HAAPIFest Presents: The Wedding Banquet — A Joyful Celebration of Chosen Family, Culture, and Love
HAAPIFest is proud to partner with Tremendous Communications and Bleecker Street to host an exclusive community screening of The Wedding Banquet — a vibrant, heartfelt, and hilariously touching film that reimagines the 1993 Ang Lee classic for a new generation.
Directed by Andrew Ahn (Fire Island, Spa Night), this updated take is more than a remake — it’s a reawakening of themes that are just as vital today as they were 30 years ago: family, identity, love, and the courage it takes to be yourself.
Set in Seattle but steeped in cultural tradition, The Wedding Banquet follows Min, a closeted Korean heir whose desperate attempt to stay in the U.S. leads him into a green card marriage with his friend Angela — just so she can afford IVF with her partner, Lee. What starts as a quiet arrangement turns into a chaotic celebration when Min’s grandmother arrives from Korea and insists on a full-blown wedding banquet.
With a dream ensemble cast, the film stars:
Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live, Fire Island) in a witty and emotionally grounded performance as Chris, Min’s original partner.
Lily Gladstone, the Academy Award-nominated star of Killers of the Flower Moon, brings emotional depth and quiet strength to Lee.
Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars, Raya and the Last Dragon) plays Angela, navigating the complexities of identity, love, and motherhood.
Youn Yuh-Jung, Academy Award-winner (Minari), lends wisdom and sharp humor as the family matriarch who sets the wedding chaos in motion.
And Han Gi-Chan, in his English-language film debut, lights up the screen with sincerity and charisma as Min.
For director Andrew Ahn, this film is deeply personal — inspired in part by his own life experiences and his love of the original Wedding Banquet. His reimagining does not simply retell the story but expands it, doubling the narrative stakes and reflecting the richness and complexity of queer, multicultural life today.
“The Wedding Banquet helped me envision a future for myself,” Ahn shares. “Updating it for today felt like my way of throwing myself a Korean wedding.”
This screening isn’t just a movie night — it’s a community experience. HAAPIFest is committed to celebrating stories that reflect the diversity of Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences, and The Wedding Banquet is a shining example of storytelling that uplifts, challenges, and brings us together.
🎬 Houston Community Screening Details:
🗓 Wednesday, April 16, 2025
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Regal Edwards Greenway Grand Palace
📌 3839 Weslayan St, Houston, TX 77027
🎟️ FREE but RSVP Required (Non-transferable Invitation). Click the poster below to RSVP!
The Wedding Banquet will be released in theaters nationwide on April 18, but Houston audiences have the special opportunity to see it early — together.
Join us for a night of laughter, reflection, and celebration of the families we choose and the stories we share.
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