culture and screen sites. We are not affiliated with the Austin Asian American Film Festival; please confirm showtimes and tickets on the festival’s official schedule.
← AAAFF coverage hub • Full schedule & guide