Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival Faces Critical Financial Challenges

Cuts in federal funding and loss of a major corporate sponsor put the festival's future in jeopardy.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, which saw a 200% audience increase in 2024 after the COVID-19 pandemic, is now facing a critical financial position. After becoming an independent nonprofit organization in 2025, the festival has been hit by major cuts in federal arts funding, particularly in areas focused on diversity, as well as the loss of a major corporate sponsor. The festival's executive director, Nani Shin, has launched a public fundraising campaign that has so far generated only 10% of its $150,000 goal, with less than six months of cash reserves left to pay for operations.

Why it matters

The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival is an important cultural event that celebrates and showcases the work of Asian American filmmakers. Its financial struggles highlight the broader challenges facing arts organizations, particularly those focused on diversity and inclusion, in the current funding environment.

The details

The festival had finally gotten a paid, full-time staff of three employees in 2023 after being run mainly by volunteers since 2008. Executive Director Nani Shin had hoped to 'become more structured and professionalized' and develop year-round programming. However, the festival's optimistic expectations were disrupted by major cuts in federal arts funding, particularly in areas focused on diversity, as well as the loss of a major corporate sponsor in the fall of 2025. Shin has now launched a public fundraising campaign that has so far generated only 10% of its $150,000 goal, with less than six months of cash reserves left to pay for operations.

  • In 2024, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival had a banner year, with a 200% increase in audience.
  • In 2023, the festival had finally gotten a paid, full-time staff of three employees after having been run chiefly by volunteers since 2008.
  • In 2025, the festival became an independent nonprofit organization, calling itself the Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation and anticipating new fundraising opportunities.
  • In the spring of 2025, federal support of the arts was disrupted by the Trump administration, particularly in areas focused on diversity.
  • In the fall of 2025, one of the festival's major corporate sponsors pulled out.

The players

Nani Shin

The executive director of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation.

Philadelphia Asian American Film Foundation

The independent nonprofit organization that runs the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival.

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What they’re saying

“What we didn't expect was these major cuts on the federal level trickle down and affect the smaller grants that we were going after.”

— Nani Shin, Executive Director (whyy.org)

“We were already out doing the work that we have committed to do, so we definitely had to pivot and scale it down.”

— Nani Shin, Executive Director (whyy.org)

What’s next

Shin is preparing to hold two public town hall-style meetings on Monday, Feb. 9, and Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 5 p.m., inviting filmmakers, partners, and interested parties to hear the internal struggles of the organization and provide recommendations.

The takeaway

The financial struggles of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival highlight the broader challenges facing arts organizations, particularly those focused on diversity and inclusion, in the current funding environment. The festival's efforts to become more structured and professionalized were disrupted by cuts in federal arts funding and the loss of a major corporate sponsor, underscoring the need for sustainable revenue streams to support important cultural events like this one.