Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation

The 19th Annual Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival is thrilled to announce KIYOSHI, directed by Glenn Holsten, as our Opening Night Film, making its WORLD PREMIERE right here in Philadelphia. 🌏✨

KIYOSHI brings the extraordinary life and legacy of Kiyoshi Kuromiya to the screen. A Philadelphia-based Japanese American civil rights, anti-war, gay liberation, and HIV/AIDS activist, Kiyoshi lived a life defined by joy, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

Blending archival footage, stylized interviews, studio sets, and projections, the film explores how Kiyoshi’s early life in a WWII incarceration camp shaped a lifetime of activism, community, and resistance.

📍 November 5 | 7:00 PM
🎥 Moore College of Art & Design
🇺🇸 USA | 89 min | Documentary | 2026

Opening Night also features the Philadelphia Premiere of Zhihao Hu’s A Flash and How it Lasts.

Come celebrate the beginning of the 19th annual festival and be among the very first people in the world to experience KIYOSHI.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now at PAAFF.org

Thank you to our event sponsors: @visitphilly @6abcactionnews @aetv @jacl_national

And our community partners: @phillyasianqueer @scribevideocenter @mangotree.counseling @phillycam