The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is back, and it’s louder, wilder, and more genre-bending than ever. Running until July 27, this year’s edition brings more than 100 films from East, South-east and South Asia to screens across New York. NYAFF’s selections are anything but predictable, and there’s something for everyone, from queer romances and high-octane thrillers to surreal comedies and punky coming-of-age tales.

Backed by Film at Lincoln Center and a range of Asian institutions and businesses, NYAFF champions bold storytelling, young filmmakers and under-the-radar gems you won’t find anywhere else – so you can be the first to jump on the Letterboxd train. This year’s slate introduces rising indie filmmakers and honours living legends like Lisa Lu, offering a chance to discover raw debuts and genre experiments, or to reexperience cult classics in packed theatres.

More than ever, NYAFF is a love letter to the weird, the emotional and the wildly inventive spirit of Asian cinema. Ahead, the films that make their mark from the over 100 films featured this year – including standouts that spotlight new voices, directorial debuts and push genre boundaries.

HEAR ME: OUR SUMMER, JO SEON-HO 

Who says romance is dead? In today’s age, where the possibility of dating (not to mention love) is filtered through screens and swipes, Hear Me: Our Summer brings audiences into a world where a real-life meet-cute unfolds with gentle, aching sincerity. A silent, stirring connection unfolds between a drifting college grad and a woman devoted to caring for her hearing-impaired sister, played by young but established actors Hong Kyung and Roh Yoon-seo. When miscommunication arises, no one gives up on the other, showing that real affection doesn’t disappear with the person, but instead grows stronger with mutual effort. Told through Korean Sign Language, stillness, and sincere emotion, this is a romance that speaks volumes without saying (too many) words.

MY FRIEND AN DELIE, DONG ZIJIAN 

My Friend An Delie, the directorial debut of Chinese actor Dong Zijian, is a moving, tragic exploration of friendship and isolation across time. Adapted from Shuang Xuetao’s book of the same name, the film follows two men, played by Dong and Liu Haoran, who first meet in school, one quiet and unremarkable, the other impossible to forget. After forming a deep childhood bond, they reunite years later at a funeral, where long-buried memories resurface. Told through dreamlike flashbacks juxtaposed with the men’s current day journey down memory lane, the film drifts between moments of connection and distance, reflecting on what it means to love, to drift apart, and to carry the memory of the one person who once truly saw you.

THE RED ENVELOPE, CHAYANOP BOONPRAKOB

The Red Envelope is a supernatural buddy comedy brimming with charm, chaos, and strange affection. A remake of the Taiwanese movie Marry My Dead Husband, it follows an ex-mugger, Menn (Billkin), who finds himself contracted to wed a gay ghost, Titi (PP Kritt). As the two attempt to uncover the true cause of Titi’s death, their reluctant partnership evolves into something far more real than they thought. The actors are frequent collaborators with undeniable on-screen chemistry, setting a dynamic pace that grounds the most campy and outlandish scenes. Their banter is fast and sharp while also leaving room for the emotional punches to land. With its magnetic leads and disarming emotional core, The Red Envelope is a raucous, moving reminder that connection can come from the unexpected (and ghastly) places.

QUEERPANORAMA, JUN LI 

In Queerpanorama, Director Jun Li delivers a hypnotic black-and-white portrait of queer intimacy in present-day Hong Kong. A nameless young man (played by newcomer Jayden Cheung) drifts through a series of hookups, adopting new identities each time: “borrowing” names, jobs, and stories from his fleeting lovers. Desire becomes both a mask and mirror, revealing the tension between performance and authentic self-expression – until one stranger finally sees him as he is. Li, through Queerpanorama, wants to show the audience the cycles of sadness and joy, separation and reunion and love and sacrifice.

FLAT GIRLS, JIRASSAYA WONGSUTIN 

Flat Girls, the debut feature from Jirassaya Wongsutin, captures the quiet turbulence of adolescence through the lives of two best friends growing up in Bangkok. Jane and Ann share everything – jokes, frustrations and dreams of escape – until changing family circumstances and class differences begin to pull them apart. Soon, their friendship is complicated by the introduction of a young officer, marked by jealousy, desire and the fear of being alone. With vivid performances from its leads and a strong sense of timeliness and place, Flat Girls offers a sharp, emotionally grounded portrait of girlhood and the invisible boulders that form between.

NYAFF runs until July 27 at venues across New York City, and tickets are on sale now. For more information, click here.