# Asian World Film Festival Unveils Competition Line-up; Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Kassandra’ Set As Opening Film

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/asian-world-film-festival-unveils-competition-line-up-kyrgyzstans-kassandra-set-as-opening-film/
- Published: 2026-10-29T15:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T16:06:13+00:00
- Original publisher: Deadline
- Original article: https://deadline.com/2026/10/asian-world-film-festival-international-oscars-kassandra-1237206052/
- Topics: Asia, Entertainment, Film, Horror, World

## Key points

- *Kassandra* will open the festival.
- The event runs from 12 to 19 November in Los Angeles.
- Sixteen films are in the main competition.

## Summary

The Asian World Film Festival has announced its 2026 programme, with Kyrgyzstan’s *Kassandra* opening the event and Hong Kong film *The Road Not Taken* closing it. The festival will run from 12 to 19 November at the Culver Theater in Los Angeles, showcasing films from across Asia and highlighting international Oscar submissions.

The programme includes 27 films submitted for the International Feature Oscar, with 16 selected for the main competition. Iraq’s *No Paradise If You Are Killed By A Woman* is the centrepiece, and 13 filmmakers are expected to attend for audience Q&As. Last year, eight festival films reached the Oscars shortlist and two received nominations; this year’s jury will be led by producer Arthur Sarkissian.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.