Salute to Asian and Pacific Islander Filmmakers Watchlist
by IMDb-Editors | created - 18 Mar 2021 | updated - 09 May 2022 | PublicA watchlist for films featured in the IMDb Salute to Asian Pacific American Filmmakers.
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1. The Way of the Dragon (1972)
R | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A man visits his relatives at their restaurant in Italy and has to help them defend against brutal gangsters harassing them.
Director: Bruce Lee | Stars: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Nora Miao, Ping-Ou Wei
Votes: 39,027 | Gross: $4.06M
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 275,829 | Gross: $128.08M
3. Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998)
R | 99 min | Drama
Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year ... See full summary »
Director: Joan Chen | Stars: Xiaolu Li, Lopsang, Zheng Qian, Jie Gao
Votes: 3,584 | Gross: $1.00M
4. Three Seasons (1999)
PG-13 | 104 min | Drama
Although the hearts and goals and desires are different for everyone in a culturally-shifting Ho Chi Minh City, the stories of four separate individuals paint a vivid picture of the past, present, and future of a city eking into a new era.
Director: Tony Bui | Stars: Ngoc Hiep Nguyen, Ngoc Minh, Phat Trieu Hoang, Diem Kieu
Votes: 3,252 | Gross: $2.02M
5. The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor (2015)
87 min | Documentary, Biography, History
When Dr. Haing S. Ngor was forced into labor camps by the Khmer Rouge, little did he know he would escape years of torture and recreate his experiences in a film that would win him an ... See full summary »
Director: Arthur Dong | Stars: Haing S. Ngor, Jack Ong, Sophia Ngor Demetri, Luan Um Nhean
Votes: 79
6. Hollywood Chinese (2007)
90 min | Documentary
Hollywood Chinese is a captivating look at cinema history through the lens of the Chinese American experience. Directed by triple Sundance award-winning filmmaker, Arthur Dong, this ... See full summary »
Director: Arthur Dong | Stars: Turhan Bey, Joan Chen, Tsai Chin, Stephen Gong
Votes: 198
7. In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
Unrated | 81 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary on Henry Darger, visionary artist, janitor, and novelist.
Director: Jessica Yu | Stars: Henry Darger, Dakota Fanning, Larry Pine, Frier McCollister
Votes: 2,217 | Gross: $0.41M
8. Half-Life (2008)
Not Rated | 106 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
As troubling signs of global cataclysms accelerate, a brother and sister react to their father's desertion and the powerful presence of their mother's new boyfriend.
Director: Jennifer Phang | Stars: Sanoe Lake, Julia Nickson, Leonardo Nam, Ben Redgrave
Votes: 512
9. The Joy Luck Club (1993)
R | 139 min | Drama
The life histories of four East Asian women and their daughters reflect and guide each other.
Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin
Votes: 17,617 | Gross: $32.86M
10. Mississippi Masala (1991)
R | 118 min | Drama, Romance
An ethnic Indian family is expelled from Idi Amin's Uganda in 1972 and lives in Mississippi 17 years later. The dad sues Uganda to get his property back. The grown daughter falls in love with a Black man.
Director: Mira Nair | Stars: Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhury, Roshan Seth, Sharmila Tagore
Votes: 5,842 | Gross: $7.31M
11. Children of Invention (2009)
Not Rated | 86 min | Drama
Two young children living illegally in a model apartment outside Boston are left to fend for themselves when their hardworking mother disappears.
Director: Tze Chun | Stars: Cindy Cheung, Michael Chen, Crystal Chiu, Stephen Gevedon
Votes: 650 | Gross: $0.01M
12. Treeless Mountain (2008)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama
In Seoul, Korea, two sisters must look after each other when their mother leaves them to search for their estranged father.
Director: So Yong Kim | Stars: Gil-Byung Chae, Jung Gil Ja, Shin Hyun Je, Kim Mi Jung
Votes: 1,827 | Gross: $0.06M
13. Mysterious Skin (2004)
Unrated | 105 min | Drama
A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
Director: Gregg Araki | Stars: Brady Corbet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elisabeth Shue, Chase Ellison
Votes: 72,772 | Gross: $0.70M
14. The Sixth Sense (1999)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Votes: 1,011,974 | Gross: $293.51M
15. Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)
R | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A group of over-achieving East Asian American high school seniors enjoy a power trip when they dip into extracurricular criminal activities.
Director: Justin Lin | Stars: Parry Shen, Jason Tobin, Sung Kang, Shirley Anderson
Votes: 10,206 | Gross: $3.80M
16. Linsanity (2013)
PG | 89 min | Documentary, Biography, Sport
The life story of basketball sensation, Jeremy Lin.
Director: Evan Jackson Leong | Stars: Jeremy Lin, Daniel Dae Kim, Candy Richardz, Yao Ming
Votes: 2,048 | Gross: $0.30M
17. Planet B-Boy (2007)
Unrated | 95 min | Documentary, History, Music
Jumping continents and crossing cultures, "Planet B-Boy" looks at the history of breakdancing and its vibrant resurgence in urban cultures around the world.
Director: Benson Lee | Stars: Stephane Fiossanangaye, Mr. Freeze, Luis Mateo, Skwall
Votes: 1,012 | Gross: $0.28M
18. The Debut (2000)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Drama
A young man struggles with his desire to study art when his family thinks he's headed for premedical studies. Conflicts between Filipino traditions and expectations vs. personal dreams in the contemporary world erupt at his sister's debut.
Director: Gene Cajayon | Stars: Dante Basco, Eddie Garcia, Jayson Schaal, Brian Card
Votes: 672 | Gross: $1.74M
19. Lumpia with a Vengeance (2020)
112 min | Action, Comedy
The LUMPIA-armed hero reappears in Fogtown and teams up with high school student Rachel to prevent a mysterious crime syndicate from destroying their town, and her parents' dream wedding.
Director: Patricio Ginelsa | Stars: Mark Muñoz, April Absynth, Danny Trejo, Francis Custodio
Votes: 46
20. Fame (2009)
PG | 107 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
An updated version of the musical Fame (1980), which centered on the students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts. The name of the school in 1980 was Fiorello Laguardia High School.
Director: Kevin Tancharoen | Stars: Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth, Megan Mullally, Kay Panabaker
Votes: 16,685 | Gross: $22.46M
21. Step Up 3D (2010)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A tight-knit group of New York City street dancers find themselves pitted against the world's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown.
Director: Jon M. Chu | Stars: Sharni Vinson, Rick Malambri, Adam Sevani, Alyson Stoner
Votes: 59,181 | Gross: $42.40M
22. Bodied (2017)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A progressive graduate student finds success and sparks outrage when his interest in battle rap as a thesis subject becomes a competitive obsession.
Director: Joseph Kahn | Stars: Calum Worthy, Jackie Long, Rory Uphold, Jon Park
Votes: 5,862 | Gross: $0.11M
23. The Carter (2009 Video)
72 min | Documentary, Music
An in-depth look at the artist Dwayne LIL' WAYNE Carter Jr, proclaimed by many as the "greatest rapper alive" With comprehensive and personal interviews with Lil' Wayne, this film will also... See full summary »
Director: Adam Bhala Lough | Stars: Birdman, Cortez Bryant, Reginae Carter, Drake
Votes: 674
24. Gook (2017)
Unrated | 94 min | Drama
Two Korean-American brothers run a shoe store in L.A. county. Their friend, black eleven-year-old Kamilla, drops in and helps. On this day, the Rodney King verdict ignites the 1992 L.A. riots.
Director: Justin Chon | Stars: Simone Baker, Justin Chon, Curtiss Cook Jr., David So
Votes: 2,679 | Gross: $0.25M
25. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A teenager becomes a major competitor in the world of drift racing after moving in with his father in Tokyo to avoid a jail sentence in America.
Director: Justin Lin | Stars: Lucas Black, Zachery Ty Bryan, Shad Moss, Damien Marzette
Votes: 284,351 | Gross: $62.51M
26. Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015)
Not Rated | 98 min | Drama
With an older brother in jail and living with their single mother on Pine Ridge Reservation, Johnny and his sister Jashuan's lives develop new challenges when their absentee cowboy father ... See full summary »
Director: Chloé Zhao | Stars: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Jessica Rowland
Votes: 3,487 | Gross: $0.03M
27. Yellow Rose (I) (2019)
PG-13 | 94 min | Drama, Music
A Filipina teen from a small Texas town fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while having to decide between staying with her family or leaving the only home she has known.
Director: Diane Paragas | Stars: Eva Noblezada, Princess Punzalan, Sylvia Ramos, Liam Booth
Votes: 1,245
28. Revenge of the Green Dragons (2014)
R | 94 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two best friends rise through the ranks of New York's Chinese underworld in the 1980s.
Directors: Andrew Lau, Andrew Loo | Stars: Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr., Ray Liotta
Votes: 4,196
29. Sin Nombre (2009)
R | 96 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
A young Honduran girl and a Mexican gangster are united in a journey across the American border.
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga | Stars: Paulina Gaitan, Marco Antonio Aguirre, Leonardo Alonso, Karla Cecilia Alvarado
Votes: 33,498 | Gross: $2.53M
30. Short Term 12 (2013)
R | 96 min | Drama
A 20-something supervising staff member of a residential treatment facility navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co-worker and longtime boyfriend.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton | Stars: Brie Larson, Frantz Turner, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever
Votes: 89,624 | Gross: $1.01M
31. Front Cover (2015)
Unrated | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When a gay fashion stylist works with a renowned foreign actor, they both embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Director: Ray Yeung | Stars: Jake Choi, James Chen, Jennie Page, Elizabeth Sung
Votes: 1,341 | Gross: $0.03M
32. Lovesong (2016)
Not Rated | 84 min | Drama, Romance
The relationship between two friends deepens during an impromptu road trip.
Director: So Yong Kim | Stars: Riley Keough, Jena Malone, Jessie Ok Gray, Cary Joji Fukunaga
Votes: 5,221 | Gross: $0.01M
33. Charlotte Sometimes (2002)
R | 85 min | Drama, Romance
Michael, a young mechanic, is forced to choose between a daring tryst with an alluring stranger and the habitual comfort of his bittersweet obsession: his beautiful young tenant.
Director: Eric Byler | Stars: Jacqueline Kim, Eugenia Yuan, Michael Aki, Matt Westmore
Votes: 1,098 | Gross: $0.08M
34. 100 Days (2013)
Not Rated | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When a cold hearted telecommunications executive returns to his small island town for his estranged mother's burial, he learns about the true Taiwanese tradition that mandates him to marry ... See full summary »
Director: Henry Chan | Stars: Chang-Mien Chang, Akira Chen, Tracy Chou, Julianne Chu
Votes: 105
35. Saving Face (2004)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A gay Chinese-American and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.
Director: Alice Wu | Stars: Joan Chen, Michelle Krusiec, Lynn Chen, Jin Wang
Votes: 12,673 | Gross: $1.19M
36. The Motel (2005)
Not Rated | 75 min | Comedy, Drama
Thirteen-year-old Ernest Chin lives and works at a sleazy hourly-rate motel on a strip of desolate suburban bi-way. Misunderstood by his family and blindly careening into puberty, Ernest ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Kang | Stars: Jeffrey Chyau, Sung Kang, Jade Wu, Samantha Futerman
Votes: 1,414 | Gross: $0.05M
37. Life of Pi (2012)
PG | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Tabu
Votes: 645,926 | Gross: $124.99M
38. Meru (2015)
R | 90 min | Documentary, Sport
Three elite climbers struggle to find their way through obsession and loss as they attempt to climb Mount Meru, one of the most coveted prizes in the high stakes game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Stars: Conrad Anker, Grace Chin, Jimmy Chin, Amee Hinkley
Votes: 18,436 | Gross: $2.33M
39. Twinsters (2015)
PG-13 | 89 min | Documentary, Biography
Adopted from South Korea, raised on different continents & connected through social media, Samantha & Anaïs believe that they are twin sisters separated at birth.
Directors: Samantha Futerman, Ryan Miyamoto | Stars: Skylar Astin, Anaïs Bordier, Jacques Bordier, Patricia Bordier
Votes: 4,836
40. Destroyer (2018)
R | 121 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A police detective reconnects with people from an undercover assignment in her distant past in order to make peace.
Director: Karyn Kusama | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan
Votes: 30,741 | Gross: $1.53M
41. Dead Pigs (2018)
Not Rated | 122 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A bumbling pig farmer, a feisty salon owner, a sensitive busboy, an expat architect and a disenchanted rich girl converge and collide as thousands of dead pigs float down the river towards a rapidly-modernizing Shanghai.
Director: Cathy Yan | Stars: Zazie Beetz, Mason Lee, Meng Li, Archibald C. McColl IV
Votes: 1,568
42. Columbus (I) (2017)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama
A Korean-born man finds himself stuck in Columbus, Indiana, where his architect father is in a coma. The man meets a young woman who wants to stay in Columbus with her mother, a recovering addict, instead of pursuing her own dreams.
Director: Kogonada | Stars: John Cho, Haley Lu Richardson, Parker Posey, Michelle Forbes
Votes: 19,476 | Gross: $1.02M
43. Bitter Melon (2018)
110 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Bitter Melon is a "home for the holidays" dark comedy where a Filipino-American family plots to kill an abusive member.
Director: H.P. Mendoza | Stars: Jon Norman Schneider, Patrick Epino, Brian Rivera, L.A. Renigen
Votes: 177 | Gross: $0.01M
44. The Housemaid (2016)
Not Rated | 105 min | Horror, Romance
When an orphaned Vietnamese girl is hired to be a housemaid at a haunted rubber plantation in 1953 French Indochina, she unexpectedly falls in love with the French landowner and awakens the... See full summary »
Director: Derek Nguyen | Stars: Nhung Kate, Jean-Michel Richaud, Kim Xuan, Svitlana Kovalenko
Votes: 869
45. In the Family (2011)
Not Rated | 169 min | Drama, Romance