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From Parasite to Everything Everywhere All at Once, Asian and Asian American cinema are having more than just a moment—they’re transforming the landscape of the film world. The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) invites you to a nuanced, provocative conversation with Dr. Samuel Jamier, President and Executive Director of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF). Known for shaking up the world of Asian cinema, Jamier has played a transformative role in putting Japanese, Korean and Chinese films and filmmakers on the global radar, spotlighting their critical and box-office successes.

In this talk, Jamier will dive into how the rise of Asian cinema is making waves that reach all the way to Asian American filmmaking, setting off a ripple effect that’s rewriting expectations—and, frankly, stealing the spotlight.

Jamier will explore what “Asian American cinema” even means today, unpacking the quiet disappearance of the hyphen in “Asian-American.” Small change? Maybe. But it speaks volumes about shifting identity, moving from a split between “Asian” and “American” to a more  fluid, self-determined identity—one that says, “we’re not here to be pinned down.” Jamier will also tackle the risk of essentializing Asian American film, championing a more complex view that resists tidy labels.

Tracing a path from the mythic Bruce Lee to the genre-bending Parasite, the Oscar-winning Minari, and the fresh territory of Dìdi, Jamier will map out the converging worlds of Asian and Asian American cinema—two movements that spark off each other, diverge, and ultimately expand what we think cinema can be. He’ll also get into the gritty realities that Asian American filmmakers face and share his vision for a future where media doesn’t just represent but empowers, challenging audiences and shaping cultural narratives in real time. The conversation will be moderated by Yifan Wu, MOCA’s Director of Programs.