SAAFF Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Vietnam War’s End and More AAPI Stories

It’s opening night! Today marks the start of the Seattle Asian American Film Festival—a two-day affair held in Seattle at the Wing Luke Museum (International District) and Broadway Performance Hall (Capitol Hill), and followed by a week of virtual screenings for those who can’t attend in person. This year commemorates 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War (or “The American War” as it is known in Vietnam).

The event kicks off in the International District 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Wing Luke Museum featuring Reflections & Legacies, a three-film compilation telling stories of the Southeast Asian diaspora followed by a reception (included with ticket purchase).

Day 1 - Friday, June 20

Saigon to Seattle

Directed by Friends of Little Saigon and June Films 

In commemoration of the 50 years since the end of the war in Vietnam, the Friends of Little Saigon dedicated their arts and culture program efforts towards collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of Vietnamese refugees and their families through this oral history project.

Home-land: Hmong American Women

Directed by Pader Xiong, PNW Premiere

This short documentary explores the identities, pursuits, and making of Home-land through the testimonies of various Hmong American Women.

Taking Root: Southeast Asian Resettlement Stories in Philadelphia

Directed by Oanh-Nhi Nguyen, PNW Premiere

Taking Root explores the displacement of Southeast Asian refugees from their motherlands as a result of US military violence, and how they subsequently resettled and attempted to rebuild their lives in Philadelphia.

The reception begins at 8:30 p.m. and will feature a live lion dance by Mak Fai Kung Fu Club and a celebratory DJ set by DJ Magic Sean.

Poster for Seattle Asian American Film Festival

Courtesy of SAAFF

Day 2 - Saturday, June 21

The second day of programming is longer and more film-heavy, featuring five films from 11 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. in Capitol Hill’s Broadway Performance Hall. The lineup includes the Native Hawaiian Showcase, which you can catch for free (but tickets may be limited).

Songs of Struggle

Music has long been a meaningful part of Asian Americans’ struggle for recognition and rights. This program explores the stories of Asian American artists and musicians as they found their voices and started making music that matters.

This is the only film from this festival that will not be available during the virtual screenings.

Native Hawaiian Showcase (Free)

ʻĀina is the Native Hawaiian word for land. And for Native Hawaiians, land has been and continues to be a contentious subject, from the rising cost of housing on the Islands, to the enduring exploitation of Hawaiʻi’s natural resources. We invite you to enjoy these films made by Native Hawaiians that explore what it means to Aloha ʻĀina.

Centerpiece: Bring it Home - Pacific Northwest Shorts

Asian American roots in the Pacific Northwest run deep, and dovetail with the region's rich and complex landscape. Though our contemporary zeitgeist is dark, harsh, uncertain, at times absurd—as many of the films in this program depict—we are also strengthened by our family and community ties, and rooted in our local history and heritage.

Centerpiece: Family Spirit

Peppered with just a little dark comedy and magical realism, these films explore the scars that relationships leave behind when they go away, and the enduring connections of family and kinship. Please join us as we celebrate our family spirit.

Queer AF Shorts

Experience this collection of films centering stories and perspectives from across the LGBTQIA+ community. Navigate through romances and intimate looks into the lives of queer and trans individuals as they figure out their journeys in these vulnerable and insightful shorts.

SAAFF 2025 Virtual Screenings

June 22 - June 29, 2025

All featured films with the exception of Songs of Struggle are available the following week for home streaming. Native Hawaiian Showcase is also free during the virtual screening.

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Asians are the second-largest demographic group in Seattle and represent an estimated 17% of the population including this writer’s own mother, a refugee of the Vietnam War who fled in 1975 and was eventually settled in Spokane, Washington. These stories are woven into the fabric of our city and told in spaces like the Wing Luke Museum and the Seattle Asian American Film Festival.

Trailer, schedule, and tickets available at the SAAFF site.