



By Jen Kim

The 41st Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF41) will open with the smash thriller Searching on Wednesday, July 25 at Village East Cinema with Director Aneesh Chaganty and Star John Cho scheduled to attend the Opening Night screening, Q&A session and Gala Reception.

The film won the 2018 NEXT Audience Award upon its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and follows David Kim (John Cho), whose 16-year-old daughter goes missing. A local investigation is opened and a detective (Debra Messing) is assigned to the case, but 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever.

The Asian American International Film Festival has a history of featuring John Cho: “In 2004 we screened Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and last year’s festival presented Columbus and the 20th anniversary of Shopping for Fangs, says Asian CineVision Executive Director, John Woo. “We’re very proud to welcome Aneesh Chaganty to AAIFF for the first time, and to have John Cho back home with Searching. In films from Better Luck Tomorrow to Star Trek, he continues to be one of the most recognizable Asian American faces on screen today, in projects reaching across genres.”

Searching is the feature film debut for Director Aneeesh Chaganty and he quit his job to make it. The 27-year-old writer/director became an internet sensation with his two minute short film, a Google Glass spot called Seeds, which garnered more than 1 million YouTube views in 24 hours. Following its success, Aneesh was invited to join the Google Creative Lab in New York City, where he spent two years developing, writing, and directing Google commercials.

He is a recipient of the Future of Storytelling Fellowship, awarded to only five young creatives around the world “who have demonstrated a fearlessness to tell stories in unconventional ways” and whose works “will be instrumental in shaping the future of storytelling.”

Opening Night tickets are now on presale at aaiff.org/2018 until June 26, 2018, at which point the full schedule will be announced at a launch party at Fat Buddha Bar, 212 Avenue A from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

AAIFF41 will run July 25, 2018 – August 5, 2018 at various venues throughout New York City.







AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff or submitting a story.